GSBS Participants

This page informs you as a PhD student enrolled at the GSBS how you can get komex courses recognized through ECTS points for your PhD studies under the GSBS study and examination regulations. The rules and processes described below only apply for komex courses attended in 2026 or later.

Since 2026, PhD students enrolled at the GSBS can get ECTS credits for making komex courses count as an internal GSBS coursee that is granted a fixed amount of 6 ECTS according to § 3 Abs. 4 b) of the GSBS study and examination regulations under the following conditions:

1. GSBS students combine different komex courses into at least 6 ECTS – this must include 1 main course (4 ECTS) with a written assignment. These ECTS can be accumulated over several years / komex editions.
2. A course on the same method is not already offered in the regular GSBS curriculum.
3. The first supervisor has agreed.
4. At least one instructor of the main course is at least assistant professor (prüfungsberechtigt).

Please note that for administrative reasons and to avoid confusion, we will only issue ECTS certificates to all GSBS students (irrespective of their department) once they have accumulated 6 (or more) ECTS. This will usually be accumulated over more than one komex edition. We will not automatically issue ECTS certificates to GSBS students before they have reached a total of 6 or more ECTS. Once they do have, they will receive 1 certificate over 6 ECTS from komex which they can take to the GSBS secretariat who will register it for them.

What Foes This Mean for GSBS Student?

1. When completing a komex course, you will receive a certificate of attendance, but not automatically an ECTS certificate. Certificates of attendance cannot be used to request ECTS recognition.
2. To avoid the doubling of administrative processes, do not separately reach out to the GSBS secretariat for recognizing komex courses (but see point 6).
3. Instead, wait until you have accumulated 6 or more ECTS via komex for obtaining ECTS credits for your GSBS studies (but see point 6) below).
4. We will send you a web form where you can indicate the ECTS you want to get recognized once you have accumulated them. komex will not automatically take action to issue you a ECTS certificate if you have not filled in this web form. It will also not take action if you have filled out the web form before having obtained at least 6 ECTS. If you seek separate recognition of ECTS points not under the process described here, see point 6).
5. Do not fill in the web form before you have accumulated 6 ECTS.
6. Courses attended before 2026 cannot be included under these rules (the rules applied by the GSBS previously apply—komex cannot advise).
7. That said, GSBS students can always obtain ECTS from komex without being recognized as an internal course under § 3 Abs. 4 b). Other possibilities may include recognition as equivalent external assignment under §5 Abs 5, or as research colloquium/ seminar §3 Abs. 4c of the GSBS study and examination regulations—but this is entirely at the discretion of the GSBS, and komex cannot guarantee recognition.  Students could do this instead of the process described above; or they can do this for the “excess” ECTS that exceed 6 (or 12, or 18) ECTS points that they have accumulated with komex. If they need separate ECTS certificates (below or above 6 ECTS) for attended komex courses, they will need to request them explicitly at the komex office. To avoid administrative overload, please do this only if you need these ECTS point for your GSBS studies.

Illustration Using a Fictional Example of GSBS Students “Asya” and “Finn”

Asya attended one short ekomex course and one main ekomex course in 2026, and another compact komex course in 2027. In so doing she has accumulated 7 ECTS through komex, of which 1 through a main course that complies with conditions 1-4 listed above:

• Short course = 1 ECTS
• Compact course = 2 ECTS
• Main course = 4 ECTS

After komex 2026, Asya will receive a certificate of attendance for the short and main courses, but no ECTS certificate. She takes no further action. After komex 2027, she will also receive a certificate of attendance only for the compact course. Alongside all other GSBS students, Asya will be sent an email by the komex office asking her to indicate, in a designated web form, the komex courses she wants to be recognized as internal GSBS course. The sum of ECTS from these courses must be at least 6 ECTS but can also exceed it. Asya indicates she wants recognition for the main and compact course—in her case, the sum is exactly 6. The komex office sends her an ECTS certificate over 6 ECTS for these two courses. Asya takes this certificate to the GSBS office which will register it as GSBS course under § 3 Abs. 4 b) of the GSBS study and examination regulations.

Now, Asya could also reach out to the komex office to request another ECTS certificate for the short course she completed. However, she decides not to do so since she does not need this ECTS point for her GSBS studies.

Asya’s colleague, Finn, has attended two komex main courses, one in 2026, one in 2027. Like Asya, he can indicate the two courses for recognition through the web form sent in 2027. He will be given an ECTS certificate over 6 ECTS by the komex office. Since he separately wants to also add the remaining 2 ECTS to his GSBS record, he reaches out to actively request an ECTS certificate over 2 ECTS with the komex office. After obtaining it, he reaches out to the GSBS office and his supervisor to inquire whether he can obtain recognition for the PhD studies under either  §5 Abs 5, or §3 Abs. 4c of the GSBS study and examination regulations.

GSBS Process Summary