Subject Advisory Service

Prof. Dr. Thilo Gross

Phone: +49 471 4831-2526

Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB)
Ammerländer Heerstraße 231
26129 Oldenburg

Office hours: by arrangement

Current module handbook

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Is my degree suitable as an entry requirement?

A suitable subject is a previous course of study in natural sciences, mathematics, economics, computer science or in an environmental science subject or another suitable course of study in which the aforementioned subjects make up a major with at least 90 credit points.

Can I have courses from another Master's degree program recognized?

Yes, in principle a maximum of 30 CP from other Master's degree programmes can be recognized, with the explicit exception of the Master's thesis. If two Master's degrees are sought, two independent theses must also be completed.

How will my application be decided?

The formal decision on admission is made by the admissions committee on a case-by-case basis. The procedure is set out in the admission regulations (Zugangsordnung Umweltmodellierung M.Sc. [pdf] German only) regulated.

What do any conditions imposed with admission mean and how should they be dealt with during the course of studies?

Since admission is usually possible from very different Bachelor's degree programs, the admissions committee occasionally issues conditions in the areas of mathematics, computer science/programming or ecology as part of individual case decisions. The conditions associated with admission must be fulfilled within the first two semesters.

Specifically, this means that you must inform the Examinations Office by email that you have fulfilled the requirement after passing the planned module examination. You will then also receive a confirmation from there by email, a copy of which will also be sent to the Admissions Office. If you later discover in StudIP that the condition still applies, please contact the Admissions Office yourself with the confirmation you received from the Examinations Office in order to clarify the matter in good time. If you do not meet the condition within the first two semesters, you will be automatically de-registered by the Admissions Office.

If you are unable to meet the requirements within the first two semesters for reasons beyond your control, please contact the Examination Board for Environmental Modeling in good time.

What should I bear in mind when taking modules that are not listed in the module handbook?

Modules that are not listed in the module handbook can be taken and included in the degree program in accordance with the examination regulations. One example is modules for which special permission has been obtained from the Examination Board. Another, more common case is when modules from other degree programs in the "Environment and Sustainability" cluster are selected for the supplementary area - the examination regulations offer this option.

In order to enable the digital booking of the module grade, the module must be applied for in good time so that - after approval to take the module - the registration can be carried out manually by the Examination Office. The following procedure is necessary for this:

  1. You register with the Examinations Office during the registration period with all relevant datato register for the examination in StudIP - this step is necessary as it is not possible to register yourself.
  2. After entering the grades, you can inform the Examinations Office by e-mail that there is an "unassigned exam" in your grade account and that you wish to transfer theexam. The examination will then be manually assigned to your subject account .

We will simplify this procedure in the course of a planned system update, but at the moment this is the only way to avoid technical difficulties.


The assignment of modules from the various areas of the Environmental Modeling degree program to the supplementary area is done informally by e-mail to the Examinations Office. You can inform the Examinations Office of this yourself.

This can be done when the grade has been entered in the system or when you submit the "Declaration for the issue of the subject master's certificate" (you will receive this with the notification of admission to the final thesis from the Examinations Office) to the Examinations Office.

What needs to be considered for external internships/research projects?

The following steps are required for an internship or research project at an external institution (research institute or company):

  1. Contact the intended external supervisor and agree on an internship/research plan
  2. Contact an accompanying supervisor in the Environmental Modeling degree program - this supervisor accepts the final report, is responsible for evaluating the corresponding module and reports the corresponding grade to the examination office
  3. In consultation with both supervisors, an Application for external research project must be completed and sent by e-mail to the UMMO Examination Board (Chair).
  4. For projects at a foreign institution, the application must also include a Statement of commitment from the external institution must also be attached to the application.
  5. After confirmation by the Examination Board (Chair), the internship/project can be carried out.

What needs to be considered for external Master's theses?

The following steps must be observed for an external Master's thesis:

  1. Contact the intended external supervisor and agree on a content and time schedule
  2. Contact an accompanying supervisor in the Environmental Modeling degree program - this supervisor is one of the two reviewers and reports his or her grade to the Examination Office
  3. In consultation with both supervisors, an Application for external Master’s thesis must be completed and sent by e-mail to the UMMO Examination Board (Chair).
  4. For projects at a foreign institution, a Statement of commitment from the external institution must also be attached to the application.
  5. If the external supervisor is also to act as an examiner, this must be applied for with an Application for external examination authorization (German only) together with a submitted curriculum vitae to the UMMO Examination Board (Chair) via the Academic Examinations Office. The external supervisor can be applied for as first or second examiner. However, according to the examination regulations, one of the two reviewers must be be a member of the university teaching staff or a member of Faculty V - Mathematics and Natural Sciences or Faculty VI - Medicine and Health Sciences at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg who is authorized to teach independently and who is involved in teaching the relevant Master's degree program. If the external reviewer is accepted, he/she must independently send his/her review (as a pdf) with grading to the after reviewing the submitted Master's thesis.
  6. After positive feedback from the Examination Board (Chair), the Master's thesis can be registered with the Examination Office using the Registration of the thesis (German only) form and work can begin after acceptance.
(Changed: 17 Oct 2024)  | 
Zum Seitananfang scrollen Scroll to the top of the page