The module examinations accompanying the course of study are taken during the examination periods specified for this purpose.

• The first examination period of a semester extends to four weeks after the end of the lecture period. The second examination period covers the last two weeks of the lecture-free period.
• The examinations for the regular examination date according to the examination and study plan (Annex 1 of the SPSO) usually take place in the first examination period. For many modules, a second examination date is offered in the second examination period (mainly for improvement and repeat attempts).
• Repeat examinations for modules from the previous semester take place in the first or second examination period.

Module examinations in the form of project work, papers/presentations and colloquia can be taken during the course if the students are informed of the type of examination applicable to them, its scope and the respective deadline no later than the second week of lectures.

Students are required to use the electronic examination administration system.

They use the existing online access to the electronic examination administration system on their own responsibility, with which

•     the examination data,
•     the registration and deregistration for module examinations
•     as well as the announcement of the evaluation of examination decisions

are administered electronically.

Students are obliged to check the correctness of the entries in the examination administration system regularly within the scope of their possibilities, at least once a semester; transmission errors should be reported immediately.

The announcement of the results of examinations and study achievements shall be made, if possible, via the electronic examination administration system or by posting. The assessment shall be deemed to have been announced no later than two weeks after the assessment has been posted in the electronic examination administration system or by notice, unless the candidate can prove that the result has already been brought to his/her attention beforehand. Candidates will be informed in accordance with local practice about the posting of examination results in the electronic examination administration system.

The deadline for registering for module examinations during the lecture-free period ends four weeks before the end of the lecture period. The deadline for registering for examinations during lectures ends no later than two weeks before the start of the examination.

If possible, the candidate has to register for each module examination via the designated online student portal of the University of Rostock, pruefung.uni-rostock.de, at the examination office. If the registration via web portal is not possible, the registration has to be done in written form at the physics study office.

The candidate can effectively withdraw a registration for examinations without giving reasons up to fourteen days before the examination date; this does not apply to examinations accompanying lectures such as presentations and colloquia. The written declaration of withdrawal must be submitted to the study office.

If proof of an examination prerequisite is not available in time at the time of registration for the module examination, admission to the examination is conditional. The admission expires if the proof of the preliminary examination performance is not provided by the end of the respective examination for which the respective preliminary performance is required. In this case, the registration is deemed not to have been undertaken.

Special features of oral examinations in the master's program

The examination dates are set between the examiner and the candidate by the end of the registration period at the latest.
Hinweise zur Festlegung von Prüfungsterminen bei mündlichen Prüfungen im Masterstudiengang Physik im Sommersemester 2023

• A failed module examination must be repeated. If the module examination was not passed in a free attempt, there are up to three examination attempts in total.
   
• The registration for repeat examinations is done independently by the student in the examination portal. No admission is required, the student merely indicates participation in the repeat examination.
   
• If a module examination has not been passed in the first examination period, it can be repeated in the second examination period of the same semester in individual cases if a second examination date is offered by the respective examiner. The deadline for registration is one week before the start of the second examination period.
   
• Repeat examinations are possible for the last time in the fourth semester after the end of the standard period of study (i.e. in the 10th semester for the Bachelor's degree, in the 8th semester for the Master's degree). In the absence of an individual study plan, the repeat examinations not yet taken at that time are deemed to have been taken and not passed.
   
• If the candidate can credibly demonstrate that he/she is not responsible for the failure to meet the deadline, the Examination Committee may, by way of exception, extend the deadline by a reasonable period of time. An extension of the deadline can only be applied for once.
   
• A module examination is definitively failed if all permissible examination attempts (maximum 3 attempts, 4 attempts in the case of a free attempt) have not been passed. The candidate can appeal against such a decision to the examination board in writing or orally for the record. The appeal must be justified in writing and must be lodged within one month of notification of the decision under appeal.

"Free attempts" have been newly regulated in the current framework examination regulations RPO Ba/Ma of 21.11.2019.

A module examination is considered a free attempt if it is taken for the first time no later than the regular examination date. A distinction must be made between the two cases:

1.     A passed examination in a free attempt can be taken once again to improve the grade. The better grade is valid. The improvement attempt must be made by the end of the following two semesters at the latest. You must register for this independently in the examination portal.
    
2.     A failed module examination in the free attempt is considered as not taken (exception: it was declared as failed due to deception or a breach of regulations). It can be repeated a maximum of two times after the regular first attempt; there are therefore up to four examination attempts in total. The registration for the regular first attempt is done independently by the student in the examination portal.

An examination performance shall be deemed to have been graded "unsatisfactory" (5.0) if, after being admitted to the examination, the candidate withdraws from the examination performance without good reason or if he/she misses the examination date without good reason. The same applies if the candidate fails to complete a written examination within the specified time.

The reason asserted for the withdrawal or the failure to attend must be notified to the examination board in writing without delay and must be made credible. In the case of illness of the candidate, a medical certificate (see form for proof of illness) must be submitted; the illness of a child to be cared for predominantly by the candidate alone is equivalent to the illness of the candidate. If the reason is acknowledged, the examination board will set a new date.

The candidate may effectively withdraw a registration for examinations without giving reasons up to fourteen days before the examination date; this does not apply to examinations accompanying lectures such as presentations and colloquia. The written declaration of withdrawal must be submitted to the study office.

Students have the option of completing a semester at a foreign university as an alternative to the examination and study plan. The second semester is recommended for a stay abroad.

At the foreign study location, equivalent competences must be acquired in comparison to the examination and study plan. When choosing the semester and the place of study, it must therefore be ensured that such modules are offered at the foreign university that can be recognised by the examination board as equivalent to those of the examination and study plan.

The stay abroad must be prepared in good time. For this purpose, the student selects a suitable foreign university and the modules to be studied there and seeks contact with the subject study advisor in good time in order to clarify the equivalence of the modules to the examination and study plan in advance in consultation with the examination board. The financing of the semester abroad is the responsibility of the candidate. Advice on the possibilities of financial support through scholarship programmes, BaföG abroad or similar is given at the Rostock International House of the University of Rostock.
    In a teaching and learning agreement with the chairperson of the examination board, the following should be agreed upon

•         the learning objectives and contents,
•         the time and subject plan,
•         the courses to be taken and the performance to be achieved, as well as
•         the possibilities of changing the teaching and learning agreement

Erasmus, the EU's flagship education and training programme, enables 200 000 students to study and work abroad each year. It also promotes cooperation between higher education institutions across Europe. The programme supports not only students, but also university lecturers and people working in the private sector who want to teach abroad, as well as university staff who want to improve their professional skills. Many studies have shown that a stay abroad not only contributes to enriching students' academic and professional education, but also improves language learning and strengthens intercultural skills and self-confidence. Through their experiences, students have developed a better sense of what it means to be a citizen of Europe. In addition, many employers value a stay abroad, which helps to improve employability and career opportunities.

Since 2018, Prof. Dr Boris Hage has been the  ERASMUS Koordinator  at the Institute of Physics at the University of Rostock.

ERASMUS+ Partnerships (as of 2022)

• University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DK
• Universite de Bordeaux, F
• Université Grenoble Alpes, F
• Liepaja University, Latvia
• University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
• University of Wroclaw, PL
• Luleå University of Technology, S
• Stockholm University, S
• Umeå University, S
• University of Maribor, Slovenia

The Rostock International House (RIH) collects testimonials from Rostock students abroad, including students at the Institute of Physics. The experience reports are accessible to members of the University of Rostock after appropriate registration.

There you will find reports about the following stays of students of the Institute of Physics:

• Schweden, Stockholm University, Projekt 2019: Physik (Master)
• Schweden, Umeå University, Projekt 2019: Physik (Master)
• USA, University of Georgia, Athens, 2015-16, Physics Graduate Student and Teaching Assistant
• Argentinien, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 2015, Physik (Master)
• Norwegen, Norwegian university of science and technology, Trondheim/Tromsø, Projekt 2015, Physik (Master)
• USA, University of Georgia, Athens, 2014-15, Physics Graduate Student and Teaching Assistant
• Schweden, Lund University, 2014-15, Physik (Master)
• Frankreich, Université de Bordeaux, Projekt 2014, Bachelor Physik
• Norwegen, Norwegian university of science and technology, Trondheim, (2013-2014), Physik (Master)
• Schweden, Lund University, 2013-2014, Physik (Master)
• Irland, University of Limerick, 2012-2013, Bachelor Physik

A four-week professional internship in a company or research institute outside the Institute of Physics can be recognised as an equivalent ungraded achievement in the elective area.

For the six credit points, at least 180 working hours must be proven, 20 working hours for preparation and follow-up are taken as a basis.

The activity should correspond to the job description of a physicist. The examination board decides on the suitability of the internship location in good time before the start of the internship upon written application by the student.

The examination board also decides on the recognition as equivalent performance. For this purpose, an internship report (length: two to three A4 pages), which outlines the fields of activity of the internship and explains the activities carried out during the internship, as well as a dated and signed internship certificate (internship certificate) from the internship institution must be submitted to the examination board.

Typical fields for physicists are: Basic research at universities, colleges, institutes, applied research and development in industry, development and use of measuring and testing technology, supervision of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in medicine, leadership and management in innovative companies, activities in expert opinions and consulting, planning and administrative tasks in public authorities, as well as employment opportunities in many areas of the economy in which sound knowledge of mathematics and the natural sciences is the basis for the development of new products and manufacturing processes.

These fields of activity can be found in a wide variety of areas such as semiconductor technology, optics and laser technology, nanotechnologies, the energy industry, IT services, finance and medical technology.

So don't just look for the keyword physics in internship exchanges (see below), but also for computer simulation, energy technology, measurement technology, sensor technology, welding technology, materials science, wind energy and the like.

During the research phase in the 3rd and 4th semesters, students are introduced to independent scientific work. They acquire the ability to open up complex issues and develop strategies that enable substantial progress to be made even where conventional approaches fail.

In the third semester, the necessary specialized knowledge is acquired at the forefront of the chosen specialization (in-depth module), as well as the skills of experimental or theoretical practice (specialization module). Both are equally prerequisite for the execution of the independent research project as part of the master's thesis in the fourth semester.

Research Phase 1: In-depth Knowledge Acquisition

Work on a study project, the topic of which is offered individually according to the area of the instructor's research group, and which is a preliminary stage to the project of Research Phase 2: Methods Training and to the master's thesis.

•     Familiarization with a physics problem,
•     Literature research
•     Elaboration of the physical basics
•     Working on partial aspects of the problem
•     Participation in the working group seminar
•     Formulation of a work and time plan
•     Discussion and presentation of the results of the study project

Research Phase 2: Method Training

Basing on the project of "Research Phase 1: Deepening", the study project aims to develop essential measurement and evaluation methods or numerical procedures and theoretical principles in order to be able to use them successfully to work on the questions of the master's thesis. It thus represents a direct preliminary stage for the Master's thesis.

•     Development of the technical and methodological basics
•     Practical application of the respective experimental or theoretical methods
•     Working on and solving partial aspects of the problem
•     Practising scientific work in the environment of the research group
•     Participation in the research group seminar
•     Development of a work plan and time schedule
•     Discussion and presentation of the results of the study project

Both modules are concluded with a seminar lecture or poster presentation.

In the Master's thesis, independent scientific activity - the independent treatment of a current problem in modern physics - is learned in conjunction with the acquisition of additional qualifications such as project management, teamwork and the presentation and presentation of scientific results.

The final examination includes the module "Master's Thesis Physics". It consists of the written final thesis (Master's thesis) and the colloquium. The final thesis should show that the candidates are able to independently work on a problem from the studied subject according to scientific methods within a given period of time. Candidates who fulfil the following additional admission requirements according to § 25 of the Framework Examination Regulations (Bachelor/Master) are admitted to the final examination:

1.     The acquisition of at least 72 credit points in this degree programme can be proven.
2.     The module examinations of the modules "Research Phase 1: In-depth Knowledge Acquisition" and "Research Phase 2: Method Training" have been successfully passed.

The topic for the Master's thesis is determined on the basis of offers from scientists of the Institute of Physics. Upon application to the examination board, topics offered by scientists from other scientific institutions may also form the basis of the Master's thesis. The students work out the concrete task of the Master's thesis together with the supervisor. The supervisor ensures that the task meets the requirements of such a thesis.

The Master's thesis is written in the fourth semester. The deadline for completion is 20 weeks. In individual cases, the examination committee may extend the deadline by a maximum of six weeks upon justified application. The Master's thesis must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs in due time.

The Master's thesis is written in English. The candidate may apply for the thesis to be written in another language upon admission.

Bachelor's and Master's theses as well as dissertations and post-doctoral theses, but also reports during studies such as internship protocols are to be prepared in accordance with the rules for ensuring good scientific practice and avoiding scientific misconduct at the University of Rostock.

The Conference of Physics Departments (KfP) has also adopted a recommendation on "Good scientific practice for scientific qualification theses in physics". The paper  describes standards for the preparation and writing of scientific qualification theses in physics that are generally considered to be applicable.

The criteria for good scientific practice in connection with qualification theses listed in the recommendations of the KfP refer to two aspects of scientific work, namely the process of gaining new knowledge in physics and the presentation of the results.

Practising good scientific practice is an important learning objective during studies, especially for Bachelor's and Master's theses, but also, for example, already in the beginner's lab work.

The authors of qualification theses are responsible for adhering to the rules of good scientific practice. They are supported in their work by the responsible supervisors, who work to ensure that the rules of good scientific practice are observed.

>> Gute wissenschaftliche Praxis bei wissenschaftlichen Qualifikationsarbeiten in der Physik

>> Good scientific practice for scientific qualification reports and theses in physics