At the end of the propaedeutic phase, you will be advised on the continuation of your studies. If you have obtained 60 credits in the first year, you will have passed the propaedeutic exam and will receive the propaedeutic certificate. However, if you have earned less than 60 credits, this recommendation may be accompanied by an indefinite rejection. Such a rejection is called a negative binding study advice (nbsa).

Suspension of study advice
If you do not pass the propaedeutic certificate in the first year due to personal circumstances, which are mentioned in the teaching and examination regulations, you may be given a postponement of the study advice, depending on these circumstances and the results of the integral assessment. The recommendation may then be suspended until the first semester of the second year, until the end of the second year or may consist of doing the first year all over again.

During one of the subsequent semester assessment(s), in accordance with the deferral granted, your results and development achieved will be reassessed. If there is a positive assessment with regard to the propaedeutic components, the propaedeutic exam will have been passed and you will be awarded the propaedeutic certificate.
However, in all the above cases, a negative binding study advice may also be issued if your development has not been assessed as satisfactory.

In exceptional cases, the assessment meeting can also decide to resit the first year without personal circumstances. This is seen as positive advice and after that, at the end of this resit, no negative binding study advice can be given.

The negative binding study advice (nbsa)
An nbsa is given if your study results do not meet the requirements and, moreover, the committee of examiners/assessment meeting has insufficient confidence that you will be able to successfully complete the programme.
Prior to the negative binding study advice, you will be warned in writing by or on behalf of the faculty board no later than 1 February of the current academic year that this might happen. If, due to significant deterioration of your study results, there is no reason to issue a written warning until after 1 February, it will be issued no later than 8 weeks prior to the final assessment, so that improvement is still possible.

More information on the exact regulations regarding the nbsa and suspended recommendation can be found in the OER (Education and Examination Regulations). This is available to all students on the intranet.

You can always contact dean Timon Hagen if you have any needs about your study progress and its possible consequences: timon.hagen or 020 - 527 76 37. He can support you with any questions you may have.

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