Examination Board Cognitive Systems

Remarks for Typical Requests

• Deadline extensions due to Corona

  All examination deadlines are extended by one semester for students who started a degree course in the winter term 20/21. For students who are enrolled in the same degree course in summer term 20 and in winter term 20/21, the examination deadlines are extended by two semesters. 

  Please take note of the instructions for conducting exams. For the computer science exams, the exam planning system gives an overview of the planning status. 

• Recognition of study achievements

  To apply for the recognition of achievements from other or previous study programmes and semesters abroad, please bring the following documents to your appointment and send them via email.

  1. The forms 'Application for recognition of academic achievements' and, if needed, 'Additional pages for the application for recognition of academic achievements' (see Recognizing Achievements) filled in according to our guidelines. Please take a look at the module handbook provided online in the HIS (university information system) and specify a rough classification, the specific module with number as well as the examination number as which you would like your achievements to be recognised and enter that information in the respective column on the right. The forms must be filled out as much as possible and submitted as pdf via email before your consultation. Before sending the document, please make sure that the information provided was saved correctly and that the files are editable and readable with Acrobat Reader.
  2. The transcripts of records for the previous and the current study programme. Externally gained achievements require certified proof. In some cases, an electronic verification process may be available.
  3. For achievements that are not listed in the module handbook as well as externally gained achievements you need to provide the respective module descriptions.

  In principle all study achievements that are not older than ten years and that were not needed for admision in the currently studied programme may be recognised. According to the General Study Regulation of Ulm University, you have to engage into the recognition procedure until the end of one semester once you have started your (new) study programme or obtained a test result.

  According to a decision of the examination board, students are classified in a higher semester if the sum of credit points of the recognised achievements attains 30 credit points. For integer multiples the classification is calculated accordingly. The increase is also triggered, if the sum of achievements attains relevant thresholds later throughout your entire studies.

  Attention: Open examination processes cannot be closed by a recognition! Example: You have already failed the examination 106 77 "Analysis I für Informatiker und Ingenieure" (Analysis for Computer Scientists and Engineers) and now try the exam 100 00 "Analysis I" (for mathematicians). Even if you pass the latter exam, we can not recognise it for the exam 106 77. A recognition is only possible if you have not yet tried the exam 106 77. This was not handled correctly in the past and, for fairness, we will only enforce this from December 1st, 2020 onwards (this is an extension of the original deadline of July, 1st since due to the Corona pandemic the examination period was extended to cover the whole summer term).

• BAFöG graduation grant

  The forms for the graduation grant (Studienabschussförderung) are processed by the student's office (Studiensekretariat). 

• Extension of time limit for the submission of a final thesis

  Thesis deadlines are extended for the duration of a closure of our university library. The library is currently closed since Dec 16th 2020. 

  Generally, a thesis deadline can extended due to two different reasons for which the following documents are required:

  1. Extension due to subject-related reasons: The time limit may be extended based on a well-founded application for a maximum of two weeks for the Bachelor’s thesis and a maximum of four weeks for the Master’s thesis. For this to be approved you need to provide the examination board with a detailed plan that shows which tasks are yet to be completed until the submission of the final thesis, how much time each of these require and when each of them will be done. This plan must be confirmed and signed by the supervising teacher.
      
  2. Extension due to interruption of the thesis work: If you have to interrupt the work on your thesis through no fault of your own, e.g. due to your own illness, in the event of a first-degree death, illness of your own children, long-term care of a relative or due to Corona-related restrictions, an extension by the interruption period is possible. In the event of illness, a certificate (e.g. certificate of incapacity for work or sick leave) must be provided, which shows the exactly dated period in which you were unable to work, study or take an examination. The extension will be granted for this period. In the case of Corona-related restrictions, a detailed plan is to be presented, which shows why tasks could not be completed due to Corona restrictions, which tasks have to be completed before submitting the final thesis, how much time the tasks will take and when they can be completed. This plan is to be confirmed by the supervising university lecturer by signature.

• Extension of time limit due to insufficient credit points

  Please submit a transcript of records including all study and exam achievements. In the case of incapacitation due to illness, please provide the original attestation that certifies your temporary – with start and end date – inability  to study.

  Attestations must be verified by a doctor but do not need to provide details on the type of illness.

  Please contact the subject-specific examination board immediately, when it becomes clear that you are not able to obtain the required number of credits. An extension for reaching credit points can only be grantedif the reason for not obtaining sufficent credits is not your own fault. 

• Medical certificates

  There is an official form (available in German and English, see 'Forms for students') for the attestation of a student's inability to attend an examination. This has the following reason: the final decision to acknowledge that a student was sufficiently incapacitated by their sickness to not attend an examination is not made by the treating doctor but the examination authority (as opposed to labour law, where it is the other way around).

  This approach follows a judicial recommendation (Verwaltungsgericht Sigmaringen, administrative court) according to which it is admissible to request a description of the actual symptoms of illness from the treating doctor. This supposedly makes it easier to assess the submitted medical certificate and therefore the decision to acknowledge or dismiss the inability to attend an examination.
  (Bruno Franz, Office of the Registrars, Circular from 27 October 2017)

  Please bear these conditions in mind when applying for an extension of time limit. 

• Plagiarism

  The subject-specific examination board has curated some guidelines regarding plagiarism.

• Study and Exam Regulations

  We expect that you familiarise yourself with the general provisions and the subject-specific examination regulations for the MSc Cognitive Systems, but for your conveniance, the subject-specific examination board has summarised some important rules in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs). 

• Data privacy, processing, and storage

  Throughout the consultation process and decision making, personal data is collected, stored, and processed.

  It might be partially passed on to the following instances:

  • Members of the examination board, who are regularily employed, as well as their subordinates (office staff, e.g.) - entire file/case information
  • Relevant co-addressees of decisons (office of the registrar, Studierendenwerk, foreign universities, e.g.) - just decision

  All documents relevant to a decision are stored both electronically and on paper for up to five years after the final exmatricilation at Ulm University and are thereafter expertly destroyed.

• Links and further offers

  • Examination Regulations, study plans and handbooks of modules
  • A collection university wide forms (forms for attestation, thesis application, etc)
  • Informationen, tutorials and personal assistance of the Student Council
  • Central student advisory services: General assistance in 'learn to learn', Course programme
  • Psychosocial Counselling Service of Studierendenwerk Ulm