Changing Degree Programs at the University of Potsdam

If you are already studying at the University of Potsdam and would like to transfer to one of our bachelor's degree programs or to the law program, we recommend that you take the following steps:

Step 1:
If you want to switch to a degree program that is related to or the same as your previous degree program, you must do the following before applying to change programs. Please allow six weeks’ time for this process. For bachelor’s programs, submit the form “Semester Placement and the Recognition of Credentials“ to the Examining Board of the degree program you wish to enroll in; in the case of combined degree programs, you may need to submit these forms to the Examining Boards for both subjects. For the study of law, submit the same form (“Semester Placement and the Recognition of Credentials“) to the Student Administration Center of the Law Faculty. The Examining Board(s) or Student Administration Center of the Law Faculty will then send you the processed application for semester placement.

Remember to re-register for the following semester during the re-registration period.

Step 2:
Within the following range of dates, go to your PULS account online and use the “Submit application” option to generate an Application to change degree programs:

• For the winter semester: June 16 – September 15.
• For the summer semester: January 16 – March 15.

Make sure to enroll for exactly the semester of study (“Fachsemester”) of the intended degree program or subject specified in your semester placement document from step 1. (In order to be able to complete the transfer as smoothly as possible and to ensure correct information on your certificates of enrollment for the following semester, we recommend that you submit the application during the re-registration period). Please note that you must provide evidence that you meet the admission requirements for the intended degree program or subject (especially any necessary entrance examinations)  by the application deadline. In addition, the transfer can only be made to a semester for which classes are being offered. You can find this information in the brochure on current bachelor's degree programs.

Step 3:
If you meet the admission requirements for the new degree program and the complete documents are available in the Student Administration Center/ Office of Student Affairs, the transfer will be completed. The Student Administration Center/ Office of Student Affairs will inform you about the completion of the transfer by sending you an official notification by regular mail. You must also fulfill the re-registration requirements, which is a prerequisite for the completion of the transfer. To find out if your transfer was successful, please refer to PULS (Certificate of Enrollment or Confirmation of Periods of Study).

Step 4:
Students who were placed in a higher semester in step 1 obviously have study and examination credentials that can be recognized for the intended degree program. However, credentials may also be recognized even if these credentials were deemed insufficient for placement into a higher semester in step 1, thereby leading to a placement in the first semester of study. In addition, in a dual-subject bachelor's degree program, credentials may be recognized as key competencies, or, in the case of a teaching-related program, as educational science credits.

In order to have previously completed coursework and examinations recognized for the new degree program, as step 4, please submit the Application for Recognition of Credentials to the Examining Board of your intended degree program or to the Student Administration Center of the Law Faculty (or to the Examining Boards of the subfields in which you assume that you need recognition: in a teaching-related degree program, for example, in the area of educational sciences; in a dual-subject bachelor's degree program, for example, in the area of key competencies). The processed Application for Recognition of Credentials will be sent back to you; please submit this document immediately to the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office (please use the " Document Upload" link in your PULS account). There, the courses approved in the application for recognition will be posted in your PULS overview of credit points. From here, you can now continue studying in the new degree program.

Please note the slightly different procedures in the Law Faculty and the Faculty of Science; see here.

If you are already studying at the University of Potsdam and would like to transfer to one of our bachelor's degree programs or to the law program, we recommend that you take the following steps:

Step 1:
If you want to switch to a degree program that is related to or the same as your previous degree program, you must do the following before applying to change programs. Please allow six weeks’ time for this process. For bachelor’s programs, submit the form “Semester Placement and the Recognition of Credentials“ to the Examining Board of the degree program you wish to enroll in; in the case of combined degree programs, you may need to submit these forms to the Examining Boards for both subjects. For the study of law, submit the same form (“Semester Placement and the Recognition of Credentials“) to the Student Administration Center of the Law Faculty. The Examining Board(s) or Student Administration Center of the Law Faculty will then send you the processed application for semester placement.

Remember to re-register for the following semester during the re-registration period.

Step 2:
Please apply online within the following timeframes for exactly the semester of study (“Fachsemester”) in which you were placed in step 1 (Important: note that only the Bachelor of Psychology currently has restricted admission for higher semesters):

• For the winter semester: beginning of June – July 15.
• For the summer semester: beginning of December – January 15.

Please note that you must fulfill the admission requirements for the intended degree program or subject (especially any necessary entrance examinations). In addition, you can only apply for a semester for which classes are being offered. You can find this information in the brochure on current bachelor's degree programs.

Step 3:
After you have been admitted to the new degree program (the admission notification will be provided to you online), you go to your PULS account online and use the “Submit application” option to generate an Application to change degree programs . Everything you need to do for this can be found in the admission notification, including the relevant deadlines. The Student Administration Center/ Office of Student Affairs will inform you about the completion of the transfer by sending you an official notification by regular mail. You must also fulfill the re-registration requirements, which is a prerequisite for the completion of the transfer. To find out if your transfer was successful, please refer to PULS (Certificate of Enrollment or Confirmation of Periods of Study).

Step 4:
Students who were placed in a higher semester in step 1 obviously have study and examination credentials that can be recognized for the intended degree program. However, credentials may also be recognized even if these credentials were deemed insufficient for placement into a higher semester in step 1, thereby leading to a placement in the first semester of study. In addition, in a dual-subject bachelor's degree, credentials may be recognized as key competencies, or, in the case of a teaching-related program, as educational science credits.

In order to have previously completed coursework and examinations recognized for the new degree program, as step 4, please submit the Application for Recognition of Credentials to the Examining Board of your intended degree program or to the Student Administration Center of the Law Faculty (or to the Examining Boards of the subfields in which you assume that you need recognition: in a teaching-related degree program, for example, in the area of educational sciences; in a dual-subject bachelor's degree program, for example, in the area of key competencies). The processed Application for Recognition of Credentials will be sent back to you; please submit this document immediately to the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office (please use the "Document Upload" link in your PULS account). There, the courses approved in the application for recognition will be posted in your PULS overview of credit points. From here, you can now continue studying in the new degree program.

Please note the slightly different procedures in the Law Faculty and the Faculty of Science; see here.

In teaching-related master's degree programs, a transfer to a different teaching subject is NOT possible in principle, because the subjects of the bachelor's degree program must be continued in the master's degree program. Therefore, if you plan to change one or both of your teaching subjects during your teacher training program, it is essential that you do so during your bachelor's studies!

If you are already enrolled in a master's program at the University of Potsdam and would now like to transfer to one of our non-teaching master's programs, we recommend that you take the following steps:

Step 1:
If you want to switch to a degree program that is related to or the same as your previous degree program, you must submit, in good time, an application for “Semester Placement and the Recognition of Credentials“ to the Examining Board of the degree program you wish to enroll in, or to the Student Administration Center of the Law Faculty. The Examining Board or Student Administration Center of the Law Faculty will then send you the processed application for semester placement.

Remember to re-register for the following semester during the re-registration period.

Step 2:
Now you can apply in the application period for exactly the semester of study (“Fachsemester”) of your intended master's program in which you were placed in step 1. Please note that there are currently different application platforms for this! Please refer to our document about current master's degree programs to find out which application platform you have to use to apply for your specific master's program and the semester of study in which you have been placed. Please note that an application for the first semester of study for some master's programs is only possible in the winter semester, or only in the summer semester. You will eventually receive a notice of admission or rejection from the responsible office of your master's program.

Step 3:
Within the following range of dates, go to your PULS account online and use the “Submit application” option to generate an Application for beginning studies in a master’s degree program:

• For the winter semester: June 16 – October 15.
• For the summer semester: January 16 – April 15.

(Pay close attention to the footnotes in the application! In order to be able to complete the transfer as smoothly as possible and to ensure correct information on your certificates of enrollment for the following semester, we recommend that you submit the application during the re-registration period). If, when you submit your application, you already have your admission notification, or your notification of placement, or the confirmation of acceptance of your spot in the degree program, then please submit these as well. The transfer can then be carried out immediately. The prerequisite for this is the fulfillment of the re-registration requirements.
If the documents for the application for admission to the master's program have not been submitted in full, it is possible to complete the documents (e.g. notice of admission, confirmation of acceptance of your spot in the degree program, if applicable) by October 20 for the winter semester and by April 20 for the summer semester. The prerequisite for a transfer is the fulfillment of the re-registration requirements. To find out if your transfer was successful, please refer to PULS (Certificate of Enrollment or Confirmation of Periods of Study).

Step 4:
Students who were placed in a higher semester of study in step 1 obviously have study and examination credentials that can be recognized for the intended degree program. However, credentials may also be recognized even if these credentials are deemed insufficient for placement into a higher semester in step 1, thereby leading to a placement in the first semester of study.
In order to have previously completed coursework and examinations recognized for the new degree program, as step 4, please submit the Application for Recognition of Credentials to the Examining Board of your intended degree program or to the Student Administration Center of the Law Faculty. The processed Application for Recognition of Credentials will be sent back to you; please submit this document immediately to the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office (please use the " Document Upload" link in your PULS account). There, the courses approved in the application for recognition will be posted in your PULS overview of credit points. From here, you can now continue studying in the new degree program.

Please note the slightly different procedures in the Law Faculty and the Faculty of Science; see here.