What are general electives (AW courses)?

AW courses are electives that are open to students from all degree programmes and that provide students opportunities to explore subjects outside of their curriculum. Electives enable students to develop their personal profile (key skills), gain knowledge of other fields (multi-disciplinary competence), and gain orientation in a complex world (interdisciplinary competence). AW courses that include project work provide opportunities to develop practical competence (decision-making skills and responsibility). Electives offer a chance to broaden horizons, develop personal profiles, and to connect with students from other fields. The current semester catalogue is available online at www.th-nuernberg.de/en/awpf/. The AW courses are categorized in subject groups and listed on our homepage. The elective course catalogue is managed by the AMP Faculty, contact: awpfatth-nuernbergPunktde. Registration for electives is during a set period each semester and in VirtuOhm (see Questions about registration).

What is the difference between general electives (AW courses) and general required electives (AWPF courses)?

Students can always voluntarily take an elective as additional coursework outside of their set curriculum requirements. The course is then considered a general elective course (“allgemeinwissenschaftliches Wahlfach”).
The credits (ECTS) can be credited towards your degree, if your programme curriculum (see your SPO or programme overview) requires an AW module and the specific AW course you take is approved as creditable for this requirement (see the next question). If this is the case, then the AW course will be considered a general required elective (AWPF course).

Under “Prerequisites”, you will find the information about how many semesters you must have completed to take the course. Furthermore, some subjects can be taken as general required electives (AWPF) within your degree programme, whilst others can only be taken as electives (facultative, optional subjects). In this regard, please also note the stipulations in the study and examination regulations and/or in the degree programme overview or module handbook of your degree programme. If a subject is to be recognised as a general required elective as part of your degree programme, please make sure that when registering for it, it is recorded as a required course (by selecting the subject in the “Pflicht” (required) column).

Courses are generally assigned two (ECTS) credits. Since the winter semester 2017/18, general required elective subjects (AWPFs) carrying three credits have also been offered, especially within the B-BI, B-BIO, M-MB, and M-AMP degree programmes. You can recognise those subjects as the course title includes the designation “3 LP” (3 credits). Please note, however, that not all of the general electives worth 3 credits are recognised as general required elective courses, even in the degree programmes listed above. If the same subject is not available as an elective with only two credits, subjects with three credits may also be taken by students from other degree programmes.

When can AW courses be counted towards my degree requirements as AWPF courses?

First, there has to be some sort of regulation that allows for the crediting of an AW course towards your degree, usually this will be an AW module in the study and examination regulations (SPO) for your degree programme.
Next, the specific AW course must be recognised as an AWPF course by your degree programme’s examination board. In the VirtuOhm system, you will be able to see if an AW course has already been recognised as an AWPF for your programme (see next question about registration).

When and where can I register for an elective (AW course)?

The registration period for elective courses can be found on the university’s overview of dates and deadlines and on the start page for AWPFs (www.th-nuernberg.de/en/awpf/) under “Registration deadlines”. Usually, in winter semester, the registration period is the first week of lectures, in summer semester, it is one or two weeks before lectures start. You must register for elective courses in VirtuOhm. You can register for up to three AW courses in one semester. Please pay attention to whether you are registering for a course as an AW course (facultative elective) or as an AWPF course (required elective); there are boxes (“Pflicht” = required elective; “Wahl” = facultative elective) in VirtuOhm that will indicate how you want a course counted. If you cannot select “Pflicht”, the course has not been recognised by the examination board for your programme and cannot be counted towards your degree requirements. You may only take that course as an AW course. You must register during the registration period - the last day of the period is a deadline. If you have technical difficulties registering for electives, please contact rz-hotlineatth-nuernbergPunktde. You will receive a message listing the courses you have registered for, if your registration was successful.

Can I change to another AW course after I have registered?

Usually, registering for an elective is final. It is not possible to change to another AW course after the registration period has ended. Elective courses only take place when enough students register for a specific course, so planning relies completely on actual registrations. It is also important that other students who have registered for a course can rely on it being held, which is another reason changes are not permitted.
This gives rise to the exception that if there are too few registrants for an elective and the course is not offered, then you may select another AW course. You will receive a notification and can register for another AW course, if necessary in a later registration window. (Contact: awpfatth-nuernbergPunktde)
Another exception can also be made, if you find out after the elective registration period that there is a scheduling conflict with one of your required courses, for example, associated with which group you are assigned. In such a case, you can contact the lecturer of another AW course and ask if you can participate in the course, while explaining your reason for changing your registration. You must also inform the lecturer of the course you originally registered for that you cannot participate, again, providing the reason for your withdrawal.

How do I register for an elective (AW course) examination?

Registration for exams in elective courses is the same as for all other courses. During the exam registration period, you register for exams in StudyOhm. Up until a few semesters ago, students were automatically registered for exams in electives, when they registered for the course. This is no longer the case. If you have technical difficulties registering for exams, please contact studienbueroatth-nuernbergPunktde.

What happens if I fail an exam in an AWPF course?

If you fail the exam for a required elective (AWPF course), the same regulations apply as for other courses in your programme curriculum. This means you will have to resit the exam in the next semester. It is not possible to withdraw, change to another elective, and sit that exam.

Details of the language courses currently available, together with further information about how to register for them, can be found on the homepage of the Language Center. The Language Center also offers courses in intercultural communication.

Can language courses be credited as required electives (AWPF courses)?

For programmes that have AW modules in their SPO, many Language Center courses can be credited as required electives (AWPF). If you have questions about how a language courses can be integrated into your degree programme, contact your degree programme head or the contact person for your programme in the Student Office. For general questions about language courses, please contact the Language Center at language-centeratth-nuernbergPunktde.

If I pass the exams for more electives (AW courses) than are required in my programme, can I choose which one I want credited towards my degree?

AWPFs are registered by the Student Office in the order in which they were taken to fulfil the AW module. If additional electives that can be credited as AWPFs are completed, students may request that they replace previously completed required elective courses.

What are the benefits of taking electives (AW courses) that can’t be credited towards my degree? (i.e., courses that are not recognised as AWPF courses)

First and foremost it is simply appealing to pursue a subject that interests you. And the electives you complete are included in an appendix to your transcript. Electives that are not required will not necessarily be credited towards your degree requirements, but in some instances it may be possible to have credits for them transferred if you change degree programmes or pursue another degree, for example. Most importantly, however, electives are achievements that future employers can see. That enables them to see your special commitment and may open up opportunities in a field that particularly interests you.

Is it possible to transfer credits for electives that were not completed at the Ohm?

You can contact the examination board for your programme to request that credits be transferred for a course that you completed at another university or at the Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern (vhb). However, examination boards are not required to accept every course as meeting the requirements of a required elective (AWPF course). Therefore, it is sensible to contact your programme’s examination board before taking an elective at another institution, to determine whether it will be eligible for transfer.

There are new courses being offered in summer semester 2025 in German or English - you can read the course descriptions in the catalogue:

• Event Communication / Event Management
• Ethical Challenges in Global Business and Technology (2 variants)
• Concentrated Solar Power
• Hydrogen & Sustainability
• Public Relations in Concrete Settings

As well as taking part in courses from our own list of elective and required elective subjects, we would also like to make you aware of the courses offered by the Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern (vhb). These too are available to students enrolled at the Ohm, free of charge.

More details of the courses currently offered and information about how to register can be found on the homepage of the “Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern”.

Please check in advance with the relevant examination board whether a course offered by the vhb will be recognised as a required elective within your degree programme.

I have a question about elective courses that is not yet addressed in the FAQs. Who can I contact?

If you have questions about how electives can be integrated into your degree programme, you can contact your Faculty office, your degree programme head, or the contact person for your programme in the Student Office. For general questions about elective courses, please contact the AMP Faculty at awpfatth-nuernbergPunktde.