Admissions statutes for the Master’s Program Computational Sciences of the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, the Department of Earth Sciences, the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the Department of Physics at the Freie Universität Berlin
Preamble
On the basis of Section 14 paragraph 1 no. 2 of the Partial University Constitution (Trial version) of the Freie Universität Berlin of 27 October 1998 (FU Mitteilungen [Gazette of the Freie Universität Berlin] 24/1998) in conjunction with Section 10 of the law on admissions to the universities of the Federal State of Berlin for programmes with admission requirements (Berlin Higher Education Admission Act: BerlHZG) in the version of the announcement of the amended version on 18 June 2005 (GVBl [Law and Ordinance Gazette] p. 393), last amended on 26 June 2013 (GVBl p. 198), in conjunction with Section 10 paragraph 5 clause 2 of the law on universities in the Federal State of Berlin (Berlin Higher Education Act: BerlHG) in the version of the announcement of the amended version of 26 July 2011 (GVBl p. 378), the Joint Commission (GK) appointed by the Faculty Council of the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, the Faculty Council of the Department of Earth Sciences, the Faculty Council of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the Faculty Council of the Department of Physics of the Freie Universität Berlin issued the following statutes on 14 April 2016 for the joint Master’s Program Computational Sciences of the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, the Department of Earth Sciences, the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the Department of Physics:
These statutes govern admissions to the study program in accordance with Section 10 paragraph 5 of the Berlin Higher Education Act (BerlHG) and the selection procedure for the allocation of places in accordance with Section 10 BerlHZG for the Master’s Program Computational Sciences of the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, the Department of Earth Sciences, the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the Department of Physics at the Freie Universität Berlin (Master’s program). It is a consecutive Master’s program in accordance with Section 23 Paragraph 3 Clause 1 part a BerlHG.
Section 2 University places and applications
(1) The number of places available on the Master’s program will be determined in the Admissions Regulations of the Freie Universität Berlin for each admissions deadline.
(2) Applicants must submit a written application for admission to the Executive Board of the Freie Universität Berlin – Applications and Admissions Office. Applications for admission submitted by fax, email or other electronic media only are not accepted.
(3) The application deadline for the winter semester is 31 May of each year. As an exception, the application deadline for the winter semester 2016/17 is 15 August 2016.
(4) Applicants must include with their application a legally certified document as proof of their first university degree in accordance with Section 3 paragraph 1.
(5) Applicants may also apply for admission to the Master’s program even if proof of the first university degree as in Section 3 paragraph 1 cannot be yet submitted due to the fact that individual examinations have not been completed and if it is anticipated that the first degree as in Section 3 paragraph 1 will be achieved before the Master’s program begins, based on the progress in the study program so far, in particular the examination attainments so far, and that the stipulations which are prerequisites for admission to the master’s program on the basis of Section 3 paragraph 2 will also be achieved in good time. In particular this expectation exists if at least 2/3 of the total attainments have been assessed, proof of registration and planning for the Bachelor’s thesis have been submitted and these show that it is possible to complete the thesis in time before the Master’s program begins. The application is to be submitted to the selection process with the average grade which is calculated on the basis of the examination attainments so far, which the applicant must submit in the form of a document giving evidence of current attainments and assessments (transcript). The final first degree grade will not be considered in this case.
(6) The Freie Universität Berlin is not officially obliged to determine the facts of the case.
Section 3 Admissions requirements
(1) The admissions requirement for the Master’s program is a first university degree in one of the following programs or the equivalent degree from a German higher education institution or one outside Germany:
- Bachelor program Chemistry of the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy at the Freie Universität Berlin including at least 10 credit points (CP) in mathematics and at least 8 CP in physics
- Bachelor program Physics of the Department of Physics at the Freie Universität Berlin
- Bachelor program Geological Sciences of the Department of Earth Sciences at the Freie Universität Berlin
- Bachelor program Meteorology of the Department of Earth Sciences at the Freie Universität Berlin including at least 10 CP in mathematics
- Bachelor program Geographical Sciences of the Department of Earth Sciences at the Freie Universität Berlin including at least 10 CP in mathematics
- Bachelor program Mathematics of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Freie Universität Berlin including at least 20 CP in computer science, chemistry and/or physics
- Bachelor program Computer Science of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Freie Universität Berlin including at least 20 CP in mathematics, chemistry and/or physics
- Bachelor program in Engineering Sciences including at least 20 CP in mathematics, chemistry and/or physics
(2) Applicants who took their first degrees at an educational institution where English is not the language of instruction must prove proficiency in English at B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
(3) Applicants are exempted from the requirement to prove proficiency in the German language.
(4) The Joint Commission (GK) will decide whether to accept proofs as equivalent in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2. On application, the equivalence of degrees in accordance with paragraph 1 may be also assessed independently of an on-going application process.
Section 4 Selection quota, selection criteria, organizational aspects
(1) 80% of the study places which remain after taking into account the preliminary quotas will be allocated in accordance with the selection procedure regulated in these statutes (university quota). 20% of the study places will be allocated on the basis of Section 10 paragraph 1 clause 1 no. 2 BerlHZG. The quota for Section 10 paragraph 1 clause 3 BerlHZG is 5%.
(2) Selection for the Master’s program takes place according to:
1. the grade of the qualification measured according to the examination results from the previous study program (Section 10 paragraph 2 no. 1 BerlHZG) and
2. the results of an interview with the applicant which is intended to give a clear picture of his/her motivation and suitability (Section 10 paragraph 2 no. 6 BerlHGZ).
(3) Selection in accordance with Section 2 no. 1:
51% of the study places available within the university quota are to be allocated according to the degree grade in accordance with Section 3 paragraph 1. The selection criterion is the average grade shown in the university degree certificate.
(4) Selection in accordance with Section 2 no. 2:
a) The remaining 49% of the study places available within the university quota are to be allocated according to Section 2 no. 2. The number of participants invited for interviews is restricted to three times the number of places available in accordance with clause 1. The criterion to be applied for the selection of participants is the average grade in accordance with paragraph 3 clause 2.
b) The degree grade in accordance with Section 3 paragraph 1 is to be allocated selection points in accordance with the annex. Depending on the result of the selection interview, 3, 6, 9, 12 or 15 selection points may be gained. Selection takes place based on the ranking arising from the total of both selection point numbers, in descending order.
Section 5 Selection interviews
(1) The chairperson of the joint committee GK on behalf of the Executive Board of the Freie Universität Berlin is to appoint at least two selection officers to carry out the selection interviews. They are to be authorized examiners for the Master’s program and full-time employees of the Freie Universität Berlin. This task may not be deputized to third parties. The selection officers are appointed for one selection procedure in each case.
(2) A selection officer is to send invitations to interview in writing, giving date, time and place, to applicants who have submitted all the required application documents in good time. The invitation is considered to be sent in good time if it is sent at least 10 working days before the interview.
(3) The selection interviews take place with individual applicants, last about 20 minutes in each case and are not public.
(4) A written record of the interview is made, giving the main reasons for the assessment of the applicant.
(1) The decision on selection is made by the Executive Board of the Freie Universität Berlin - Applications and Admissions office – on the basis of the ranking which has been determined.
(2) Selected applicants are to receive notification of admission, giving a deadline for the written acceptance of the place and for enrolment. If the applicant misses the deadline, the place will be allocated to another applicant.
(3) Applicants who are selected on the basis of the transcript receive a conditional admission and can enroll for the first semester of their studies temporarily. Usually the certificate of the first university degree as described in Section 3 paragraph 1 is to be submitted by the end of the first semester and its submission with the related prerequisites is to be proved. If proof is not provided within the deadline, the admission expires.
(4) Applicants who are rejected receive notification of their rejection giving reasons.
(5) The documents submitted for the selection procedure are to be kept until the decision is final and non-appealable; in case of legal proceedings, they are to be kept until a legally binding decision has been made.
These statutes come into effect on the day after their publication in the FU-Mitteilungen (Gazette of the Freie Universität Berlin).
Annex
(to Section 4 paragraph 4 part b):
Allocation of selection points for the average grade shown in the certificate of the first university degree in
accordance with Section 4 paragraph 3
|
Average grade |
Selection points |
|
1.0 |
50 |
|
1.1 |
48 |
|
1.2 |
46 |
|
1.3 |
44 |
|
1.4 |
42 |
|
1.5 |
40 |
|
1.6 |
38 |
|
1.7 |
36 |
|
1.8 |
34 |
|
1.9 |
32 |
|
2.0 |
30 |
|
2.1 |
28 |
|
2.2 |
26 |
|
2.3 |
24 |
|
2.4 |
22 |
|
2.5 |
20 |
|
2.6 |
19 |
|
2.7 |
18 |
|
2.8 |
17 |
|
2.9 |
16 |
|
3.0 |
15 |
|
3.1 |
14 |
|
3.2 |
13 |
|
3.3 |
12 |
|
3.4 |
11 |
|
from 3.5 |
10 |