Hauptinhalt
Information in English
Why does everything have to be on paper? Why no digital documents?
In Germany, processes follow strict legal rules. When you register for an exam, this is seen as an official legal action. Your registration leads to a grade. All grades are collected and form your final result. Your final result decides if you pass your degree.
This is important because of Article 12 of the German constitution (Grundgesetz). Article 12 protects your right to choose your profession. If you fail your degree, you may lose the possibility to work in that profession in Germany. For example, if you fail a teaching degree, you may not be allowed to become a teacher.
Because of this, even small exams can have serious legal consequences. The university must be able to prove clearly that you registered for the exam yourself and that you agreed to it.
Most exams allow for a secure and valid digital online registration via Marvin. However some processes and registrations are not yet covered by Marvin and have to be done by means of forms and documents.
At the moment, our university does not have a system for legally valid digital signatures for students. Without such a system, a digital registration (e.g. a pdf with a scanned signature) will not be accepted in court.
Paper documents with a handwritten signature are legally secure. They can be used as clear proof if there is a legal problem later.
This is why you are asked to submit paper documents. It feels old-fashioned, but it is done to make sure your rights and the legal process are protected.
Admission to the Bachelor Thesis or Master Thesis
This is a translation of the current letter issued by the Examinations Office with the title "Zulassung zur Bachelor/Masterarbeit"
– Please read the following explanations carefully, your ability to graduate depends on you adhering to these rules! –
You have been admitted to the Bachelor/Master thesis on the date given in the letter you have received from the Examinations Office.
Together with this letter you have received the form containing the topic of your thesis. This form has to be signed by you and then returned to the examinations office.
From now on, you are allowed to start working on your thesis. The due date before which you have to hand in your thesis is stated on the letter as "Abgabetermin ist der: [date]". You have to hand in your thesis before or on this date. If you hand in your thesis later than this date (even if it is only one day) you will automatically be graded 'fail'. If there are no opening hours of the Examinations Office on your due date, please contact the Examinations Office in time, so we can arrange a date for you to hand in your thesis.
You have to hand in two copies of your thesis at the examinations office. These have to be bound. Paperback is fine, hardcover is not neccessary, but the binding must be done in such a way that it is impossible to add or remove pages. So, no ring-binder, spiral-binding or folder; a glued spine is neccessary. If you are in doubt, please contact the Examinations Office beforehands.
You should hand in your thesis at the Examinations Office in person if at all possible to avoid problems or complications. If that is not possible for you, you can also hand in your thesis via postal mail. If that is the case for you, please note the following:
- Under no circumstances send your thesis as an unregistered letter! Always send it as a registered letter ("Einschreiben"), preferably as a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt ("Einschreiben mit Rückschein").
- When you hand in yhour thesis at the post office as a registered letter, you will receive a receipt. Keep this receipt for future reference.
- Do not just put your letter into a regular mailbox. A receipt for stamps bought on a certain date ist not sufficient proof of keeping the deadline.
- The date of submission stamped on your registered letter and stated on your receipt for the registered letter will count as the date of submission for your thesis.
Please note: You may not use the university logo/seal on the cover of your thesis!
If the rules and regulations of your course of studies require you to hand in an additional electronic version of your thesis or additional material, you have to hand in two external data carriers (CD-ROM, USB-drive etc.) as well. Please note that these will remain on file at the Examinations Office for a minimum of five years - you will not be able to get them back earlier.
Should you fall ill during the time you are working on your thesis, you can request an extension of your deadline. In order to be able to do this, you need a statement from a doctor that you are ill (an "Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung") that has to explicitly state that you are unable to take part in examination ("prüfungsunfähig"). You should address your (written) request for extension of deadline to the chair of the examinations board for your course of study and send it to the Examinations Office, including a copy of the doctor's statement. We will notify you of your new due date.
Usually, your degree certificate and your diploma will be ready for you to pick up approx. eight weeks after you hand in your thesis with us. Should you need any documents before this, please contact us immediately!