Special Selection Procedure for Course Applicants

The universities in the Federal State of Bremen are at liberty to allocate 24 percent of course places by means of their own selection procedure. Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences exercises this right. The Academic Senate has correspondingly issued appropriate guidelines. The Cruise Industry Management course will be the first course to hold Selection Interviews for the next winter semester 2004/05.

12 of the 40 places are to be allocated in accordance with the new procedure. Applicants must demonstrate their motivation and suitability for the course in question in the framework of 20-minute interviews. The Selection Interviews are assessed according to a fixed scale of points for three criteria: Reasons for choosing the course, conduct during the interview and type of vocational training/professional experience. The selection procedure is carried out by two university lecturers.

It is important that applicants wishing to participate in this selection procedure state so clearly in their application.

Guidelines on the implementation of Selection Interviews for courses at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences

On 14 October 2003, the Academic Senate of Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences agreed on the following guidelines for the implementation of Selection Interviews for courses at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences.


1. Implementation of Selection Interviews

1.1 When awarding places on its courses, Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences carries out a selection procedure for individual courses in accordance with the Directive on the Awarding of Course Places of 14 April 1994 (Brem. GBl. S. 144), last amended in the Amendment Directive of 29.04.2002 (Brem. GBL. S. 215). The selection procedure takes place according to the suggestions put forward by the faculties in question in accordance with § 10 a of the Place Awarding Directive.

1.2 By 1 January of the year in which the selection procedure is planned to take place, the Dean nominates those courses in a faculty which are to be included in the selection procedure to the Admissions and Examination Office and states thereby the maximum number of Selection Interviews which can be held. In general, the number of Selection Interviews should be at least double the number of the course places available in the selection procedure.

2. Purpose of the Selection Interviews

The Selection Interviews serve the selection of applicants on the basis of their motivation and suitability for the chosen course and the chosen profession by establishing a ranking.

3. Time schedule of the Selection Interviews

Selection Interviews are held once a year in time before the winter semester courses commence. When the Selection Interviews commence depends on when the applicants' data is provided by the University's administration office as well as the processing and invitation deadline according to Clause 6. Time and location of the Selection Interviews are decided and announced by the Dean of the faculty responsible.

Appointments for Selection Interviews lasting several days should be scheduled for successive working days.

4. Selection Committees

4.1 The Dean decides the number of Selection Committees for the course in question.

4.2 The Selection Committee comprises two members of the group of professors lecturing in the course in question. They are nominated by the Dean. The Dean additionally nominates substitute members of the group of professors lecturing in the course in question to participate in the Selection Interviews should a member be unable to attend. The Dean can additionally nominate a maximum of two external advisors for the Selection Committee who however have no voting right. It is possible for a member of the Admissions and Examination Office to participate. The member has no voting right.

4.3 In the case that two or more Selection Committees are used, the applicants put forward to the faculty in question by the University's administration office will be made anonymous and distributed randomly amongst the individual Selection Committees.

5. Participation in a Selection Interview

5.1 Only applicants who have submitted a correct application for the course involved in the selection procedure within the deadline set and who have submitted an application for participation in the selection procedure within the deadline for the main procedure in accordance with § 3 Paragraph 1 of the Place Awarding Directive will be invited to participate in a Selection Interview. The following documents must be submitted together with the application for participation in the selection procedure: Proof of school leaving certificate permitting university entrance, hand-written curriculum vitae, reasons for choosing the course in question (in writing, maximum 2 pages) and, where relevant, proof of foreign language skills or completed vocational training or documentation of any profession practised to date. Applicants will be informed accordingly in the application forms.

5.2. It is only possible to participate once per course. Applicants who come under the selection quotas of §§ 7, Paragraph 1 and 8 of the Place Awarding Directive do not participate in the selection procedure. The Admissions and Examination Office establishes the circle of potential candidates for the selection procedure in accordance with the Place Awarding Directive. Should the number of applicants for the Selection Interviews exceed the number of Selection Interviews as foreseen in Clause 1.2, lots will be drawn.

6. Invitation to a Selection Interview

Applicants are invited to the Selection Interview by the Admissions and Examination Office in accordance with the appointment schedule put forward by the faculty in question. Invitations should generally be issued at least one week in advance.


7. Selection Interview Procedure

7.1 The Selection Interviews with the invited applicants are carried out as personal interviews by the Selection Committee responsible in accordance with Clause 4.3. The interviews are not open to the public and generally last not less than 20 minutes. The members of the Selection Committee must be present for the entire duration of the Selection Interviews they themselves hold.

7.2 Should an applicant not attend the Selection Interview or should he or she terminate it, then he or she will not be considered for selection. Should an applicant prove that he or she could not attend the interview for reasons beyond his or her control, then he or she may participate in a Selection Interview - upon application - in the next selection procedure.

7.3. Each Selection Interview is documented by a member of the Selection Committee recording place, time, duration of the interview, participants, notes on the content of the interview, if relevant any particular occurrences during the interview and including an annex containing an assessment in accordance with Clause 9.

8. Object of the Selection Interviews

8.1 In the framework of the Selection Interviews, the applicants should expound in particular the following:
a) reasons for deciding to study the subject chosen,
b) activities or interests to date in conjunction with this decision,
c) impressions about the chosen course and later tasks and activities,
d) other factors which appear important for the particular suitability and motivation for the chosen course.

8.2 In the framework of the interview, the applicant's conduct during the interview is observed (communicative behaviour, pertinence of argumentation, flexibility towards the varying content of the conversation, ability to adapt to his or her interlocutor, verbal expression).

8.3 Furthermore any already completed vocational training and/or any profession already practised are discussed.

9. Assessment of the Selection Interviews

9.1 The assessment of an applicant's motivation and suitability as ascertained during the Selection Interviews is performed on the basis of the following categories with the following points being allocated:
a) Admission is unconditionally recommendable10 points
b) Admission is highly recommendable 8 points
c) Admission is recommendable 6 points
d) Admission is recommendable but with reservations 4 points
e) Admission is hardly recommendable2 points
f) Admission is not recommendable0 points

9.2 Each member of the Selection Committee first assesses the topic area in Clause 8.1 and the applicant's interview behaviour (Clause 8.2) in accordance with the scale of points defined in Clause 9.1. In order to take into consideration how well the applicant is qualified for the selected course as well as the type of vocational training or professional experience prior to or after having achieved a school leaving certificate qualifying the applicant for university entrance, each member of the Selection Committee awards a total of a further maximum 10 points in accordance with the assessment scale in Clause 9.1.

9.3. The overall assessment is arrived at by adding the points allocated by both members of the Selection Committee for the three aspects under assessment. Each individual assessment and the overall result are recorded for each applicant on a separate assessment sheet as an annex to the report documenting the interview.

9.4. Upon completion of the Selection Interviews, all applicants are ranked according to the number of points they have achieved. In the case that applicants achieve the same number of points, lots are drawn.

9.5 The results of the Selection Interviews are submitted in writing in a proposal list to the Admissions and Examination Office. The Rector decides on admission on the basis of these proposals.

10. Notification

10.1 Applicants who according to Clause 9.2 are eligible for admission, receive a Notification of Admission with a binding date for their matriculation. Should the applicant fail to matriculate on the set date, then the Notification of Admission becomes invalid. The regulations of the Place Awarding Directive with regard to replacement applicants apply accordingly.

10.2 Applicants who cannot be admitted receive notification that their application has been rejected and are advised of their legal rights.

11. Delegation

The tasks within these guidelines incumbent on the Dean may be assigned to the Study Dean.

12. Coming into force

These guidelines come into force upon announcement and apply - with the exception of Clause 1.2 Sub-clause 1 - for the first time for the selection procedure for the academic year 2004/05.