Welcome at the KIT department of Informatics!
We are happy to provide you with all relevant information to prepare for your study abroad at our faculty. On the following pages we have summarized the most important points for you.
Each year, we welcome a number of international students participating in an exchange program or pursuing a full-time degree. They benefit from an exceptionally broad and interdisciplinary range of courses, complemented by a variety of english courses. The highly qualified teaching staff guarantees a sound scientific education for the students as well as valuable insights into modern research areas. In addition, a broad spectrum of leisure activities are offered outside the curriculum, so that new contacts can be made and your time at the KIT becomes an unforgettable experience.
New country, new city, new university - how do I find my way around?
Studying abroad at KIT can be quite challenging at the beginning. To help you find your way around and get all the relevant information, we recommend these contact points:
Faculty of Informatics:
- As part of the Faculty of Informatics, the Informatics Study Program Service (ISS) is the central point of contact for all subject-related and study-related topics. In order to provide you with the best information about your course choices, lectures and examinations, we also offer the following 3 information events every semester in addition to the information on this website. You should definitely attend these so that you are prepared for the various aspects of your studies abroad:
- Pre-Arrival - Important information for enrollment and module choice
- International Student Roundtable - Kicking off the semester
- International Student Roundtable - Fit for exams and returning home
- You can find the dates for the respective events under Informationsveranstaltungen.
- Mathematics/Computer Science Student Council:
The Mathematics/Computer Science Student Council represents, among others, all students of Informatics at KIT. Thus, it provides the opportunity to exchange ideas with other students of the same subject and to get useful information from experienced KIT students.
Orientation phase (short: O-Phase)
- The O-Phase is the best place to get to know your new fellow students. The people you get to know here will usually accompany you throughout your studies.
- For Business Informatics: The forum asks for prior registration: https://erstsemester.forum-wi.de/
- For Informatics and Teaching degree: No, you don't have to register. Just come to the lecture hall advertised on the Monday of the O-phase. You can also find more information on the website of the student council and you will also receive a corresponding letter.
- Further information
For Informatics and Teaching degree: https://www.fsmi.uni-karlsruhe.de/Fachschaft/
For Information Systems: https://www.forum-wi.de
Further KIT Resources:
International Student Orientation:
- The orientation week, which is organized by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Karlsruhe in cooperation with the International Students Office (IStO), offers an easy opportunity to make contact with other exchange students. The friendships made here not only help you to enjoy your time in Karlsruhe, but usually even last beyond your exchange studies.
In the respective tabs you will also find further contacts for topics relating to your studies abroad and numerous links for support and advice.
The central document of an ERASMUS exchange is the Learning Agreement (LA) and it is also required for many other exchange programs.
Check with your home university to see if you are required to have an LA. ERASMUS+ & SEMP students must submit a mandatory LA with their application (see below: Before the Mobility).
The LA forms the basis for:
- The recording of the intended study plan at the host university,
- confirmation of the extent of recognition by the examiners at the home university,
- the documentation towards the funders (e.g. European Union, scholarship providers, ...).
Incoming students should insert the following information in their LA:
Receiving Institution
Faculty/ Department | Erasmus Code | Contact person name; email; phone |
Informatics | 061 | Christine Glaubitz, exchange ∂ informatik kit edu |
Please keep all documents you have submitted and that we have signed, as you will need them again at a later date.
- Use the Learning Agreement from your home university.
- All terms and conditions of your home university apply.
- Minimum number of ECTS credits: To be determined by your home university.
- At least 70% of your chosen ECTS credits must come from the field of informatics.
- When applying to the KIT Faculty of Informatics, an LA with completed Before the Mobility section must be submitted.
- For now, please sign only the Before the Mobility part!
- Only signed LAs will be accepted!
- Please keep the signed LA as you will need it again in case of changes during your time at the KIT (During the Mobility).
- More about adjustments of your LA during the time at the KIT can be found in the section: The Learning Agreement (LA) - During the Mobility.
- Please submit your full LA via:
- The Mobility Online Portal (if possible/available)
or - the Informatics Study Program Service (ISS) at exchange∂informatik.kit.edu.
- The Mobility Online Portal (if possible/available)
- Each course has two specific numbers that you must include in your Learning Agreement (LA) as well as in the Campus Management for Students (CAS).
- Module Number = M-INFO-101175
- Bricks = T-INFO-1011968 & T-INFO-101995
- You need the number to enroll in events and register for exams.
- Please be sure to include both numbers in your LA so we can process it. Enter both module number and brick number in the table.
- The turnaround time to review and sign the LA is approximately 14 days with the Informatics Study Program Service.
- You can either download your signed LA via the Mobility Online Portal or receive it by email.
- Answers to many questions about studying at KIT can be found in our FAQ.
- You may adjust your LA during your time at KIT (e.g. due to time conflicts or other study interests).
- Changes must first be coordinated with the home university.
- Changes are possible until mid-November for the winter semester and until the middle of May for the summer semester.
- The LA must always be signed by all 3 parties: The student, the subject coordinator (FK) of your home university and the subject coordinator (FK) at the partner university.
- Please always submit the complete, signed document to the Mobility Online Portal when making changes to your LA. This contains:
- The Before the Mobility section, already including all signatures.
- The changes marked in the section During the Mobility.
- Your signature in the During the Mobility section.
- Documents that are not complete will not be signed!
- Please submit your changed LA to the Informatics Study Program Service (ISS) at exchange∂informatik.kit.edu.
- The turnaround time to review and sign the LA is approximately 14 days with the Informatics Study Program Service.
- You can either download your signed LA via the Mobility Online Portal or receive it by email.
- Answers to many questions about studying at KIT can be found in our FAQ.
Important steps for a successful exchange stay at KIT:
There are a few things to bear in mind when taking your first steps at KIT. To help you find your way around, here are some ways to find out more:
- Application:
- On this page you will find general information about starting your studies at KIT
- Required language skills
- After admission
- Department of Informatics
- On the page Leben und Studieren in Karlsruhe you can find useful information and additional links for your time in Karlsruhe
- International Students Office (IStO)
- The page Zeitstudierende offers general informations for your stay at KIT
- You will also find general information for the start of your studies at the KIT on the pages Before your Studies of the service unit for Studium und Lehre.
- Service Unit for International Affairs
- The page First Steps at the KIT of the service unit for International Affairs provides you with a handy list of to-do's for your arrival in Karsruhe.
- Language courses
are a good way to practice German in everyday life before the stress of the semester strarts. They are also a good way to get to know new people- Before the semester:
German courses at KIT - During the semester:
German courses during the semester
- Before the semester:
- Department of Informatics
Incoming students can take all Bachelor's and Master's courses in the Informatics program, provided they meet the requirements. Further information can be found below.
An overview of all events at the KIT is provided by the KIT course catalog (VVZ). The current courses of the bachelor's and master's programs in informatics are published each semester in the module guides (module guide explanation video). Questions about the individual courses and the Learning Agreement (LA) will be clarified during the events. In general, these types of modules are distinguished:
Important: You can only write examinations for the lectures you have attended if you have registered for the respective examination via Campus Management for Students (CMS). This registration is usually only activated in the course of the semester. Exceptions are the course Praxis der Software-Entwicklung (PSE) and Proseminar. Please also note that the course Praxis der Forschung spans 2 semesters and can thus only be taken by incoming students whose stay at the KIT is at least 2 semesters.
- Please note that some lectures also include exercises, which must be successfully completed in order to complete the overall module.
- The current courses are published each semester in the module guides.
- Courses are updated approximately one month before the start of the semester. Please check the course catalog (VVZ) to see whether the courses you have selected are taking place.
-
Please note that courses may be changed, deleted, replaced, expanded, or otherwise modified at any time. Although every effort is made to ensure that students are admitted to their preferred course selections, the KIT Faculty of Informatics cannot guarantee admission to any particular course.
- An overview of the courses offered in English at the KIT Faculty of Informatics can be found via the advanced event search (Search parameters: Language - English; Study program - Informatics Bachelor/Master).
Internships and seminars are often not included in the VVZ, but can be found on the websites of the individual institutes. For most courses, registration is done by sending an e-mail to the respective secretary's office of the supervising chair.
B.Sc./M.Sc. Thesis at the KIT:
- You must find both your topic and your supervisor on your own.
- We recommend visiting the various insitute homepages and sending e-mails to potential advisors.
- Here you can find out which opportunities for research stays (such as theses, internships, and research projects) KIT offers to international students.
- General information about the process of a bachelor thesis or master thesis is also available in the KIT-FAQ. Please note that this only describes the basic approach for a thesis and more detailed information for international students will be given in the information events.
Language courses are offered by the KIT Language Center.
The KIT Faculty of Informatics distinguishes between courses which are permanently offered in English and those which can be offered in English in case of interest.
Some lectures can be offered in English if required. If you want to listen to one of these courses in English, please contact the corresponding lecturer in time and before the lecture!
- An overview of the courses offered in English at the KIT Faculty of Informatics can be found via the advanced event search (Search parameters: Language - English; Study program - Informatics Bachelor/Master).
- A list of the courses which are simultaneously translated can be obtained from the Lecture Translator of the KIT.
- The online glossary, which translates subject-specific terms from German into English and vice versa, can be found in the English-Glossary.
For the organization of studies, students at KIT can use the Campus Management for Students. Incoming students can do the following through it:
- Log in through the Campus Management Portal for Students.
- Register and deregister for exams online.
- Re-Register online.
- Necessary if you study two semesters at the KIT.
- Re-registration will then be for the second semester.
- Pay attention to the Re-Registration-Periods.
- Change personal data.
- Self print grade transcript and certificates online.
For familiarization with the system, this video tutorial and this explanation video are recommended. You will also receive further information at our information events.
For questions on the use of the system
- please inform yourself first on the website of the Campus Management for Students,
- afterwards you can contact the SLE-Studierendenservice Welcome Desk Team.
- You can find an overview of the exams and their dates under exam dates.
- To prepare for the exams, we recommend that you read the information in the module guide carefully. Here you will also find the conditions and prerequisites for the individual lectures/courses.
- For international students, it is worth attending the International Student Roundtable regarding the exam period, as this event provides all the important information.
- Please note (depending on the type of exam) the respective exam date so that it does not collide with your journey home.
- Participation in exams without registration is not allowed.
- Registration for examinations takes place via the Campus Management for Students.
- First, you have to select in the system the brick (or course) in which you want to be examined.
- On the FAQ pages you will find all the information about the Campus Management for Students.
- On the SLE website you will find video tutorials on exam registration for ERASMUS students.
- For registration problems/deregistration problems for exams, the SLE- Studierendenservice is responsible. In case of problems, please contact the SLE- Studierendenservice Welcome Desk Team.
- Usually the registration for the respective examinations is released in the second half of the semester. However, this may not be the case until the end of the semester. Normally, it will be pointed out in the respective lecture as soon as the registration for the exam is possible.
- Please be aware that oral exams must be requested up to 2 months in advance.
- It is best to speak with the respective lecturer at the beginning of the course.
- The Fachschaft Mathematik / Informatik offers information for:
Tip: Incoming students, who do not study in the informatics program are not supervised by the KIT Faculty of Informatics. Please contact the subject coordination (FK) in your department or the SLE-Studierendenservice for the issuance of exam admissions.
This is compulsory , if you wish to study here for further semesters after your first semester at KIT.
Timeframes for Re-registration:
Winter semester: 15.1 - 15.2
Summer semester: 15.7 - 15.8
Re-registration takes place via Campus Management for Students (CMS). Further information can be found here.
- You can download a grade transcript online from the Campus Management for Students at any time.
- The SLE-Studierendenservice will not generate a Transcript of Records (ToR) for you until after you have exmatriculated yourself.
- It is important that you leave an address on the exmatriculation application to which the document (ToR) should be sent.
- You can download the grade transcript via the CAS Portal up to 6 months after "exmatriculation". Simply click on certificate and then select "grade transcript".
- After 6 months, your transcript of records is no longer available in the CAS portal. Then you will only receive it by request to the Studierendenservice of the SLE.
Withdrawal:
- You will need to fill an exmatriculation form.
Please consider: It is compulsory to withdraw. Otherwise you will not be able to access your Transcript of Records among other problems. - If you do not withdraw in person, you must authorize a third-party to complete the process for you.
- The International Students Office (IStO) will need to stamp the second page and you have to hand in the form at the Studierendenservice.
- Further information is provided by the service unit Studium und Lehre on their page exmatriculation
Certificate of Departure: see above
You can find out what else you should consider before you go home (e.g. creating a Certificate of Departure) here:
- Erasmus - After your studies
- Guest studies overseas - After your studies
International Students Office (IStO):
- Contact the International Students Office Office for questions about:
- Exchange programs (incoming/outgoing)
- Applications (Incoming/Outgoing)
- Matriculation (Incoming)
- Nomination of partner university (outgoing)
- Information on funding opportunities & scholarships (incoming/outgoing)
- Certificate of Arrival and Departure (Incoming/Outgoing)
- Visa (Incoming(Outgoing)
- Support of the Mobility Online Portal (Incoming/Outgoing)
- Experience reports
- etc
KIT-Studierendenservice:
- Incoming students may also contact the KIT-Studierendenservice, especially regarding:
- Certificates (f.e. withdrawal, KVV, grade transcripts, etc.)
- Re-registration
- fees
Informatics Study Program Service (ISS): offers support regarding the following topics:
After you thorughly have read the information on our website and have additional questions, you can email us (exchange∂informatik.kit.edu).
Consultation hours: For specific questions, you can contact us for an individual Exchange Consultation.
Contact person at the KIT Faculty of Informatics: Christine Glaubitz, M.Ed. (exchange∂informatik.kit.edu). |
All the relevant information can be found on this page.
- AKK - Arbeitskreis Kultur und Kommunikation: General cultural events, calendar of events, workshops
- Z10: Bar, board games, etc.
- Information about finding accommodation in Karlsruhe: