Language Requirements

Your knowledge of German language should enable you to follow lectures and seminars. We strongly recommend at least two to four semesters of German prior to the exchange.

The home institution takes responsibility for guaranteeing the student's language ability for the exchange.

Academic Calendar

The academic year consists of two terms called Wintersemester and Sommersemester. The Wintersemester courses start in mid-October and end by mid-February. The Sommersemester courses start in mid-April and end by mid-June.

The so-called Semesterferien (semester break) is used to take exams, finish term papers, go on excursions, enroll in practical courses and prepare for the upcoming term.

Study Programs

At Technische Universität Darmstadt students can study in 14 departments in four main areas of academic discipline:
Engineering, Sciences, Human Sciences and Social Sciences

For more information please access:
http://www.tu-darmstadt.de/universitaet/fachbereiche/index.en.jsp

Department Advisors

Each department has a designated Department Advisor for Exchange Students. Please check the list of Department Advisors to find your Advisor according to the department you will enroll in at TU Darmstadt. Once you arrive in Darmstadt, the Department Advisor will be your academic counselor in your department. Please make the most use of this service, to guarantee a successful and rewarding study period at TU Darmstadt.

You can find the list of department advisors here.

Course Calendar

The Course Calendar offers information on the course schedule, course content, credits and classroom hours and the professor holding the course.

The new course calender for an upcoming semester will usually be published by July 15th for winter terms and February 15th for summer terms.

As the course calender has been moved to a different system recently, there are two systems in use currently:
summer term 2010 and earlier: http://www.tu-darmstadt.de/vv
from winter term 2010/2011: https://www.tucan.tu-darmstadt.de

If you don't have a login name and password for the university's computer system yet (which you only get after you enrolled and the semester started), you will not be able to log into the new TUCaN system. However, the course calender is also available if you don't log in, but unfortunately an English version is only available after logging in. Also, it's not possible to specifically search for courses held in English.

If you want to use the course calender in English or search for courses in English, you should use the old system. Even though it only contains courses from previous semesters, core courses are usually held in the same semester every year, so you can access course calendars from previous winter or summer terms for some general orientation.
Go to http://www.tu-darmstadt.de/vv and click on the British flag in the top right corner in order to switch to the English version. Now click on “Summer 20xx” or “Winter 20xx” in the top right corner, choose a semester and click on “Course Overview”.
If you want to search for courses in English, click on “Search” in the navigation bar at the top, click “Lectures”, choose the term you wish to search in, choose “english” as “Language of instruction” atthe bottom, enter other search criteria (for example the department) and hit “Start search”.
Note, that in the search form you can only choose the semester which you chose for the whose course calendar. If you want to search in a different semester, you have to switch the course calendar to a different semester, as indicated above.

Courses

The recommended course load for German students is approx. 20 class hours (1 hour = 45 minutes) per week or 30 ECTS (European Credits) per semester.

As a foreign student you do not have to register for a minimum number of classes to keep your Visa Status or your status as a full-time student, but within the framework of the Exchange Program you should register for at least 12 – 15 class hours. Exceptions have to be confirmed by the Department Advisor at TU Darmstadt.

Depending on your course of study you will attend the following type of classes:

Vorlesung (Lecture): A certain topic is presented by a professor, supplementary reading is expected. Lectures aim at giving a broad overview over a certain topic. Dialogue or discussions between professor and students are not customary, although there is usually time for questions at the end of each class.

Übung (Exercise/Project Course): Students actively participate in dealing with and working on a specific topic. A short presentation, introducing a text and chairing a discussion is expected from each student. Exercises are often linked with lectures.

Einführungsseminar (Introductory Seminar): Usually the first courses of basic studies, in which students are introduced to the basic questions, methods and work theories of each respective subject. Students are encouraged to participate actively and practice independent scientific research, a requirement for attending seminars. This type of seminar often includes a written test and a short paper.

Seminar (Seminar): Aiming at intensive scientific research in specific fields, students are expected to work on specific topics individually, demonstrating their ability to work independently in a scientific manner. A common practice of the seminar is the oral presentation which each student is expected to deliver once during the semester.

Exkursion (Excursion/Field Trip): Field trips can be compulsory in a full study program. The number of participants is limited – exchange students can only participate in certain cases.

Credit System

The European Commission developed a European Credit Transfer System to facilitate international student mobility. It provides means of measuring and comparing learning achievements and transferring this information from one institution to another.

ECTS Credits reflect the quantity of work each course requires in relation to the total quantity of work required to complete a full degree program – i.e. lectures, practical work, seminars, etc.

Using ECTS helps students organize a study program in terms of overall workload. In ECTS, 60 credits represent one year of study, 30 credits are one semester and 20 credits a trimester. ECTS credits are also allocated to internships and to thesis preparation if these activities form part of the regular study program at both the home and host institution. ECTS credits are allocated to courses and are awarded to students who successfully complete these courses by passing examinations (written or oral) or through other assessments.