part-time studies

Students on full-time study programmes may, under certain circumstances, also complete their university studies on a part-time basis, provided this is not excluded by the examination regulations for the relevant study programme. Below, you can find out the reasons why part-time studies are possible and the evidence required.

IMPORTANT: For the part-time transfer or for any other queries on the topic, simply send an informal email to horstl(at)hs-fulda.de.

Please ensure you attach the relevant evidence to the email, as your request cannot be processed otherwise. Applications for part-time study must be submitted by email by 28 February for the summer semester and by 31 August for the winter semester.

• Employment
• Supervision of family members
• Disability or chronic illness affecting your university studies
• a comparable valid reason

• Gainful employment is generally evidenced by an employment relationship subject to social insurance contributions, involving a regular weekly working time of at least 14 and no more than 28 hours.
• Supervision of family members generally involves bringing up a child in accordance with Section 25(5) of the Federal Education and Training Assistance Act, as amended on 21 December 2022 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 2847), up to the age of ten, or the proven nursing of close relatives who have been assigned a nursing level in accordance with Section 15(1) of Book XI of the Social Code, as amended on 20 December 2022 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 2793).
• A disability or chronic illness must be evidenced by a medical certificate which enables an assessment to be made that full-time studies are excluded.

• Part-time university studies may be commenced in any semester within the standard duration of studies and may be continued on several occasions, provided that the duration of studies is not extended beyond twice the standard duration of studies.
• Semesters spent in part-time studies are counted as half semesters and as full university semesters.
• Where the university’s examination regulations stipulate deadlines for the initial submission of an examination performance, these are extended accordingly. The deadlines for submitting final theses terminating the study programme remain unaffected by this.
• In part-time studies, as a rule, half the number of credit points or evidence of achievement specified in the examination regulations for the relevant study programme for full-time studies may be earned per semester. Credit points earned through repeat examinations are not taken into account. If, in the relevant semester of part-time studies, more than half of the credit points or evidence of achievement stipulated in the examination regulations for full-time studies have been earned, that semester shall be counted as a full semester.
• Students who are enrolled in a further study programme (joint degree) or in a study programme in accordance with Section 16(2) or Section 24(3) of the Hessian Higher Education Act may not complete their university studies on a part-time basis.