FAQ

Information on application/registration for the Masters Degree

The application to the Geoscience Masters Degree programme is submitted via the campo portal, open from mid-January to mid-July.

Information about enrolment and application deadlines

The application requires:

• CV
• School Leaving Certificates  (Abitur, A Levels, IB, etc.)
• Bachelor’s Degree Certificate after §47 Abs. 1 Satz 2 (Certificate, Transcript of Records, Diploma Supplement or comparable documents) or a Transcript of Records in case of §47 Abs. 3
• Letter of motivation (not required for the Master’s in GeoThermics/GeoEnergy), containing information on the following topics:
  a. previous education (in particular, geoscience education)
  b. what are your expectations and aspirations for the Masters Degree Programme
  c. choices of first and second major subjects

The entry grade for the Geoscience Masters Degree Programme  is 2.5. If you did not achieve the entry requirements you can apply for the procedure of qualification verification. All information on this topic can be found in the specific examination regulations on page 7.

Studies can only be started in winter semester. Starting in summer semester is only possible in the case of a switch of university within the Geoscience Masters Degree Programme.

In the Fachprüfungsordnung zum Bachelor- und Masterstudiengang Geowissenschaften ab dem WS 2017/18 (subject-specific Examination Regulations (German)) §47 following is stated:

[…] students that are enrolled in a Bachelors Degree Programme can be submitted for a Masters Degree Programme with a well-founded application in exceptional cases, if they achieved at least 140 ECTS points. Bachelors Degree verification must be handed in within one year of the start of studies. The formal admission for a Masters Degree requires graduation from a Bachelors Degree. The access to the Masters Degree programme is under reserve.”

In order to not receive an invalid exam attempt, you have to hand in a medical report of the day of the exam at the geoscience examination office. Failure to attend an exam without a declaration of reasons (medical report) results in a failed exam.

Students can only attend the second try (Nachklausur), if they were registered for the exam and either failed or handed in a medical report. Students who resigned from an exam or have not been registered can not take the exam before the next examination cycle.

The retrospective claim of illness is not possible. The claim of inability to sit the exam must be done at the latest immediately after the exam. “At the latest” means, that the exam results are not yet released. Otherwise an attempt of abuse is assumed.

All information about leaves of absence can be found on the FAU Homepage – Regulations on leave from studies.

The request for leave can be found on the FAU Homepage – Student Records Office.

In the Geoscience Bachelors and Masters Degree Programme an internship is not mandatory. For a voluntary internship during the lecture period, the internship must fill at least 7 weeks of the lecture period, to be eligible for a leave of absence. Shorter internships (e.g. 4 weeks) for the key qualification modules in the Geoscience Masters must be completed in the semester break. A leave of absence for an internship is only possible once during the degree.

A leave of absence for a study abroad can be requested for up to a maximum of 2 semesters. Please attach evidence of enrolment in the host university abroad to the application.

Further reasons for a leave of absence are:

• Illness (medical report, showing that you are unable to study for the whole semester)
• Pregnancy (one semester)/parental leave
• Care of a relative
• Other reasons (name detailed); financial and economical aspects or the production of a thesis are not accepted

The students have to re-register for the further studies duly and timely to every semester at FAU.

The application for a leave of absence must be handed in before re-registration at the Student Records Office (if the cause for the leave of absence occurs only after re-registration, you can normally apply for the leave of absence until the start of the lectures).

Please send all required documents to:

Zentrale Universitätsverwaltung
Referat L 5 – Studierendenverwaltung
(Student Records Office)
Schlossplatz 4
91054 Erlangen

or hand them in personally at:
Halbmondstr. 6‐8, 91054 Erlangen
Zi.‐Nr. (Room no.) 00.034; studentenkanzlei@fau.de

The application for a leave of absence must be made principally before the start of lectures in the respective semester. A leave of absence in the first semester is only valid for the purpose of maternity protection or parental leave. A retrospective leave of absence for a completed semester is not allowed. The length of the leave of absence should generally not exceed two semesters (this does not apply for maternity protection or parental leave). It is not possible to attend study or sit examinations FAU during the leave of absence (exception: repetition of failed exams; but not after approved resignation from an exam).
In case of a longer inability to study (more than 2 semester) instead of a leave of absence you should consider an interruption of your studies after §9 Abs. 3 of the enrolment statute of FAU.

The following work modules can be used as core skill module 1 (SQ1) and 2 (SQ2) in the Geoscience Masters Degree Programme (2nd and 3rd semester):

1. Industrial placements and internships (4 weeks)
2. Geological Mapping (12 days)
3. Field exercises (12 days)
4. Projects/ comparable work (4 weeks). Projects have to be evaluated by an approved examiner. SQ1 and SQ2 have to comprise 5 ECTS.

Further information can be found under core skill modules of the Geoscience Masters Degree in the Study Portal.

The core skill modules are supposed to be completed in the 5th semester of the Bachelors Degree. Students can choose any module offered at FAU. The only requirement is that the module must be worth 5 ECTS. You can choose language courses, field exercises or lectures. Some courses are only offered annually. Lectures that offered in summer semester should be taken in 4th semester, while courses offered in winter semester should be taken in the 5th semester as recommended in the study plan.

Further information can be found under core skill modules of the Geoscience Bachelors Degree in the Study Portal.

The possible elective modules with 5 ECTS in the Geoscience Bachelors Degree Programme are published on the GZN Homepage:

Elective modules in the Bachelors Degree Programme

The elective module in the Bachelors Degree should be taken in the 4th semester. Lectures are usually offered annually. You should complete lectures that are offered in Wintersemester in the 3rd semester. Lectures offered in the summer semester should be completed in the 4th semester as recommended in the study plan.

Currently seven elective modules are available within the Bachelors Programme.

The possible elective modules of 5 ECTS in the Geoscience Masters Degree Programme are published on the GZN Homepage:

Elective modules in the Masters Degree Programme

An elective module contains one or two lectures worth 5 ECTS. Within the elective module WNF-2 Werkstoffwissenschaften (material sciences) a third lecture in form of a colloquium is offered.

Currently eight elective modules are available within the Masters Programme.