Auditing studies at the University of Vechta

Fees

For auditing students attending up to four contact hours per week (usually max. two courses), the semester fee is EUR 50. If you attend five to ten contact hours per week, the fee is EUR 75.

Exemption from fees

Fees may be waived or reduced upon request due to undue hardship. We assume undue hardship in particular if you receive Leistungen zur Sicherung des Lebensunterhalts (benefits to secure subsistence) (Sozialgesetzbuch (Social Code) – SGB II: Grundsicherung für Arbeitssuchende (basic income for job seekers)), Hilfe zum Lebensunterhalt (subsistence allowance) or Grundsicherung im Alter und bei Erwerbsminderung (basic income support in old age and in case of reduced earning capacity) (Social Code – SGB XII: Sozialhilfe (social assistance)) or as per the Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz (AsylbLG) (Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act). You can find the request for fee exemption in the download centre.

Step by step:

1. Select course(s) (for the summer semester 2021 possible from the end of August

Please note that as an auditing student, you can attend a maximum of ten contact hours per week. Usually, one course has two contact hours per week.

Click here for the course catalogue for auditing studies.

2. Fill in and submit the form Registration for auditing studies (via email)

3. Wait for the confirmation letter and invoice (will be sent to you via email)

4. Transfer the fee for auditing studies

5. Access data and student registration number will be sent to you via email

6. Register for your chosen courses via the learning management system “Stud.IP”; in Stud.IP, you will find up-to-date information on the lecture or seminar, access to the online lecture hall/seminar room as well as presentations, literature references, etc.

An introduction to the use of Stud.IP can be found here.

In the Course catalogue for auditing studies, we have compiled a selection of courses that represent a cross-section of our range of programmes and that are open to auditing students. Please make sure to select “WiSe 2021” under “Semester auswählen” (select semester) (left column).

In individual cases, with the consent of the lecturers, you can also attend courses from the general course programme that are usually not open to auditing students. To this end, you need the lecturer’s consent on the application form for auditing studies. The names and contact details of the lecturers can be found in the university’s register of persons . Please send the completed application for auditing studies to the lecturer via email.

In the wintersemester 2021, lectures and seminars will again be organised exclusively as online courses due to the pandemic, i.e., you will participate from your laptop or computer at home. If web conferences are new for you, we would like to encourage you to give it a try and to actively participate in the lectures and seminars. 

The following technical requirements should be met in addition to a laptop or computer:

Recommended operating system: Windows 10 or current MacOS version (currently 10.5.5, from 1 June 2020)

An up-to-date browser: preferably Firefox, Chrome or Windows Edge (there are more frequent problems with Safari and IE)

Stable internet connection: preferably via LAN cable, possibly via WiFi with high bandwidth

Microphone and speakers (usually integrated in laptops)

If you have any questions regarding the technical requirements, please do not hesitate to contact the IT support of the University of Vechta. Phone: +49 (0)4441 15 432 / Email: it-support@uni-vechta.de

Overview of everyday university language

At universities, certain terms and abbreviations are used, not all of which are self-explanatory. It might be useful for auditing students to familiarise themselves with some of the terms used in everyday university life.
 
Akademisches Viertel
The term akademisches Viertel refers to the quarter of an hour that lectures and seminars start later than indicated in the course catalogue (c.t. = lat.: cum tempore = “with time”). If a course starts at the exact specified time, it is marked with s.t. (s.t. = lat.: sine tempore = “without time”). This tradition allows for a relaxed change between lecture halls or seminar rooms. The courses therefore generally start 15 minutes after the stated full hour (c.t.) and they generally end 15 minutes before the stated time. Exceptions are possible. This rule is also maintained for online courses.
 
Credit points
With the introduction of the Bachelor’s/Master’s structures, the ECTS system was introduced throughout Europe (European Credit Transfer System). This system calculates the workload in credits (CPs) that is estimated for studying (attendance of courses, preparation and follow-up work, examinations). Throughout Europe, a six-semester Bachelor’s degree programme comprises 180 credits (1 credit corresponds to a workload of 25 to 30 hours). When students take a module exam, in addition to the grade, they receive the corresponding credits, which are indicated in the module description.
 
Immatrikulation
Immatrikulation (enrolment) refers to registration as a student. Auditing students enrol as well, with the specific status of an auditing student. The German word Einschreibung is also common. The word Matrikel comes from the Latin word matricula (public register (of persons)).
 
Kommiliton*in
Term for all (fellow) students at a university, regardless of age, semester or degree programme. It derives from the Latin word commilito (genitive: commilitonis) = fellow soldier, comrade-in-arms, brother-in-arms.
 
Lehrveranstaltung(en) or Veranstaltung
In the university context, when we talk about a Lehrveranstaltung or Veranstaltung, we do not mean a one-time event, but lectures or seminars that take place regularly during the lecture period, usually on a weekly basis (over 13-14 weeks). Courses are part of modules.
 
Modul (also Studienmodul)
The curriculum of a degree programme is divided into Module (modules) (also Studienmodule, study modules). A module is a teaching unit that is coherent in terms of content and consists of several individual courses (also called sub-modules). It usually comprises a Vorlesung (VL) (lecture) that gives an overview and a general introduction to the subject area. In the associated Seminare (SE) (seminars), key topics or delimited subject areas are dealt with in detail in smaller groups. Active participation is explicitly encouraged in seminars. Students are often actively involved in the seminars, for example with formal presentations. Another teaching format is the Übung (Ü) (practical), in which sample questions or tasks are dealt with. A Tutorium (tutorial) is usually an additional offer. Here, students can deepen the knowledge of the lessons in smaller working groups. A tutorial is led by academic staff or students of higher semesters (tutors). A module is concluded with an exam. In addition to the grade, students receive credits.
 
The courses of a module all have codes for classification reasons.

Example:
Module “Ethik in der Sozialen Arbeit” (szb003) (Ethics in Social Work)

Courses:

szb003.1 “Grundlagen der Ethik Sozialer Arbeit” (Fundamentals of Social Work Ethics) (VL) (2 SWS)
szb003.2 “Angewandte Ethik in der Sozialen Arbeit” (Applied Ethics in Social Work) (SE) (2 SWS)
As an auditing student, you can attend individual lectures and/or seminars or take complete modules. Taking a complete module is required if you wish to take an examination.
 
Modulbeschreibungen (also Modulhandbuch)
In the Modulbeschreibungen (module descriptions), all modules of a degree programme/academic subject are described according to a recurring system (contents, learning objectives, recommended semester of study, literature references, courses, type of assessment, etc.). Module descriptions provide a structured overview of the contents of a complete degree programme.
 
Studienverlaufsplan
The Studienverlaufsplan (generic study pattern) shows the curriculum of a degree programme. It shows an appropriate sequence of modules in the course of studies (first-sixth semester) and thus provides orientation for study planning. The generic study pattern is only a recommendation.
 
Module descriptions and generic study patterns can be found on the website: www.uni-vechta.de/studiengaenge/ under the respective degree programme under “Ordnungen und Anlagen” (Regulations and attachments).
 
WiSe and SoSe
The academic year is divided into the winter semester (WiSe) and the summer semester (SoSe).
The winter semester begins on 1 October and ends on 31 March.
The summer semester begins on 1 April and ends on 30 September.
 
During the semester, a distinction is made between Vorlesungszeit or Veranstaltungszeit (lecture period) and vorlesungsfreie Zeit (non-term time) (Semesterferien = semester break). The lecture period lasts approx. four months, during which lectures and seminars take place on a weekly basis. During non-term time, students complete placements/internships, write term papers, take care of their family or go on vacation. 

The University of Vechta is a member of the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung für Ältere (BAG WIWA) (federal working group for academic continuing education for older people).

Every summer semester, the working group organises an online lecture series.

The main topic in the summer semester 2021 was:

“Wissenschaft und Macht zwischen Fake und Fakt” (science and scholarship and power between fake and fact)

The contributions to the series come from eight different German universities and deal with different aspects. This year, the lectures were broadcast via livestream.

All information and dates can be found on the website of the online lecture series.

Those who have already obtained an academic degree and wish to change careers to become a teacher can take advantage of the so-called “Quereinstieg ins Lehramt” (lateral entry into the teaching profession).

You can find detailed information on the website of the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs:

https://www.mk.niedersachsen.de/startseite/schule/lehrkrafte_und_nichtlehrendes_personal/wege_in_den_schuldienst/

Contact persons at the University of Vechta for lateral entry into the teaching profession:

Dr Katharina Seidel and Dr Ann Kristin Schmitt-Grawe

You are enrolled at another German higher education institution and are interested in one or more modules from the curriculum of our range of programmes? Under certain conditions, you can register for cross-registered studies with us.

One of the most important prerequisites is that you have not irrevocably lost your right to examination for the module that you would like to complete. You can register for cross-registered studies in the same way as for auditing studies. Identical forms are used.