Admission procedures undergraduate programmes

Please take care to submit your application to the universities as early as possible so that any uncertainties can be clarified in time.

Only applications submitted via the online application portal of OTH Amberg-Weiden are accepted. References to previous applications cannot be considered. 

If you receive an admission, you have to declare your acceptance of the study place within a period of time stated in the notification of admission (via the online application portal of  OTH Amberg-Weiden) – if necessary through an authorised representative.
Not meeting this deadline will render the admission invalid!
Please point out the importance of the deadlines to the person you have authorised!
Failure by the authorised person to do so will result in exclusion from the procedure, as will your own failure to attend.

Once you have accepted the place of study, you have to apply for enrolment at the university by the date stated in the notification of admission (enrol). The admission becomes invalid if you do not apply for enrolment.

The result of the selection procedure will only be known after the notification of admission has been issued.
Please do not inquire about possible admission chances.
There is no possibilty to give information beforehand.

Please note that in some degree programmes, proof of practical training in a subject must be provided before the start of the programme, i.e. at the time of enrolment. This must always correspond to the chosen subject area. Practical training in a subject can be replaced by a practical activity of at least six weeks in duration and corresponding to the chosen degree programme (previous practical experience). In addition, there is no need for specialist practical training if you choose a course of study in the field of study you have completed after graduating from Fach- oder Berufsoberschule. If you change your course of study after completing the Fachoberschule, you will generally have to complete a six-week pre-study practical training (please ask the university if necessary).

IMPORTANT NOTE: The allocation of study places in degree programmes with restricted admission (Physician Assistance) is carried out via www.hochschulstart.de.

Applicants for this degree programme must apply both for a study place at OTH Amberg-Weiden and register at www.hochschulstart.de.

Bachelor Degree Programmes

Faculty WI (Weiden)

• Physician Assistance – Arztassistenz : local competition
  10% waiting time, 90% qualification

Master programmes

Faculty BW (Weiden)

• Applied Business Psychology
• Digital Business
• Digital Business Management
• International Management & Sustainability
• Logistics & Digitisation
• Tax Law and Tax Theory

Faculty EMI

• Applied Research in Engineering Sciences
• IT and Automation
• Media Technology and Media Production
• Artificial Intelligence

Faculty MB / UT (Amberg)

• Innovation-focused Mechanical Engineering 1)
• Environmental Technology 1)

Faculty WI (Weiden)

• Intercultural Business and Technology Management 1)
• Medical Technology 1)
• Technology Management 4.0

1) Application deadline: June 15^th for winter semester and January 15^th for summer semester

Please note:
It is absolutely essential to register in due time and in the correct form for degree programmes which are not admissions restricted. This means that applications for admission to these programmes must also be submitted to Amberg Weiden University of Applied Sciences in the period from May 1^st to July 15^th each year at the latest (individual Master's programmes June 15^th each year) . Applications received by the University of Applied Sciences after those mentioned deadlines cannot be accepted, even for the non-restricted courses of study!

Bachelor Degree Programmes

Weiden Business School (Weiden)

• Applied Business Psychology
• Business Administration
• Digital Business
• International Business
• Logistics & Digitalisation

Faculty EMI (Amberg)

• Electrical Engineering and Information  Technology
• Geoinformatics and Land Management
• Industry 4.0 Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Engineering Education, Electrical and Information Technology
• Media Informatics
• Media Production and Media Technology

Faculty MB/UT (Amberg)

• Bio- and Environmental Process Engineering
• Energy Technology, Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection
• Engineering Education,  Metal Technology
• Plastics Technology
• Mechanical Engineering
• Mechatronics and Digital Automation
• Motorsport Engineering
• Patent Engineering

Faculty WI (Weiden)

• Digital Healthcare Management
• International Technology Management
• Medical Technology
• Industrial Engineering and Management

Insofar as degree programmes are neither subject to admission restrictions nor do they require the passing of an aptitude test/suitability assessment for admission, applicants must apply for the desired degree programme using the application form provided by the respective higher education institution for this purpose between May 1^st  and July 15^th  (individual Master's degree programmes by June 15^th).

In the case of degree programmes with an aptitude test or assessment, admission requires proof of aptitude, which must be provided within the framework of an aptitude test or aptitude assessment. The relevant higher education institution provides information on the requirements and procedures for the respective degree programme.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
The allocation of study places in admission-restricted study programmes (Physician Assistance) is carried out via Hochschulstart. Applicants for this degree programme must both apply for a place at OTH Amberg-Weiden and register at hochschulstart.de.

1. Allocation rules and selection of applicants

In degree programmes with restricted admission (so-called NC degree programmes), more applicants are expected than there are places available. For this reason, admission to these degree programmes is restricted and applicants are only admitted up to the set number (admission number). The allocation of study places in the admission-restricted higher education study programmes at state universities is carried out exclusively in the local selection procedure according to the Higher Education Admission Ordinance (Hochschulzulassungsverordnung), in which the allocation is carried out according to the following regulations: First of all, applicants who were already admitted in an earlier allocation procedure but who were unable to take up their studies because they had to fulfil a service obligation (so-called "Vorwegzulasser") are allocated a place at university. The following quotas are deducted from the remaining study places:

 2 % for cases of exceptional, in particular social hardship
    4 % for applicants who have already completed their studies
    5 % for the admission of foreigners and stateless persons who do not have the same status as Germans
    2 % for particularly qualified professionals
    4 % for applicants to the joint degree programme.

The remaining study places, the number of which may be increased by places not taken up from the above quotas, are allocated to applicants as follows:

• 25 % according to qualification (selection according to average grade in the certificate of higher education entrance qualification),
• 65 % university quota (selection according to average grade in the certificate of higher education entrance qualification),
• 10 % according to waiting period (waiting period after obtaining the higher education entrance qualification)

2. General university entrance qualification

Since the winter semester 2009/2010, graduates of the master craftsman's examination and their peers have been offered general university entrance qualifications in addition to the subject-linked university entrance qualification that has been available since 2008. The prerequisite is that they have completed an appropriate counselling interview at the university. In the case of graduates of the master craftsman's examination and of qualifications equivalent to the master craftsman's examination, the arithmetic mean of the individual grades of the respective parts of the examination and the subject-specific individual grades of this examination is used for the selection procedure. In the case of graduates of Fachschulen and Fachakademien, the overall examination mark or, if no overall examination mark is shown, the arithmetic mean of the individual marks for the subjects (excluding elective subjects) in the final examination certificate and the subject-specific individual marks in the final examination certificate shall be taken into account.

Subject-specific university entrance qualification
Since the winter semester 2009/2010, qualified professionals have been granted subject-specific access to higher education independently of the above if the following requirements are met:

•     Successful completion of at least two years of vocational training in a field related to the intended degree programme, regulated by the provisions of the Vocational Training Act, the Crafts Code, federal or state law *),
•     subsequent full-time professional experience of at least three years in a field related to the intended degree programme,
•     Passing the at least two-semester trial study or the university entrance examination. After passing the trial study, the OTH Amberg-Weiden determines the student's suitability to study and certifies the student's eligibility for the degree programme applied for. *)

A subject-related area is given if the vocational training and the professional practice each show sufficient content-related connections with the intended degree programme, in particular impart knowledge and skills that are conducive to this degree programme.

3 . Degree programmes with restricted admission

Overview of the degree programmes for which admission will be restricted in the form of the local selection procedure with their marginal grade of the winter semester 2018/2019. They only serve as a guide and only allow limited conclusions to be drawn about the marginal grade of this year's procedure.

3.1 More detailed regulations on the local selection procedure
3.1.1 Special quota for Fachoberschule (specialised secondary school)

Insofar as places are allocated according to the average grade, a special quota is formed for applicants who have acquired their higher education entrance qualification at a Fachoberschule. The share of the special quota in the number of places corresponds to the share of applicants with a higher education entrance qualification obtained at a Fachoberschule in the total number of German or German-equivalent applicants in the relevant degree programme.
3.1.2 Waiting period

In the case of selection according to waiting time, the rank of applicants is determined by the number of semesters that have elapsed since the acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification. Periods of study at a higher education institution in the Federal Republic of Germany are detrimental to the waiting period and are not taken into account in the waiting period.

If a vocational qualification outside of higher education was obtained prior to the acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification and the higher education entrance qualification was acquired after 16.01.2002, the number of half-years shall be increased by one for each six months of vocational training, but by a maximum of two half-years. If the higher education entrance qualification was acquired before 16.01.2002, the number shall be increased by up to four half-years.

3.1.3 Special regulation for "early entrants
Applicants who have completed the Federal Volunteer Service or a voluntary social year shall be given preferential admission if, at the beginning of or during their service, the following conditions apply to this course of study in Bavaria

•     admission restrictions did not exist, or
•     admission restrictions existed, but the applicant was admitted in WS 2019/2020. In this case, a copy of the admission notice from the previous year must be uploaded. For preferential admission, corresponding proof must also be submitted.

Preferential admission is only possible if the admission is applied for no later than the second award procedure following the end of service. Notes on preferential admission: If you receive a study place at the beginning of or during your service, the following applies: As a rule, you cannot claim the study place; however, you are entitled to preferential admission after the end of service. Preferential admission is intended to protect the applicant from a possible tightening of the selection limits and thus prevent him/her from suffering disadvantages with regard to his/her educational opportunities as a result of service.

Regulation for participants in the combined study programme:
Students who complete a dual study programme within the framework of a combined study programme can also make use of this regulation. If you have already received a notice of admission in the previous year and are taking your studies as a combined study programme, you have a direct claim to admission. To do so, you must upload the admission letter from the previous year in the upload area.

Only foreign or stateless applicants who are not nationals of a member state of the European Union and who have not acquired their higher education entrance qualification in the Federal Republic of Germany or at a German school abroad are considered for this quota. EU nationals are treated equally to Germans in terms of admissions.

For admission in this quota, 5% of the study places are reserved. If more international students have applied to a university than are available within the quota of 5% of study places, applicants are selected only on the basis of their level of qualification. Waiting time is not taken into account; applications for recognition of a hardship case cannot be submitted either.

(1) General information
All applicants who have not acquired their educational qualifications (certificates, diplomas) in the Federal Republic of Germany must submit them to

Uni-assist
Helmholtzstraße 2-9
D - 10587 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0)30 666 44 345
www.uni-assist.de
for evaluation/recognition and for the determination of an average mark. The assessment certificate from Uni Assist (VPD) must be uploaded in the online application  portal  within the application deadline . The application for admission must be received by the university independently of this within the application deadline.

(2) Special features in the assessment of certificates by uni-assist
All foreign applicants who wish to study at a Bavarian university must submit their documents to Uni-assist and request a VPD assessment. For further information, please visit www.uni-assist.de. If you have any questions, please contact the "International Office" at the East Bavarian University of Applied Sciences Amberg-Weiden. Mail: international@oth-aw.de

Direct University Admission

Applicants whose previous educational qualifications allow direct access to higher education must prove that they have passed a German language examination in order to be admitted to a Bavarian university. The following German language examinations in particular are recognised:

a) TestDaF TDN 4: the certificate on the Test German as a Foreign Language for International Applicants (max. TDN 3 in one partial Examination)
b) DSH 1: the certificate of the German language examination for admission to higher education for foreign applicants (min. DSH 1);
c) telc German B2 or telc B2+Profession;
d) DSD II: the German Language Diploma of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder of the Federal Republic of Germany - Second Level - ;
e) Goethe Certificate B2
f) the certificate of the examination to determine the suitability of foreign applicants for admission to higher education in the Federal Republic of Germany (Feststellungsprüfung);
g) evidence of German language skills which have been recognised by bilateral agreements or other agreements concluded by the KMK or HRK as proof of language skills sufficient for admission to higher education studies;
h) the passed assessment test of the Studienkolleg (FSP)
i) ÖSD Certificate B2
j) The successfully passed German language examination B2 within the framework of the PropädeutikumPLUS B2 (only valid for admission to the OTH Amberg-Weiden)

In the case of degree programmes with restricted admissions, proof of passing the German language examination must be submitted by the end of the application period at the latest. Otherwise it cannot be considered in the admissions process. In the case of degree programmes without restricted admissions, the proof can be submitted on request by the end of the re-registration period for the first semester. In such cases, timely submission of the language certificate is a prerequisite for re-registration for the second semester.

Admission to higher education via assessment test (Studienkolleg)

"Hochschulzugang über Feststellungsprüfung (Studienkolleg)", the examination to determine the suitability of foreign applicants for admission to higher education in the Federal Republic of Germany must be taken and passed before commencing studies. Preparation for the Feststellungsprüfung will take place here:

Studienkolleg at the universities of the Free State of Bavaria
Friedrich-Streib-Strasse 2
96450 Coburg,
Tel.: 09561/427060

After passing the assessment test, enrolment at a Bavarian university is possible. However, it depends on the result of the selection procedure. Applicants from the PR China must submit the original certificate from the Academic Evaluation Centre Beijing together with their documents to the Studienkolleg or uni-assist. Authenticated copies of this will not be accepted.

Applicants who have already completed a course of study at a German higher education institution can only be admitted within the above-mentioned special quota of 4 % of study places.

If you do not possess a degree certificate from your first degree programme by the current application deadline, you will not be included in the quota for second degree applicants!

If the number of second degree applicants is higher than the number of places available in this quota, admission will be based on the number of places measured by the result of the final examination of the first degree and the degree of importance of the reasons for the second degree (academic, professional or other reasons).

Admission of applicants for second degree programmes within the quota for hardship cases can only be considered if there are special social and family circumstances which are justified in the applicant's person and make immediate commencement of the second degree programme absolutely essential.

In addition to the application form provided by the universities and the documents listed therein, the following evidence must also be submitted:

• a certified copy of the degree certificate of the first degree (all pages); the average grade with which you completed your first degree must be documented in the degree certificate or in a special certificate issued by the body responsible for issuing the degree certificate. Otherwise, the lowest grade must be used.
• Informal, detailed, written justification for your wish to pursue a second degree, including details of your previous education and professional activity and your desired career goal. Finally, the justification should contain all aspects relevant to your second degree course; the reasons given (see below) should be explicitly stated.
• certified copy of the higher education entrance qualification (certificate of the general or subject-related higher education entrance qualification or the Fachhochschule entrance qualification).

Second degree applicants are selected according to the criteria "examination result of first degree" and "reasons for the second degree". Points are awarded for both criteria. The points are added up to form a measured number. The measured value is decisive for your ranking on the list of applicants for second degree programmes. Applicants with a higher score will be given preference over applicants with a lower score. This means that there is a clear ranking among applicants for second degree programmes who have applied for the same degree programme. Second chance applicants are selected in this order until the quota is exhausted.

The following points are awarded for the result of the final examination of the first degree programme:

• Grades excellent and very good 4 points
• Scores good and fully satisfactory 3 points
• grade satisfactory 2 points
• grade sufficient 1 point
• Note not proven 1 point.

Depending on the importance of the reasons for the second degree course, the applicant is awarded the following points:

compelling occupational reasons: 9 points
Compelling occupational reasons exist if the applicant is aiming for a profession that can only be pursued on the basis of two completed courses of study.

Scientific reasons: 7 to 11 points
Scientific reasons are deemed to exist if, with a view to subsequent employment in science and research, a further scientific qualification is sought in another degree programme on the basis of previous scientific and practical work. If there are scientific reasons, the number of points within the range of 7 to 11 points shall depend on the weight of the reasons, the achievements of the applicant to date and the extent to which the reasons are of general interest.

Specific professional reasons: 7 points
There are special occupational reasons if the applicant's occupational situation is considerably improved by the fact that the completion of the second degree programme complements the first degree programme in a meaningful way.

Other occupational reasons: 4 points 
Other occupational reasons are given if the applicant's occupational situation requires the second degree course to be supported for other reasons.

None of the above reasons: 1 point
There is no cumulation of several reasons; the most favourable case group is always taken as a basis. If there are scientific reasons, the score within the range of 7 to 11 points depends on the weight of the reasons, the services provided so far and the extent to which the reasons are of general interest. If the second degree course is pursued after a family phase for the purpose of reintegration or new entry into working life, this circumstance can be taken into account in the calculation of the score by granting a supplement of up to 2 points, irrespective of the evaluation of the project and its assignment to one of the above-mentioned case groups.

Within the quota for hardship cases, only applicants for whom non-admission to the desired degree programme would mean exceptional hardship, can be admitted. Exceptional hardship means a special social need or family reasons that make it necessary that he/she starts studies immediately. The rejection of the application for admission would have to be associated with disadvantages for the applicant which, if a strict standard is applied, would go considerably beyond the extent of the disadvantages usually associated with rejection. The universities in Bavaria keep 2 % of the study places available for so-called hardship cases. If more hardship cases are recognised than there are places available in this quota, selection is made on the basis of the degree of exceptional, particularly social, hardship. However, this quota needs not be exhausted. Within this quota, the recognition of an application for hardship cases without consideration of selection criteria (e.g. average grade, waiting period) leads directly to admission before all other applicants.

The application is therefore only eligible for a small number of persons. Not every impairment, even if perceived as severe, justifies admission as a hardship case. On the contrary, the applicant must have such serious health, social or family reasons that, even if particularly strict standards are applied, he cannot be expected to wait even one year for admission. There must therefore be a special exceptional situation.

The far-reaching significance of a positive hardship decision for those applicants who can no longer be admitted in accordance with the general selection criteria due to the filling of study places by hardship cases necessitates a particularly critical examination of the reasons given and the evidence submitted. The hardship case must be proven by appropriate evidence (e.g. specialist medical opinion).
The application and the supporting documents must be submitted in full by 15 July each year. Applications submitted at a later date or supporting documents submitted at a later date that justify the application will not be considered. Likewise, reasons which only arise after that deadline cannot be considered under any circumstances.

Reasoned requests
In the following cases, which are given as examples, an application for hardship can generally be granted.
1. Special health circumstances of the applicant which require immediate admission:
1.1 Applicant who suffers from an illness with a tendency to aggravate, which in all probability will in future lead to the inability to cope with the stresses and strains of the studies (expert medical opinion).
1.2 Applicant who had to give up his or her previous studies or previous profession for health reasons; for these reasons, it is not possible for him or her to bridge the waiting period in a meaningful way (expert medical opinion)
1.3 Applicants who are physically disabled; due to their disability, they are either unable to perform any other reasonable activity until a study place is allocated or are unreasonably disadvantaged in relation to non-disabled applicants in the event of a further referral to the waiting period (expert medical opinion). Re numbers 1.1 - 1.3: The expert opinion should contain statements on the origin, severity, course and treatment options of the illness as well as a prognosis on the further course of the illness and should also be comprehensible to medical laypersons. Suitable additional proofs are, for example, the severely disabled person's pass, the notice of assessment by the pension office and the notice of withdrawal from service of the Bundeswehr.

On points 1.1 - 1.3:
The expert opinion should contain statements on the origin, severity, course and treatment options of the disease as well as a prognosis on the further course of the disease and should also be comprehensible for medical laypersons. Suitable additional proofs are, for example, the severely disabled person's pass, the notice of assessment by the pension office and the notice of withdrawal from service of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces).
 

2. Special economic hardship of the applicant, but only in the event of a coincidence with circumstances described in numbers 1 and/or 3 (documents suitable for providing evidence).
3. Special family or social circumstances of the applicant which require immediate admission (documents suitable as proof).
4. Applicant who has been admitted to the above-mentioned degree programme in an earlier semester, but could not be admitted to it for compelling reasons for which he/she is not responsible (in particular illness), unless an advance admissions officer (proof of compelling reason, previous notification of admission)

Unsubstantiated applications

In the following cases in particular, the application is generally unsuccessful:
To 1.:

• Local commitment due to necessary home care and support in case of existing illness
• Previous studies or occupation had to be abandoned for health reasons; bridging the waiting period is, however, possible and reasonable
• Restriction in the choice of occupation due to illness; bridging the waiting period is, however, possible and reasonable.

To 2..:

• The course of study cannot be financed from private funds.
• Future discontinuation of private financing of the course of study if the start of the course of study is delayed further
• The financing of the study programme is limited (e.g. inheritance contract, will, payment of orphan's allowance or Bundeswehr pension); it is no longer secured for the intended study programme if admission is further delayed

To 3.:

• Applicant who is married or has one child - Father or mother or both parents are ill or severely disabled
• Origin from a large family; siblings are still in education
• The applicant is an orphan or half-orphan.

(1) Improvement of grade point average

The average grade is a key selection criterion for the allocation of study places. For this reason, performance impairments which have prevented an applicant from achieving a better average mark when acquiring a higher education entrance qualification (e.g. entrance qualification for studies at universities of applied sciences) are to be compensated for. If such circumstances and their effects are proven, under certain conditions the application for admission with an improved average mark can be included in the award procedure.

Example:
Mr. C applies for the winter semester 2019/2020 in the Social Work programme. The average grade in the certificate of the Fachhochschulreife, acquired in 2012, is 2.3. However, he proves that he suffered a serious traffic accident in the second half of 2012 with months of hospitalisation. From the certificates before the accident (average mark: 2.0) it is evident that Mr C would probably have achieved an average mark of 2.0 without the serious accident. The effects of the impairments caused by the accident are thus expressed in a deterioration of the average mark of 0.3 in the Fachhochschulreife certificate. Mr C is therefore included in the selection process with an average mark of 2.0. If the selection limit in the social work degree programme is 2.1, Mr C can be allocated a study place. However, if the selection limit is 1.9, Mr C must be rejected despite an improved average grade. The example shows that proof of the reason (here: months of hospitalisation) is not sufficient to justify the application. Rather, it must also be demonstrated how the reason has affected the average grade. As in the example given, you can provide evidence of the effects of this through your school reports. However, they must show that you achieved better marks before the incriminating circumstance occurred and worse marks afterwards. If the effects are not directly apparent from the school reports, a report from the school (not from individual teachers) must be submitted as further evidence.

Please request the report as early as possible so that it can be submitted to the university before the application deadline. The following principles determine what content the school report must have and what requirements are made of the report. You must also enclose all documents on which the school report is based, e.g. certificates and specialist medical reports.

A school report can only be waived if the school is not in a position to produce it. In this case, the report of a pedagogically and psychologically trained expert may be considered. You must also enclose with your application the school's statement that it was unable to assess the effects of the reason and was therefore unable to prepare a school report. Present this notification to the pedagogical-psychological expert.

In the pedagogical field, the report must contain an evaluation of your school performance before and after the occurrence of the incriminating circumstance. Based on this, the reviewer must apply the test procedures developed in psychology to determine a person's intelligence, talent, personality structure, achievement motivation and ability to cope with stress in a recognisable manner and present the results in a comprehensible manner. Finally, as a result of his or her investigations, the assessor must make findings from which the precise value of the average mark which you would have achieved if the reason for the application had not occurred is derived. Please note: You must also enclose with your application all documents on which the educational-psychological assessment is based, e.g. certificates and specialist medical reports.

Reasoned requests

In the following cases, which are given as examples, a request for improvement of the average grade can generally be granted:

1. special social or health circumstances of the applicant

1.1 Prolonged absence from education due to illness during the last three years prior to acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification (specialist medical opinion)

1.2 Severely handicapped person of 50 or more percent (severely handicapped pass or assessment notice from the pension office)

1.3 Prolonged serious illness of the applicant, unless covered by numbers 1.1 or 1.2, or comparable special health circumstances (specialist medical opinion) 1.4 Pregnancy of the applicant during the last three years before acquisition of the university entrance qualification (specialist medical certificate or birth certificate of the child)

2. special economic circumstances of the applicant (documents suitable for proof)

3. moving to the Federal Republic of Germany

4. special family circumstances

4.1 Care of own minor children, siblings or relatives in need of care (in the ascending line) in the last three years prior to acquisition of the entitlement to admission to higher education, if other persons were not available for care (birth certificates of the child(ren) in connection with suitable evidence that other persons were not available for care - e.g. certificate from the social welfare office or evidence of the need for care)

4.2 Loss of one parent in the last three years prior to acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification or loss of both parents prior to acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification, provided that the applicant was unmarried at that time and had not yet reached the age of 25 (death certificate of the parents and declaration of marital status at that time). 4.3 Several changes of school in the last three years before acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification due to relocation of parents (applicant's leaving certificates and parents' registration certificate)

5. membership of the A, B or C squad of the federal sports federations of at least one year's uninterrupted duration during the last three years prior to acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification (certificate issued by the competent federal sports federation).

Unsubstantiated requests

In the following cases, the application is generally unsuccessful:

• Work during school hours in the parental household, shop or business
• Parents' illness
• Loss of a parent or other close relative prior to acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification, unless no. 4.2 applies
• Parental disagreement or divorce
• Parents moving house before the last three years before acquiring the university entrance qualification.

Principles for the preparation of school reports

In order to ensure that schools from which expert opinions are requested on applications for compensation for disadvantages in selection according to the level of qualification proceed according to comparable standards, the following principles should be observed when preparing such expert opinions:

1) The decision as to whether the school at which the higher education entrance qualification was obtained will issue an expert opinion on an application for compensation for disadvantages in selection on the basis of the level of qualification shall be taken by the school's management at its own discretion. The school may refuse to prepare an expert report; it will refuse to do so in particular if the findings necessary for the expert report cannot be made due to a lack of knowledge about the person to be evaluated (e.g. too short a period of affiliation with the school).
2. the school report to be signed by the school management must contain
a) A short description of the pupil's school career;
b) The abandonment of the circumstances which are decisive for a possible impairment of performance and for which the school cannot be held responsible in terms of their nature and duration; the school must limit itself to proven facts;
c) The task of identifying and substantiating the effects of those circumstances on performance in the individual subjects in the judgement of the respective subject teachers;
d) A clause stating that the report is intended only for submission to the Central Office for the Allocation of Study Places and may only be used for this purpose.

3) If the school is convinced that the special circumstances claimed (for which it is not responsible) have led to an impairment of school performance, then, taking into account the overall development of performance over many years, it must be established in a credible manner for each subject under consideration within which range a better grade or a higher number of points could have been expected without that impairment. The resulting range for the higher education entrance qualification within which the better overall average grade or higher overall score would then lie must be stated.

4) A report can only be based on general experience when certifying minor differences in performance. The requirements for the conclusive presentation of the interrelationships of effects must increase with the certified grades or range of points. 14

5) As far as necessary and possible in individual cases, a school psychologist working at the school or responsible for the school may be consulted when preparing the report.

(2) Improving the waiting time

In the study programmes of the local selection procedures, the waiting period is based on the number of half-years that have elapsed since obtaining the higher education entrance qualification (e.g. Fachhochschule entrance qualification). However, there may be circumstances beyond the applicant's control which have delayed the acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification. The applicant will then have less waiting time. In this case, an earlier date of acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification can be taken as a basis for selection according to waiting time, if the applicant applies for this and provides appropriate proof. The applicant therefore takes part in the selection with a waiting period which he/she would probably have reached without the delay.

Example:
Ms. D. applies for the winter semester 2018/2019 and obtained her university entrance qualification in May 2017, so that her waiting period is two semesters. However, Ms. D. proves that she had to repeat the 12th grade due to illness. Without repeating grade 12, she would have already taken her Fachhochschulreife in May 2015 and would therefore have had to wait four semesters. Ms D. is therefore subject to a waiting period of four half-years.

Again, proof of the reason (in the example: illness) is not sufficient for recognition of the application. You must also prove that this burdening circumstance has delayed the acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification; for example, by submitting a certificate from your school stating the reason for and duration of the delay.

Reasoned requests

By analogy, the same reasons which can also lead to an improvement in the average mark can be taken into account and recognised, although the time at which the reason for the disadvantage occurred is irrelevant here.

An application for improvement of the waiting period can also be submitted if the higher education entrance qualification was acquired on the second educational pathway and the time loss inevitably suffered as a result is greater than the waiting period and the disadvantage has not already been compensated for by the improvement in value of four semesters.

In all cases, you should enclose a certificate from the school stating the reason for and duration of the delay in obtaining the right to study, as well as any other supporting documents that you can use to prove the reason for the disadvantage.