Lateral entry is one way to try and circumvent admission restrictions for new students. Students hope that they will be able to move directly into a higher semester by taking over the place of someone who has dropped out. First of all, they enroll for a degree program that is closely related to what they really want to study. By attending lectures and seminars that can later be credited to the degree program they would like to study, students try to gain qualifications for direct admission in a later semester of the degree program they would like to study.
However, you should think long and hard before deciding to pursue such a strategy that is not only likely to take several semesters before it succeeds, but also hinges on a number of unpredictable variables.
A major factor that is making lateral entry increasingly difficult is the modularization of degree programs and examinations. The misleading assumption that modules should be easy to transfer from one degree program to another may seem to suggest that modularization will make lateral entry easier, but quite the opposite is the case. First and foremost, modularization means making studying more like school, imposing strict semester plans that students have to adhere to and replacing the more traditional certificates and records of achievements with examinations held over the course of the degree program, more like continual assessment.
While it is true that this has made the structure of some degree programs clearer and more transparent, this has been at the expense of students’ ability to take on responsibility for shaping their own studies, a factor that we have always encouraged at our University.
Accreditation of course achievements
The Examinations Offices of the relevant subjects are responsible for crediting course achievements. These Examinations Offices are either based in the administration department of the university in question or in a state ministry as a state examination office. Contact the Student Advice and Career Service of the relevant subject for further information about credits.
Applying for direct entry to a higher semester
Spread your applications across the board. Your chances depend on where you want to study. You must therefore apply to as many universities as possible at the same time. It makes sense to look into university locations that are more out of the way and less popular among students looking to change university but that offer a larger number of places.
Places in higher semesters are allocated at FAU in the following order:
- To students enrolled in the degree program in question at FAU
- To applicants who are enrolled in another degree program at FAU
- To other applicants.
Within the various groups, lots are drawn if all other factors are the same.
Summary
It is debatable whether lateral entry really is a quicker way to gain a place on the degree program you really want to study. Lateral entry is risky.
Please note: Within the meaning of the Bavarian Higher Education Act (BayHScHG) and BAföG, lateral entry is considered a change of subject, and you may be required to justify your actions. Changing after the third semester or changing subject for the second time nearly always means that you lose any entitlement to funding.