• Accreditation of course work and examinations are credited by the respective module supervisor. Even if it is possible to credit academic achievements of the second subject from a subject-specific point of view, the credit points can generally not be credited (double counting). In the case of recognition, students must therefore study an additional module from the social science program at least to the extent of the module omitted by the recognition. The registration in eCampus is done by Ms. Bienert by way of subsequent registration.
• Example: When accrediting the module "Statistik für Erziehungswissenschaftler" as an equivalent for the methods module „sozialwissenschaftliche Statistik“, 8 credit points have to be compensated. Students choose an additional module not yet studied from the social science advanced modules worth 8 credit points.
• For certificates of achievement acquired before the summer semester 2005, a different regulation applies in individual cases. Please contact the module supervisor.

As a general rule, the examiners must have been active in teaching the corresponding study program and be full-time members of the faculty.
Lecturers and external individuals can only be chosen in exceptional cases and after consultation with the examination office. The following restrictions also apply to the individual degree programs.

B.A. Degree Programs

• Bachelor's thesis:
  At least one reviewer must be a lecturer (Prof. or PD), the other reviewer may be a faculty member with a PhD.
• Bachelor's final oral exam:
  One-Subject B.A. Social Science: The first examiner is one of the two reviewers of the bachelor's thesis. The second examiner is not required to have been a reviewer; a non-doctoral staff member may also be chosen.
  Two-Subject B.A. Culture, Individual and Society and Politics, Economy and Society: The oral examination was replaced by the inclusion of two additional modules relevant to the examination in the subject grade.

M.A. Degree Programs

• Master's thesis:
  Both reviewers must be lecturers (Prof. or PD). In the one-subject study program in social science, the two reviewers for the thesis should belong to different sections in order to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the study program.
• Master's final oral exam:
  One-Subject M.A. Social Science: The first examiner is one of the two reviewers of the master thesis. The second examiner does not have to be a reviewer and can also be a research associate of the faculty.
  Two-Subject M.A. Social Science: The first examiner must be a lecturer. The second examiner can also be a research associate. Only in exceptional cases justified in writing may the first examiner of the master's thesis be chosen as examiner.
   

A current list of all lecturers of the faculty including their function can be found in the Sowi-Info of the respective semester. (print version without changes: on pages 4ff.)

The complete registration documents for final theses must be sent in paper form to the examination office. Unfortunately, registration by e-mail is not possible.

Bachelor's and Master's theses should be submitted digitally via Submit Exam - please read examinations office's answer carefully when you have sent the registration documents.

"Rahmenordnung der Ruhr-Universität Bochum zur elektronischen Einreichung von Abschlussarbeiten"

The thesis must be written according to the criteria for writing academic papers (Kriterien der Erstellung einer wissenschaftlichen Hausarbeit).
The declaration of authorship must be included as the very last sheet.
Cover page and last page are to be designed as follows.

Final oral examinations can be held both by video conference and in person. As usual, registration for these examinations takes place through the examination office. The registration form must be submitted to the examination office one week before the examination. An e-mail from the examiners is sufficient as confirmation. A signature of the examiners is not required.

Evaluation Criteria for Module Exams

The most important criterion for all module examinations is the achievement of the learning objectives for the corresponding module. In this respect, the module description must be present for all module examinations

Another basic assessment criterion is to grade students on a simple scale ranging from reproduction through comprehension and transfer to knowledge assessment. In any case, for a good or very good grade, it is a prerequisite that students perform beyond reproduction. Depending on the course of studies (beginning of studies, advanced bachelor's phase, master's phase), higher levels and requirements must then be taken as a basis.

• Reproduction: Reproduce facts/statements in own words and correctly.
• Comprehension: Correctly explain, interpret, and clarify facts/statements using examples.
• Transfer: Reliably apply and transfer content to unknown examples or problems, etc., thereby developing solutions. Analyze facts in an appropriate and soundly.
• Assessment: Synthesize content and make meaningful connections to theories. Evaluate and assess issues using reasoned arguments based on meaningful criteria. Take a reasoned position.

The following lists of criteria are intended to provide additional assistance in evaluating the candidates' performance in detail. For oral examinations, candidates should submit a thesis paper that serves as a starting point for the examination discussion.

The lists of criteria are also intended to help make the equivalence of various forms of examination transparent. In this respect, they should also be be applied to other forms (poster presentations, project reports, creation of presentations and internet offerings, etc.).

The evaluation shall be made available to students in an appropriate form.

Written Examinations

• Degree of independent performance
  Independent specification of the thematic focus
  Plausible, well-reasoned judgments
  Innovative outlooks
• Factual content
  Factual accuracy (quantity and quality of the processed literature/sources, presentation of the state of research)
  Knowledge of concepts and theory
• Planning, structure, thought processes
  Logical, stringent sequence of the individual sub-elements of the work
  Consistent adherence to the thematic focus (red thread)
  Plausible and provable conclusions
• Mastering Methods
  Appropriate application using academic methods
  Mastery of the techniques of academic work in compliance with formal criteria
• Form of language
  Appropriate and clear technical language
  Correctness (spelling, punctuation, grammar)
• Fulfillment of the learning objectives of the module and final commentary

 
Oral Examinations

• Prerequisites
  Timely submission of a document with 3-5 thesis on a topic related to the module.
  Punctual appearance
• Degree of independent performance
  Arguability of the theses
  Ability to transfer the contents of the theses to the other topics of the module
  Plausible, well-founded, reasoned and reflected judgements
  Innovative outlooks or approaches to solutions
• Factual content
  Factual correctness
  Knowledge of concepts and theories
  Consideration of the current state of research
• Planning, structure, thought processes
  Comprehensible selection of theses
  Presentation of different positions in relation to the theses
  Logical, stringent and reflected argumentation
  Plausible and provable conclusions
• Language and appearance
  Appropriate and clear technical language in thesis paper and examination
  Purposeful structuring of the explanations
• Fulfillment of the learning objectives of the module and final commentary

Download the criteria as a PDF.

As of September 2017: There are various entry options at universities in North Rhine-Westphalia for studies without a high school diploma (equivalent to Abitur). If you belong to the group of professionally qualified persons with at least two years of vocational training followed by at least three years of professional activity and have learned a profession that has no affinity to the studies of social science, you must take an entrance examination as part of the application procedure. You can find more information on the various access options on the pages of the central student counseling service.

The entrance examination is designed to ensure that you have the necessary prior knowledge for the studies of social science and covers the subjects of political science and statistics. The exam does not ask you about the content of your studies, but about basic skills and knowledge you need to be able to successfully complete the studies in these subjects.

The entrance examination at the Faculty of Social Science consits of a written examination lasting two hours. The examination performances are evaluated individually and an average grade is calculated from the individual grades. With this grade, you then take part in the admission procedure for the B.A. study program in social science.

Preparation for the Entrance Examination
You should prepare for the entrance exam early. We recommend that you make use of a consultation in good time and not wait for the invitation from the university.

First Part of the Exam: Subject Orientation and English Skills
As a prerequisite for social science studies, sufficient knowledge of English is essential. Therefore, in the written exam you will be asked to read a short subject-related English text that corresponds to the level of difficulty you can expect in your studies. You will have to answer some questions (in German) about this text. You can bring a dictionary with you. To prepare for the exam, you should refresh your English skills, e.g. by reading English books or newspapers. If you have any questions about this part of the exam, please contact:
Prof. Dr. Sören Petermann (Sociology / Urban and Regional Sociology) - Phone: +49 234 32-28706; Office: GD 1/343; E-mail: staresoz@rub.de
or
Prof. Dr. Manfred Wannöffel (Joint Research Center RUB-IGM) - Phone: +49 234 32-22929; Office: O-Werk 00.30.4; E-mail: manfred.wannoeffel@rub.de

Second Part of the Exam: Mathematics Skills
For the methods training in the social science studies - especially for social science statistics - basic knowledge in school mathematics is important. Therefore, the written entrance examination contains a mathematical part in which you have to solve math problems from the following topics:

•    Calculating with indices (sequences and series)
•    Calculation of percentages
•    Calculating arithmetic averages
•    Basics of probability calculation (probabilities when tossing a coin or a dice, when drawing from an urn)
•    General: calculating mathematical functions
•    Calculating with sigma sign
•    Solving simple systems of equations with one or two unknowns
•    Geometry: drawing linear graphs in a coordinate system, determining gradient and axis intercept

      To brush up on your math skills, the following textbooks may be helpful:

•     Werner Poguntke: Keine Angst vor Mathe. 3., überarb. Aufl. 2008, Vieweg+Teubner, ISBN 978-3-8348-0608-6. [ohne Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung]
•     Arnfried Kemnitz: Mathematik zum Studienbeginn, 10. Aufl. 2011, Springer, ISBN 978-3-8348-8258-5
•     Guido Walz u.a.: Brückenkurs Mathematik, 3. Aufl. 2011, Springer, ISBN 978-3-8274-2763-2.

If you have any questions about this part of the exam, contact: Dipl. Soz.wiss. Sebastian Jeworutzki (Social Sciences Methodology and Statistics) - Phone: +29 234/32-22006; Office: GD 2/313; E-mail: sebastian.jeworutzki@rub.de

Download as a PDF

Attempts to deceive - such as the use of plagiarism in academic work - can have far-reaching consequences for further studies. Here we document examples of cases of cheating or attempted cheating.

Multiple Plagiarism in B.A. Studies
At the end of the winter semester 2007/2008, a bachelor student of the Faculty of Social Science at the Ruhr-University Bochum was convicted of plagiarism. In the course of an extensive research, staff members of the faculty were able to prove extensive cheating or attempted cheating in a total of four examinations (one term paper, three essays). Although the student was suspected of plagiarism early on, he showed little insight and admitted to the attempted cheating only after extensive evidence had been presented.
In all cases, the student had copied longer text passages word for word from other sources without making this visible in any way. Apart from a few sentences, all the papers he submitted were not his own. The term paper in question, for example, had been purchased by the student on one of the relevant term paper exchanges on the web and subsequently submitted under his name, including the declaration of independence signed by him, as is customary among the faculty. The other, shorter papers were taken from various sources (newspaper, reference book, other term papers).
The dean has handed over the detailed documentation with proof of plagiarism to the examination committee of the Faculty of Social Science. Due to the material presented, the examination committee has forwarded the case to the chancellor of the Ruhr-University Bochum with the request that the incident be punished with an administrative fine in accordance with § 63 (5) of the Hochschulgesetz (Higher Education Act).

Medical certificates of withdrawal from examinations must be submitted directly to the secretary's office of the respective chair where the examination is being written.

Submission of Form 5, current transcript, current certificate of enrollment.
Prerequisite for further BAFÖG payments:

    BA 1: 100 CPs at the end of the 4th semester.
    BA 2: 40 CP per subject and 20 CP of the elective modules at end of the 4th semester.