Teaching and Examination Formats

Exams in the BA in Cultural Research are based on the Subject-specific Examination Regulations for Cultural Research and on the Bachelor Examination Regulations, which are valid as a general schedule for all BA programs at the University.

Modules are usually made up of Credit Points (referred to as CP for short, or ECTS based on the European Credit Transfer System) and a grade. Most, but not all, modules are graded. One CP is awarded for work completed in 30 hours per module. In total, a module counting 9 CP is equivalent to a workload of 270 hours.  Grades are usually awarded based on a number of factors, such as active participation, or oral and written exams. Where modules consist of two separate classes, grades are generally awarded for one of the two, while the other course is successfully completed through class attendance and / or shorter additional assignments. Coursework expectations are clearly discussed with lecturers at the start of semester.

During study time you obtain a specific grade per module that is calculated at the end, together with the grade for the Bachelor thesis. You need to register for each module at the Examination Office via a special online portal (PABO) and have to respect certain deadlines for exam registration.

There are various options available for taking an exam, the most common of which are listed below:

    Oral exam
    Written exam
    Written out-of-class assignment of approx. 15 pages or 5000 words in length
    A specific output or creation (this can be either a film, a multimedia project, a radio feature, photo documentation with an additional text of 10 sides or 3000 words)
    Research report in Modules 5 and 6           
    Report covering self-study assignment in Module 11 of approx. 15 pages or 5000 words
    Internship report and evaluation form / questionnaire of approx. 10 pages or 3000 words
    Several short written assignments which generally make up part of a portfolio of work
    Bachelor thesis of 30 pages or 15,000 words

The number of pages mentioned above is for indicative purposes only and excludes indices and appendices. Deadlines for submitting assignments are agreed on in advance at the beginning of semester. An exam can be repeated in total twice over in any given semester. Module offerings are regularly rerun following a specific order.

You can find a List of Examiners for the Bachelor in Cultural Research, as well as a Guide to Academic Work Techniques here.