Glossary: Study abroad in Germany

Academic System in Germany:

• conventional universities with wide range of subjects and research-oriented
• universities of applied sciences with practical orientation
• art and music colleges

Academic year:

• consists of two semesters: winter semester (“WiSe”) and summer semester (“SoSe”)
• winter semester: from October until the end of March
• summer semester: from April until the end of September

Admission/Qualification:

• recognised school leaving certificate is required
• it has to be proven that the qualification is equivalent to a German higher education entrance qualification

Admission requirements:

• each (international) study programme has its own admission requirements
• mostly available on the webpage of the study programme
• additional documents are e.g. English/German language certificate, professional prior knowledge, APS certificate, GRE score, ...

Assignment:

• depends on course type
• lecture: written exam, oral exam, exercise/intermediate exam, tutorial/exercise
• seminar: presentation, term paper, essay/exercise, written exam

Bachelor’s degree:

• also: first study cycle
• first degree that qualifies for a profession
• e.g. Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)

Bank account:

• having a German bank account is useful to handle regular payments, e.g. rent, insurance in an uncomplicated way
• most banks offer free accounts for students without tuitions
• paying in cash is still popular in Germany
• ATM machines are specific for different banks in order to withdraw money

Central Examination Office:

• is in charge of the administration of final theses
• makes out the degree certificate

Communication, Information, Media Centre (KIM):

• central provider for IT and library services
• in charge for your university e-mail address
• assists you with setting up WiFi connection to campus network

Courses:

• different course types with various assessments
• lecture: teaching in large groups accompanied by homework assignments and tutorials
• seminar: student-centred teaching in smaller groups
• practical course: self-directed lab work

Departmental Examination Office:

• is in charge of allocating your courses and credits
• offers support when you have problems with course/examination registration

Departmental student advisor:

• is in charge of answering subject-specific questions regarding study organisation
• helps with course selection at the beginning of the semester
• offers subject specific information meetings and regular office hours (also online)
• gives support in different fields and helps students to complete their study programme successfully

Departmental student organisation:

• elected student representation for a subject
• may help with issues regarding daily business at university or questions about certain courses or inside knowledge about professors

Doctoral degree:

• also: third study cycle
• involves the completion of a dissertation (research paper) and concludes with the conferral of a doctoral degree

Enrolment:

• after having received the official admission letter, it is necessary to get enrolled/matriculated
• additional documents are needed, e.g. proof of health insurance, passport or ID, original academic qualification documents

Fees:

• non-EU students have to pay 1,500€ per semester when studying at a university in Baden-Württemberg

Funding:

• when applying for a visa, a proof of funding is necessary
• mostly provided in form of having sufficient funds in a blocked account
• possible sources of funding: parents, personal earnings, savings, scholarship

Faculty of Sciences:

• one of the three faculties at the University of Konstanz
• consists of six departments: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics, Psychology
• is highly research orientated

Holidays:

• on public holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, Day of German Unity (3 October), shops are closed and public transport has special schedules
• there are nine nationwide public holidays in Germany and additional public holidays in some federal states

Housing:

• most of German universities have halls of residence that are affordable and popular for international students
• flat sharing is popular among students in Germany; through sharing a place with others, money can be saved and friends can be made quickly
• short term accommodation are often rooms with furniture in homes or shared flats which are available for a short time period, e.g. between 2 and 6 months
• small flats are comparatively expensive and are often rented unfurnished and without kitchen

Insurance:

• everyone who lives in Germany must have a healthcare insurance
• students need to take the statutory health insurance cover (“Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung”/”GKV”) with a monthly contribution of around 100€
• in case of illness costs of examination and treatment are covered as well as certain medicine and therapies

International Office:

• most important contact point for international students
• is in charge of assisting international students with: formalities, visas, residence in Germany, health insurance, bank account
• organises orientation programmes and language courses for international students before lectures start
• offers organised leisure time activities during the week and also on weekends

Internship:

• good opportunity to gain practical working experience
• counts as proper job even if it is unpaid
• in some study programmes an internship is a compulsory part of the curriculum

Language:

• it is helpful for everyday life to have a basic knowledge of German, e.g. at grocery stores, doctor, restaurants
• universities often offer intensive language courses before the start of the semester or during the semester, especially for international students

Language Institute:

• offers wide range of language courses
• offers German language courses on different levels for international students

Master’s degree:

• also: second study cycle
• either consecutive to bachelor’s degree or continuing education courses
• e.g. Master of Arts (M.A.) or Master of Science (M.Sc.)

Matriculation number:

• every student who is enrolled gets one
• identification code in the online service ZEuS
• should always be mentioned when contacting, e.g. student advisor, examination office

Money/Paying:

• paying in cash is still very popular in Germany
• in small shops, at markets or at the bakery it is often only possible to pay in cash

Part-time jobs:

• maximum of 20 hours per week during lecture period is allowed in order to keep student status
• working as a research or student assistant at university may be close related to your subject area
• student assistant jobs are published at university job portals or in newsletters; talking directly to professors or his*her secretary is also possible
• international students from a third country are only allowed to work 120 days per year without the permission of the immigration office

Public transport:

• there is the Konstanz city bus “Der rote Arnold” which has a bus stop directly on campus
• an affordable semester ticket (Studi-Ticket) is available
• there are relatively cheap rental bikes at the university for enrolled students
• Konstanz rental bike “Konrad” is available on campus and at several points throughout the city
• e-scooters of various providers are available all over the city and also on campus

Registration:

• as international student you have to register your German address at the resident’s registration office within two weeks
• you have to register at the foreigners’ registration office to get your residence permit

(Course) Registration:

• course registration is possible via ZEuS and it has to be done during the course registration period
• examination registration is possible via ZEuS and is obligatory for study achievements with credits
• course and examination registration are separate processes

Sports:

• Germany’s sports scene is popular for a wide range of sports clubs and associations
• most universities have an own sports associations
• they offer a lot of different sport activities with reduced course contributions for students

Student ID:

• contains the official university e-mail address
• allows to eat cheaply at the student canteen and to lend books in the library of the university
• reduced prices at public institution, e.g. swimming pool, cinema, museum

Student Service Centre (SSZ):

• assists you with all study-related formalities
• is in charge for: matriculation, exmatriculation, tuition fees, student ID card, enrolment certificates
• offers information events regarding different topics

Study regulations:

• legally binding document which covers all the regulations of the study programme
• include overview of the curriculum and information about, e.g. modules, credits, thesis regulations

Taxes:

• when you are employed for a mini-job where you earn 520€ per month you do not have to pay taxes

Visa:

• citizens from non-EEA countries without residence permit need a student visa to enter Germany
• for studying in Germany a residence permit is needed
• after having receiced the official admission letter you can apply for the visa
• it is useful to apply for a student application visa before having been admitted to university

Waste separation:

• waste separation schemes all over Germany is a contribution to protecting the environment
• separation for: glass, paper, organic waste, packaging, deposit system on bottles and cans

WiFi:

• is available on campus, in student halls of residence and shared flats
• free public WiFi is available in some cafés and bars
• public WiFi in cities is often not established or good