Term paper

See our Term Paper Guidelines.
Make sure to sign the declaration of independence for term papers (English or German version)

Exam

Lectures are completed with a written exam (90 minutes) or test (<90 minutes). The lecturer decides about his/her specific exam conditions. S/he will explain it at the beginning of the course. The written exam normally consists of questions directly referring to the lecture’s topics. We recommend attending the lectures regularly and always reading the basic texts. If you have understood issues within their contexts, you don’t have to learn by rote at the end of the semester.

Essay

Some lectures prefer three essays instead of a seminar paper. An essay examines a scientific question in a precise and ambitious form (about 5-8 pages). In contrast to a seminar paper, the essay is not a systematic and comprehensive handling of a topic but more a “lax”, but critical reflection. A good essay needs to raise an interesting question that has to be answered plausibly (question, thesis and topic). It also needs an argumentative structure.

The Harvard College Writing Center provides valuable strategies for essay writing.

Oral Exam

An oral exam takes about 20-30 minutes. The lecturer will explain his/her conditions at the beginning of the seminar. You either choose two or three topics from the seminar or you prepare a lecture about a topic of your choice and the lecturer will ask some additional questions. A good preparation is to hold a speech about your topic on your own or to your friends.

PowerPoint

Check here guidelines on how to prepare and conduct a power point presentation.

For information about how to write the master thesis, please see our Master Thesis Guidelines.

Make sure to sign the declaration of independence for the Master's thesis (English or German version)

This option is only possible if the professor teaches the same seminar in the following semester. If he is not offering it, you must wait until the seminar is offered again or choose another seminar to do from the beginning. It is important to consult the seminar professor about this possibility.

It is important to note that once a student has confirmed his/her topic with the lecturer and then decides to not submit it, it counts as a first attempt. This means you will be graded “insufficient (5,0)” or “fail” and the attempt will be counted against the maximum number of attempts!

If you have a good reason for not handing in your work before the deadline, please contact the examiner and/or the examination board immediately.

Here you can find important regulations and requirements

Please read all relevant information about plagiarism carefully.

Sample papers can be found on the Blackboard of the FU Berlin. The selection is meant to give students an orientation in writing their own seminar papers (semesters 1 & 2), research reports (semester 3), and master's thesis (semester 4). Access: Follow the link to Blackboard, login, go to "Community", search for the organization Master "Sociology - European Societies" (just search for "sociology"), and become a member. In this organization, there is a separate area "Sample Papers".

Typically, there may be no formal registration process in general, but you might encounter specific requirements. For certain written exams, some professors may request you to send an email with personal information and an expression of intent to take the exam; they will inform you beforehand.

If you do not pass the exam of one of the mandatory lectures, you can have the second attempt at the second offered date (usually end of March/start of April). If you fail again, you will be required to reattempt the exam in the next academic year, as these lectures are typically conducted annually. 

The outcome varies based on whether the professors plan to offer the same course in the upcoming semesters. In such instances, you may have the option to submit an alternative paper instead of repeating the entire seminar. However, if the professor is not offering the course anymore, you may need to start a new seminar from the beginning.

Yes. You must sign a declaration of independence

- for term papers (English or German version)
- for the Master's thesis (English or German version)

Yes, students can opt to take exams of the lectures in the following year without providing a reason. However, it's recommended to re-register for the course through Campus Management to access updated materials. There's no separate evaluation for active participation apart from passing the exam.

No, students don't need to retake the entire course or participate again if they plan to take the exam in the following year. They can simply register for the course (and thus the exam) through Campus Management and appear for the exam during the designated period. Please note that content may change, so accessing updated materials is advisable.

Written exams:

We currently offer non-binding examinations for written exams. This means that the dates for written exams are not binding and students can withdraw from a written exam without facing any consequences*. Nevertheless, we would ask you to please fill out this form and send it to the Study Office (studienbuero@polsoz.fu-berlin.de) if you wish to withdraw from an examination.

You can then choose to take the exam at the second optional date (there is normally a first optional date in February and a second optional date at the beginning of April).

*Please note: as soon as you are being handed the written exam, the examination is considered as having started. If you hand in an empty sheet, your exam will be graded "insufficient (5,0)" and the attempt will be counted against the maximum number of attempts.

Term papers and oral exams:

For these types of module examinations, students must register in writing (e.g., by email) by a specific date to be determined by the instructor. Once registered and once you have been assigned the topic of your term paper, the examination is considered to have started.

Therefore, if you fall ill and are unable to take an upcoming module examination (i.e. attend an oral exam or submit a term paper by a due date), you must submit a medical certificate to the instructor or the office of the Institute immediately and as soon as possible before the start of the module examination. The exam will then be considered as not taken and no attempt will be counted.

For information on your options to extend the processing time of your MA thesis, please refer to the website of the departmet's Examination Office (English text at the bottom).

According to information from the legal department, a reasonable limit for extensions due to acute illness is a maximum of half the regular processing time plus one day.

If the illness persists beyond this period, the Institute's examination board may demand that the exam will be retaken or recommend complete withdrawal from the exam attempt without consequences for valid reasons (in which case the exam is considered to be not taken and no attempt will be counted).

Disadvantage compensations are intended to ensure that students with special needs can participate in their studies on an equal basis. They have the opportunity to apply for individually tailored study and examination conditions that take their specific situation into account.

Who is allowed to apply for a disadvantage compensation?

According to § 11 of the Framework Study and Examination Regulations (Rahmenstudien- und Prüfungsordnung), this includes students who "... can credibly demonstrate by means of a medical certificate that they are unable to complete an assessment in whole or in part in the prescribed form or within the prescribed time due to disabilities within the meaning of Section 2 (1) SGB IX or due to long-term or permanent health impairments."

When do I have to apply?

Applications must be submitted as early as possible (e.g., at the beginning of your studies or semester), but no later than eight weeks before the exam.

How to apply?

1. The application must be submitted to the examination board of the core subject and to the relevant examination office. A sample application form is available for this purpose.
2. In addition, a current medical certificate/report must be provided to demonstrate the impact of the existing disability or impairment on the student's studies and/or examinations. Such a medical certificate/report should include at least the following:
   
   • Explanation of the individual symptoms and their specific effects, including concentration, time management, and stress management 
   • Specific effects on studies (e.g., problems with taking exams under time pressure, difficulties in structuring learning content)
3. In addition, it is recommended (not obligatory) to seek advice from the Office for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses at Freie Universität Berlin. A letter of recommendation from this counseling center may be attached to the application.

The chair of the examination board will review the application in detail and determine the appropriate compensation for disadvantages. You will receive written notification of the decision by email (communication will take place exclusively via your FU email address).