Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the Bachelor's Program

This page contains answers to frequently asked questions about the bachelor’s program. If you have any questions not answered here, please contact the Academic Advising Office. You can find additional advising services and contact information here.

Please note:
This page is intended to provide guidance and is meant to supplement examination regulations and module handbooks. The information provided here is not intended to be exhaustive. In cases of doubt, only the examination regulations are binding.

How are weekly teaching hours (SWS) converted to ECTS credits in the bachelor’s degree program?

In a bachelor’s program, lectures and lab sessions are generally worth 1 ECTS credit point, and exercises are worth 2 ECTS credit points per SWS. This is based on a workload of 30 hours per ECTS credit point.

Can I change my non-physics elective during my bachelor’s program?

In general, changing your non-physics mandatory elective is only possible if you have not yet “officially” taken an exam in that subject (see: When is an exam considered to have been “officially” taken?). Once you have taken your first exam, your mandatory elective subject is finalized; after that, a change is only possible in exceptional cases and must be approved by the examination board. This also applies to any prerequisite coursework in the non-physics mandatory elective.

When is an exam considered to have been “officially” taken?

The first step toward taking an “official” module exam or module component exam is to register for the exam during the registration period via the KIT Students Portal.
If you have registered for an exam that you do not wish to take, you can easily withdraw your registration by the end of the withdrawal period.
The next step is to take the exam, at which point it is considered to have been “officially” taken. Please note: Any exam for which you register (and do not withdraw within the deadline) but do not take will be graded as “failed”!

Can I have credits from other degree programs, other universities, or non-university courses recognized, and what do I need to do?

The examination board decides whether credits from other degree programs or other universities (in some cases, partially) or credits earned outside of universities can be recognized.
Please note that if you are newly enrolled in a bachelor's program, applications for recognition must be submitted within one semester of enrollment (SPO §19 (2)).
The examination board will assess whether the competencies acquired in the courses meet the requirements of the degree program at the Physics Department of KIT. If necessary, a detailed overview may be required, e.g., module handbooks, lecture notes, or lab reports.
The process typically proceeds as follows:
- Students in Geophysics and Meteorology should first contact the academic advising office for their degree program.
- They must apply for recognition to the responsible member of the examination board along with the required documents.
- After reviewing the documents, the examination board will issue a form listing the coursework and study achievements to be recognized.
- If the recognition applies only to courses recognized by the examination board of the KIT Physics Department, the examination board will send the form directly to the physics examination office.
- If courses from another Department are also to be recognized, submit the form to the examination board of the other Department and return the form to the examination board of the Physics Department. From there, it will be forwarded to the physics examination office.

How are grades from a foreign university converted for recognition?

Grades from foreign universities are generally converted using the modified Bavarian formula:

Here, P is the score achieved, P_min is the minimum score required to pass, and P_max is the highest possible score. The score is mapped linearly to our grading system, rounded to thirds of a grade where necessary. In some countries, the grading scale is not linear. This is accounted for in the modified Bavarian Formula by using a different maximum grade. Exceptions include France (maximum grade of 16 instead of 20), Ireland (85 instead of 100), the Netherlands (9 instead of 10), and Portugal (18 instead of 20). As is the case throughout KIT, we thus essentially follow the recommendation of the Conference of Ministers of Education.

I would like to take courses during my stay abroad and have them credited later at KIT—is that possible?

It is advisable to submit the desired list of courses to the examination board before your stay abroad and to discuss recognition options in advance. A commitment to recognition can be documented in a Learning Agreement.

What is a Learning Agreement?

A Learning Agreement is an agreement that facilitates the recognition of completed coursework and study achievements during students’ stays abroad.
Before the study abroad period, suitable courses are identified in collaboration with the academic advising at both the home and host universities, and the examination board may issue a commitment to recognition.
A Learning Agreement is required for the Erasmus+ exchange program.

I need a transcript of records for my BAföG application. What should I do?

First, you’ll need the official “Form 5” from the BAföG office or the website www.bafög.de. Take this form, along with a current transcript, to the physics examination office (Physics Tower, Room 9-13, Ms. Müller). There, the form will be filled out and forwarded to the examination board. Provided there is no excessive delay in your course of study, we will confirm on the form that you have met the standard academic requirements for your degree program. You will receive the form back from the examination office and can submit it, along with your transcript, to the BAföG office.

What are additional achievements?

Additional achievements are courses offered by KIT that are not required to fulfill your studies plan. You can earn up to 30 credit points through additional achievements. Additional achievements do not affect the scope or grade of the degree you are pursuing. Any exams offered by KIT can be selected as additional achievements. In this way, you can, for example, also take modules or module components from other disciplines or degree programs. Additional achievements that cannot be selected online in your studies plan can be added to your studies plan by contacting the physics examination office. This will then allow you to register online, provided that online registration is available.
For courses from the Master’s program in Physics, there is a separate regulation regarding “prior master's transfer account” (see below).

Will additional achievements or additional accomplishments be listed on my certificate?

It is possible to include additional achievements or additional accomplishments on the certificate. Additional achievements can only be those completed at KIT. Please note that only module titles are listed on the certificate, not individual module components. If there is no separate module for an additional achievement, the module title “Additional Achievements” may be used for this purpose.
Once all courses required for your degree program, study program have been completed and recorded, you will receive an email from SLE (Business Unit for Studying and Teaching) asking you to contact the “Degree Certificates” team within two weeks and to specify which of your additional achievements should be listed on the diploma.
All additional achievements are always listed in the Transcript of Records, regardless of whether they appear on the certificate or not.
Please contact the physics examination office well in advance of the completion of your studies if you have paper-based course certificates (“Scheine”) that you would like to submit as additional accomplishments.

Can I take Master’s-level lectures while still in the Bachelor’s program and have them credited toward my degree?

Additional achievements from the Master’s program (“prior master's transfer account”) are automatically approved up to a total of 30 ECTS credits once you have earned more than 120 ECTS credit points in your Bachelor’s program. The examination board decides on any exceptions.
Registration for the prior master's transfer account is not yet possible via the Campus Management System. If you meet the above requirements for the prior master's transfer account, please contact the physics examination office (physics tower, room 9-13, Ms. Müller).
A common example of a priority master's transfer account course is the Advanced Physics Lab from the Master’s program. In this case, please contact the secretary’s office for Advanced Lab Courses (Physics Low-Rise Building, Room F1-24, Ms. Huck).

I would like to write an external bachelor's thesis at another institution. Is that possible? What do I need to do?

Upon written request, the examination board may approve bachelor's theses to be written at other universities, research institutions, or companies (including those abroad). Here you will find a form to apply for an external bachelor's thesis.
The internal advisor must be a professor in the Physics Department at KIT. You must also have an external advisor at the relevant institution; this person must hold at least a Ph.D.
The application to the examination board must be endorsed by the internal advisor by signing the form.
Bachelor’s theses are part of your education and therefore may not be compensated.

What opportunities are there to complete an internship during your studies?

In the bachelor's program in Physics, an internship is not a mandatory component of the program and is not offered as an elective or additional achievement.
Students who wish to gain insight into fields of work outside the university while still pursuing their Bachelor’s degree have several options:
One option is to complete your bachelor's thesis at a company or a non-university research institution. In this context, please note the applicable regulations for external bachelor's theses, particularly regarding supervision, topic selection, and examination requirements. (see above)
In addition, students have the option of completing voluntary and self-organized internships during the break between semesters. These are independent of the studies plan.