Glossary

Recognition refers to the determination of the value of study and examination achievements made at a higher education institution during a study-related stay abroad.

Individual, flat-rate or combined crediting of equivalent knowledge and skills acquired outside higher education is of central importance in opening up higher education institutions to non-traditional student groups and facilitates the transition between vocational and higher education. The aim is to avoid having to repeat competences that have already been acquired and to shorten study times.

The reversal of the burden of proof results from the fact that the recognition of achievements gained abroad should be the rule. This is deviated from in the case that the higher education institution identifies significant differences between the study and examination achievements and can also prove these. This reverses the burden of proof: it is no longer the student's responsibility to prove equivalence. Instead, it is the university's responsibility to justify the substantial difference when rejecting an application for recognition of external achievements.

The Diploma Supplement is an English-language certificate supplement with standardised information describing higher education degrees.

It provides information on the course content, the course of study and the academic and professional qualifications acquired with the degree. The Diploma Supplement is intended to facilitate the international classification and recognition of German higher education degrees. One part of the Diploma Supplement, the National Statement, explains the German higher education system and classifies the present degree within it.

ECTS is the abbreviation for European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System - the European recording system for student achievements and credits.

ECTS is intended to make achievements internationally readable and comparable. ECTS does not replace the previous grading and performance system in Germany, but complements it: on the one hand, through the credits, which provide information on how much work a student has put into achieving a certain performance. More points are awarded for a greater learning effort; different numbers of credits are awarded for different successfully completed courses.

According to the Key Features of the EU Commission, ECTS is a student-oriented system for the accumulation and transfer of academic credits. Here you can find the current ECTS Guide 2015:

http://e c.europa.eu/education/library/publications/2015/ects-users-guide_en.pdf

The Learning Agreement is an instrument that facilitates the recognition of study achievements during students' stays abroad. The Learning Agreement is an instrument of the ECTS. The Learning Agreement specifies the study programme to be completed abroad as well as the credit points to be awarded upon successful completion of a module or course. In the Learning Agreement, students agree to complete the agreed study programme at the host university as an integral part of their studies; the home university guarantees full academic recognition of the listed modules or courses through the Learning Agreement. The Learning Agreement is binding for the home and host universities as well as for the student.

Online Learning Agreement English for the Erasmus Programme Download

Recognition of Study Abroad Information Download

Guidelines Learning Agreement Download

Learning Agreement English for Overseas and all Free-Movers Download

Learning outcomes are statements of what a learner knows, understands and is able to do after completing a learning process. Learning outcomes are defined in advance as knowledge, skills and competences and are to be achieved through successful participation in a module or course. In order to increase transparency and to provide better orientation for students, the module descriptions contain information on the intended learning outcomes of the respective modules.

The "Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region", the so-called Lisbon Convention, was drawn up on 11 April 1997 on the initiative of UNESCO and the Council of Europe, signed by 55 states and ratified by 53 states to date. Here you can find the text of the Lisbon Convention:

http://w ww.coe.int/de/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/165

Germany ratified the Lisbon Convention with the "Law on the Convention of 11 April 1997 on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region" on 16 May 2007 and incorporated it into federal law. The Convention regulates the recognition of periods of study and degrees in the member states. The decisive innovation compared to older treaties is the concept of substantial difference, which states that all periods of study and degrees acquired abroad are recognised unless there is a substantial difference from the achievements acquired at the home institution. Furthermore, the burden of proving that a particular achievement constitutes a substantial difference lies with the recognising institution. The applicant also has a right of appeal against negative recognition decisions.

The Transcript of Records (data transcript) is a standard document that lists the study and examination achievements made by the student at the foreign host university. If these have been successfully passed, the local grade and the number of ECTS credits achieved are indicated accordingly. The data transcript should also include a grade conversion table to break down the local grading system.