Glossary of Academic Terms
Source: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/dvdo/lidx/1/ Parent: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/studium/Vor-dem-Studium/~bdpsux/Internationale-Studieninteressierte/lidx/1/
Search and filter
Search
Search for
Showing 1 - 50 of 100 Results
Turn Page
| Academic Progress Certificate German: Studienverlaufsbescheinigung International students who received a visa to study in Germany are required by the local Foreigners’ Office to submit proof of academic progress once they have exceeded the standard period of study. The academic progress certificate confirms that the student is continuing their studies as planned and includes a prognosis regarding the expected degree. Please contact your departmental advising office to request this certificate. |
| Accreditation German: Akkreditierung It is legally required for courses of study to be accredited before they can be implemented. The goal of accreditation is to ensure the quality of teaching and studies by determining minimum standards. Accreditation is completed by external agents who use an elaborate process to review whether the course of study fulfills the demands. After successful accreditation and a certain deadline, courses of study must be re-accredited. Additional information about accreditation can be found at the link below. Further Information |
| Admission Process German: Zulassungsverfahren There is an admission process for courses of study for which more applicants are expected than available study placements. The process is conducted by either the university itself (internal restricted admission) or by Hochschulstart, the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung, in Dortmund. The Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung in Dortmund is responsible for courses of study that have restricted admission nationwide. |
| Alumni German: Alumni Alumni are graduates of a university. Additional information can be found at the link below. Further Information |
| ANABIN German: ANABIN The ANABIN database documents the education systems in about 180 countries. It provides information about the university institutions, types of degrees, and degrees. Individuals who possess a university entrance qualification certificate from another country can use the database to estimate the validity of their education with regard to the German education system. On the Anabin website you can find information on whether or not your completed education allows you to gain admission to a course of study or field. You can also learn more about the German grade system by having your grade point average or average grade recalculated. |
| Apostille German: Apostille Transcript and certificates from RWTH Aachen that have the official stamp of the university are recognized without any problems in most countries. However, there are some countries that require these papers to have an apostille. This confirms the authenticity of the signature on the transcript or certificate. Apostilles can only be issued by state German office. The office responsible for RWTH Aachen is the District Government Cologne or Bezirksregierung Köln. Further Information (de) |
| AStA German: AStA The abbreviation AStA is short for Allgemeiner Studierendenausschus or the General Students' Committee, which is the executive student representation. Chairs, speakers, and officers of the ASta are elected by a committee made up of representatives from all of the student representative councils. You can find out more about the team, its responsibiities, and how to get involved on the AStA website. |
| Auditor German: Gasthörer Individuals who participate in individual courses without a university entrance qualification certificate. They are now allowed to take exams or acquire proof of performance and do not receive an academic degree. Additional information can be found at the link below. Further Information |
| Bachelor, B.Sc., B.A. German: Bachelor, B.Sc., B.A. The Bachelor’s degree is the first university-level qualification for entering a profession. It typically requires between six and eight semesters of study. Depending on the program, students earn either a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) or a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). |
| BAföG German: BAföG The Federal Training Assistance Act or BAföG, regulates financial support for student from the state. It is issued independent of the parents' or spouse's income or from assets available.The longest period of funding available is the typical length of study for the course of study. Bachelor and Master are two courses of study. Half of the funding is awarded as a grant and the other half is an interest free loan. The Student Services Office of Federal Assistance can provide information about specific details. |
| Block Course German: Blockveranstaltung A block course is a course that does not take place over the course of a whole semester but is concentrated over a few days, such as a week. |
| Bridge Courses German: Vorkurse A service for first-year students to refresh or advance what they learned in school in subjects that are important for many courses of study. The goal of the courses is to enable an easier start to studies by repeating the basic knowledge required in the first semesters. Participation is voluntary and free of charge. You can get more information on the website Bridge Courses. |
| Career Service German: Career Service The Career Center is the intersection of the job market and RWTH Aachen. Here students and graduates can find support in entering the economy and academia. Additional information is available at the link below. Further Information |
| Certificate of Good Standing (for University Transfers) German: Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung If you’re transferring to another German university or switching programs within RWTH, you'll need a Certificate of Good Standing (Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung). This confirms that you haven’t failed any final exams and are still eligible to continue studying in your field. How to get it: Contact the examination office (Prüfungsamt) or departmental advising for your intended program. They’ll issue the certificate based on your academic record. What you’ll need: - Transcripts from your current studies (available via RWTHonline or from the Examination Office) - Records from any previous German universities you’ve attended Unlike standard transcripts in the US, this certificate ensures that students aren’t bypassing academic consequences by changing institutions. It’s a required part of transferring within the German university system. |
| Colloquium German: Kolloquium A course with a small group of students, who talk with the lecturer and among themselves. |
| Compensation for Disadvantages in Exams German: Nachteilsausgleich bei Prüfungen Students, who prove that they are at disadvantage because of a longer term or consistant physical handicap or chronic illness, can contact the examination board. |
| Course German: Lehrveranstaltung A course is an instructional unit that is part of studies at a university. There are different types of courses. They differ in their didactics and the degree of qualifications required from the participant. There are practical and theoretical courses. |
| Credit Points or ECTS German: Credit Points oder ECTS Academic performance in individual modules is evaluated and are weighted with credit points or CP for an average grade. They are the unit of measure for the amount of time students have to invest to participate in class and prepare, homework, and exams. The term and abbreviation credits or ECTS points are often used. A credit point corresponds to an estimated amount of work of about 30 hours. One semester is typically 30 credit points. |
| Cross-Registration German: Zweithörerschaft Enrolled students from other universities can be admitted as cross-registered students to take classes and exams in another course of study. |
| Curriculum German: Curriculum The work curriculum is sometimes equated to a teaching plan. A teaching plan is usually a list of lesson content. A curriculum mostly includes teaching times and the layout and schedule for a course of study. |
| Dean German: Dekanin und Dekan The dean is a professor of a faculty elected by the faculty council. The dean represents the faculty and is also involved in teaching matters. |
| Departmental Student Advising German: Fachstudienberatung Every course of study has its own departmental advising, that advises them on questions about the content of studies, surrounding studies, or problems about their course of study. |
| DIES German: DIES The Dies academicus or Dies are an academic holiday, on which courses are not held. Current information can be found in the semester dates. Further Information |
| Diplom German: Diplom An academic degree that is awarded after a student has passed the Diplom exam from a university of applied sciences or a university in technical, natural science, economic, or social science courses of study. The Diplom degree is being replaced by Bachelor and Master degrees as part of the Bologna Reform. It is no longer possible to begin Diplom studies at RWTH Aachen. |
| Diploma Supplement German: Diploma Supplement The Diploma Supplement or DS is an additional document that describes university degrees acquired and the corresponding qualifications. The DS explains the German university system and its degrees as well as the university awarding the degree, and concrete content of the course of study completed. The DS is issued in both German and English and included with the diploma. It serves to provide employers with additional information. |
| Dissertation German: Dissertation An independent academic paper for the acquisition of a doctoral degree. All dissertations that are accepted by the university can be taken out from the University Library. |
| Doctoral Studies German: Promotion In Germany, the process of earning a doctoral degree is called Promotion. Unlike the structured, coursework-based PhD programs common in the US and UK, German doctoral studies follow a predominantly research-focused, individualized model. Rather than joining a cohort of students in formal classes, most German doctoral candidates work independently on a research project under the mentorship of a university professor, known as a Doktormutter (female advisor) or Doktorvater (male advisor). The primary goal is to produce an original dissertation that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in your chosen field. To begin doctoral studies in Germany, you must hold a Master's degree or equivalent qualification, typically with strong academic performance (usually above-average grades). This apprenticeship-style approach means German doctoral candidates often have more flexibility in their research timeline and methodology, but also requires greater self-direction compared to the more structured support systems found in American PhD programs. |
| ECTS German: ECTS The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System or ECTS ensures that students' performance at univerisities in the European Higher Education Area are comparable and can be calculated and recognized if a student transfers to another university, even if it is abroad. See Credit Points as well. |
| Enrollment German: Immatrikulation Applicants become members of the university with full rights and obligations through immatriculation or enrollment. There is an enrollment deadline, provided in the admission letter, for Numerus Clausus subjects. If you do not enroll by this time, you will lose your spot. Enrollment takes place in person and electronically or in writing at certain times in Registrar's Office. |
| Erasmus or Stays Abroad During Studies German: Erasmus oder Auslandsaufenthalt während des Studiums Erasmus stands for EuRopean (Community) Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students. The fundamental elements are recognition of academic performanc abroad with the help of the European Credit Transfer Systems, ECTS for short, and financial support for exchange students via scholarships. If there is talk of Erasmus, people usually mean the organized and financially supported student exchange. A prerequisite for participating in Erasmus is that there be an agreement between the home university and host university. |
| EU or EEA German: EU oder EWR European Union, EU for short, member countries include Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Cyprus. The European Economic Area, EEA for short, encompasses the European Union member countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. |
| Evaluation German: Evaluation Universities are required to accredit their courses of study and to implement an evaluation process for quality assurance. In order to minimize the amount of work for the faculties, course of study evaluations and the accreditation process are also conducted together at RWTH Aachen. Evaluation of the teaching units is conducted before the respective accreditation process, in order to use the knowledge gained during the reevalution and the elicted improvement measures for accreditation. Additional information can be found at the link below. Further Information |
| Examination Board German: Prüfungsausschuss Examination boards organize exams. The examination boards makes sure that certain regulations in the examination regulation are adhered to and that exams are implemented according to the regulation. The examination board appoints the examiners. It is particularly responsible for decisions about contradictions to decisions made during the examination process. Furthermore it regularly informs the faculty at least once year about the development of exams and study times. It provides feedbac about reforming the examination regulation and the curriculum and publicizes the distribution of grades and final grades. The chair of the board can assume responsiblity of all regular cases. This does not apply to decisions about contradictions and the repot to the faculty. |
| Examination Performance German: Prüfungsleistung Examination performances are all the performances students must finish during their studies. |
| Examination Regulation German: Prüfungsordnung Each course of study has its own examination regulation approved by the Faculty Council. Students are included in the creation of the examination regulations. The University is legally required to include certain regulations in the examination regulations. |
| Exercise or Tutorial German: Übung A course with a restricted number of students in which students learn and apply the scientific work methods of a field. |
| Faculties German: Fakultäten A subdivision of the university responsible for the teaching and research in a field of academia, also called departments at many universities. There are a total of nine faculties at RWTH Aachen. You can refer to the course of study descriptions to find out which faculty your course of study is in. |
| Fixed-Semester/Variable-Semester German: Semesterfixiert/Semestervariabel Examination performance is fixed-semester when it must be completed within a determined core semester of studies. An examination performance can also be semester-variable. |
| Graduate Survey German: Absolvierendenbefragung RWTH Aachen is convinced that a degree from RWTH Aachen is a good ticket into a professional career. The graduate survey checks this conviction. The goal of the project is to improve the quality of studies based on feedback from graduates. While the first survey primarily serves to improve the quality of study conditions against the backdrop of starting a career, the repeat survey offers valuable recognition about our students' preparation for the first five professional years. A report of results is available to download. Further Information |
| Habilitation or Post-Doctoral Lecturing Qualification German: Habilitation The process for acquiring the “Venia legendi,” that is the right to teach as a professor. This process includes submitting an academic paper, teaching experience, and a presentation in front of the faculty. |
| HiWi or Student Assistant German: HiWi Student assistant, comes from the word “Hilfswissenschaftler.” Usually a student employee in a department or other university institution working a limited amount of hours for relatively low wages. |
| HZB or University Entrance Qualification Certificate German: HZB oder Hochschulzugangsberechtigung You can acquire the university entrance qualification certificate in a variety of ways: - General University Entrance Qualification, also the Abitur, is a general university entrance qualification for all courses of study at RWTH Aachen, a university or university of applied sciences degree is also recognized as a university entrance qualification, in the event that a restricted study permit had originally existed (subject-related university entrance qualification or university of applied sciences entrance qualification) - the subject-related university entrance qualification, also the subject-related Abitur, is a restricted university entrance qualification for certain courses of study at RWTH Aachen Note: the university of applied science entrance qualification, also called the Fachabitur, is the entrance qualification for courses of study at universities of applied sciences - Access for applicants qualified through professional training without a university entrance qualification certificate - foreign secondary education degree, that is equal to the German Abitur, for example the International Baccalaureat, when certain conditions are fulfilled. It is possible that your foreign degree does not allow you to immediately begin studies in Germany. In that case, you may need to study for a few semesters in your home country or complete a Studienkolleg in Germany. You can get more information about the recognition of foreign school degrees in Germany from Anabin. |
| Independent Study German: Selbststudium Independent study is when a student indepently learns the material for a field. All studies require students to learn a portion of the material independently. |
| Individuals with German Secondary Degrees German: Bildungsinländerin und Bildungsinländer Individuals with German secondary degrees include international students or prospective students at German universities, who acquired their university entrance qualification certificate, HZB for short, in Germany or at a German school abroad. |
| Kommilitonin oder Kommilitone German: Kommilitonin oder Kommilitone A term for a fellow student |
| L²P German: L²P L²P is the RWTH Aachen teaching and learning portal. In L²P lecturers can offer virtual classrooms for each of their CAMPUS courses. A classroom is a protected area that supports teaching and the exchange of study materials and information. Additional information can be found below. Further Information |
| Language Skills German: Sprachkenntnisse Students in teacher training subjects must learn two subjects in order to be admitted to preparatory service. Documentation of their language skills is typically fulfilled by the university entrance qualification certificate. English skills are indispensable for all courses of study, sense technical literature is usually published in English. |
| Leave of Absence German: Beurlaubung In accordance with the enrollment regulation, a leave of absence can be granted upon documentation of an important reason. Applications for a leave of absence are submitted during the re-enrollment period. The RWTH Aachen Registrar's Office can provide additional information about this. Further Information |
| Lecture German: Vorlesung A crucial form of teaching at universities. A lecturer presents a topic, and students listen, typically writing down the most important information. Lectures are often supplemented by additional aids such as slides, maps, transparencies, or projectors. |
| Lecture Directory German: Vorlesungsverzeichnis A directory of all the courses offered at the university during a semester. It contains information about the course time, location such as lecture hall, seminar room, or lab, and the name of the lecturer. |