FAQ
The most important information at a glance
The training contract and the study and examination regulations define the basic rules for studying at FHWien der WKW. You will encounter these rules regularly and occasionally find yourself in conflict with them. With the following FAQs, we aim to provide you with a good overview of the situation. If you have any further questions or problems, you can contact us at any time at office@oeh-fhwien.at!
The examination arrangements must be set out in the syllabus at the start of the semester or the start of the module. At least three dates must be offered for three attempts; a maximum of a fourth date may be offered if a sufficiently justified failure to sit the examination has occurred. The dates must be offered by the deadline for submitting marks. The deadlines for the marking period are: 14 April for the winter semester and 14 November for the summer semester. Exam review and sick note: If you miss an exam due to illness, the associated sitting will be forfeited unless you send the ‘Sick note for exam’ form to the Service Point (servicepoint@fh-wien.ac.at). Important: The supporting documents must be sent directly to the Service Point and must have been issued no later than three days after the exam date. Notification of illness where attendance requirements are not met: See ‘What are the rules on compulsory attendance? Up to six months after the results of the assessment have been announced, you may request access to the examination documents and minutes and make copies of them. Closed questions, in particular multiple-choice questions, including the respective answer options, are excluded from the right to make copies.
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A one-off interruption of studies must be applied for in writing to the head of your degree programme . The leave of absence may be requested for a maximum of one year and, subject to the provision of valid reasons, may be extended by a maximum of one year. Academic credits already earned prior to the leave of absence remain valid. If the application is rejected by the programme director, a written appeal may be lodged with the academic board within two weeks.
A failed examination may normally be retaken twice, with the second retake taking the form of an examination before a board. Examinations before a board are generally written; however, if the main examination was oral, the examination before a board may also be oral. As a rule, oral examinations are generally retaken orally. In the case of a panel examination (= the final opportunity to sit the examination), only the examination itself counts; any work completed as part of the lecture does not count. Bachelor’s and Master’s examinations may also be retaken twice.
A complaint cannot be submitted solely on the grounds of a negative assessment of an examination, but only in the event of a procedural error relating to the examination. If such a procedural error has occurred, a complaint may be submitted to the programme director or the academic board within two weeks of becoming aware of the negative assessment. This must be done in writing and, if addressed to the academic board, must be submitted using a specific form (available on Moodle). It is advisable to contact the Education Policy Department at FHWien (bipol@oeh-fhwien.at) before taking this step to discuss the procedure. Appeals may also be lodged in the event of the rejection of various applications. Here too, it is advisable to consult with the university.
Applications for credit transfer must be submitted via the University of Applied Sciences’ system (‘FH Online’). Although the process is handled via the Service Point, the programme director remains the final authority; however, even if a credit transfer application is rejected, it is possible to lodge an appeal with the academic board. To ensure the credit transfer process is carried out correctly, it is advisable to read through the current guide to credit transfer (always available in its latest version on Moodle) and to contact the ÖH if you have any questions.
Final projects and examinations are also covered in the Examination and Study Regulations; however, the issues relating to these topics are very diverse and detailed. Accordingly, if you have any questions on this matter, we advise you to read the Examination Regulations directly and to contact ÖH FHWien if anything is unclear.
If the semester has not been fully completed by the deadline for submitting marks, or if all attempts have been exhausted, the degree programme cannot be continued immediately. However, students are entitled to a one-off one-year extension; notification of this extension must be submitted to the programme director within one month of being informed of the failed examination result. This right also applies after the third unsuccessful attempt at a Bachelor’s or Master’s examination. If there are compelling reasons, the course of study may also be interrupted. In such cases, a meeting with the programme director should be arranged.
Certificates must be issued no later than 4 weeks after the completion of a course, and summary certificates must be issued no later than 4 weeks after the end of the semester. You can create the transcripts yourself via FHWien Online. The following grading scale is used: Very Good (1): 100 per cent to > 90 per cent of the maximum marks; ‘Very Good’ is awarded for work that meets the set requirements in an outstanding manner. Good (2): 90 per cent to > 75 per cent of the maximum marks; ‘Good’ is awarded for performance that meets the set requirements to a degree that goes beyond the essentials. Satisfactory (3): 75% to > 60% of the maximum marks; the grade ‘Satisfactory’ is awarded for performance that meets the set requirements in the essential areas. Sufficient (4): 60 per cent to > 50 per cent of the maximum marks; a ‘Sufficient’ is awarded for work that largely meets the set requirements despite shortcomings in key areas. Not Sufficient (5): 50 per cent to 0 per cent of the maximum marks; the grade ‘Not Sufficient’ is awarded for performance that does not meet the requirements for a ‘Sufficient’ assessment. Mere attendance at face-to-face lessons cannot be taken into account in the assessment of performance. The assessment of performance is based on verifiable work in written or oral form.
Due to the current coronavirus situation, the compulsory attendance requirement for courses has been suspended until further notice. If attendance falls below the 75 per cent requirement (for all modules; in justified individual cases, the programme director may set a different attendance requirement), students will lose their eligibility to sit the examination. If the 75 per cent attendance requirement for a course has not been met due to illness and you wish to be excused, you must provide proof of this. Only after failing the examination or failing to sit the examination must the sick note, issued at the time of absence from the course, be sent to the Service Point (servicepoint@fh-wien.ac.at) together with the designated form ‘Sick Note for Examinations’. Therefore, always keep your sick notes!
Oral examinations are always open to the public and the proceedings must be recorded. The examination board always consists of three people.
Due to the current situation, the requirement to complete a semester abroad or an internship abroad is suspended until further notice. Exceptions are only possible: 1. In cases of serious illness requiring specific treatment; 2. In cases of disability or chronic illness that severely restrict mobility; 3. Important family commitments (e.g. sudden and unavoidable family care responsibilities that prevent the student from being away from home for an extended period, or childcare) The application for this must be submitted to the programme director. According to the University of Applied Sciences, financial reasons do not constitute grounds for an exception, as numerous funding schemes exist at EU and national level (e.g. Erasmus). For assistance with funding, please contact the Social Services Department at u00d6H FHWien (sozref@oeh-fhwien.at).