Glossary and FAQ
Glossary
VL = Vorlesung / lecture
GK = Grundkurs / basic course
SE = Seminar
UE = Übung / exercise
LK = Lektürekurs / reading course
SK = Sprachkurs / language course
TU = Tutorium / tutorial
MAP = Modulabschlussprüfung / final module exam
SWS = Semesterwochenstunden / semester hours per week
üWP = überfachlicher Wahpflichtbereich / interdisciplinary compulsory elective area
ZM = Zusatzmodul / special module
LP = Leistungspunkte / credit points = ECTS
c.t. and s.t. = these abbreviations can be found at universities after time information:
- s.t. - Latin "sine tempore" = "without time"
- c.t. - Latin "cum tempore" = "with time", the so-called "academic quarter"
- Example:
- 10 a.m. s.t.: means the lecture starts at 10:00 a.m.
10 a.m. c.t.: means the lecture starts 15 minutes later, i.e. at 10.15 a.m.
- 10 a.m. s.t.: means the lecture starts at 10:00 a.m.
FAQ
Please note: we just started our FAQ in WiSe 24/25, so there might not be an answer for everything :)
TOPICS:
Course of Study / Study Programme
Signed SprachLit CC + Exam Statement
Certificate of Arrival / Departure
COURSE OF STUDY / STUDY PROGRAMME
How can I check the course(s) of study I'm enrolled in at HU Berlin?
WITH HU ACCOUNT:
- If you have already activated your HU account (after picking up your PIN letter from the Central Incoming Team) you can log in to AGNES and check it.
- After logging in, choose "Certificates / Bescheinigungen" on the left side bar. On the page "Semester selection / Semesterwahl" you choose the semester (dropdown) and click on "Select / Auswählen".
- Now you will see an overwiew of Certificates / Bescheinigungen for that semester. If you then click on "Enrollment Certificate / Studienbescheinigung" a PDF file will be created. The document contains details of the semesters studied, subjects of study and degrees.
WITHOUT HU ACCOUNT:
- If you haven't received and activated your HU account yet you can check the document "Provisional confirmation for international students for programme studies at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin". It lists the subjects of study (courses of study / study porgrammes). You should have received this document via email aas a PDF.
What are modules?
Each course of study consists of different modules, which structure the course content thematically and chronologically. A module is a thematically and content-wise structured study unit.
All modules that you need to take in a course of study are listed a study and examination regulation (for degree seeking students). For exchange students at SprachLit Faculty we created Study Guides. They list all modules you can take, including which courses each module consists of, the ECTS per course/exam and the type of exam for the module.
A module consists of several courses and concludes with a final module examination:
- Course types: Lecture, Seminar, Basic Course, Tutorial, Exercise
- Exam types: Written/Oral Exam, Take-Home-Exam, Term Paper/Essay
What are the different course types?
- Vorlesung / Lecture (VL): A teaching event where lecturers or professors convey knowledge through presentations. They are designed for a larger number of students and aim to impart foundational knowledge.
- Grundkurs / Basic Course (GK): A course offered in the early semesters of a degree program that provides fundamental knowledge and skills in a specific field.
- Seminar (SE): An interactive teaching event for a smaller group of students, involving discussions, group work, and presentations. It allows for a more in-depth engagement with specific topics.
- Blockseminar / Block seminar: An intensive, compact event that often takes place over several days or weeks and focuses intensively on a specific topic.
- Übung / Exercise (UE): A practically oriented event that often complements lectures or other courses. It aims to deepen the knowledge acquired in lectures through practical application.
-
Tutorium / Tutorial (TU): A session led by students from higher semesters or doctoral candidates, often serving as a supplement to lectures and seminars. It provides additional support and practice opportunities.
-
Lektürekurse / Reading Course (LK): A course focused on the intensive reading and analysis of texts. Students learn to critically analyze and interpret texts and discuss them in a group setting.
-
Sprachkurs / Language Course (SK): A course aimed at learning or deepening a foreign language. It covers grammar, vocabulary, listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing.
How do I finish a module?
You complete all courses that are part of the module and take (and pass) a final module examination (MAP) at the end of the semester.
For example: Module X consists of 1 lecture + 1 seminar + oral exam > You take the lecture (2 ECTS) + attend the seminar (4 ECTS) + take the exam/MAP (1 ECTS) = You can receive 7 ECTS + a grade for the module.
What is a final module examination = Modulabschlussprüfung (MAP)?
To complete a module and receive a grade for the whole module, you have to take an exam at the end of the semester - the MAP.
The exam is usually only taken in one or two courses of the module, but the exam grade applies to all components/courses of the module!
Grades are given as decimal numbers: 1,0 (excellent) - 4,0 (sufficient) = Pass; 5,0 = Fail
For example:
- Module Y: Textanalysis consists of 1 seminar (4 ECTS) + 1 seminar (4 ECTS) + MAP - term paper (2 ECTS). The term paper is written in one of the seminars. As grade fro the term papaer you receive a 2,0. After completing the module you get 10 ECTS for the module and the grade for the whole module (so for all components) is 2,0.
- Module X: Linguistics consists of 1 VL (2 ECTS) + 1 SE (4 ECTS) + 1 MAP (1 ECTS) (oral exam). In the oral exam you will get questions from the VL and the SE. The grade (1,3) you receive from this exam, will be for all components - the VL and the SE. You passed Module Z: Linguistics with the grade 1,3 and receive 7 ECTS for the module.
CLASS SELECTION
How do I get started with class selection?
First you should know:
- if you need grades for the courses at HU > you have to take whole modules including the exam for the module
- if you don't need grades > you don't take exam and don't have to pick whole modules, but can take single classes
- if you are not sure, if you need grades > pick whole modules (including exam) > if needed, you can drop a course or exam later
- Check with home university if they've set some rules, like the amount of ECTS you need to achieve per semester ...
Then you should check from which courses you can choose:
- from the course(s) of study you are enrolled in > You can find the allowed modules / courses in our Study Guides (only Sprachlit faculty)
- Überfachlicher Wahlpflichtbereich (üWP) > usually you can't receive a grade in those courses, just ECTS
- Language Classes from Language Center > they have an exam at the end, you receive a grade + ECTS
- Berlin Perspectives Courses > they have an exam at the end, you receive a grade + ECTS
- (maybe you have a second course of study at another faculty > pick courses / modules according to their guidelines)
3 Steps for class selection (at Sprachlit faculty):
- 1. Check the Study Guides for your course of study > you are only allowed to choose from the modules listed there!
- 2. Check the Course Catalogue for your semester on AGNES > only look at modules / courses that are listed on the Study Guide! (There will be more modules listed, but you can only choose modules that are in the Study Guide!)
- 3. Put the courses you picked from your course of study and üWP on your SprachLit Course Confirmation (SprachLit CC).
>> Plase read the information on our website for further information regarding Class Selection!
Do I have to take the modules in the order they are listed on the study guide?
No, you are free to choose from any modules listed in the study guides. Just remember to check if the modules are offered in Winter Semester or Summer Semester.
How many modules / courses do I have to take?
In most cases it depends on the regulations from your home university. And if there are regulations they are usually about the amount of credits / ECTS you should achieve during your exchange.
If you do your exchange with Erasmus+ you usually should achieve 20-30 ECTS per semester. That is in general the amount a full time student at HU-Berlin achieves per semester as well.
If there are no regulations, you are free to choose. At the SprachLit faculty we don't set an amount for ECTS / modules you should achieve / complete.
Where do I find the Language Courses, Berlin Perspesctives Courses and üWP courses?
- You can find the Language Courses at the Language Center / Sprachenzentrum website. They have an overview of language classes offered in the semester, how much they cost and how to register for them. You register directly on Language Center website.
- The Berlin Perspectives Courses are listed on their own website and on AGNES. You should be able to register for them on AGNES.
- The üWP courses for each semester als also on AGNES and you can also register on AGNES for the courses. But remember that you cannot take üWP courses from the course(s) of study you are enrolled in at HU-Berlin.
Please note that the links to AGNES are for Winter Semester 2024/25. For other semesters you have to directly navigate through AGNES.
How many üWP courses can I take per semester?
You can take max. 2 üWP courses / modules per semester. Please remember that üWP courses cannot be from your course(s) of study at HU-Berlin.
Do Berlin Perspectives Courses or Language Courses count as ÜWP Courses?
No, for you Incoming Students Berlin Perspectives and Language Courses are not ÜWP Courses.
I don't take any classes at Sprachlit Faculty and/or üWP. What should I do?
Please let us know abot it vie email (ects[.]sprachlit[@]hu-berlin[.]de.
And of course you don't have to fill out the SprachlitCC form (and get is signed at the end of the semester) and you also don't have to fill the Exam Statement (at the end of the semester).
I'm staying two semesters at HU-Berlin. Can I take a module again in the second semester, if I already finished it in the first semester?
It might be possible for you to do a module again, if all the courses in the module are different from the first semester.
Also, this option is limited to a maximum fo 2 modules, that you can do again.
If you have problems with the exam registration, please get in touch with us and the responsible examination office as soon as possible (during exam registration period).
For the remaining modules, these can only be completed once. But it is still possible to select single classes from already completed modules. For those you cannot take an exam, get no grade, but will only receive ECTS after completion.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us.
CLASS REGISTRATION
Why didn't I receive an e-mail that confirms, I registered for a class?
This is normal. You don't receive an e-mail after registering for classes. After you registered for a class, they will be added to your "Schedule / Stundenplan" with the abbreviation "AN" (registered / angemeldet). You find the Schedule on the left side bar on AGNES.
Tip: You can save the schedule as a PDF file, but in the document you cannot see, if you registered for the class or not. So it's best to also take a screenshot of the schedule after registering for all classes.
I don't get my HU account before the registration deadline. How do I register for classes?
The registration on AGNES needs to be done with an active HU account. If that is not possible you have to ask each course instructor individually, if you can get a spot in their class. If you are already in Berlin by the time classes have started, go to the first session of the course and ask the instructor in person. Alternatively, you can also write e-mails to the course instructors, especially if you are not yet in Berlin. But in general you should that in the first week!
I have questions regarding Berlin Perspectives courses. Who can I ask?
You might want to know about a course before registering, you had issues registering for a course, you are on the waiting list and would like an update or you can not reach the lecturer.
In all cases related to Berlin Perspectives courses you reach out to the the Berlin Perspectives Team via email: berlin.perspectives@hu-berlin.de.
EXAMS
Do I have to take exams?
Let's divide this question into two different viewpoints:
From your home university:
- Depending on your university's system they might require you to get grades.
- And if you need grades, you need to take module exams at HU Berlin. This also means you have to take whole modules to be able to to the exam at the end.
- If you only pick single courses, you can only get the ECTS for passing the courses.
From HU-Berlin:
- To finish a course at HU Berlin, e.g. a lecture or a seminar you don't have to take an exam. For completed courses you will receive ECTS.
- Because of the module structure there is not an exam for every course. But you usually have to do some work in the courses to pass them and get the ECTS, e.g. a group project, presentation, essay.
- If you want/need a grade, you take whole modules - all components of the module, e.g. lecture + seminar and take a module exam at the end. Then you will receive the ECTS for all components of the module (including the exam) and get a grade for the whole module (from the module exam).
Can I take more exams per module?
No, there is one exam per module. That's why the exam is called "Modulabschlussprüfung (MAP) = final module examination" since the grade from the exam counts for the whole module.
In module X it says the exam is either exam type A or exam type B. Who decides the exam type?
You will discuss this with the course instructor. Either they decide themselves or they give you the option to choose between exam type A or exam type B.
Does the exam cover topics from every course of a module?
That depends on the exam type. In most cases the exam might cover topics from several courses, but not neccessarily from all.
- For example if the exam is a term paper, you will write the paper in one of the seminars of the module. Sometimes the Study Guides will already tell you in which seminar you will write the paper.
- In the case of written/oral exams it can be that the exam consists of topics from most or all courses of the module, e.g. the lecture and the seminar.
Usually at the beginning of the semester (or during the semester) the course instructor will explain the exam types. Please be aware to always check your module number, because the course could be offered in different modules concluding with different exam types.
If you are unsure or there is a difference between Study Guide and the information from the course instructor, please get in touch with us.
Which types of exams are possible?
| Exam Type | Infos |
| Written Exam / Klausur |
|
| Oral Exam / mündliche Prüfung |
|
| Take Home Exam |
|
| Term Paper / Hausarbeit |
|
| Essay |
|
The type of exam is always listed in our Study Guides.
Further details regarding the exams will be provided by the instructrors - usually some general information at the beginning of the semester and maybe more info before/during/after the exam registration period. If you have questions for the exams in the modules you are taking, please ask your course instructors about it.
When will exams take place?
You will take exams during the First Exam Period. This period will be right after the end of the courses.
In general HU also offers a second exam period at a later date, but it's only possible under specific circumstances.
The First Exam Period will usually take place at those times:
Winter Semester:
- Written, oral and take home exams will usually take place from mid to end of February.
- Term papers have to be submitted until March 1st. (➜ Deadline by International Office. Must be met even if instructor gives later deadline.)
Summer Semester:
- Written, oral and take home exams will usually take place from mid to end of July.
- Term papers have to be submitted until September 1st. (➜ Deadline by International Office. Must be met even if instructor gives later deadline.)
The Second Exam Period:
- You might hear about this second period for exams, but it only possible under one specific circumstance:
- ONLY Incoming Students of Winter Semester who are staying for the whole year can re-take exams in the 2nd exam period.
- Registration will be in March and the exams will take place in April.
- Other students cannot use the second exam period since the exam takes place after their mobility at HU has ended. Thus, there is no option to retake exams.
EXAM REGISTRATION
Do I have to register for exam?
Exams at SprachLit Faculty (in your course of study):
Yes, to be able to do exams you have to register for them during the exam registration period.
To know/remember for which exams you need to register for, please check your SprachLit CC again.
- If you‘ve chosen single courses, you will only receive ECTS after completing the courses. There will be no grade and no exam. ➜ You don‘t need to register for exams.
- If you‘ve chosen whole modules (all course components + final module exam), you will receive ECTS after completing the courses. AND you will take one exam per module and receive a grade for the whole module. ➜ You need to register for exams!!
Exams at other faculties (second course of study)
- Please check with the responsible Erasmus coordinator regarding exams + exam registration.
Exams for Berlin Perspectives and Language Courses (at Language Center)
- Automatic registration so you do not need to do anything.
- Please ask instructors about exam type, dates etc.
How do I register for exams?
You register for exams on AGNES during the exam registration period and need to use TANs from your TAN list to do so.
(You received your TAN list at the beginning of the semester - usually together with your PIN letter.)
What is the exam registration period?
During this time you are able to register for your exams - and only during this time! So make sure to not miss it, otherwise you cannot take the exams!
For each semester there is an exact time period, where exam registration is open on AGNES.
The dates will be a bit different each semester and will therefore be posted on the website.
But usually it will be around two weeks in the beginning of January for Winter Semester and in the beginning of June for Summer Semester.
I don't have my TAN list. What do I do?
Please immediately contact the Incoming team (exchange-students(@)hu-berlin.de) and ask for a new TAN list.
I have problems registering for my exams? (e.g. because the module is not listed, the lecturer/exam type is not listed, AGNES platform has technical issues)
Exams in your course of Study:
Please send an email to the responsible examination offices and ask them to manually register you for the exams. Also please put us in cc for the email you send to the examination offices.
>> Overview of examination offices at Sprachlit faculty:
- Here you can find the e-mail addresses of the examination offices.
- Please note that Birgit Trettin is responsible for all Erasmus students from the BA and MA programs German, German Literature, German and Historical Linguistics, Linguistics!
>> What information should you put in the email?
- your matricualtion number
- all necessary details of the exams (module, exam type, lecturer, date of exam)
- (maybe describe what the issue is, or provide a screenshot)
---
ÜWP courses:
In general, there shouldn't be exams in ÜWP courses. But some departments of HU-Berlin still offer exams. If you picked such ÜWP courses, they will likely not show up on the exam registration in AGNES.
In that case, please contact the responsible examination offices of those departments and ask them to manually register you for the exam.
>> How do I find the examination offices of those departments?
- It is usually pretty easy to search via google: "HU Berlin + Name of Department + Prüfungsbüro
>> What information should you put in the email?
- your matricualtion number
- information, that you are an exchange student, studying at Sprachlit faculty (maybe list your study programmes as well) and that ÜWP courses don't show up on AGNES exam registration
- all necessary details of the exams (module, exam type, lecturer, date of exam)
- (maybe describe what the issue is, or provide a screenshot)
---
Berlin Perspectives / Languages Courses:
You should receive information regarding exams and registration from the course instructors. Please follow those instructions. If anything is unclear or registration doesn't work, please get in touch with your course instructors.
I have technical problems on AGNES and cannot register for my exams. What do I do?
A technical problem could be that AGNES repeatedly logs you out and you are therefore not able to complete registering for an exam.
If such issues occur you could first try a different web browser or restarting your device. If this doesn't help, please contact the AGNES support team via email: agnes@hu-berlin.de. Please remember to provide them with all neccessary information without writing too much. Sometimes screenshots can be helpful to show them the issue.
If the AGNES support is not able to help you or won't answer fast enough: You have to register for your exams during the exam registation period. After that an exam registration is no longer possible! If you contact the AGNES support too late, they might not be able to reply to you in time. So make sure to also send an email to the responsible examination office BEFORE the examination period ends and ask them to do the exam registration manually. (For more info read the questions above here in the FAQ.)
I won't do an exam anymore. Can I cancel my exam registration?
The deadline for cancelling a registered examination without penalty ends one week before the respective examination date. Canceling the exam registration (deregistration) is also done on AGNES under "Prüfungsan- und -abmeldung/Apply for exams". You will need your TAN list again to deregister.
You cannot withdraw from a registered final module examination after the deadline for withdrawal.
However: if you still decide not to do an exam after the deadline for withdrawal, please let us and the responsible examination office know! (Otherwise we might wait forever to finalize your transcript, because we still expect a grade for that exam!)
I won't do an exam anymore, but didn't deregister from it in time. What do I do?
Please send an email to the responsible examination office and us to let us know:
- Here you can find the e-mail addresses of the examination offices.
- Please note that Birgit Trettin is responsible for all Erasmus students from the BA and MA programs German, German Literature, German and Historical Linguistics, Linguistics!
- our email address: ects.sprachlit(@)hu-berlin.de
The exam will show up as failed on your Transcript of Records and you won't receive the ECTS for the exams.
BUT: you will still receive the ECTS of completed courses in that module.
EXAM RESULTS
What is the grading scale at HU-Berlin?
Overview of the grading scale at HU-Berlin:
- 1,0 to 1,3: excellent (sehr gut)
- 1,7 to 2,3: good (gut)
- 2,7 to 3,3: satisfactory (befriedigend)
- 3,7 to 4,0: sufficient (ausreichend)
- 5,0: failed (nicht ausreichend)
How can I find my exam results?
In general: After grading the exams the examiners will send the results to the examination office. Depending on the exam type there might be different ways to inform the students about results.
- Oral Exams: You will be informed about your grade right after finishing the exam.
- Term Paper / Essay / Take Home Exams: You usually receive an email from the lecturer/examiner with the grade.
- Written Exams: After the examination office receives the grades from the examiners, the results wil be put in a database and you can see your grade on AGNES.
Remember: After the end of the semester you will receive a Transcript or Records for courses/modules at Sprachlit Faculty and üWP courses. To create a Transcript of Records you need to send us your signed SprachLit CC + Exam Statement. For more information on how to get your Transcript of Record please read here.
Where can I see my exam results on AGNES?
Log-in on AGNES with your HU aacount.
Click on Leistungsübersicht / Transcript of Records on the left sidebar. (Please note: it is not the official Certificate you will receive from us. It has no signature/stamp and it might not list everything.)
Now click on the Link / Show details - first to open the degree and then again to open your course of study.
It will open a list with courses / exams you took.
Please note:
- It might not show much if you are at HU-Berlin for one semester or before you uploaded your Signed SprachLit CC + Exam Statement.
- It might also take some time until exam results are in.
- Remember that you can only log-in on AGNES during the semester you are a student at HU-Berlin. Afterwards your HU account will be deactivated. >> WiSe available until end of September, SoSe until end of march.
How long does it take to get exam results?
Wa cannot give you an exact timeline for grading since it depends on the exam type and the availability of the course instructor (for grading) and the examination office (for AGNES).
Usually grading of written exams and oral exams doesn't take too long. For oral exams they will let you know your grade in person right after the exam. But remember that the grade still needs to be put in the system later on.
Take home exams also shouldn't take too long. Grading them usually takes as long as written exams.
For term papers it can take a while and sometimes a long time until they are graded. The time for grading varies by the lecturer. It is best to ask them beforehand how long it will take them to grade your paper. And it could also be helpful to inform them about your status as an exchange students and the necessity to receive your grade quickly/soon.
I am still waiting for my exam results, and it's been over 2/3 months. What do I do?
In general grading of written exams, oral exam and in most cases take home exams should be done after 2 months and grades should be visible on AGNES.
Please be aware that grading term papers can sometimes take a while - even several months(!). Therefore we advise you to ask your course instructors when they will be able to grade your paper. And it is also helpful to let them know that you need the grade as soon as possible and why. In general: It is best to hand in your term papers as soon as possible and communicate with your course instructors regarding time for grading.
If you haven't heard from the instructor after more than two months, please get in touch with them to ask about the current status or even let them know that it is urgent to receive your grade soon.
What happens if I fail an exam?
- If you are an Incoming Student in Winter Semester and also staying for the Summer Semester, you might be able to retake the exam in the second exam period (April) if you register for it. But it is only possible, if the course instructor is still at HU at that time. So make sure to ask them beforehand.
- In all other cases: The exam will be listed as „fail“ on your Transcript. You will thus not receive a grade and the ECTS from the exam. HOWEVER, you still receive the ECTS for the classes that you have passed (which are confirmed by the instructor‘s signature on your SprachLit CC).
(Digital) LEARNING AGREEMENT
My Home University is not able to use the digital LA. What do I do?
In that case you can use the PDF form provided by your home university. Send your LA to ects.sprachlit[@]hu-berlin.de to get it signed from us.
Is there a deadline to send you the LA during mobility?
No, we don't have a deadline for that. If there are deadlines, they are at your home university. So please check with them.
SIGNED SPRACHLIT CC + EXAM STATEMENT
My lecturer said that I need to get signatures on "Arbeitsnachweise". What is this? And do I have to do this?
At the end of the semester every student at Sprachlit faculty has to get the course instructors signatures on a document to verify completion of the course.
Regular students at Sprachlit faculty get the signatures on a document called "Arbeitsnachweise" (= proof of work).
For Incoming students it is on a different document - one you already know well: your SprachLit CC. You might have noticed at the beginning of the semester that there is a column on your SprachLit CC called "Signature of instructor (after class completion)". As the title already explains the purpose: At the end of your courses you get the instructors signature for each course - either in print or digitally on one document and then upload it to the HU Box. The link for your semester will be provided on our website.
For more information please read here (Information for your mobility at HU - At the end).
Why do I need to get course instructors sigantures at the end of the semester?
As we mentioned at the beginning of the semester a lot of processes at HU-Berlin are not automated or digitalized. That means we have to manually check/verify things to be able to process them.
To know about completed courses we need a document with the modules and courses you took and the signatures of the course instructors.
The signatures on your Sprachlit CC are therefore necessary to create your Transcript of Records.
For more information please read here (Information for your mobility at HU - At the end).
I only do single courses and don't take any exams at Sprachlit faculty. Do I still need to sign and send the Exam Statement?
Yes, you still need to sign the document and upload it to the HU Box.
I don't take any courses at Sprachlit faculty (including exams) and also no üWP courses. Do I have to do a SprachLit CC and an Exam Statement?
If you didn't take any courses at Sprachlit faculty and informed us about it, you don't need to do a SprachLit Course Confirmation or an Exam Statement.
Please let us know if that is the case for you via a short email (ects[.]sprachlit[@]hu-berlin[.]de).
TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDS
On AGNES I can already see my completed courses and exams. Is this list not a Transcript of Records?
Even though on AGNES' English version the "Leistungsspiegel" is also called "Transcript of Records" it is not the official document, since it is not signed by HU-Berlin.
An official Transcript of Records needs a signature/stamp of HU-Berlin and usually your home university requires you to get the offical transcript.
The Transcript of Records is manually created after all information is available:
- information about completed courses on your signed Sprachlit CC
- information about exams on your Exam Statement and
- exam results provided by the lecturers to the examination offices
How long do I have to wait for my transcript?
It depends on several things, e.g. vacation time of HU employees during lecture free period (professors and administrative workers), time it takes lecturers to grade your exam, if any information is missing/unclear on the documents.
You see it might not so much depend on the time you uploaded it to the HU Box, since there different people and different processes involved. But of course, if you upload the documents later after the deadline, it might take longer to get your transcript.
In our experience it takes some time to receive your transcript.
Here are some tipps for you:
- Check if you home university has a deadline to send them the transcript
- make sure the documents you upload to the HU Box at the end of the semester are up to date:
- You only have the courses you completed on your SprachlitCC with the signatures of the course instructors.
- You have listed all the exams you took/will take on your Exam Statement
- If there are changes with courses/exams, make sure to let us know. > Because otherwise we wait for results, that will never arrive.
- E.g. if you have registered for an exam, but you change your mind later > Please let us and the examination office know. Otherwise there will be an active registered exam with a pending grade.
- Communicate with your lecturers about the timeline for grading - especially important for term papers, because grading usually takes the longest time and they also have longer deadline to hand them in.
Is it possible to get my transcript in English?
In general it is possible to switch the language of the transcript to English, but there might still be some words/information in German, e.g. titles of modules/courses. This happens because the system is quite old, inflexible and some information has just been added to it in German.
I don't understand the structure of my transcript. How can I understand it?
We get it - It's not always easy to understand how the transcript is structured and why things might not seem logical.
Unfortunately it is like that for all HU-Students (regular and exchange) - so at least you are not alone with such a document.
Here are some examples:
Why does it not say the actual course titles of the courses I took?
This is unfortunately a general problem of the system. For all HU students it only shows the general module titles even for the courses in the module and not the actual course titles or course numbers.
There is very little we can do. If your home university has an issue with our transcript, please tell them to get in touch with us.
Why does it not say BE (bestanden = passed) for lectures?
You only get "BE"/passed for the courses you had to do some workload for and where the course instructor signed your SprachlitCC.
Lectures you only attend and no additional work is required to pass and you also sign for them yourself on the Sprachlit CC (in most cases). This doesn't meet the requirement for "passed" but it is only an attendance, which is why it is like that on your transcript. The lecture ist listed and you received the 2 ECTS for it.
Why does it sometimes list my grade under "Modulnote" (module grade) and sometimes not even though I took the exam and the grade is listed above?
The grade can only be listed under "Modulnote" if the whole module is completed. For example if a module consists of 1 VL + 1 SE + 1 UE + exam (term paper), all courses need to be completed and the exam needs to be passed. If one component is missing, e.g. the lecture - maybe because it wasn't relevant for the exam, the grade from the term paper will not show up unter "Modulnote". But the exam and grade will still be listed under the module components.
CETIFICATE OF ARRIVAL / DEPARTURE
Who is the responsible person at the receiving institution (HU-Berlin)?
The responsible person at the receiving institution is Saskia Asmus. As position you can write down (faculty) international coordinator. You can find her contact information on our website under "Kontakt & Sprechzeiten". Please note: As e-mail address for the contact you can put internationales.sprachlit[@]hu-berlin.de. But please send your certificate to ects.sprachlit[@]hu-berlin.de to get it signed.
Which dates do I put on my Certificate of Arrival / Departure (or Certificate of Stay)?
As start date:
- Please put the date of our first in-person orientation event as start date.
- Participation in an intensive language course before the start of the semester: In this case the start of language course is also start of your Winter Semester / Summer Semester. If you are taking part in a language course, please send us an e-mail (ects.sprachlit[@]hu-berlin.de) with the start date of the course and a course confirmation (e.g. registration, bank transfer, confirmation of enrolment).
As end date:
- Please put the date of your last in-person exam (term papers do not count here). For Winter Semester it should be around mid/end of February and for Summer Semester it should be around mid July till beginning of August.
- The exact date depends on the day of your last class or exam.
Please note:
- Please send us the document with all of your personal information put in.
- Then send it to us via e-mail so that we can sign it. We can only sign it on the departure date or after that date.
AGNES / COURSE CATALOGUE
What can I do / find on AGNES?
Without log in with your HU account:
- you can view the course catalague / Vorlesungsverzeichnis
After logging in with your HU account:
- you can register for classes
- you can see your registered classes or the classes you received a spot in in your schedule / Stundenplan
- you can register for exams (only possible during exam registration period during the semester and your need your TAN list!)
- you can find / download your enrollment certificate
- you can view / change personal information like address or bank account details
- you can view information regarding the Deutschlandsemesterticket
Where can I find my Enrollment Certificate?
We don't send out this document via e-mail. You can find them on AGNES. Log in with your HU account > Choose "Certificates" the left sidebar > Choose your semester from the dropdown > Click on "Select" > on the page that opens then you can find your enrollment certificate. Just click on the document and it will download a PDF file.
Until when do I have access to AGNES?
The course catalogue can always be viewed without a log in.
But class registration, schedule, exam registration, enrollment certificate etc. can only be accessed with an active HU account. This means you can only log in to AGNES during your semester at HU Berlin. Afterwards your HU account (and HU e-mail) will be deactivated.
So make sure to save important documents or take screenshots before it's too late.
Where can I find the amount of ECTS for each course?
On the course description page you can find all necessary information for that course. You need to scroll down a bit until you reach the part "Studiengänge" (Degree Programmes). There it will list all the degree/study programmes / courses of study in which the course is offered and then it lists the LP (= Leistungspunkte = credit points). HU Berlin uses "LP" for credit points, which is the same as ECTS.
If you switch the language setting of AGNES to English it will show "ECTS" instead of "LP".
OTHER
Is there a break between classes?
Yes, there is a 30 minute break between each class.
If you are wondering how that is possible if the course times are listed as 10:00 -12:00 and 12:00 - 14:00. It's because the times listed on AGNES are usually c.t. times.
- c.t. - Latin "cum tempore" = "with time", the so-called "academic quarter" >> for example: 10:00 c.t.: means the lecture starts 15 minutes later, i.e. at 10:15.
There might be some rare cases where classes start exactly at the time listed on AGNES. It will then say s.t. with the time.
- s.t. - Latin "sine tempore" = "without time" >> for example: 10:00 s.t.: means the lecture starts at 10:00.
My Deutschlandsemesterticket on the S-Bahn Berlin App doesn't show up. What can I do?
First you should check if you did the registration process correctly. View the process on this website again (German and English site available): https://www.hu-berlin.de/en/studies/admission/enrolment-office/dst/deutschlandsemesterticket
Always make sure that you log-in with selecting HU-Berlin first and then using your HU account.
If your Deutschlandsemesterticket doesn't show up on the S-Bahn Berlin App (section "Mein Abo"): try to delete the app and reinstall it afterwards. Doing so you make sure you have the latest app version. (Otherwise try to update the app to the latest version without deleting it first.)
If the issue still can't be resolved you need to contact the customer service of S-Bahn Berlin. In our experience calling the hotline works faster, but you should expect to speak with customer service agents being german native speakers (maybe with dialect/accent) and little awareness for foreigners. So be patient with each other. :)
My Deutschlandsemesterticket doesn't automatically renew each month. What can I do?
To make sure your Deutschlandsemesterticket stays activated you should open it twice each month. Opening means to really cklick on the ticket listed in "Mein Abo" to open the QR-Code. It should be done once at the beginning of the month and once at the end of the month.
(We received this information directly from the customer service of S-Bahn Berlin. So even if it sounds weird, just do it.)
I'm staying for 2 semesters: Why is there no Deutschlandsemesterticket at the beginning of the second semester in the S-Bahn Berlin App?
For each semester you have to do the whole process again. 1. Go to the S-Bahn Berlin website and log-in with your HU Account and "buy" the ticket for the new semester. 2. After the registration/application process on the website the ticket will show up after 24-72 hours on the S-Bahn Berlin App. Please check the App regularly to see if the ticket shows up.