PreCIS stands for “Preparatory Course and Support Programme for International Students”. With the PreCIS programme, TU Darmstadt supports international Bachelor's students in successfully starting their degree. The two-week intensive preparatory course prepares international students for the start of their studies. Here, PreCIS participants can gain in-depth knowledge of technical language of mathematics and German as a scientific language, complete study skills training and get to know various TU Darmstadt facilities. As part of the buddy programme, experienced buddies from the same departments are on hand to offer international students help and advice during their first semester. Workshops on learning, planning and exam preparation help students to successfully complete their first semester. In addition, joint leisure activities are offered where PreCIS participants can get to know each other better and exchange ideas.

PreCIS is a programme offered every winter semester and lasts for one semester.

The PreCIS programme begins with the two-week PreCIS preparatory course, which usually lasts for a full day and takes place before the start of the semester (mid-end of September).

The PreCIS participants are selected by a lottery procedure in order to give all applicants an equal chance of a place. There are currently 50 contingent places for participation in the PreCIS programme and 25 additional places for students from the departments of informatics, mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering.

All first-year students who graduated from school abroad and have been admitted to a Bachelor's programme at TU Darmstadt can participate in PreCIS. It is important that you have already proven that you have all the language skills required for the degree programme.

Participation in PreCIS is free of charge. Only leisure activities and excursions may incur a small contribution towards expenses.

First-year students from all degree programmes can benefit from participating in PreCIS. However, the language course focuses on mathematics, which is particularly important for students in STEM degree programmes.

If you have further questions, please contact the PreCIS team.

You can use the registration form on the PreCIS website. The form is unlocked during the registration period. The registration period begins annually in June and ends in August. You can find the exact times on the current registration form.

As soon as you have been admitted to a degree programme at TU Darmstadt and the registration form has been activated, you will be able to register. For organisational reasons, registration without admission is not possible.

When you register for the PreCIS programme, it is important to check your email inbox regularly. The PreCIS team will send out various important information from the moment you enrol.

None. We only need the completed registration form. If we need any documents, we will inform you in due course.

Please inform the PreCIS team about the change by email.

We recommend that you register for PreCIS even if you are not yet sure whether you will be able to get to Germany in time.

Experience shows that we receive many more applications than we have places available. Therefore, the PreCIS places are allocated in three lottery draws in the respective year from July to mid-August.

After a lottery procedure, those who have been drawn will receive a confirmation from the PreCIS team. Those who have not been drawn will still have the chance to get a place in the further lottery procedures. However, they will receive a reply from the PreCIS team after the registration deadline at the latest.

Please complete the acceptance form and release form by the deadline and return them to us by email. If you miss the deadline, you will lose your place; and it will be given to other registrants in the next lottery. You will receive further instructions and information on the start of the PreCIS programme directly from the PreCIS team. We therefore ask you to check your email inbox regularly from the time of your acceptance to the programme.

The PreCIS places are in high demand. Participation in all three parts of the programme is compulsory if the PreCIS place is accepted. Please send us an email as soon as possible if you cannot attend all, so that we can allocate your place to the people on the waiting list.

Unfortunately, registration is no longer possible after the registration deadline.

In this case, please send an email directly to the PreCIS team.

Yes, after a registration you will receive an automatic confirmation email. If we have questions about specific points in your completed registration form, we will get back to you promptly with an enquiry.

International Student Services offer the Welcome Programme and organise workshops. Please check the website for more information. The departments also offer mentoring programmes for first-year students. Be sure to sign up for these and don't miss the Orientation Week (OWO).

The PreCIS preparatory course prepares international Bachelor students for the first semester. Here you will improve your knowledge of technical language, get to know university groups and the university better and receive training in study skills. You are welcome to view the contents of the preparatory course in the image on the homepage.

This year, the PreCIS preparatory course will take place in the third and fourth week of September before the official start of the semester.

The PreCIS preparatory course is offered in three formats (face-to-face, online and blended learning). Our teachers will work with you asynchronously via the Moodle learning platform and synchronously either in the seminar room (if they are in the face-to-face or blended learning course) or via Zoom (if you are in the online or blended learning course) as well as other digital tools. You can also benefit from all the learning content of the PreCIS preparatory course in digital form and make your first friends at TU Darmstadt via the PreCIS programme.

It is important that you enrol before the start of the PreCIS programme so that you have access to the Moodle and TUCaN platforms. Furthermore, after successful enrolment you will receive your semester ticket and can use public transport free of charge.

The PreCIS preparatory course takes place every day from 8:45 am to around 6 pm. During these two weeks you should allow yourself time, as the course is very time-intensive. If you already know that there will be clashes and that you will not always be able to attend, we ask you not to register. This will give the other students a chance to participate.

If you have any problems, you can always contact the PreCIS team. The team will get back to you in a timely manner so that we can find a solution together.

If the courses overlap daily with classes, we recommend that you do not register for the programme as you will have to take an exam at the end. If your other pre-courses can be attended online after the PreCIS preparatory course and assignments can be worked on at any time, it is no problem to attend the PreCIS preparatory course in parallel.

Contact the PreCIS team so that your place can be given to a substitute if necessary.

In the specialised language course in mathematics, you can either earn 3 credit points or a certificate of attendance. However, regular active participation, attendance and passing an examination are required to obtain credit points. The 3 CP can be credited to the general elective area (Studium Generale). Please contact your study office for this.

The subject language course Mathematics can be found in TUCaN in the course catalogue under Language Centre > German as a Foreign Language > no UNIcert (course 41-11-2072-ku). The corresponding module descriptions (41-11-0072 and 41-11-0074) can be found here (opens in new tab) .

We ask you to enrol as soon as possible before the start of the PreCIS preparatory course. We will create a guest account for all participants who will not be able to receive their TUCaN data in the foreseeable future in order to ensure limited participation in the PreCIS preparatory course. However, you remember that you do not have full access rights with a guest account.

Yes, we will carry out the registration for the desired form of examination if you have not yet completed your matriculation during the pre-course.

In principle, attendance is compulsory in the PreCIS preparatory course, which is regularly checked by the PreCIS team. If you are absent frequently, you may be excluded from the pre-course or the entire PreCIS programme. We ask you to take the compulsory attendance seriously, as otherwise a valuable place in the PreCIS programme is wasted when so many others are willing to participate.

Basically, you can miss one day of the PreCIS preparatory course. After the first day of absence, you will need a certificate or proof. Without this proof, you may lose the opportunity to acquire the participation certificate or the credit points. Please contact the PreCIS team directly for more information.

No, this course is exclusively about the German technical language, which you need to be able to follow lectures and exercises in mathematics. After PreCIS, you have the opportunity to participate in the mathematics pre-courses of the departments.

Absolutely! The Orientation Week is an introductory event for first-semester students organised by the departments. You should not miss the introduction under any circumstances. This will help you to get to know your degree programme and your department better.

Buddies are experienced TU Darmstadt students from the same departments who support you in your studies during your first semester.

For example, you can discuss your timetable, registration for courses and exams, personal experiences in lectures and tutorials, and exam preparation. In addition, you will receive tips for successfully arriving in Darmstadt and finding new friends and leisure activities.

In principle, participation is compulsory in all parts of the programme.

You can communicate with your buddy via communication apps (Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp etc.) or via email and meet them in person.

You will get to know your buddy during the PreCIS preparatory course. Your buddy is a student in a higher semester. They usually study the same subject or a similar subject as you.

Your buddy is your ideal contact person for all questions regarding your studies during the first semester at regular meetings, and by arrangement beyond that. After the end of the first semester, the PreCIS buddy programme also comes to an end. However, you can discuss with your buddy whether, and how, you would like to remain in contact.

Please write an email directly to the PreCIS team. We will find a solution together with you.

During the semester, in addition to the Buddy Programme, the PreCIS team offers two workshops on “Learning Planning” (in November) and “Exam Preparation” (in December) as well as joint leisure activities.

Yes! Before a workshop takes place, you will be informed about it by the PreCIS team and asked to register.

You will be informed by the PreCIS team a few weeks before the start via email and other communication platforms.

Yes, the documents will be uploaded in the PreCIS Moodle course so that they are available to you. However, we strongly recommend that you attend, as you will take away more from participating in the workshop than by just studying the documents yourself.

The semester-accompanying workshops are part of the PreCIS programme and are, therefore, in principle compulsory. If you are unable to attend for any reason, please contact us. We recommend that you attend so that you do not miss out on important and useful information during the semester.

Yes, during the PreCIS programme, the PreCIS team offers various game nights. Participants are welcome to arrange activities in the groups at any time. In December, the PreCIS team meets with the programme participants at the Christmas market in Darmstadt to round off the evening after the first PreCIS workshop.

There are various sports, entertainment and art events in Darmstadt where you can make new contacts. The TU Darmstadt university groups and TUtor International are a good first starting point. Alternatively, please write an email to the PreCIS team or ask your buddy and we will be very happy to help you.

In principle, you are always welcome to ask the other PreCIS participants if they want to take part in an activity. You can also contact the PreCIS team. If necessary, an event can be organised and carried out by us, provided there are enough participants.

The first point of contact for international students is the International Counter. You can reach it online from Monday to Friday and on the Stadtmitte campus in the Karo 5 building. Opening hours: Monday: 2 – 4 p.m. (CET), Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (CET). Meeting password for the online counter: Counter.

The International Student Services (ISS) organise the Kick-Off Days for all international first-year students and support you with questions regarding your stay. Please have a look at the FAQ for international students.