During the stay
1. Timetable and Venue
You will find all information about where and when the lectures/courses etc. will take place in the current course catalogue or on the homepage of the institute offering the course.
For your first orientation on campus, please use the campus map.
2. Registration for the courses
Registration is not necessary for most courses or lectures. However, there are some tutorials, internships or block courses that require registration. These courses are announced by the lecturer during the first lecture. If you want to participate in one of these courses, you have to register online, either via ILIAS or via the Campus Management System.
ILIAS is an online learning platform that provides information about the courses, lecture notes or learning materials and offers discussion forums. ILIAS is also partly used to register for tutorials and workshops.
Please be aware that you can only use both portals once you are registered at KIT and have your student account.
3. Language courses
3.1 Pre-semester Intensive Language Courses
As an exchange student you have the possibility to participate in a three-week intensive German language course for beginners and advanced students (level A2 - B2). We strongly recommend that you take part in this course as it will refresh your language skills and facilitate your start in your studies.
Please note: these pre-semester courses do not replace the language certificates required for admission to the exchange programme.
The intensive courses always take place before or after the orientation week (O-Phase). Information about the exact dates as well as registration information can be found in the letter accompanying the letter of admission, which will be sent to you by the International Students Office.
The course lasts 3 weeks, includes 4 lessons per day and costs 75 €. After successful completion of the exam you will usually receive 4 ECTS, provided you have attended at least 80% of the lessons.
Please be aware, that these courses are not included in your final Transcript of Records.
3.2 German courses
The KIT Studienkolleg offers German courses during the semester. One German course per semester is free of charge, but unfortunately the number of places is limited - see more detailed information.
Please note that these courses are in great demand. Therefore, you should register early if you want to participate (preferably on the day the registration portal opens).
After having successfully passed the German courses during the semester you may insert them in your virtual record (Studienablaufplan) and finally in your Transcript of Records. To do so please ask for the support of Informationen und Serviceleistungen InSL in time.
3.3 All other languages
You can also register at the KIT Language Center for "foreign" language courses (e.g.: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, Turkish). One course is also free of charge here.
Please keep in mind that these courses are also in great demand and you must therefore register early. Here you will find more detailed information about the registration process.
After having successfully passed these former language courses you may insert them in your virtual record (Studienablaufplan) and finally in your Transcript of Records. To do so please ask for the support of Informationen und Serviceleistungen InSL in time.
4. Modification of the Learning Agreements
Experience has shown that most Learning Agreements have to be changed again once you are on site. Please decide within the first 4 - 6 weeks after the start of the lecture period which courses you want to cancel from your original Learning Agreement and which courses you want to replace them with. The KIT-Faculty of Mechanical Engineering does not oblige its incoming students to take a certain number of ECTS, but as a non-binding guideline we recommend to take between 20 - 30 ECTS, including language courses and key qualifications.
Please use Mobility Online, or, if not available to you yet, the official forms "During Mobility" for ERASMUS students and Overseas Departments for changes to the Learning Agreements. The official signature of the amended Learning Agreement can be obtained from ISIM, Geb. 10.23, Room 706. Don't forget to send the changes to your home university after ISIM has signed them.
As soon as you have completed your final Learning Agreement ("During the Mobility"), please register for the examinations of the courses listed therein. This registration must be carried out independently by the student.
5. Registration of Theses
After having discussed the topic, time frame and extent of your thesis (Bachelor's or Master's) with the respective institute within the KIT-Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, please carry out the following steps.
6. Exams
6.1 Examination periods
Depending on the type of event, written or oral examinations must be taken at KIT. The examination periods extend from the end of the lecture period to the end of the current semester.
- Winter semester: mid-February to end of March
- Summer semester: mid-July to end of September
Each course has its own examination date, which will be announced bindingly only during the semester. Please make sure that you find out your examination dates in good time. You can get an initial, non-binding overview of the examination dates on the homepage of the student council. Binding and up-to-date information on the examination dates can be found on the homepages of the institutes. Examination dates must be observed without fail.
If you have to return to your home university before the official examination date, you should discuss the problem with your examiner in good time. In justified exceptional cases, the examiner will decide whether the exam can be brought forward. Such an exception is mainly granted for oral examinations.
In very special exceptional cases it may also be possible to take a written examination on return to the home university. However, this requires an agreement between the examiner at KIT and the responsible person at your home university. In any case, your home university must ensure that the exam is written at the same time and under the same conditions as at KIT.
6.2 Registration for examinations
In the Campus Management for Students you can register for examinations and prerequisites.
1. Courses included in the Module Handbook for Exchange Students you can insert into your virtual record (Studienablaufplan) yourself and then register for the examinations online. Please note the registration deadlines. When inserting a course (brick) into the virtual record, please note: First, the corresponding module must be inserted into the virtual record. Only then you can select the brick. The video tutorial „Prüfungsanmeldungen für Zeitstudierende /Erasmus“ (https://www.sle.kit.edu/imstudium/pruefungsanmeldung-erasmus.php) is also helpful here.
2. Courses that are not included in your Module Handbook but offered by the KIT-Department of Mechanical Engineering will be entered by InSL into your virtual record. Please write an email to InSL (insl∂mach.kit.edu) with the names and brick numbers of the relevant courses. The bricks will then be added into your virtual record (Studienablaufplan). After this step, you can register for the exams online on your own. Please note the registration deadlines.
3. For courses that are not included in your Module Handbook and offered by other departments you have to use the form „Approval of participation in the extraordinary examination” (one form per course). The “Approval of participation in the extraordinary examination” has to be signed by the lecturer. Please send the completed forms to InSL by e-mail. The bricks will then be added into your virtual record (Studienablaufplan) and you can then register for the exams online during the specified registration periods.
4. For language courses, please register directly at the „Sprachenzentrum“. As soon as your language course will be inserted in the „Not assigned grades“, please write an email to InSL. Then the course with your result can be included into your virtual record (Studienablaufplan).
Please respect the registration deadlines for examinations and prerequisites! If you have any further questions regarding the registration for examinations, please contact the InSL as soon as possible!
6.3 Deregistration from Exams
If you are unable to take the exam for any reason, you must cancel your registration in good time. This can be done online at Campus Management until the end of the registration period, provided you have registered online. However, you can usually cancel your registration in person at the institute a few days before the exam or on the day of the exam itself by informing the person responsible for examinations in the lecture hall directly before the exam.