STUDY
Students on continuing education programmes have the option of applying for recognition of professional and non-professional competences in lieu of certain examinations or coursework (validation). This means that if you have completed initial, further or continuing education or have gained informal or formal learning from your private or professional life that matches the profile of your degree programme, you may be able to have this prior learning recognised in lieu of examinations or coursework under certain conditions. Recognition is based on a validation procedure.
Which learning outcomes are eligible for validation?
You can have learning outcomes that you have acquired through professional and non-professional activities as well as training recognised in lieu of certain examinations or coursework in your degree programme by means of validation.
Learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills and competences you possess upon completion of a particular learning process. The mode of acquisition is not relevant for validation, i.e. learning outcomes can also have been acquired through non-formal and informal learning. This includes, for instance, learning processes in the context of vocational and non-vocational education, further education or training, as well as in everyday life, at work or during leisure time.
Please note! Separate guidelines apply to the recognition of examinations or coursework completed at a recognised post-secondary educational institution (e.g., university, teacher training college, university of applied sciences) or at an AHS/BHS, and the relevant contact point is the respective office responsible for the programme. Further information is available on the web page Recognition of Examinations.
Who can apply for validation?
According to Part B, Section 15a of the University Statute, validation of learning outcomes is only possible for students on continuing education programmes. Information on whether validation is possible for your chosen continuing education programme can be found in the Fact Box of the respective programme information website.
Overview of all continuing education programmes currently offered
What is the procedure for applying for validation?
The validation procedure at the University of Klagenfurt involves the following steps:
Schematic sequence of the validation procedure
For more information on the individual steps of the procedure and assistance in completing the application, please refer to the Validation Guide for Students (German only).
A brief overview is provided below:
Step 1: Before you can submit an application for validation, you must attend a mandatory consultation and information interview with the Validation Service Point. To arrange an appointment, please e-mail us at: validierung [at] aau [dot] at.
Steps 2 and 3: The validation application serves to document the competences that are relevant for recognition. You must complete it and e-mail it to validierung [at] aau [dot] at together with the relevant documents.
Step 4: As part of the formal review, we check whether the formal requirements for recognition have been met and whether all relevant documents have been submitted. The review of the content is carried out by a panel consisting of the programme director and an expert on the basis of the validation application, the supporting documents and the validation interview.
Step 5: Following the review of the content, an expert report is prepared, which serves as the basis for a decision regarding recognition.
Step 6: The decision regarding recognition is made by means of an official notification. Recognised examinations or coursework are indicated on the certificate as ‘recognised’, including the number of ECTS credits allocated to the relevant examination or other coursework in the curriculum.
How are learning outcomes validated?
A validation procedure is used to check whether there are significant differences between the acquired learning outcomes and the intended learning outcomes of the examination or coursework in lieu of which which recognition is sought. Where no significant differences are identified in the course of the procedure, recognition is granted.
Legal sources and useful links
Legal sources
The legal basis for the validation of learning outcomes is set out in Section 78 (3) of the Austrian Universities Act (UG). At the University of Klagenfurt, the option to carry out validation procedures is defined in Part B, Section 15a of the University Statute.
Useful links
The most important terms in the context of the topic of validation (e.g., formal, non-formal and informal learning) are explained in the glossary compiled by the AQ Austria (Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria) (German only) and in the glossary Validation guidelines for students (German only).
Application documents
Contact
For general questions about validations and queries about the process, please contact the Validation Service Point at the Office of Academic Affairs:
Contact: Mag. Dr. Helga Pirolt
Phone: +43 463 2700 3004
E-mail: validierung [at] aau [dot] at
Room: Z.1.07a main building, central wing, level 1
If you have questions regarding specific prior learning in terms of content, please contact the office responsible for managing your programme or the respective programme director.
