Studying in the ConREM programme:

• Is it mandatory to study two semesters in Helsinki and two in Berlin?
• Which platforms should I use during my ConREM studies?
• What happens if I fail one of my module examinations?
• Can I take directly the second module examination date without going to the first attempt within one examination period?

Master`s Thesis:

• What has to be considered for the Master’s thesis and Final Oral Examination?
• How do I register for my Master’s thesis?
• Till when I have to submit my Master`s Thesis?
• Can I extend the deadline to hand-in my Master`s Thesis?
• Can I extend/repeat my ConREM Master`s Thesis like in other master programmes? 
• Can I write my Master`s Thesis/research proposal as a piece of a group work?
• How can I find supervisors for my Master`s Thesis?
• Can I write my Master’s thesis with a company?
• Can my external supervisor be my first supervisor?
• What happens considering my Master`s Thesis if I fail one of my module examinations?
• Do I have to submit my Master`s thesis till the fixed submission date, if I have failed a module examination?
• Do I have to submit my Master`s thesis till the fixed submission date, if I have taken a semester break?
• Do I have to submit my Master`s thesis till the fixed submission date, if I got ill during the Master`s thesis period?
• How long do I have to wait for the result of my thesis?

Final Oral Examination (Colloquium):

• When and where will the Final Oral Examination (Colloquium) take place?
• What will happen in my Final Oral Examination?
• Can I fail the Final Oral Examination?
• Who issues my Master’s degree certificate?

Studying ConREM includes two semesters studying in Helsinki and two in Berlin. This is mandatory as each module is provided at only one of the two universities and is consequently depended on the study location.

The following page contains a collection of useful links to provide a good overview of the available study platforms and university facilities at the Metropolia UAS, Helsinki as well as at the HTW Berlin. Please note, ConREM students can also use the HTW Berlin facilities during their 1. semester and 2. semester, that is spent at the Metropolia UAS.

For all module examinations, two examination date is provided per semester (one for the examination and one for a repeat examination), except at the cases of the 4 case study modules (only one examination date is set per semester). If you have participated within the first attempt, you will still have the option to repeat the exam in the same examination period. If you unluckily failed this attempt as well, then you still have the option to make a second repetition. However, this second repetition chance will be only given one year later in the next examination period. Consequently, it might happen, you will not be eligible to be invited to your Final Oral Examination in time. If the result of the second repeat examination is "Failed", you are considered to have irrevocably failed the ConREM study programme.

Yes, but if you fail the module examination at this second examination date, you will have to wait for the next examination period to repeat the exam, which occurs one year later. Consequently, it might happen, you will not be eligible to be invited to your Final Oral Examination in time.

Useful information about the thesis and final oral examination.

Choice of supervisors for the Master’s thesis: Theoretically students are free to choose their supervisors, subject to whether the topic fits with the professor’s / tutor’s field of study and workload. Contact them well in advance to discuss the thesis topic!

Length: The length of the thesis is 100 pages +/-10%. In individual cases it may differ because it is the content and not the number of pages which will be evaluated.

Date of the Final Oral Examination: Generally the Final Oral Examination takes place in Berlin on the last week of September. The exact date of the Final Oral Examination will be set individually by the supervisors after the Master’s thesis is handed in.

The official registration for the Master`s thesis occurs automatically at the beginning of the 2. Semester. For this indication, you will receive an e-mail on your HTW student account from the Faculty Administration (Mr. Frank Stoll). This e-mail is called the Provisional permission. In this document (E-mail), the fixed submission date (the day, when you must hand-in your Master`s Thesis) is also stated. However, you must also completely hand in the required documentation about your topic and supervisors to the Facility Administration in order to gain the so-called Official permission.Without the Official Permission, you cannot hand-in your Master`s Thesis.

The submission of the Master`s Thesis must occur latest till the fixed submission date, that is on the 1^st or on 2^nd week of July (4. Semester). The exact date of the fixed submission date is stated in the Provisional permission as well as in the Official permission. However, at every case the date stated in the Official permission is the legally binding one!

At very exceptional cases, you can hand in a request to the Examination Board to evaluate if you are eligible to extend the fixed submission date of your Master`s Thesis. However, even at the above-mentioned exceptional cases, the request can be rejected by the Examination Board.

Please note that, if you do not hand in your Master`s Thesis till the fixed submission date, it will be automatically graded with a "fail" (grade 5.0). At this case, you will have to repeat the Master`s Thesis on a completely new topic, without any delay. Moreover, this repetition will be your last chance to finish up your ConREM studies and to avoid the forced exmatriculation from the programme.

Generally, at the case of traditional Maser`s programmes, writing the Master`s Thesis takes only one semester, that is usually the last one. Within these traditional Master`s programme extensioning/repeating the thesis is generally allowed, as more repetition semesters are set for the Master`s Thesis due to its original 1 semester long nature.

On the contrary of these traditional programmes, the Master`s Thesis module in the ConREM programme is initially set already for three semesters. Therefore, there is only once chance left after not submitting your Master`s Thesis till the fixed submission date to finish up the ConREM programme!

Consequently, submitting your ConREM Master`s Thesis till the fixed submission date it very highly recommended. Not submitting your Master`s Thesis latest till the fixed submission date will be equivalent with a failed grade. After failing the Master`s Thesis, you will have to start and finish the Master`s Thesis on a completely new topic within a shorter amount of time. Meantime this repetition will be your last chance to finish up the ConREM program, as a second repetition is not permitted. Please be very careful with repeating the Master`s Thesis, as it can happen you underestimate the workload/expected level of the Master`s Thesis.

No. The Master's Thesis, consequently the research proposal must be completed as an individual work.

Choose a preferred topic/area for your Master`s Thesis and accordingly prepare an appropriate research proposal. If you have prepared an adequate research proposal, you can find accordingly interested professors or even an external company to support you with supervision.

The first supervision must be taken by a professor, who holds a full-time academic position either at the HTW Berlin or at the Metropolia UAS. In general, first supervisors can be found among the lecturers. Otherwise, to seek for suitable professors for your chosen topic, look up the professor’s publication/teaching area online.  The found research/teaching area will give you a good hint, if the professor will be interested in your chosen topic or not.  

To find suitable external supervision, look online for companies, who works on the same field, as your chosen topic. Please note that, companies are generally offering paid internship positions for master students who are working on their theses. It means that, by preparing an appropriate research proposal, you can also gain significant advantages to obtain a paid internship position! 

If you find a suitable professor, please try to contact with him or her to arrange a personal appointment along sending them ahead your prepared research proposal. At the case of companies, do the same but also send them your well-prepared CV.

Yes, we actually recommend doing so. Your supervisor at the company will take the place of the second supervisor and has to sign the necessary documents accordingly.

Unfortunately, no. By the ConREM study programme regulations, the external supervisor only can provide secondary supervision. Meantime, the first supervision only can be provided by a full-time academic member of the HTW Berlin or Metropolia UAS.

At this case you still have to continue to work on your Master`s Thesis and hand it in till the fixed submission date. Parallelly, the failed subject(s) must be repeated and passed successfully at the next possible occasion, namely one year later. Only if you have successfully passed the missing module(s), then your Master`s Thesis can be graded, according to the Study regulations of the ConREM programme, §15(10). If the grading of the Master`s Thesis is `pass`, then you will be invited for the Final Oral Examination.

Please note that, by the regulation, you only have 12 months to repeat and pass this module(s), after you have handed-in your Master`s Thesis. If you wait more than 12 months after the fixed submission date, then the Master’s Thesis will be considered as failed and you will have to repeat the Master`s Thesis itself too.

Yes. Please see the question, ` What happens considering my Master`s Thesis if I fail one of my subject examination? `

This decision is made by the Examination board case-by-case. Furthermore, please note that, the extension, if it is permitted, is never set for 1 semester (e.g. only for 2 weeks).

At this case, you will have to present a medical certificate with an official stamp from a doctor or medical officer and accordingly the fixed submission date might be extended by the Examination Board. Please note that, even at the case of presenting the required documents, the Examination Board has the right to reject your request. For more information please see the section of Extension and Exceptional cases.

If you have followed the standard study period, till the first week of September you will receive the invitation for the Final Oral Examination, that indicates you have passed the Master`s Thesis.

At the case of an extended submission date, the supervisors have 3 months to grade your Master`s Thesis.

If you have followed the standard study period and successfully passed the Master's thesis, the Final Oral Examination will take place at every case in the last week of September in Berlin.

At the case of an extended submission date, the Final Oral Examination shall occur 3 months after the Master`s Thesis submission. 

Admittance to the Master’s Final Oral Examination — the presentation of your Master’s thesis — will be granted upon successful completion of the Master’s thesis and 90 ECTS credits of the ConREM programme. The Master’s oral examination is performed in front of an Examination Panel. Members of the Examination Panel are the supervisors of the Master’s thesis and a chairperson, if necessary. For further information about it, please see the "Detailed description of the Final Oral Examination" document.

The Master’s Final Oral Examination is based on the content of your Master’s Thesis and places this within the context of the ConREM programme. In this oral examination you should be able to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the subject area covered by your Master’s Thesis. In discussions with members of the Examination Panel, you should show that you are able to present conclusions and results for complex issues in a limited time. You will defend your argumentation against critical scrutiny and answer questions relating to your programme of study within the field of ConREM. The presentation will not exceed 60 minutes.

Yes. In this case, you will have to repeat the Final Oral Examination on a later occurring time.

The certificate will be issued by HTW Berlin. The certificate will state the title of the study programme and indicate that ConREM is conducted in co-operation with Metropolia UAS, Helsinki. If you can provide proof of more than two years of professional experience, you will be awarded a German-Finnish degree title. If you have less professional experience than this, you will only be awarded a degree title from HTW Berlin.