International Affairs

When will the actual course offerings for my exchange semester be available?

As a rule, the course offerings will be available one month before the semster start. 
That means the courses/modules for the winter semester will be online from September 1st and those for the summer semester from March 1st on. 

So, if the course catalogue for your exchange semester semester has not yet been published, please refer to the catalogue for preceding semesters. Usually there are only few differences between course catalogues from one winter or summer semester to the next.

Where do I find my courses?

You can find all courses offered at TU Berlin in the Moses online course catalogue.
In addition to the title and a short description, you can also find the course number (e.g. 0151 L 10) and an abbreviation indicating the type of course (e.g. VL for Vorlesung (lecture)).

As a rule, credit points are indicated as ECTS credits. One credit point equates to one ECTS credit.
 
Some institutes additionally publish annotated course catalogues with more detailed descriptions.
 
You can also search for courses using these search criteria.
 
If the course catalogue for the coming semester has not yet been published, please refer to the catalogue for preceding semesters. As a rule, there are few differences between course catalogues from one winter or summer semester to the next.

These guidelines will help you use the Moses online course catalogue.

Where can I get advice about courses?

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide any academic advising services ourselves.
So, if you are facing problems with finding information about courses we strongly recommend to contact course guidance in the faculties

Several exchange programs also have coordinators who can help you select your courses. We can help you find the coordinator for your program.

What is the language of instruction?

Most courses, particularly bachelor’s courses, are taught in German. As an exchange student you need to provide proof of the required level of German. When applying via ERASMUS this proof of level is already included in your application.

We also recommend our exchange students to take one of the German courses offered by the Modern Language Center at TU Berlin before the start of each semester.
 
A number of courses at TU Berlin is offered in English. To find out which of these courses are offered within your field of study please contact course guidance in the respective institutes directly.
For your first orientation you can check out this list of English courses that were already offered in the past. Be aware though that these courses might not be available every semester. 

TU Berlin also offers a number of English-language master’s programs.

What types of courses are offered?

The main types of courses at TU Berlin are:

  •  Vorlesung (VL) - lecture
  •  Übung (UE) - practical seminar
  •  Seminar (SE or HS) - seminar
  •  Integrierte Veranstaltung - integrated course consisting of lectures and practical seminars
  •  Projekte and Praktika (PR) - projects and labs

Do I have to attend the same courses I listed on my learning agreement/study plan?

The course catalogue for your exchange semester will only be published about one month before the semester starts. Therefore, even though your learning agreement/study plan might have been accepted when you applied it cannot be guaranteed that you will be able to attend all courses you listed. This is because the actual course offerings might look different from the past course catalogue you chose the courses from. 
Also, it is not always clear if the number of participants for certain courses will be restricted. 

See this as a chance to alter your learning agreement/study plan after you found out which courses suit you best!

How do I register for courses?

As a rule, you don’t have to register for courses at TU Berlin in advance. You just go to the first class and add your name to a list (if provided).
Once you have successfully completed a course you will receive a certificate of participation which is the actual proof that you attended the course.

However, you should check in the course catalogue to see if you are required to register for a course in advance and when you have to register by (usually by email to your lecturer).
 
Important information for Architecture students:
Projects for architecture courses are usually announced and assigned one week before the start of lectures!

When do exams take place?

There is no fix exam period! However, exams for the winter semester usually take place between mid-February and late March and exams for the winter semester between mid-July and mid-August (in special cases as late as September).

It may take your professors up to 6 six weeks to grade your exams.

Should an exam be scheduled for a date when you already have to be back at your home university please ask your professors if an alternative academic performance would suffice (an oral exam, paper, presentation, etc.) or if it would be possible to remotely take part in the exam. 

Do I have to register for my exams?

Since exchange students do not receive a degree from TU Berlin they do not have to register for their exams with the examination office. For dual degree students it is a requirement, though. 

Exchange students will receive a course certificate (Schein) directly from their professors for successful completion of a course. On this Schein the course title, the ECTS credits and the grade are listed. Once you collected all your Scheine you can use them to request the issuance of a TU Berlin transcript at the end of the semester.

Therefore, our advice is to inform your professors well in advance that you will do the exam as an exchange student and that you need a Schein. Should your professors not have a Schein template they can use this one

Can I also attend courses at other universities in Berlin?

As a student at TU Berlin you also have the chance to attend courses at the city’s other universities. To do so, simply register as a visiting student at the relevant university once you have enrolled at TU Berlin.

Please note the restrictions that apply as a visiting student at the respective universities!
 
We can only list up to two courses taken at other Berlin universities or outside your faculty on your TU Berlin transcript of records!