Question: I have a few questions about the elective subjects and I am unsure about which to take. I need some advice regarding this matter.

F1: Must / Should I take the elective courses exactly in the semesters, as indicated in the degree programme pathways of the examination regulations?

A1: No! The degree programme pathways should only provide you with a solid framework on how to complete your studies within the standard time to degree. In particular, they ensure an approximately even distributed hourly load during the course of the study. However, this is not binding. This is also evident from the fact that the course distribution is different from one core study area to another. In addition, the current load on students can be different from student to student. Therefore, everyone is free to choose when and in what order they would like to take the elective courses.

Q2: Can I also choose to take compulsory subjects from other core study areas as elective courses?

A2: Yes, this is possible. Please refer to the list of possible subjects (link on the "Announcements" page). Attention: courses from another degree programme cannot be used.

F3: If I have failed an elective course, do I have to retake it?

A3: In general, you also have three attempts for elective courses. Since you can take more than the required number of elective subjects, it is not strictly necessary to retake a failed examination. However, you can also receive an obligatory registration for such courses.

F4: If I took three subjects with 4 HpW each instead of the required 10 HpW, can I use the additional two credit points otherwise?

A4: No! It is not allowed to split the acquired credit points of one subject.

Q5: What if I take more subjects than required by the examination regulations? Are the courses used in the sequence in which they were attended when calculating the grade for the module?

A5: You can also take more elective courses (and sit the exam) than required. These are then recognized as so-called "additional subjects" and can be accredited on your final degree certificate upon request. Even if on your transcript of records your grade has been calculated according to the order of completion, you can still choose which subjects are to be included in the grading of the module, once you register for the final thesis. This has to be indicated at the examinations office.

Question: Am I obliged to attend the lectures in the semesters as indicated in the examination regulations?

Answer: No! The examination regulations should only provide you with a solid framework on how to complete your studies within the standard time to degree. Hence, you are free (within limits) to organize your studies as it suits you.

Question: Are there any prerequisites that must be fulfilled during the course of studies for attending individual courses?

Answer: Generally, this is not the case.

However, some restrictions must be observed! To obtain approval of the internship semester or the semester abroad you need 89 credit points, which must be acquired before the start. For admission to the Bachelor's thesis, 175 credit points must have been obtained (credit points earned in the workshop scientific methods or in the workshop final thesis can be counted in). For admission to the colloquium, the final thesis as well as all examinations must have been passed.

Attention! The new examination regulations "PO 2017" also specify the prerequisite that a number of modules (mainly the modules of the first two semesters) have to be completed before attending the "Projects" course in the 5th semester. These are:

• For the degree programme Textile and Clothing Technology: modules 10, 20, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, and 110
• For the degree programme Design Engineering: modules 10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90
• For the degree programme Textile and Clothing Management: modules 1 to 11
   

Regardless of these formal requirements, courses often build on one another substantively, so that an "arbitrary" interchanging of subjects is not advised and often not possible. The module guides provide information about the content requirements of the individual courses.

Question: Is it true that one has to retake a failed exam within a certain period? Is this also true for examinations one withdrew from ? What is the deadline for the first attempt?

Answer: Yes - A failed exam must be repeated within 2 semesters! At the end of this period, a compulsory registration for the respective examination will be carried out, from which no withdrawal is possible.
 

Example 1: Failed in the WS --> Possible exam dates for the next attempt:

• At the end of the SS
• At the Beginning of the WS (3rd examination period - this possibility only exists for the courses, for which an examination is offered in the respective period)
• At the end of the following WS (here the compulsory registration is carried out, from which a withdrawal is not possible)
   

Example 2: Failed in the SS --> Possible exam dates for the next attempt:

• At the beginning of the WS (3rd examination period - this possibility only exists for the courses, for which an examination is offered in the respective period)
• At the end of the WS
• At the end of the following SS (here the compulsory registration is carried out, from which a withdrawal is not possible; however, on request to the chair of the examinations board, the exam can be postponed to the 3rd examination period at the beginning of the WS)
   

This obligation to perform is not applicable in case of withdrawal from an exam.

There is no specification in the examination regulations about when to attend the exam the very first time.