Basics in Studying and Teaching

Examination regulations (“Prüfungsordnung” or „PO“) legally define structure, scope, and procedure of degree programmes. The current PO for each programme can be found on the central university website.

Course achievements are ungraded performances intended to help students develop specific competencies within courses or modules. A course achievement may consist of several smaller components. General expectations are outlined in the module catalogue. The teaching staff determines at the beginning of the course, which achievements have to be completed in detail.

Course achievements are usually completed during the respective course. They are not prerequisite for registering or for completing the examination performance. Successfully passed course achievements should be documented as promptly as possible, but no later than the end of the same semester.

Examination performances are generally graded assessments. The type and scope of performances within a module are bindingly outlined in the annex of the examination regulations. If there are more than one type of performance available according to the PO, the teaching staff must define one binding format for all students no later than October, 15^th for the winter semester and April, 15^th for the summer semester. Before starting the examination, students must give their written consent to the use of special detection softwares for plagiarism. It is recommended to include the following statement as declaration of authorship:

"Mit der Übermittlung meiner Arbeit auch an externe Dienste zur Plagiatsprüfung durch Plagiatssoftware erkläre ich mich einverstanden." ("I hereby declare that I agree to the transmission of my examination performance to external services or software in order to detect any plagiarism." Please use the German declaration.)

Credit points, also referred to as "Leistungspunkte (LP)" within the framework of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) measure the quantitative student workload. One credit point corresponds to an average workload of 30 hours. The entire workload includes preparation, in-class-attendance, follow-up of a course and independet time related to the course achievements and examination performances.

To successfully complete a Bachelor’s degree 180 credit points are required. For a Master’s degree 120 credit points must be earned.

Credit points are only awarded after successfully completing the entire module, which includes passing all course achievements and examination performances.

Students may apply for compensation for disadvantages ("Nachteilsausgleich"), if, due to chronic diseases or disability, they are unable to complete their course achievements or examination performances in the required form. (Nevertheless the general ability to study must be given.)

Further information

In accordance with § 5 of the model examination regulations of LUH, all examiners must be officially appointed each semester by the responsible examination board for every degree programme in which they are to conduct examinations. The authorization is granted at the beginning of each semester upon request of the institut by the chair of the respective examination board.

Associated teaching staff ("Beisitzende") for an exam will be appointed by the examiners. The former need to have at least the same qualification level as being assessed in the examination, or higher.

Grades are entered directly by the examiners in the HIS-QIS-data base module POS. Login credentials for POS, as well as user instructions, are automatically provided by the examination office once the examiner is appointed. If access isn’t possible until the beginning of the examination period, examiners are kindly asked to get in contact with the examination office. The administrative staff of the respective degree programme is at disposition for any questions about the data base or technical problem entering course achievements or examination performances.

a) Registration for Module Examination Performances

Students must register for each examination of their degree programme. The registration must take place within the designated registration period (see next point) and serves to record examinations attempts as the number of attempts is usually limited according to the examinations regulations. Students register for examinations online in the HIS-QIS system. Examiners receive the information about the registrations listed in HIS-QIS and sorted by examination numbers. It is possible that students of the same examination appear beneath different examination numbers, e. g. if examinations are part of more than one module at the time or if the same module is assigned different examations numbers across different degree programmes.

b) Registration and Admission for the Bachelor’s and Master’s Thesis

As a prerequisite for registration to the module “Bachelor’s thesis” students must have earned at least 110 credit points. For the Master’s thesis registration 60 credit points are necessary. Additionally some subjects have special admission requirements, such as the completion of specific modules, proof of internships or of foreign language skills. In the degree programmes with two subjects, requirements must be fulfilled in every subject, even if the Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis is written in the other subject. All requirements are defined in the respective examination regulations of the degree programme.

To register to a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis students must apply by using a separate registration form available at the website “Prüfungsinfos & Fachberatung” (see above). The examination office checks - before handing out the thesis’ topic - whether all requirements are met and confirms it on a special certificate. Only after receiving this confirmation students may start the work on their thesis.

(see appendix 3 of the examination regulations)

Registration Period

Each examination performance of a module must be officially registered during the designated registration period. If the deadline is missed, there is no other possibility to take part in the examination of the same semester.

Examination Period

During this period the examination performance takes place in accordance with the teaching staff. Within this timeframe, examination dates shall be organised by teaching staff in the way, that they don't conflict with examinations of colleagues. Dates for students during their last semester are scheduled in such a way, that

1. students are able to apply for a Master’s programme before July 15^th  (before January 15^th), and that
2. they don’t need to extend their studies to the next semester, because grades are still pending.

Resit Examination Period

If an examination performance is not passed, it can be retaken during the next resit examination period, but after prior registration for it. There is no automatism for resit registration.

In order to register in due time for resit examination, it is necessary that examiners submit the former results via online system within the set deadlines.

Correction Period and Grading Deadline

The correction period follows the examination period. Generally grading shall not take more than one month for the examiner (see § 17 examination regulation). All deadlines can be found in appendix 3 of the examination regulations.

Some subjects or degree programmes have a resit examination period at the end of the same semester. Failed examination results and resit examination information must arrive at the student at least one week before the new resit examination shall take place. In these cases it is particularly important that the correction deadline is met.

The status and possible applications of artificial intelligence (AI) are developing dynamically. LUH has analysed the use of AI from various perspectives, developed guidelines and recommendations, and provides this information to teaching staff and students here.

The committee on teaching and the curriculum ("Studienkommission") of the Faculty of Humanities advises all teaching staff to use the self-elaborated guidelines for advising and assessment of written examinations (term papers or thesis’), unless a specific template is available within the institute.

a) Examination Results / Online Recording

The recording of grades is complete, when all registrated students of the same examination (number) got grades.

Cancellation = Cancellation is made within the deadline designated for the exam format. It is done by the student directly in the online system or directly at the examiner (best via e-mail). There must not be given any reasoning for cancellation.

Students cancel within the deadline

• for written examinations (“K” or “KA”) by themselves in the online system -> “AMD” occurs automatically
• Students cancel within the deadline for all other types of examinations performances (except “K” and “KA”) directly at their examiner -> “AMD” occurs in the system, the examiner is responsible for the entry
• Students are registered, but the examiner doesn’t assign a topic for the examination -> “AMD” occurs in the system, the examiner is responsible for the entry

Absence = Non-appearance to an examination or failing to submit without cancellation within the specified period

• Students are registered, but don’t show-up for the exam (“K”,” KA”, “MP”, “SP”) -> “NER” is entered by the examiner

Withdrawal = Cancellation from an examination after the deadline, with important reasons, which are instantly declared by the student against the examination board by using a special form.

The examination board decides whether the given reasons of a withdrawal are accepted as important. The decision over „NER“ turns out to an „RTE“, when withdrawal is accepted. “RTU” as decision after “NER” on the other hand shows a non-accepted withdrawal-attempt. In this case one of ususally three possible attempts is lost.

All codes for cancellation, absence or withdrawal are listed and explained in HIS-POS and as FAQ 9.5 here.

If students took part in an examination without being on the list of registrations, this may be due to a failure or error in registration. Before correcting the examination performance the examiner in this case contacts the examination office in order to clarify the authorization of the student. The student will be added to the examiners online list, if admission is accepted.

The examination office will remind missing grades to the examiner after the correction deadline has passed. The latter gets into contact with the former for clarifying. By doing so in due time, degrees can be ensured and delay for students can be avoided.

Bachelor's students applying for a Master’s degree at the Leibniz University Hannover need to have 150 credit points up to July, 15^th or January, 15^th. They rely on the support of the examiners in due time. There is the possibility to enter grades in these cases at any time. Lists of student grades can still be closed entirely at the end of the semester.

b) Evaluation of Bachelor’s and Master’s Thesis

Evaluation and expertise opinions (naming the grade) for Bachelor’s and Master’s Thesis’ and protocols of oral exams are sent by the examiner directly to the examination office, which is entering the grades.

Examination performances will be stored in two ways:

1. Storage by the Examination Office

All parts of the examination file like exam admissions, grades, evaluations, protocols for oral final exams, issued notifications, and similar documents, must be centrally stored for 50 years.

2. Storage by the Institute

All other examination documents like written exams, term papers or other written performances, protocols of oral exams, Bachelor’s and Master’s Thesis’ are stored for 3 years. This means that they’ll be destroyed 3 years after the year of communication of the module examination result.

In case of any objection or legal proceeding running or in prospection, the documents may not be destroyed. Further information can be found in this circular letter: Rundschreiben Nr. 22/2024

Digital storage options are provided by the Leibniz University IT Services (LUIS).

The Diploma Supplement serves as explanatory document about the degree programme and its qualifications. At LUH is is automatically issued to students together with their official, final degree documents. Due to a decision of the committee on teaching and the curriculum of the Faculty of Humanities individual, extracurricular performances can be added to the diploma suppelemt upon request. These performances must fulfill special criteria to be included to the document.

The request is made at the studies coordinators office (Faculty of Humanities) at the end of the degree programme and must contain all necessary and complete proofs (originals). The studies coordinator forwards the additional information to the examination office.