Have you studied, completed training, or gained professional experience? Fantastic – you can get those previous achievements recognised towards your studies, thus reducing your study time and saving hard cash. What are you waiting for?
You should spend your time at IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) in a way that makes sense. That's why you have the opportunity to get relevant previous achievements – such as training, professional experience, and/or previous academic achievements – recognised for your desired degree programme. This way, you don't just save precious time, but also hard-earned money – 30 Euros per recognised ECTS credit, to be precise.
We're more than happy to check in advance if we can recognise your previous achievements – non-binding and 100% online.
Note: Unfortunately, the video is not available in English.
What's the difference between having previous achievements recognised or credited? It's simple: If you have academic achievements from another university, these will be recognised. On the other hand, your training, further education, and professional experiences can be credited towards your degree. We refer to both as recognition.
To make the recognition of your previous achievements as convenient as possible, you can either submit a standard request or an individual request – or combine both if needed.
For many types of training and further education, we offer pre-filled recognition forms tailored to your IU degree programme of choice. You just need to complete them and email them to us.
Examples of standard recognition:
IHK, HWK training programmes
IHK, HWK further education
VWA further education
Others
Have you already gained professional experience or studied at another institution of higher education? If there's no standard recognition for these prior achievements, you can submit an individual application.
Examples of individual recognition:
Academic achievements from other institutions
Non-university qualifications (e.g. IHK diploma)
Contents from vocational training
Professional experience
With completed training, you can benefit greatly from the recognition of previous achievements: Depending on the field you've trained in and what you want to study, you could reduce your study time by up to 50%.
What are you waiting for? Find out how much you can save right now with our recognition calculator:
Ready to get started right away? Here's where you can proceed directly to our online recognition.
By the way: We're happy to check the extent to which your previous achievements can be recognised even before your application. Just submit simple (i.e. non-certified) copies of your evidence to us.
Select the degree programme of your choice and enter your details. If you're already studying at IU, please state the programme for which you want to have previous achievements recognised.
Take a look at the list for standard recognition: Have you completed any of the listed training or further education? Excellent, then select these. If not, proceed to the next step and choose the desired modules.
By the way: You can combine a standard application with your individual previous achievements.
To assess whether you have relevant previous achievements, compare your professional experience or completed courses with the module handbook of your chosen degree.
For content overlaps, simply select the corresponding courses from the compulsory and elective modules in the dropdown menu.
Note: There are additional regulations for elective modules. Check these on the corresponding study schedule.
You're almost there: Upload all relevant evidence (see required documents) in the designated upload fields as a final step. And that’s it!
Tip: For quick processing, it's helpful if you name your documents as follows: Content_Firstname_Lastname, e.g.,Certificate_Max_Mustermann.
Admittedly, there are many things to consider when recognising prior learning. It’s easy to lose track of everything. Luckily, there’s the IU Student Advisory Service, which will explain everything you need to know about recognition and offer you valuable tips for your application.
For us to quickly review which previous achievements we can recognise, we need certain documents (non-certified copies) from you. The checklist provides a quick overview of all relevant documents, certificates, and other evidence.
In justified cases, we reserve the right to request certified copies.
Transcript of records/Overview of academic achievements and ECTS credits/hours
Module handbooks and course contents (German or English)
For academic achievements at foreign universities: overview of their grading system
Official proof of completed training or further education (e.g. IHK examination proof, certificates)
Presentation of the subject matter taught – Evidence of the achievements and hours of instruction.
For further training at foreign institutions: overview of their assessment system
Official proof of employment from the employer including the following information: detailed description of the position, the tasks and the time period Please use the “Employer confirmation" form
or
Alternatively, submit a qualified job reference (including all of the above information).
Presentation of the contents taught and/or proof of the time required.
After you've checked the standard recognition options with pre-filled forms, you can alternatively submit an individual application. In both cases, fill in the application online, email it to us, and upload all relevant evidence or certificates. Once we receive your application, we'll email you and inform you about any documents we may need.
Once we've processed your application, it will be forwarded to the examination committee for final approval. After conclusive review, we'll send you a recognition notice by email, which is also forwarded to the examination board. Your recognised achievements will be recorded in your performance overview once you're officially enrolled. If the recognition of prior experience also reduces your tuition fees, you'll receive an additional agreement that will be sent to you before the start of payment and is valid from your official enrolment date.
Yes, if you have already completed a first degree at a university or a further education programme, you can have comparable previous achievements credited to your IU degree programme at any time. If you have any further questions, please contact our student advisory service.
If you have completed vocational training, you can particularly benefit from the recognition of previous achievements: depending on the area in which you've trained and what you want to study, you could reduce your study time by up to 50%.
If you have already completed a first degree at a university or a further education programme, you can have comparable previous achievements credited to your IU degree programme at any time. If you have any further questions, please contact our student advisory service.
We can only check applications that have been completed in full.
For any recognition, we always need corresponding evidence.
You must submit any missing documents within four weeks of submitting your application or our request for missing documents.
We take into consideration successfully completed achievements if they correspond to the level and learning outcome of the module or course for which you want to have them credited.
All documents/evidence must be submitted in German or English. Documents in other languages must be submitted as a certified translation or translated by the higher education institution/university/further education provider that issued the documents.
The decision on the recognition of prior achievements lies solely with the examination board or a person appointed by it.
If an aptitude test is necessary as an admission requirement for your entry into a degree programme, we cannot credit you with the required specific modules from it.
You are enrolled from the date on which you officially start your Bachelor’s or Master’s programme. This does not include participation in aptitude tests, TASC examinations or admission courses.
In the case of new degree programmes or re-accreditations, you can only apply for recognition at the start of the new programme.
Please note that changes in the curriculum may affect your verified recognition.
We can recognise up to 50% of the ECTS credits for a degree programme.
For the recognition of a professional qualification, we need proof in the form of a qualified work certificate/official job description or your completed employer confirmation from IU.
Your experience must correspond to the level and learning outcome of the module or course you wish to have recognised.
We can only recognise professional qualifications that you have not acquired as part of an apprenticeship after three years of full-time work (Bachelor) and if your qualification is relevant. The training period does not count as professional experience. If you have three years of full-time work experience, we can recognise your qualification with up to 5 ECTS.
The recognition of professional training is only possible if your certificate of attendance contains information on the contents and the time frame.
Recognition of academic achievements from a university
Provide evidence of all achievements that you would like us to recognise in the form of examination certificates and the corresponding module descriptions.
The recognition of final theses (diploma thesis or Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis) is generally excluded.
We recognise foreign languages if the language level according to the CEFR is noted on your certificate. In the case of Abitur, we can automatically recognise the B2 language level in our distance learning programme.
About the transfer of your grades:
For recognised achievements, we’ll transfer the grade of the external German university/institution at which you completed the achievement if it matches the IU grading system.
If our grading system does not match that of the university/institution at which you completed the course, we will convert your grades using a table and transfer them to IU’s grading system. If the grading system is not comparable, we’ll recognise your performance without grading.
If your recognition relates to skills that you have acquired in different courses with different grading, this will be done without grading and with the remark “passed”.
In order to benefit from a reduction of tuition fees, you must submit your application for recognition by the end of your trial month at the latest. This way you will reduce the number of monthly instalments; the amount of the instalments itself will not change.
Your additional agreement on the amount of the price reduction is valid from the official enrolment date. For legal reasons, we can only officially recognise your previous achievements once you are enrolled.
Your tuition fee will be reduced by 30 euros per recognised ECTS credit.
In order for us to be able to grant you a cost reduction, you must submit any missing documents no later than four weeks after submitting your application or our request for missing documents.
There is no entitlement to the provision of teaching material in recognised courses. Separate provision is only possible upon request and for a fee. However, you can check out the scripts via the free Interactive Book.
In the event that the start of your studies overlaps with the examination of your application for recognition, please do not enrol in any of the courses for which you have applied for recognition. We can only enter your recognised courses after the process has been completed and you have enrolled.
For new courses, the new modules will only be available at the start of each semester.
Note: Once you have registered your credits for a course, you will no longer be able to take an exam. If you have registered for an exam for a module that you have also applied for recognition for, your application for recognition for this module will be deemed invalid according to Section 7 (1) of the General Examination Regulation of IU.
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