General electives (AWPF)

Course Catalogue Winter Semester 2026/27

On this page you will find all the necessary information on theenrollment process for the general electives at the Schweinfurt andWürzburg campuses.

GeneralInformation
ApplicationProcedure
Explanations
Languages
Subjectswith special admission processes

Information on general electives (AWPF)

1. All bachelor’s programmes offered by THWS include onegeneral elective module (AWPM) with 4 credit hours per week (= SWS),which corresponds to 5 ECTS credits. One AWPM usually consists oftwo general elective courses (AWPF with 2 SWS or 2.5 ECTS creditseach). At German universities, the abbreviation “SWS” means“weekly hours per semester” and is used to state the time perweek you will spend in class for any type of course. So, if theduration is “1 SWS”, it means that the course’s weeklyduration is 45 minutes in every week of the entire lecture period ofa semester. For intensive courses or block courses, the approximatecourse time in minutes is calculated from the number of weeks of thelecture period multiplied by the number of SWS of the respectivecourse.
   However, students must take into account therequirements of their respective study and examination regulations(SPO).
   Important: Please make sure to meet the standarddeadlines for passing the General Electives module according to §§36 and 39 of the General Examination Regulations (APO THWS).
   SomeAWPF are blocked for certain degree programmes.This can be seen fromthe respective blocking notices in the online course catalogue.

2. Students may also choose courses offered by VirtuelleHochschule Bayern (VHB), which are listed in the AWPF catalogue ofTHWS as “VHB courses” at our online student portal or at our FANG website, provided that your study programme has not placed a restriction on these courses. Please check the student portal to see if the course is available to you. These courses too will earn students 2SWS or 2.5 ECTS credits. Other vhb courses cannot generally be considered as general electives, only on request. Please check for acceptance with our examination board before enrolling the course: Würzburg students please contact dekanat.fang-wue[at]thws.de, Schweinfurt students please contact dekanat.fang-sw[at]thws.de. The information on individual courses on the vhb website regarding recognizing universities and the use in degree programs are guidelines and are not binding. Some of the vhb examinations will take place at the universities originally offering the course. This means that some examinations will not take place at the THWS.

3. Exams usually take place one week before the generalexamination period and are conducted as written exams with aduration of 90 minutes. Deviating types of examination are indicatedin the course catalogue. Presentations must be handed in inwriting.
   Since registration for the exam takes placeautomatically by registering for the AWPF, only students who haveduly registered can take the examination (see also: applicationprocedure).

4. Switching an AWPF after the registration period is onlypossible in specially justified and exceptional cases.

5. Each AWPF can be taken as an optional course (Wahlfach), asfar as there are places left after the drawing of places in the mainregistration procedure.

6. Foreign language AWPF:

   Please make sure to read the following exclusion criteriacarefully!
   Should your prior knowledge exceed the courserequirements, you will be removed from the course at the beginningof the course.

   Regarding native language or language of instruction atschool:
   Foreign language AWPF are only open to non-nativespeakers!
   If, for example, you are a Russian native speaker,you are not allowed to take a Russian language AWPF. This alsoapplies if your writing ability is low.
   If, for example, youwent to school in a country where the language of instruction wasFrench, you are not allowed to take the French language AWPF for thelevels A2/B1.

   Basic courses A1a:
   These courses are designed for studentswithout any prior knowledge of the language!

   Basic courses A1b:
   These courses are designed for studentseither having completed the A1a courses or for lateral entrants witha maximum of 2 years of prior knowledge of the language.
   If youhave prior knowledge of the language from 6 months to 1 year oflanguage learning, you can already take the A1b or A2 courses.
   Ifyou have prior knowledge from 2 years of language learning, werather recommend the courses for the level A2; however, you willalso be accepted in A1b courses.

   Basic courses A2a:
   These courses are designed for studentseither having completed the A1b courses or for lateral entrants witha maximum of 3 years of prior knowledge of the language.
   If youhave prior knowledge from 3 years of language learning, we ratherrecommend the courses for the levels A2/B1.

   Exceptions:
   Exceptions can only be made after personalconsultation and approval by full-time foreign language lecturers ofFANG (Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences and Humanities). Thisconsultation must take place BEFORE the registration for the AWPF.

AWPF Application Procedure

1. At THWS, the AWPF application procedure takes place as alottery; excepted from this are the courses in subject group“vhb”. This lottery is based on the requests you made online viahttps://studierendenportal.thws.de.

   • 1.1. - Each student can initiallyonly apply for one AWPF (a further AWPF can be selected during theperiod where vacant places can be reserved; see also no. 3). In theapplication form, you can choose up to four AWPF (1.-4. Wahl = 1stto 4th choice). If you select more than four AWPF, the selection isreset and you are back at selecting your first choice. During thelottery, the course marked as “1. Wahl” (1st choice) isconsidered first. If there are not enough places in the AWPF tofulfil all “1st choice”-requests, a lottery will decide whose“1st choice”-request is considered. For students whose"1stchoice"-request could not be considered, their "2ndchoice"-requests and, if necessary, the “3rd and 4thchoice”-requests will be used. Please note: For AWPF that aremarked as “Intensive Course” (Intensivkurs), a differentregistration procedure applies that is carried out later!

     1.2. - The time of application has no influence on the successin the lottery. During the application period you can change yourAWPF choices as you wish. Before making your final choices, pleasemake sure that the choices you make have been well considered aswell as no other obligations prevent your participation in thedesired AWPF. AWPF exams take place from 16th January 2027 through22nd January 2027 (exams are generally written during the usualcourse session; dates cannot be changed/postponed).

     1.3. - The results from the lottery can be viewed online in theonline student portal. Under "Meine Kurse" (my courses),you can check which of your requests was successful. If there is nocourse available, none of your requests was drawn in the course ofthe lottery. During the period where vacant places can be reserved,you will have the opportunity

     • to reserve a place in case none of your requests werefulfilled during the lottery;

     • to register for an additional AWPF;

     • to register for an AWPF as an optional course.

2. Information on the application period are available in theonlinestudent portal.
   During the application period, you canenter up to four AWPF requests (1.-4. Wahl = 1st to 4th choice);however, the lottery will draw only one of your choices, i.e. youwill be able to take the maximum of one course from the fouryou selected. Please note: Before making your final choices,please make sure that they have been well-considered and that noother obligations prevent participation in the desiredcourse.
   Attention! Only students who are properly enrolledor re-enrolled at THWS can take part in this applicationprocess.
   Attention! Master’s students are generallyexcluded from participating in the AWPF programme.
   Pleasenote: For AWPF that are marked as “Intensive Course”(Intensivkurs), a different registration procedure applies that iscarried out later! Information on the application period forIntensive Courses are available from the onlinestudent portal.

3. The results from the lottery are available in the onlinestudent portal about two hours after the application procedure wasclosed.
   There is no lottery for the registration for vacantplaces. Registration for vacant places takes place on a first come,first serve basis.

4. When the assignment process is closed, you can cancel yourregistration by an e-mail from your THWS student account:
   Forcancelling courses in Würzburg write to awpf.fang-wue[at]thws.de
   Forcancelling courses in Schweinfurt write to awpf.fang-sw[at]thws.de
   Thisprocedure also applies if you want to register for (again) vacantplaces.

5. Registration for courses offered by the Virtuelle HochschuleBayern (VHB) takes place exclusively online at www.vhb.org.Please note relevant information in the respective coursedescription.

6. AWPF courses start on
   
   Monday, 12th^thOctober 2026
   
   at the announced times and places.

   Please bear this information in mind! All information issubject to change!

   The electronic info-boards in THWS buildings usually displayonly the information relevant for the respective building.

7. If you realize later that you cannot attend an AWPF, pleasecancel the AWPF officially. Important: Cancellation per e-mail isonly accepted if sent from an THWS e-mail account, becauseonly these accounts can be clearly verified. Cancellation from othere-mail accounts will not be accepted.

8. Fully booked AWPF
   The maximum number of participants inan AWPF cannot be exceeded. To make optimum use of available seats,procedure is as follows: If you miss the first course sessionwithout prior excuse, you can be removed from the list ofparticipants. Excuses can be sent informally by e-mail to the dean’soffice of the respective course location:
   For courses inWürzburg write to dekanat.fang-wue[at]thws.de
   Forcourses in Schweinfurt write to dekanat.fang-sw[at]thws.de

9. All AWPF offered at our University can be taken by allproperly enrolled students, regardless of their study location(Würzburg or Schweinfurt).
   Please take into account any traveltime.

Explanations:

Abbreviations used:

Use the link below to view current course information displayed onthe electronic info-boards in the various THWS buildings.https://infoboard.thws.de

Only courses listed here are considered approved AWPF.Please also note the blocking notices! In the student portal, youwill see the courses already filtered by the applicable blockingnotices. So the courses you see there are the courses you canregister for.

Languages

Information regarding the levels of languagecourses

The language courses at the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences andHumanities (FANG) follow the CEFR, i.e. theCommonEuropean Framework of Reference for Languages. Course namesindicate the desired language level (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2).

For more information about the CEFR and possible self-assessment,pleasesee
http://www.goethe.de/Z/50/commeuro/303.htm
http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/LanguageSelfAssessmentGrid/de

We expressly ask you to make use of consultations at thebeginning of the semester or to arrange consultations:
Forinformation on the language offerings in Würzburg, please contactFrauProf. Dr. Hansen. Questions on the offerings for Spanish can beaddressed at FrauAkad. Direktorin Kreiner-Wegener.
Forinformation on the language offerings in Schweinfurt, please contactFrauAkad. Rätin Hellerich.

The following course levels are offered and lead to certificates:

Overview of desired levels:

A1 Can understand and use familiar everydayexpressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needsof a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can askand answer questions about personal details such as where he/shelives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in asimple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and isprepared to help.

A2 Can understand sentences and frequently usedexpressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. verybasic personal and family information, shopping, local geography,employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring asimple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routinematters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background,immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.

B1 Can understand the main points of clearstandard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work,school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arisewhilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Canproduce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or ofpersonal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes& ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations foropinions and plans.

B2 Can understand the main ideas of complex texton both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussionsin his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree offluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with nativespeakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produceclear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain aviewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantagesof various options.

C1 Can understand a wide range of demanding,longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herselffluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching forexpressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social,academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear,well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showingcontrolled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesivedevices.

C2 Can understand with ease virtually everythingheard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken andwritten sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherentpresentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluentlyand precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in morecomplex situations.

Language programme

The labour market increasingly demands qualified foreign languageskills. The Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences and Humanities meetsthis demand by continuously expanding and intensifying its foreignlanguage programme. In the context of general elective courses,students enrolled at THWS can acquire an extended qualification bysuccessful participation in course packages, which is confirmed by acertificate.

Basic language programme: UNIcert Basis®, I, II

• UNIcert® Basis: French, Spanish, Italian
  Target group:Participants without prior knowledge or lateral entrants afterconsultation (Prof. Dr. Maike Hansen) Course package includes: Threecourses with 2 credit hours per week (SWS) each, ungraded readingcomprehension exam and a short graded oral exam
  Contents: basicspeaking situations, textbook contents
  Stages: consecutive(Levels A1a, A1b, A2a)

• UNIcert® I: French, Spanish, Italian
  Target group:Participants without prior knowledge or lateral entrants afterconsultation (Prof. Dr. Maike Hansen) Course package includes: Fivecourses with 2 credit hours per week (SWS) each, graded oral exam inthe last course level
  Contents: basic speaking situations,textbook contents
  Stages: consecutive (Levels A1a, A1b, A2a,A2b, A2/ B1)

• UNIcert® II: French, Spanish
  Target group: Participantswith prior language knowledge at the level B1 or with UNIcert®I
  Course package includes: for lateral entrants twocourses with 2 credit hours per week (SWS) each (for B1 and B2) aswell as a graded oral exam Contents: current texts, speakingsituations, intercultural matters and more

For more information, please visit our UNIcert®pages:
https://fang.thws.de/fakultaet/awpf/unicertr/

Information on “VHB-Kurse”

VHB courses are offered by Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern.

Important: Only the courses of the Virtual University ofBavaria listed in the AWPF catalogue at THWS will be considered as ageneral elective. Other vhb courses cannot generally be considered as general electives, only on request. Please check for acceptance with our examination board before enrolling the course: Würzburg students please contact dekanat.fang-wue[at]thws.de, Schweinfurt students please contact dekanat.fang-sw[at]thws.de. The information on individual courses on the vhb website regarding recognizing universities and the use in degree programs are guidelines and are not binding.

Registration and information take place exclusively via.Some of the vhb examinations will take place at the universities originally offering the course. This means that some examinations will not take place at the THWS. Please submit your certificate of achievement after successfully completing the examination so that the grade can be recorded (dekanat.fang-wue[at]thws.de).For "Internetkompetenz" courses, the grades are transmitted directly from the vhb. Note: A VHB course corresponds to a general elective(especially regarding ECTS points and SWS, if not stated separatelyin the general elective program of the THWS).

Information on “Externes AWPF-Angebot”

This refers to an external course. Registration and information exclusively via the links provided in the course description.

Important: Only the courses listed in the AWPF catalogue at THWS will be considered as ageneral elective.