Abstract: In a method and magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus for automatic selection of at least one scan program for a MR examination of a patient, at least one item of patient-specific information and/or at least one item of examination-specific information for the examination is provided as an input to a computer. Multiple available scan programs are made accessible to the computer. The computer is programmed to execute a self-learning algorithm, with the at least one item of information as an input to the self-learning algorithm, in order to automatically select the at least one scan program for the magnetic resonance examination from among the set of available scan programs. The computer then makes an electronic representation or designation of the at least one scan program that was the result of executing the self-learning algorithm available as an output from the computer.