Effects
- The deadline to submit final papers is extended to give double the length of time (except in the Architecture degree programme)
- The deadline to achieve the minimum performance for every semester completed part-time is extended by one further semester to a maximum of four semesters
- Examinations with obligatory registration are to be taken for the first time in the subject-related semester stated in the part-time curriculum
- A part-time study year (two university semesters) counts as one subject-related semester
- The part-time course has no effect on health insurance when the correct part-time curriculum is selected (20 CP curriculum receives student status under social security law; 15 CP receives the right to social security benefits)
Please note:
- A part-time course is not eligible for BAföG support
- If your residence permit is dependent on your university education, accepting a part-time course without the approval of the immigration authorities can risk the loss of the residence permit.
If you need any further advice on how part-time studies may affect you please feel free to contact us.
If you have a student residence permit (Sec. 16 AufenthG/Residence Act), you should not apply for part-time studies, as this could jeopardise your residence permit.
If you have a Blue Card, you can apply for part-time studies without any problems.
Official part-time studies
No funding under BAföG
Official part-time studies are not eligible for funding regardless of the actual work performed.
Proof of performance
Proof of academic progress must be submitted to the BAföG office after the fourth semester of study (not regular semesters), regardless of whether full-time or part-time studies were completed before the application. The standard performance of the full-time study plan, not the part-time study plan, is the yardstick for granting proof of academic progress.
Maximum funding period
The maximum funding period is based on the prescribed period of study for a full-time course. If you have completed part-time studies before applying for BAföG and have provided proof of academic achievement after four semesters, the maximum funding period may be extended accordingly, as part-time studies must be converted into full-time studies. Whether and how the conversion is carried out is handled differently by the BAföG offices on a case-by-case basis. If necessary, the Service point part-time studies, studying with children will issue a certificate for the part-time semesters completed, as this information is not found on the study certificates.
Limited funding for de facto part-time studies
Child rearing, disability/illness and committee work justify a later submission of the proof of academic achievement and an extension of the maximum funding period; caring for a relative does not.
Pregnancy/raising a child
Pregnancy/raising a child must be the cause of the delay in your studies. In order to be eligible for an extension of funding, you must have devoted at least 21 hours per week to your studies despite being pregnant or bringing up a child. If you are unable to provide sufficient evidence of the cause or if the child is over 10 years old, you will lose your entitlement to funding. In these cases, you can apply for part-time studies.
Illness
If you have been ill for less than three months, it is recommended that you continue your full-time studies, continue to receive BAföG and apply for an extension of the maximum funding period. However, if you are ill for more than three months, you will no longer be entitled to BAföG. In the case of a chronic illness, you can apply for official part-time studies.
Disability
The disability must be the cause of the delay in studies. The degree to which the maximum funding period is extended depends on the case.
Involvement in legally prescribed university committees
The BAföG office only recognises official committees that are constituted through elections. In contrast, appointed committee members may also take up part-time studies. The maximum funding period is only extended to the extent that an impairment of studies has been proven.
This information is not legally binding and does not claim to be complete. It does not replace a clarification of the individual case.
The education loan is a low-interest loan to support students in advanced phases of their studies, which can be taken out in addition to or instead of benefits under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG).
Further information on the education loan:
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung(Federal Ministry of Education and Research)
Bundesverwaltungsamt(Federal Office of Administration)
In contrast to the KfW promotional loan, the education loan cannot be used for part-time studies.
Two part-time semesters correspond to one regular semester in the full-time degree programme, regardless of which part-time study plan was chosen.
However, the prescribed period of study for the full-time degree programme cannot be shortened, unless fewer semesters were actually spent at the university. For example: If a bachelor's degree is completed in 10 part-time semesters, this does not correspond to 5 regular semesters, but rather 6 regular semesters, since this is the minimum number of regular semesters in a full-time degree programme. However, if the bachelor's degree is completed in 5 part-time semesters, this also corresponds to 5 semesters of university study and regular semesters.
Up to and including the winter semester of 2023/2024, only two semesters of part-time studies had to be completed before the semester counter stopped at another semester. If part-time studies were started in the first semester, the semester count was as follows: 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, etc.
This was changed for the summer semester of 2024. Now, the regular semesters are counted as half from the outset. The counting is then 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, etc.
Deadline extensions
In part-time studies, the deadlines set by the regulations of the degree programme are automatically extended by your status, without you having to submit an application for an extension. Your part-time status is stored in TUCaN and can be viewed by the Office for Student Affairs. Nevertheless, it can't hurt to point out your part-time status to the responsible supervisor in the department.
Deadline for the minimum performance required by the Studien- and Prüfungsordnung (study and examination regulations)
With part-time status, the deadline for the minimum performance set by the study and examination regulations is extended by a further semester for each semester completed part-time. This means that if part-time studies are already taken up in the first semester, the deadline is four semesters; if part-time studies are only taken up in the second semester, the minimum performance must be achieved after three semesters.
Deadline for achieving minimum performance in accordance with legal requirements
The deadline according to § 65 Abs. 4 Hessian Higher Education Act (HessHG) is not extended by part-time studies. This means that you have to provide a certificate of achievement within two years as specified in your Studien- und Prüfungsordnung (Study and Examination Regulations), otherwise you will be de-registered.
Deadlines for submitting theses
The deadline for submitting the thesis is extended to twice the original deadline, regardless of the curriculum chosen. Exceptions are thesis projects with a competitive character (e.g. several students are given the same task to be completed by a certain date), which are common in architecture. The status you had in the semester in which the deadline was set is decisive for the extension. Please inform the person supervising your thesis of the deadline extension.
Deadlines for other study and examination achievements
The deadlines for submitting presentations, term papers and seminar papers, etc. are not extended automatically. In these cases, you should ask the teacher whether an extension is possible. Whether or not an extension is granted is at the teacher's discretion and also depends on the type of course and the examination to be taken. Of course, it is not possible to extend the time allowed for taking written exams or for an oral exam.
Please note:
It is not possible to claim an extension retroactively. If you have already triggered the deadline, e.g. by receiving the thesis topic, an extension due to part-time status is not possible. In this case, you can only request an individual extension from the department. Please contact your supervisor immediately. The examination board of the department or the dean of studies will usually decide on your request. You can find out more details about the procedure from the Office for Student Affairs in your department.
The KfW student loan is also available for part-time studies. This offer does not apply to foreign students who are EU citizens and who did not obtain their higher education entrance qualification in Germany or at a German school.
Please visit the KfW website for detailed information on the terms and conditions.
The prescribed period of study is longer for part-time studies. All part-time courses are offered with part-time curricula of 15 CP and 20 CP per semester.
Bachelor's degree programmes
When you choose the 15 CP part-time study plan, the 6 semesters in the full-time Bachelor's programme are extended to a prescribed period of study of 12 part-time semesters; when you choose the 20 CP study plan, the prescribed period of study is extended to 9 semesters.
In addition, there are also part-time study plans in the Bachelor's degree with other prescribed periods of study (e.g. 10 part-time semesters in the Bachelor's degree) if the Bachelor's degree programme has semesters with restricted admission. This is because part-time studies are not possible in semesters with restricted admission. These must at least officially be completed in full-time studies. Therefore, in these cases, there are different prescribed periods of study.
Master's
If you choose the 15 CP part-time study plan, the four semesters of the full-time Master's programme are extended to eight part-time semesters of the prescribed period of study; if you choose the 20 CP study plan, the period of study is extended to six semesters.
Whether you are studying full-time or part-time, you can exceed the prescribed period of study in either case, and you can also complete your studies more quickly. This means that the part-time study and examination plan does not define any minimum or maximum performance.
Please note:
If the degree programme is closed, no longer closure periods apply to part-time students. They must complete their studies in the time defined for full-time students.
