Free Elective Area in the Bachelor's Program
During your studies, you can use the free elective area to specialize in areas that align with your interests and strengths. Here, we’ll explain the options available to you in the free elective area.
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The following bachelor's degree programs offer a free elective area:
- Digital Business Management | 18 ECTS
- Communication Studies | Starting in the Winter Semester 23/24: 30 ECTS | Before the Winter Semester 23/24: 12 ECTS
- Sustainability & Change | 18 ECTS
- Information Systems | 18 ECTS
- Business Administration and Economics | 24 ECTS
In the free elective area, you can...
- take modules from all bachelor’s degree programs in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
- integrate a study abroad experience and have credits earned abroad recognized
- Have language courses and continuing education courses credited toward the (un)graded portfolio module
- include an internship
- include a (Bachelor’s) AIDAHO module
Module Enrollment
In the free elective area, you have the option to take modules from any of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences’ bachelor’s programs, provided there is available capacity and you meet the prerequisites. You can find the modules and related information in the module catalog for each program.
This allows you to expand your area of specialization in a targeted manner by taking additional modules from your current field or a related field. Alternatively, you can create a second (unofficial) area of specialization by selecting modules from a different area of specialization.
AIDAHO Modules
AIDAHO is a supplementary program that allows students to gain knowledge in AI, data science, and programming alongside their major. The courses offered cover a wide range of topics and methods and enable students to explore different perspectives and develop various skills. You can take these modules as part of your free elective area.
Internship Module
In the free elective area, you can take the Internship module and gain valuable practical professional experience. The module is ungraded and offers you the opportunity to gain practical insights into a professional field. It can be counted toward the free elective track in addition to the Portfolio module.
Incorporating a Study Abroad Experience
The free elective area offers you the opportunity to have credits earned abroad recognized at the University of Hohenheim.
This “mobility window” allows you to spend a semester or complete an internship abroad without extending the duration of your studies.
Learn more about the recognition of foreign coursework and exam results
What is a Bachelor's Portfolio Module?
A bachelor’s portfolio module may consist of a single course or several individual courses. The individual components must total at least 6 ECTS credits to be eligible for credit. However, if the individual components total more than 6 ECTS credits, the excess credits will not be counted. The portfolio module may be graded or ungraded.
Graded Bachelor's Portfolio Module
The graded portfolio module consists exclusively of graded courses.
These include:
All “Humboldt Reloaded” project seminars offered by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
Language courses offered by the Language Center at the University of Hohenheim. Different languages and different proficiency levels may be combined. Special case: The business language modules can be credited using the business language course combinations
Special note: The C1-level language courses that make up the business language modules - which are required in the IBE profile area - can be taken as individual business language modules in the free elective area.
Credits earned abroad that cannot be counted as study abroad modules
Non-Graded Bachelor's Portfolio Module
As soon as one of the selected courses is ungraded, an ungraded portfolio module is automatically created. A portfolio module consisting exclusively of graded work cannot be counted as an ungraded portfolio module.
These include:
All ungraded “Humboldt Reloaded” project seminars offered by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
F.I.T. seminars (further education program)
Learning Paths (LinkedIn) that were certified by the Career Center by March 11, 2022. After this date, LinkedIn courses can still be taken but can no longer be credited.
Ungraded coursework from other German universities, provided it aligns with the economics and social sciences degree program
Ungraded coursework completed abroad
Note: AIDAHO modules cannot be credited as ungraded coursework.
Once you have completed all required coursework for the portfolio module, you must register via HohCampus in your free elective area for either the Graded Portfolio Module (5000-320) or the Ungraded Portfolio Module (5000-280). You must register during the semester in which you submit your work!
Make sure you register for the correct portfolio module: Students in the DBM, S&C, WiWi, and WI programs should register for the Economics (Wiwi) portfolio module; students in the Communication Studies program should register for the Communication Studies (Kowi) portfolio module .
If you have any difficulties with registration, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
The registration date is the day on which all documents have been submitted in full or the registration process in HohCampus has been completed.
To request credit, please fill out the appropriate form in the Downloads section and submit it via email along with proof of completion for all courses for which you are requesting credit (see below for contact information).
How long are certificates valid? There is no expiration date. The most important requirement is that the date the course was completed must fall within the duration of the degree program for which credit is being requested.
Courses that have already been passed cannot be repeated. While you may take the same language course again, it will not be credited a second time.
If there are multiple graded components, the module grade is calculated as a weighted arithmetic mean.
The result is rounded to one decimal place.
The final module grade is determined in accordance with the examination regulations
There is no expiration date for certificates: once a course has been completed, it can be credited toward the degree until the end of the program.
| Calculated Grade | Module Grade |
| up to 1.1 | 1.0 “very good” |
| 1.2 to 1.5 | 1.3 “very good” |
| 1.6 to 1.8 | 1.7 “good” |
| 1.9 to 2.1 | 2.0 “good” |
| 2.2 to 2.5 | 2.3 “good” |
| 2.6 to 2.8 | 2.7 “medium” |
| 2.9 to 3.1 | 3.0 “medium” |
| 3.2 to 3.5 | 3.3 “medium” |
| 3.6 to 3.8 | 3.7 “pass” |
| 3.9 to 4.0 | 4.0 “pass” |
| 4.1 and above | 5.0 “fail” |
In the free elective area, you can take the internship module once and gain valuable practical work experience. The module is ungraded and can be taken in addition to the portfolio module.
As part of this module, students must complete a full-time, consecutive work placement of at least 5 weeks. Work-study positions that meet the requirements of the internship and are performed on a full-time basis (e.g., during semester breaks) also qualify. In addition, work-study positions that can be documented as lasting at least 5 months with a minimum of 10 hours per week may also be counted as an internship.
Proof of the internship is provided by a written internship report of 5–10 pages, consisting of the following sections:
- Introduction to the company
- Description of the work (the largest section)
- Conclusion/Summary
In addition, an internship confirmation or an internship certificate must be submitted . The internship is administered through the Internship Office.
It is recommended that you complete the internship between the 3rd and 5th semesters. To receive credit for the module, you must register via HohCampus for the Internship module (5000-350). Credit is granted through the Internship Office, where you can also find further details and information.
Note: For communication studies students, the “Internship” module is available for selection beginning with the Winter Semester 2023/24.
Contact
Contact Person, Business Administration and Economics
Bettina Scheuing
Assistant to the Dean of Studies, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
anerkennung-wiso(at)uni-hohenheim.de
Zoom office hours on Thursdays between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. or by appointment