Free Elective Area in the Master'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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In the free elective area, you can…
- take modules from all master’s degree programs offered by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
- integrate a study abroad experience and have credits earned abroad recognized
- include an (Master’s) AIDAHO module (identified by the module code)
- have language courses, continuing education courses, or an internship credited toward the (un)graded Master’s portfolio module
Module Enrollment
In the free elective area, you have the option to take modules from any of the master’s programs offered by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences, 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.
Economics with Data Science: In the free elective section, you may freely choose any of the recommended elective modules offered by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences in its master’s program in Economics with Data Science at the University of Hohenheim. You may select a maximum of one additional seminar module, provided that capacity restrictions do not prevent this.
Note: Required modules and specialization seminars in the master’s programs are excluded from the free elective area. Starting in the Winter Semester 2024/2025, a third specialization seminar in Management may be counted toward the free elective area.
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.
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 so-called “mobility window” is intentionally designed to provide flexibility in your academic program, allowing you to complete a semester abroad or an internship abroad without extending the duration of your studies.
This allows you to gain international experience, learn about other higher education systems, and at the same time develop important intercultural skills and language proficiency.
Learn more about the recognition of foreign coursework and exam results
Master Portfolio Module
In the free elective area, you can replace a module with either a graded or an ungraded Master’s portfolio module.
Note:
- For the Economics program, if you choose a Master’s portfolio module, you may select only one additional module in business administration or the social sciences.
- In the Economics with Data Science program, there is a separate, ungraded Master’s portfolio module in Economics. In addition to language courses offered by the University of Hohenheim’s Language Center, BRICKS courses can also be counted toward this module.
What is a Master's Portfolio Module?
A master’s portfolio module may consist of a single course or multiple 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 Master's Portfolio Module
The graded portfolio module consists exclusively of graded courses.
These include:
- Language courses offered by the Language Center at the University of Hohenheim. (If the language course was not completed during the current semester, please include a certificate of enrollment!) Different languages and different proficiency levels may be combined.
- Courses taken abroad that cannot be counted as study abroad modules.
Note: A third specialized seminar in Management cannot be credited.
Non-Graded Master's Portfolio Module
As soon as one of the selected courses is ungraded, an ungraded Master’s Portfolio module is automatically created. A Master’s Portfolio module consisting exclusively of graded courses cannot be counted as an ungraded Master’s Portfolio module.
These include:
- F.I.T. seminars, including F.I.T. language courses, which are not graded
- 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 the academic departments at the University of Hohenheim
- Ungraded coursework from other universities, provided it aligns with the degree program
- (International) internships and part-time student jobs:
- (International) internships: The requirement is a company internship of at least 5 weeks, which must be completed continuously and on a full-time basis.
- Work-study positions that meet the internship requirements and are performed full-time (e.g., during semester breaks)
- Work-study positions lasting at least five months, provided that a minimum of 10 hours of work per week can be documented
Proof of the internship and part-time student employment is provided by a written internship report of 5–10 pages, which consists of the following sections and follows the format and guidelines for seminar papers:
- Introduction to the company
- Description of the work (main section)
- Conclusion/Summary
In addition, an internship confirmation or an internship certificate must be submitted . Starting in the Summer Semester 2026, a declaration of originality (form available in the download section) must also be provided, confirming that the internship report was written without the use of AI.
The internship must be completed during the master’s program, but may also take place between the bachelor’s and master’s programs. Prerequisite: The final bachelor’s exam must already have been completed. Appropriate proof must be provided if necessary.
Notes:
- AIDAHO modules cannot be credited as ungraded coursework.
- Starting in the Winter Semester 2024/2025, a third specialized seminar in the free elective area may be credited toward the Management.
Once you have completed all required coursework for the Master’s Portfolio Module, register via HohCampus for either the graded Master’s Portfolio Module or the ungraded Master’s Portfolio Module. You must register during the semester in which you submit your coursework.
Make sure you register for the correct Master’s Portfolio Module: Students in the Wiwi programs should register for the Wiwi Master’s Portfolio Module, and students in the Communication Management and Analysis program should register for the Kowi Master’s Portfolio Module! If you encounter any difficulties with registration, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
Registration is binding and cannot be canceled! 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 have the coursework completed as part of the Master’s Portfolio Module credited, please fill out the appropriate form in the Download section and submit it via email along with the transcripts for all courses to be credited (see below for contact information). Students in the Economics with Data Science program should contact hme@uni-hohenheim.de to have their coursework credited.
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. Although the same language course may be taken again, it will not be credited a second time.
- Please refer to the grading tables for F.I.T. courses and language courses when reporting the ECTS credits you have earned.
- 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.
- However, coursework can only be credited once. If you have already had coursework credited toward your Bachelor’s degree, you cannot have it credited again as part of the Master’s Portfolio Module.
| 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” |
Contact Person for Economics Programs
Bettina Scheuing | anerkennung-wiso(at)uni-hohenheim.de
Zoom office hours on Thursdays between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. or by appointment
Contact Person for Communication Management and Analysis
Agatha Maisch | agatha.maisch(at)uni-hohenheim.de
Course Recognition for Communication Management and Analysis free elective area
Sabine Burkhardt | sabine.burkhardt(at)uni-hohenheim.de