Recognition without participation in the ECTS system

Procedure for the recognition of academic achievements completed abroad for students who have studied or will study abroad at a institution that is not affiliated to the ECTS system (Learning Agreement and recognition procedure)

You studied at a foreign university before you came to the University of Erfurt.

Of course you could not make any arrangements in advance.

You are already studying at the University of Erfurt and going to a foreign university that does not use ECTS for one or two semesters.

In accordance with the Learning Agreement that is used within the Erasmus programme, the study programme and the subsequent academic recognition should be discussed in detail between the student, the representatives of the study programme and the examination board and should be set down in writing. In ordert o discuss your study programme abroad please contact the respective course representative, study advisor or, at the Faculty of Political Science, your mentor.

You can find the examination boards of the faculties here:

Faculty of Education:
https://www.uni-erfurt.de/erziehungswissenschaftliche-fakultaet/fakultaet/verwaltung-und-gremien/selbstverwaltung-gremien

Faculty of Catholic Theology:
https://www.uni-erfurt.de/katholisch-theologische-fakultaet/fakultaet/gremien/organe-gremien

Faculty of Philosophy:
https://www.uni-erfurt.de/en/philosophische-fakultaet/fakultaet/committees/examination-committees-of-the-faculty

Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences:
https://www.uni-erfurt.de/staatswissenschaftliche-fakultaet/fakultaet/gremien/ausschuesse-an-der-staatswissenschaftlichen-fakultaet

In order to receive credit for courses taken abroad you must prove the equivalence of the courses taken abroad with modules of your University of Erfurt study and examination regulations . To prove this equivalence, you should obtain the relevant documents (course catalogue, syllabus of the course, duration, time frame and type of examination to be taken at the host university).

It is advisable to select courses for studying abroad that cover a complete module of your study regulations. You can find the Learning Agreement form here:

Learning Agreement form for the recognition of academic achievements at a university outside the EU and without using ECTS
(Formular Learning Agreement für die Anerkennung von Studienleistungen, die an einer Hochschule außerhalb der EU und ohne Anwendung des ECTS erbracht werden sollen)

What do you have to do while you study abroad?

Abroad you will complete the agreed courses and examinations. If there are any changes in the agreed study plan, you should negotiate the changes by e-mail with the relevant departments at the University of Erfurt. Before you leave your host institution, you should have a Transcript of Records issued or ask when it will be sent to you or the International Office. A preliminary transcript may also be helpful. The transcript must indicate the grade.

What must be done after returning from abroad?

The examination boards of the faculties are responsible for the recognition of credits earned abroad. For this purpose, please use the form "Antrag auf Anerkennung von Studienleistungen" (Application for Recognition of Study Achievements) which is valid for your degree programme.

Forms for the recognition of academic achievements (ELVIS system)

You should take the following steps (the procedure is different for BA students of the Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences, see below):

Step 1:                                        
The student completes the form for each course to be recognized and hands it in to the departmental coordinator (see above) together with the enclosures. As equivalence has already been checked in advance, it is enough to submit a copy of the Learning Agreement and the Transcript of Records received from the foreign host university.

Step 2:
The departmental coordinator examines the application and proposes the recognition, including grade and credit points, to the examination board on the form. One ECTS point corresponds to one credit point of the University of Erfurt. The departmental coordinator returns the application to the student so that he or she can submit it to the examination board of the faculty.

Step 3:
The examination board decides on the application. The chairman signs the form. He/she returns the original as well as the attachments to the Registrar‘s Office, which transfers the result to the examination database. The applying student receives a copy of the form. The student is then informed about the result of his/her application.

BA students of the Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences submit the application for recognition of academic achievements abroad to the chairman of the examination board. The latter forwards the documents to the responsible committee member of the respective subject for examination. The final decision is issued by the chairman of the examination board. The guidelines for the recognition of academic achievements at the Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences can be found here.

When should I request for recognition?

You should apply for recognition immediately after your return and after you have received the Transcript of Records from the host institution. If the application should be decided by the end of a lecture period, you must submit it at least 4 weeks before the end of the lecture period.

If a course is to be recognised as equivalent to an Erfurt-specific course (Studium Fundamental/occupational field) or a compulsory course in your major or minor subject, the fulfilment of the special requirements must be explained in detail when submitting the application.

How are the grades converted?

Grades from numerical scales are converted using a formula that is used throughout Germany. In addition, the University of Erfurt has adopted a conversion table for the conversion of grades from the US system.