The information on this page is only a short summary and subject to correction. No liability is assumed.
Please also visit the German central website, your department's website and theExamination Office page.
Read all the information carefully.
It is essential that you understand the explanations properly. Ask for help if you do not – the regulations are really important!
All regular courses (lectures, labs, language courses) begin as planned on the Tuesday after the Information Day.
You simply need to be in the right place at the right time (see next items).
At Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, we always talk about first, second, third hour, etc. instead of saying from 8 am to 9.30 am, for example. The table on this page shows this time pattern, which applies for all degree programmes except for Communication Design (bachelor and master).
You will notice that the 3rd hour differs among departments and alternates between winter and summer. The reason is to prevent the canteen from becoming too crowded. So if you have any courses in the 3rd hour, make sure that you’re there on time.
The current timetables for your degree programme are available on the central site: Stundenpläne
Once you have identified your programme and semester on the table (all abbreviations are listed under Glossary), you can generate a personalised timetable. The features (searching, printing, etc.) are explained here.
As an exchange student, you’ll probably attend courses from different semesters. In this case, you can consult Alle Fächer to find the courses on your Learning Agreement.
You should familiarise yourself with the venues as soon as possible.
The different buildings are designated by one letter each. The room numbers identify the floor first, as you know from hotels: S014 stands for building S, ground floor, room 14; H1008 stands for building H, 10th floor, room 8.
The room numbers can identify lecture rooms, laboratories, offices, etc.
Professors and lecturers are frequently identified through the use of abridged names on lists and tables. You can usually see their complete names either on the same page or on the department's website; this will also provide you with the right contact partner for different areas (head of department, institute director, basic cycle advisor, etc.).
Professors and some other teaching staff are university members. They have their offices and consultation hours on campus. Additionally, numerous experts from outside the university also offer courses. These lecturers are only available immediately before and after their teaching hours. Generally, they are not available for supervising final theses.
In some courses, e.g. lab practical hours and German language courses, attendance is compulsory.
If you have signed up for a seminar or special activity, you are expected to participate.
As for lectures, you can decide yourself whether to attend them or not. Nonetheless, it is highly recommendable to do so. It is extremely difficult to pass the courses through self-study only.
You are free to attend courses from different semesters or even degree programmes if it is approved by your coordinator and vacancies are available. When attending a course not related to your regular programme, it’s always wise to briefly introduce yourself to the lecturer, e.g. as an Erasmus+ student.
You must sign up for every exam you plan to take.
Some registrations occur automatically, e.g. for mandatory subjects in your semester. In these cases, you do not need to register, but if you decide not to take one of those exams, you will need to cancel the respective registration – otherwise, your absence will still count as a failed attempt.
For other exams, e.g. electives, you will need to take care of the registration yourself.
Registration and cancellation are possible online on the POS platform.
You might not find an exam on the POS plattform. This can happen if you want to take the exam in a course that is not part of your degree programme, as it is often the case for exchange students. In this case you must register at the Examination Office by filling in the corresponding form.
On the POS platform you will also find all the results, and you can generate your own report as a printable pdf.
Exams are only taken once per semester. Should you fail one subject, you have to resit the exam in a following semester.
You have up to three attempts in total to pass an exam. In some cases you can hand in a Härtefallantrag and apply for a further – and last – attempt. For that you need to consult the responsible person in your department.
If you fail again, you must choose a different subject (if it is an elective) or change your speciality (if it is a compulsory subject). The worst case scenario would be that you lose the right to sit the examination entirely, which means that you are not allowed to repeat this examination at any other university nationwide.
We really hope you will never see yourself in such a situation. Long before that danger arises, look for advice while there is still time: in your department, at the International Office or at the Examination Office.
It is extremely important to reregister for the following semester. This procedure is called Rückmeldung and the registration opens at the end of the current semester for several weeks. You can then pay your semester fees and receive your certification of enrolment in the post.
After the deadline closes, you still can register for the next semester but you will need to pay an additional fee.
Should you not register at all, after a while an automatic Exmatrikulation occurs, i.e. you would no longer be a student at Mannheim University of Applied Sciences and will have to accept all the consequences.
Find the current fees and all the necessary information for the payment here.
The POS platform is your online access to all academic affairs.
You can also see your grades there, as well as register for exams and for the next semester, print reports, and much more.
Depending on which degree programme you are enrolled in, you can obtain credits for language courses regardless of whether foreign languages are mandatory or not. The same applies for exchange students: some home institutions transfer credits for language courses, others do not.
If you’re reading this international website, you’re probably not a German native speaker. That’s why we’d like to recommend that you attend German language courses, even if you already earned your certificate of proficiency, or if you are not required to do so.
For advanced students, special courses in German for academic purposes (DaZ) are offered. To participate simply contact the German coordinator.
You can of course improve your knowledge in other foreign languages or learn a new one. You should just be careful that this does not interfere with your progress in German or is counterproductive.
All degree programmes include a mandatory internship semester (Praxissemester or short PS). According to the schedule, it takes place during the 5th semester, but under certain circumstances it may be better to postpone it. It is intended to provide practical project work in a company, a non-educational institution or a partner university abroad. The minimum duration is 100 working days.
Information about deadlines, requirements, reports, etc. is available at the Internship Office in your department.
A different kind of internship – an additional or shorter one, not to be acknowledged as PS or for an exchange student – is possible, but you and the company must be aware that you are applying for a freiwilliges Praktikum (voluntary) and not a Pflichtpraktikum (mandatory). This is because the conditions, payment, legal status, etc. are completely different, especially if you come from a country outside the European Union.
The 100-day internship is not the only component of the mandatory practical semester. To obtain full recognition, you need to attend two block courses (Blockveranstaltungen or short BV). These consist of 25 teaching hours each, usually during a single week, and deal mostly with soft skills.
The departments define catalogues of block courses for their students. The Career Center and the Language Center also offer suitable courses which are acknowledged by each department to a different extent. Please firstly find out which courses apply for your degree programme before signing up for any block course.
As an international student, the primary purpose of studying in Germany is to gain experience within this new cultural environment.
If you, nonetheless, decide to spend a semester abroad (studies, internship or thesis), we recommend that you definitely choose a country that is not your home country and or a place where your mother tongue is spoken. For instance, if you come from Brazil you should not got to Portugal, and if you attended a French-speaking school you should resist the temptation of going to France.
By the way, Austria or Switzerland are quite different from Germany and very interesting!
Wherever you go, always try to make the best of your international experience.
Usually you will write your final thesis during your last semester.
You can carry out the research project for your thesis in a company or at a university, in Germany or abroad. You should start applying in time, especially if you plan to go abroad.
Wherever you develop your project, you will need an academic supervisor from Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, usually from your department or a related institute. You should never sign a contract with a company before receiving final confirmation that your supervisor will actually take you on.
As soon as your company, subject and supervisor are fixed, you have to register the thesis with the Examination Office. After that, the clock starts ticking. The time period to complete a bachelor’s thesis is four months, and six months for a master’s thesis.
You’ll need to hand in a printed version (cover sheet and binding can be made in the inhouse printing office). After that, the supervisor will fix a date for the oral defence. The final grade consists of both marks.
Our International Office was one of your first points of contact on arrival, and it will remain one of your most important references during your stay.
The friendly team is glad to give advice and assist in many situations.
They also run a lively cultural programme with excursions and other activities.
Stay informed and participate as often as possible. The spaces go very quickly!
Very important: should any kind of difficulty occur, do not hesitate to contact the responsible persons and get advice at once, as timely action is usually already half the solution!
In most cases the appropriate contact person can help. You can find them at the International Office and in your department, as well as at other locations at Mannheim University of Applied Sciences.
You can easily identify the responsible person for your study or exchange programme, for internships, etc. In many departments you will find a designated advisor for international students.
Our Career Center offers a really broad range of advisory and assistance services, from block courses, workshops and application supervision to financial aid, coaching and support for start-ups.
And all this for free if you‘re studying with us!
Additionally, they also run the trainee programme between Mannheim University of Applied Sciences and local companies.
International students are explicitly encouraged to contact the Career Center.
Your fellow students also offer their help.
Numerous students become tutors and help students from lower semesters to cope with difficulties in different academic subjects.
Do not hesitate to get in touch with your Fachschaft (department's students association) for advice and support during your studies.
At university level, the AStA (similar to a students' union) cares about the concerns of all students. They also organise a buddy & tandem programme!
The intercultural mentoring project IkuMe brings students from different backgrounds together.
By the way – your’re welcome to get involved too!
One of the best pieces of advice we can give you is to join other students and set up learning groups.
Attend the tutorials offered by students. They have already gone through what you are experiencing now and can help you cope with difficulties and expectations.
moodle is a useful learning platform where professors and students can exchange information concerning the courses.
The intercultural project at Mannheim University of Applied Sciences is an excellent opportunity for personal and academic development.
International and German students, first semester students and higher semesters students meet each other for structured exchange and support.
Read more about IkuMe.
Available if you have an appointment and show your valid HSCard.
benutzerbetreuung.cit@hs-mannheim.de
Further information in German:
Sharing experiences will enrich your life and improve your academic performance too.
Beyond your degree programme, many other fascinating projects await you on campus.
Participate in research and development projects in the labs, in interdisciplinary or intercultural student groups.
Be active as a tutor, mentor or buddy yourself.
Take part in different events every year which will give you the opportunity to show your own culture and learn about others, such as the international evening organised by the Students Union.
Check out employments fairs with companies that introduce themselves to their prospective employees.
Join excursions to specialised fairs and events organised by your department.
When you enrol, your official university email address is generated automatically and included in mailing lists (university, department and semester). They provide essential information that you should not miss. Please check this mail account regularly, or forward the messages to your active address.
Many departments use the news on their website to inform students about sudden changes (e.g. cancellation of lectures due to illness, new opening times) and calls for applications (scholarships, projects, etc.). We recommend you keep an eye on it too, not to miss anything!
Whenever you move to different accommodation, alsways remember to have your address updated at Mannheim University of Applied Sciences. Otherwise, important documents such as your certification of enrolment will not reach you.
As a university student you only need your HS-Card to participate in the activities offered by the University Sports Institute.
Very different sports are available. Some of them charge a fee.
In Mannheim, you can find indoor climbing walls, swimming pools, sports halls and grounds, etc. It is also possible to swim in some ponds and lakes.
University life creates a distinctive atmosphere in Mannheim and its surroundings, which is reflected in the local cafés and pubs, free-time activities and special prices for students.
The variety of restaurants ensure you feel at home today and transport you far away tomorrow.
Several multiplex cinemas show everything from blockbusters to arthouse films.
The National Theatre with opera, ballet and drama coexists with fringe stages, as does classical music concerts with rock shows, and art galleries with street art.
The excellent museums and exhibitions such as the rem ensemble are well worth a visit. Experience technology live in the Technoseum or on the museum ship, and perhaps even more so than in your own lab!
Do you enjoy the fresh air? Over the course of the year, many different events take place in the city's big parks. And on the riverbanks of both the Rhine and the Neckar there are wide grassy areas to relax on and meet friends.
In the many wooded areas around Mannheim you can experience one of the most typical German leisure activities. Ask your fellow students or flat mates if they would like to go wandern with you (walking in the woods) and discover the pleasures of einkehren (enjoying food and drink in a typical German inn or pub after hiking).
You can find lots of suggestions for exciting destinations here.
But how can you get there?
Your semester ticket allows you to travel across a huge region – easily and for free.
Explore beautiful Heidelberg and Speyer, as well as the attractive landscapes and picturesque towns in the Neckar Valley (Neckartal with Hirschhorn, Eberbach or Bad Wimpfen), on the Mountain Route (Bergstraße including Weinheim) or the Wine Route (Weinstraße including Bad Dürkheim, Deidesheim, Neustadt, Freinsheim, etc.) which begins in the German Palatinate region and continues well into France.
Your semester ticket also allows you to cross the border, for example local trains bring you to Wissembourg in the French region of Alsace.
Beyond the semester ticket area, you can follow several routes to reach further destinations. Depending on the transport type that you choose, you will only need to pay the difference. It’s always worth asking at the ticket counter.
As for destinations further afield from Mannheim, you can cross the whole of Germany and part of Europe without changing trains, which is a great advantage. With the ICE high-speed trains you can reach Hamburg, Munich or Berlin within five hours.
If you plan to travel a lot, it is probably worth purchasing a Bahn Card (which gives you a 25% or 50% reduction on train tickets including on offers!). Plan well ahead of time if you can: for every destination there is a certain amount of extremely reduced tickets beginning 90 days in advance, while supplies last. Prices are also lower for group bookings than for individual tickets. Check out the DB website!
In the last few years, coach companies have begun transporting passengers to major destinations. They’re comfortable and much cheaper than the regular train fares.
A very popular way of travelling among students is the so-called Mitfahrgelegenheit (several people in one car sharing the costs). This is possible with friends but also through one of the different platforms which connect people travelling to the same destination. Ask your fellow students about their experiences and which agency they would recommend.
Mannheim has direct connections to the international airports in Frankfurt and Stuttgart. You can also book cheap flights from Frankfurt/Hahn, which is accessible by car or shuttle bus. Watch out for the purchasing conditions and additional costs. Cheaper carriers also now fly from Frankfurt International airport.
