Minimum number of credits

You have to obtain the minimum number of credits for the entire bachelor’s programme in Teacher Education (i.e. for both teaching subjects together), and not for each teaching subject separately.

As long as one of the teaching subjects remains the same, the semesters and ECTS credits are recognised for the minimum number of credits also when you change one teaching subject or when you resume your studies after an interruption. The teaching subject for which you have been admitted for the longest duration counts towards the minimum number of credits. 

If you do not obtain the minimum number of credits in due time, you will be excluded from this programme for 4 semesters. You are excluded from those teaching subjects for which you have already been admitted for 4 semesters. The combination with a teaching subject for which you have been admitted for less than 4 semesters is possible. In this case, the semesters that you have already completed and the ECTS that you have already obtained in your previous subject combination is recognised for the minimum number of credits.

Example 1: You interrupt the teacher education programme after 3 semesters and resume your studies sometime later (with at least one teaching subject remaining the same): You have 1 semester to obtain the required 16 ECTS credits.

Example 2: You changed one teaching subject in the 3rd semester. You were not able to obtain the minimum number of credits within 4 semesters and are excluded from the teacher education programme. You can study the teaching subject that you only studied for one semester for another 3 semesters in combination with another teaching subject to obtain the minimum number of 16 ECTS credits. All ECTS credits obtained in the first semester count towards the minimum number of credits.

Example 3: You were not able to obtain the minimum number of credits within 4 semesters and are excluded from the teacher education programme. You begin a teacher education programme with a completely different combination of teaching subjects. The counting of ECTS credits and semesters for the minimum number of credits starts at 0 again.

No, you do not have to obtain the minimum number of credits in complementary degree programmes.

If you include a teaching subject from a complementary teacher education programme in your subject combination, the teaching subject for which you have been admitted the longest in your combination programme counts towards the minimum number of credits. 

Example:

You are studying a subject combination and a complementary degree programme at the same time. After 3 semesters, you exchange one of your teaching subjects with the subject of your complementary degree programme. You have to obtain the minimum number of credits within the remaining fourth semester of the combination programme. You can apply for the recognition of achievements completed in the complementary degree programme, if you completed them within the first four semesters of the combination programme and if you apply for the recognition for the fourth semester in due time (see FAQ: “Are recognised achievements accepted for the minimum number of credits?”).

Whether a recognised achievement is accepted for the minimum number of credits depends on the date on which the achievement (= initial achievement) was completed. The initial achievement must have been completed within the period relevant for the minimum number of credits and its recognition must have been approved. Only then does the recognised achievement count towards the minimum number of credits.

Therefore, apply for recognition with your responsible StudiesServiceCenter well in advance. Note that it might take up to two months until a decision is taken and that the complaints procedure in case of a negative decision also takes time. If you have completed a course/exam multiple times, only the date of the last examination result counts.