Application and admission
Applying for a higher semester offers the possibility of lateral entry into the faculty's degree programs. The admission restrictions in the degree programs also apply in the higher semesters. Therefore, only as many eligible applicants can be admitted to higher semesters as there are places available in the appropriate semester.
Placement in a higher semester
The prerequisite for admission to a higher semester is that the student has been classified accordingly. The basis for placement is the recognition of coursework and examinations. The form for the recognition of academic achievements can be found here. The scope and quality of the recognized examination achievements are also criteria for ranking if there are more applicants than study places.
Applicant profiles
A distinction is made between two applicant groups
- Change of degree program: This includes applicants for higher semesters from other degree programs (also with a degree) or applicants from a degree program of the same name at another type of university. In the case of course changers, the recognition of study and examination achievements forms the basis for placement in a higher semester. However, admission to a semester higher than the 2nd semester can only be granted if proof of the performance set as an orientation examination in the target degree program is provided. The application must be accompanied by a current transcript of records with all passed and failed grades. Students changing degree programs will only be admitted once all eligible transfer students or re-entrants have been admitted for the relevant semester.
- Transferstudents: ...are applicants for higher semesters who are already enrolled at another university in the same degree program. Transfer students must also qualify for admission to a higher semester. It is therefore essential to enclose a current transcript of records with the application, including all grades achieved, passed and failed. Transfer students can apply for the first semester as well as for a higher semester of the same degree program (with the corresponding amount of credits). It is therefore not the last semester that is decisive for the semester placement in the KIT target degree program, but the scope of the creditable work. However, the following also applies here: The placement can be made in the 2nd semester at the most, as long as the performance of the orientation examinations of the target degree program has not been proven.
This group also includes students who have interrupted their studies (or are returning). This includes all those who wish to re-enrol in a WiWi degree program at KIT after voluntarily exmatriculating from it. Only for these students will any failed attempts from the previous degree program be counted (ex officio) after re-entry.
For both groups, the transcripts of records submitted in the course of the application will only be evaluated in connection with the placement in the higher semester. The actual application for recognition of external achievements must be submitted in due time after admission and enrolment, in the first semester after admission. Applications for recognition submitted later will not be accepted.
Application deadlines
Applications for a higher semester can be submitted for both the winter and summer semesters. They must be submitted in due form and time for the winter semester by 15.7., for the summer semester by 15.1. by means of a printed "online application" to the SLE/Studierendenservice of the KIT. These are cut-off deadlines, i.e. all documents must be submitted by July 15 or January 15.
Exception: Submission deadline for recognition of academic achievements
If the application has been submitted to the SLE/Student Services by the deadline, recognition of academic achievements that were not yet available at the time of submission can be submitted at a later date.
The deadline for late submission is:
- March 1 for an application for the summer semester and
- August 20 for an application for the winter semester
(When applying, please clearly indicate that (and which) recognitions will be submitted later).
Application - Procedure
The application is made via the applicant portal of the KIT-SLE/Studierendenservice.
Please note: All documents must be submitted to KIT-SLE/Studierendenservice by the application deadline (July 15/WS application or January 15/SoSe application; cut-off deadline in each case).
Exception: There is a late submission deadline for examination results for placement in a higher semester. Applications for the winter semester: August 20, for the summer semester: March 1 (cut-off deadline in each case).
Application - General information
For the subject semester classification and thus for the admission of students changing degree programs , it is essential that the documents required for the classification are submitted together with the application, but no later than the deadline for submission. Ideally, these are equivalence assessments by the responsible KIT examiners that have already been carried out and documented on the faculty's official form for possible recognition. The minimum requirement is a transcript of grades for all previous achievements - including those that have not been passed.
The prerequisite for an application for a higher semester is that the faculty's examination board has classified the student into a specific semester based on the recognition of academic achievements and that this classification is enclosed with the application documents. In general, the following applies: Applicants must provide suitable evidence of their academic achievements and ECTS credits (e.g. transcript of records, transcript of grades). Otherwise the academic achievements cannot be assessed.
Detailed information on the recognition of coursework and examinations
Allocation of free study places
If there are more eligible applicants than available places, a ranking order will be established. Transfer applicants take precedence. Within the two applicant groups (see above), the ranking is based on the number of recognized or recognizable academic achievements and their quality.
The exact procedure for the selection process is regulated in the current version of the statutes for the selection process .
Where can I get further information?
All information on the admission and application procedure for the degree program can be found on the SLE/Student Services website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the SLE/Student Services or the Faculty's Examinations Office.