Frequently asked questions
Graduation documents and certificates
When will my graduation documents and certificates be issued?
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As soon as all of the credit points have been achieved.
How will I know when my graduation documents and certificates are finished?
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We will notify you via the HAW mailer when your certificates are ready to be picked up. This is why we ask that you check your HAW mail even after graduation.
Where do I get my graduation documents and certificates?
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You can pick up your documents from our office.
Can I have my graduation documents and certificates sent to me?
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Yes. We'll let you know via your HAW email address as soon as the documents are ready to be picked up. You can send us a reply saying that you are prepared to accept the risk of having the documents mailed to you and provide us with the address we should send them to. We will then send the documents via registered mail.
Can someone else pick up my graduation documents for me?
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Yes. As long as the person presents written permission from you that they are authorised to pick up your documents, we will issue the documents to them.
What if my thesis is not the last assessment I have to complete?
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Please let us know via your HAW address once all your assessments have been graded. We will then issue your graduation documents and certificates.
I'm a student in the Department of Social Work. Which documents will I receive when I've completed my studies?
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You will receive your degree certificate, a diploma supplement and a transcript of records.
Students in the Social Work Bachelor's degree course and the Education and Learning in Childhood Bachelor's degree course also receive state accreditation.
How long will it take to receive my graduation documents and certificates?
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Department of Nursing and Management / Social Work: The graduation documents are usually ready for pick-up two to four weeks after they have been prepared.
Department of Business: The graduation documents are usually ready two to three days after they have been prepared.
Changing your personal information
I've gotten married and have a new last name. Who should I contact?
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Please send an email to the Student Admissions and Registration Office (studienrendensekretariat@haw-hamburg.de) with a copy of your personal ID and/or your marriage certificate.
I've moved? Who should I contact?
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You can change your address yourself in myHAW, or you can send an email containing your new address to the Student Admissions and Registration Office (studierendensekretariat (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de).
Recognition of credit points and assessments
How can I get recognition for credit points and assessments?
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Please contact the chair of your department's examinations committee (Department of Business / Department of Nursing and Management) or your degree course advisor (Department of Social Work).
Ending your studies
Will I automatically be deregistered once I've completed my final exam?
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If your thesis is the final assessment in your degree course, the Student Admissions and Registration Office will automatically deregister you once your thesis grade has been submitted. If you are required to attend additional seminars, you will automatically be deregistered once proof of completion of the final exam has been received.
How do I know when I've completed my degree course?
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If you are still enrolled, you will receive an email via your HAW address that there is new information in your myHAW account. Once all the credit points have been entered, you will see 210 credit points in your transcript for a Bachelor's degree course or 90 credit points for a Master's degree course. If you are already deregistered, you will receive an email via your HAW email address informing you of completion once the final grade has been submitted.
Why am I no longer receiving mails to my HAW account now that I've deregistered?
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Once you have been deregistered you will be removed from all mailing lists that have to do with student matters.
Will my semester contribution be refunded when I'm deregistered?
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If deregistration takes place at the end of a semester, you are not entitled to a refund of your semester contribution. If you are deregistered in the middle of a semester, some of the HVV fees (for public transport) may be refunded. For this to occur, the HVV entry on your student ID chip card needs to be cancelled. You can get this done at the Chip Card Services Office. You then need to take proof of the cancellation and your deregistration notice to the S-Bahn Hamburg's Fahrgeldstelle ticket office (Am Huhnerposten 1, Hamburg) and apply for a refund.
How long will I have access to my HAW email account and myHAW once I've graduated?
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After graduation you can access your HAW email account for one year and your myHAW account for 70 days.
Is there a graduation ceremony?
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Each department organises one graduation ceremony per year. All graduates who have completed their studies in the previous 12 months will be invited.
Certificates
Where can I get a certificate of enrolment?
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You can generate the certificate in myHAW and print it out, or you can contact the Student Admissions and Registration Office to obtain a copy.
Where can I get an administrative transcript?
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You can generate an administrative transcript in myHAW and print it out. If you have difficulties, you can also obtain it from the Faculty Service Office.
Where can I get my certificate of deregistration?
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Please contact the Student Admissions and Registration Office.
Where can I get proof of the semester contributions paid?
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Please contact the Student Admissions and Registration Office.
Where can I get my administrative transcript in English?
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You can generate this in myHAW and print it out. You need to set the system language to English before generating the document.
How do I get a BAföG certificate?
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If you require the signature of a full-time faculty member, please contact the BAföG advisor in your department. Otherwise, please come to the Faculty Service Office during opening hours.
Where can I get proof that I attended an examination to give to my employer?
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You can obtain this from the Faculty Service Office.
Where do I obtain a certificate of non-objection/eligibility to take exams (Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung)?
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You can obtain this from the Faculty Service Office.
I have submitted my thesis and would like to start applying for jobs. Can I get a certificate confirming that I've submitted?
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Yes, you can get this from the Faculty Service Office.
Where can I get proof that my internship is a mandatory one?
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If you are studying Social Work, please contact the Central Internship Office. Otherwise, you can obtain proof of a mandatory internship from the Faculty Service Office.
Seminars in the Department of Social Work
How do I know which seminars I should take in each semester?
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Each degree course has course and examination regulations that outline how the modules are allocated within the semesters. These regulations also contain information about whether a seminar certificate, an assessment or a certificate of participation is required to complete the module. The course catalogue lists exactly the same module numbers and converts them into seminars.
Completed courses
Where can I see the courses I've completed to date?
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You can find a transcript of your courses and grades on myHAW.
How do I know which courses and assessments I still need to complete?
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The course and examination regulations for your specific degree course contain an overview of the required modules. You can compare this with the transcript of completed courses in myHAW.
I'm a student in the Department of Social Work and entries are missing from my transcript. What should I do?
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The professors and instructors have specific deadlines for entering the courses completed (credits from winter semester have to be entered by 31 May; credits from summer semester need to be entered by 30 November). Please talk to them if something is missing.
Exams
How do I sign up to take an exam?
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Registration for exams takes place via myHAW.
I can't register for my exams? What should I do?
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Please come to the Faculty Service during opening hours or send us an email.
I've registered for an exam and no longer want to take it. Can I withdraw myself?
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Yes, as long as the deregistration deadline hasn't passed.
I haven't fulfilled all of the prerequisites for a specific exam. Can I take it anyhow?
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No, the exam prerequisites stipulated in the (degree-course specific) course and examination regulations cannot be disregarded.
I failed an exam. What do I do now?
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It is generally possible to take the exam again in the subsequent semester. Please talk to the instructor about the best way to proceed.
I'm on leave for a semester. Am I permitted to take exams?
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Normally you're not. You can ask at the Faculty Service Office or the Student Admissions and Registration Office if there are any exceptions to this rule.
I'm taking a break from my studies for personal reasons. Am I permitted to take exams?
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No.
I'm doing an internship semester. Am I permitted to take exams?
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According to the internships policy, students are not permitted to take exams during the internship phase.
I'm completing a semester abroad. Am I permitted to take exams?
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Normally you're not. You can ask at the Faculty Service Office or the Student Admissions and Registration Office if there are any exceptions to this rule.
I'm experiencing personal problems that could impact my exams. What should I do?
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Please contact the chair of the examinations committee.
I failed the final attempt of an exam. What should I do now?
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The best thing to do would be to come for an advising session at the Faculty Service Office.
I'm sick and can't attend an exam. What should I do?
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Please submit your sick note (Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung) by the deadline and you will be deregistered from the exam.
When do exams take place?
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In the Department of Business, exams always take place in the last three weeks of the lecture period.
In the Social Work, Nursing and Management, and Public Management departments, exams always take place in the last two weeks of the lecture period.
Pregnancy and nursing
What do I need to consider or know as a pregnant or nursing student?
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Please contact the Faculty Service Office. We're happy to provide you with information regarding maternity protection.
Office hours
Why can I only come to the Faculty Service Office for advising services during the office hours? These don't fit with my course timetable.
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Outside of its office hours, the Faculty Service Office takes care of other administrative tasks (e.g. entering grades, generating certificates, making room bookings, organising exams). If you talk to us ahead of time, it may be possible to arrange appointments outside of the office hours in some cases.
Thesis
When can I register my thesis?
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You can register your thesis as soon as you have completed all of the prerequisites for doing so. These are listed in the course and examination regulations for your degree course.
Do I need to register my thesis at a specific point in time?
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You are not required to register your thesis by a specific date. When you are planning your thesis, please take into account the semester dates and the re-registration deadlines.
I've completed all of my assessments except for the thesis. Is it possible to write my thesis at a later date?
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Yes, you can also write your thesis as an external individual. In this case, you will receive a fee notice.
I am sick and can't write my thesis, or I am having problems related to meeting the deadline for submitting my thesis. What should I do?
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You need to apply to extend the deadline. Please contact the Faculty Service Office as soon as possible.
The official deadline for my thesis is in the next semester, but I don't want to re-register. What should I do?
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There is no minimum time allocated, which means that you can submit the thesis in the current semester. You do not need to re-register for the next semester.
The official deadline for my thesis is during the HAW Hamburg Christmas holidays. What should I do?
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HAW Hamburg closes completely between Christmas and New Years. You can either submit your thesis before the holidays or send it in the post. The postmark will be considered the submission date.
Where do I submit my thesis?
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In the Faculty Service Office.
How do I submit my thesis?
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The best way to submit your thesis is to come to the Faculty Service Office during our office hours and hand it in.
I'm not able to bring my thesis to the Faculty Service Office during office hours. What should I do?
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There are various options:
1. You can submit the thesis via our mailbox:
Department of Nursing and Management | Mailbox no. 2, ground floor, Alexanderstr. 1 |
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| Department of Business | BT 5, room 9.27 |
2. You can hand your thesis in to the mailroom (BT5, ground floor, across from the elevators to the fifth floor, staffed until 3:30 pm).
3. You can send your thesis in the post. The postmark will be considered the submission date. Please be sure to keep your receipt from the postal service as proof. Send your thesis to your department's address:
| Department of Nursing and Management | Department of Social Work | Department of Business |
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Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften | Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Fakultät Wirtschaft & Soziales Department Soziale Arbeit Fakultätsservicebüro Alexanderstraße 1 20099 Hamburg | Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften |
I'm a student in the Department of Business. How long do the examiners have to mark my thesis??
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The examiners are allocated eight weeks to mark a Bachelor's thesis and 12 weeks to mark a Master's thesis.
I'm a student in the Department of Social Work. When will I receive the mark for my thesis?
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The maximum time granted to the examiners to mark your thesis is listed in the letter confirming registration of the thesis. The examiners have until this date to mark the thesis.
