Glossary

Another country, another way of life, another language! Although your course of study as well as all the information on studying here may be in English, one of the first skills you will attain will be learning some basic German! To facilitate this we have compiled a glossary of very important German words that may come up in academic and practical life. If you have problems finding a translation, remember you can use the Help Me button on this website. Go to leo.org for further translation options. A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | Z

A

Abitur
School leaving certificate obtained after leaving secondary school after 13 years (partly after 12 years) of school education. Constitutes general higher education entrance qualification permitting study at a higher education institution.

Akademisches Auslandsamt
(= International Office) Office dealing with all matters concerning international students. Among other tasks, they also organise preparatory courses for the TestDaF. It is also responsible for the admission of international students to German universities.

Asta
Allgemeiner Studentenausschuß: Student union

Auditorium maximum (Audimax)
Largest lecture hall at the university or other institution.

Ausländerbehörde
(= foreigner's registration office)
Registration office where foreigners register after entering the country.
One of it's central tasks is to examine and to decide if a foreigner receives a residence permit for the country or not.

B

Bachelor's Degree (BA)
Academic degree qualifying for entry into a profession. It can be obtained after a standard period of study of at least 3 and at most 4 years at university and equivalent institutions of higher education. Together with the Master`s degree, the Bachelor`s degree is part of a recently introduced graduation system of consecutive degrees that exists alongside the traditional system of higher education qualifications.

BAföG
(Darlehen nach dem Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz = Government financial support for students). Called “BAföG” for short. The ability to qualify for such a non-interest government loan depends on the student’s income as well as that of his/her parents or spouse. Normally only German students are eligible for BAföG, but in certain cases foreign students may also apply: students from EU member counties who are residents of Germany; students from non-EU member countries, providing one of their parents is of German descent; students who have the official status of political refugee or stateless person; or students who have been employed in Germany for at least five years prior to beginning their course of study. Questions about BAföG can be answered by the Student Services (Studentenwerk).

Berufsakademie (University of Cooperative Education)
Institution of tertiary education, (in seven federal states), offering three-year courses of academic training combined with practical professional in-company training within a dual system (duales System) i.e. in the study institution and in the workplace. Students must also find a company to train in.

Blockveranstaltung
Block course
Events that do not take place regularly over the period of the semester. They take place over consecutive days or weeks in a concentrated form.

C

c.t.
Abbreviation for "cum tempore" (Latin for "with time"). Any teaching events with c.t in front of them begin a quarter of an hour later than scheduled (the “academic quarter”)

D

Deutsche Bahn
German railways. They also offer subsidies for students. www.bahn.de

Diplom
Tertiary education qualification that may be obtained either at universities (Universitäten) and equivalent institutions of higher education (particularly in social or economic sciences and in natural and engineering sciences) or likewise at Fachhochschulen (in all subjects, with the word ´Fachhochschule - FH´ added to the degree title), and at Berufsakademien (with the word ´Berufsakademie - BA´ added to the degree title).

Dissertation

The Dissertation is an academic research thesis written in order to obtain a PhD degree.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy, meaning "teacher of philosophy", is an advanced academic degree. In the English-speaking world it has become the most common denomination for a research doctorate and applies to graduates in a wide array of disciplines in the sciences and humanities.

Doktorand
Name for students preparing their Dissertation.

Doktorvater / Doktormutter
University professor in the function of an academic advisor who guides and counsels a PhD student in the course of his / her academic work.

Dozent / Dozentin
university lecturer

Duales System
Training carried out at two places of learning, i.e. at upper secondary education establishments or institutions at tertiary level and in companies. Trainees either attend the two places of learning alternately or simultaneously.

E

ECTS
ECTS, the European Credit Transfer System, allows students to earn transferable credits in individual courses.

ECTS is based on the principle that 60 credits measure the workload of a full-time student during one academic year. The student workload of a full-time study programme in Europe amounts in most cases to around 1500-1800 hours per year and in those cases one credit stands for around 25 to 30 working hours. Credits in ECTS can only be obtained after successful completion of the work required and appropriate assessment of the learning outcomes achieved. Student workload in ECTS consists of the time required to complete all planned learning activities such as attending lectures, seminars, independent and private study, preparation of projects and examinations.

For further information on ECTS, please see the EU’s ECTS-Website.

Einschreibung
(also called "Immatrikulation"= matriculation) Formal registration at a German university for the semester of study. Following the matriculation, the student identity card is issued which needs to be shown whenever the student is asked to give proof of student status.

Einschreibungsgebühr
Fee paid every semester by students to university administration and the Studentenwerk (student services). The amount varies between Euro 40 and Euro 70, depending on whether a monthly pass for public transport (Semesterticket) is included or not.

Einwohnermeldeamt
Registration office where students register after entering the country.

Ermäßigung
Price reduction often offered to students. You will need your student card to obtain any price reductions.

Exkursion
Complementary event outside of the Institute of Higher Education to further explain course content. Varies according to course e.g. visit of industrial plants, field information etc…

Exmatrikulation
The process of leaving university by officially withdrawing as a student.

F

Fach
Course or class, e.g. Mathematics 2, Physics 1, Introduction to Electronics. Some courses consist of lectures and lab or exercise components.

Fachbereich
Department or faculty.

Fachhochschule (University of Applied Science)
University of Applied Sciences with more practical based applications. Established in the 1970s the institution has become extremely popular due to its highly practical approach.

Fakultät
Faculty: Institutes of Higher Education are divided up into subject areas or faculties which categorise and organise the teaching and research for varying and contextually-associated subjects.

Feststellungsprüfung
University entrance examination.

FH
Common abbreviation for “Fachhochschule”.

G

Giro-Vend
Cash-free payment system for the university Cafeteria and Mensa. At many universities meals can be paid for with a debit card which has a certain amount of money previously deposited on it. Such cards are generally available near the entrance to the university Mensa or Cafeteria.

Grundstudium
The first two or three years of study.

H

Habilitation
Post-doctoral qualification proving ability to teach and engage in research in an academic subject (lecturing qualification). The lecturing qualification is awarded on the basis of a post-doctoral thesis (Habilitationsschrift) or equivalent academic achievement.

Handapparat
Collection of study-material put on reserve by the professor for a specific course and which are then kept in a central place (e.g. in the department library) for course-related reference purposes.

Hauptseminar (HS)
Academic course attended in the Hauptstudium. Prerequisite to attending a Hauptseminar is the successful completion of the intermediate exam (Zwischenprüfung or Vordiplom) or a document certifying that the student has successfully completed the Grundstudium.

Hauptstudium
The next stage of study after the Grundstudium, generally lasting an additional two or three years and ending with the final exams for each major and minor subject.

Hausarbeit
Paper written on a previously agreed upon subject, usually compulsory for the acquisition of a course certificate.

HiWi
(Hilfswissenschaftler) Student assistant who helps a lecturer or professor in his / her academic work.

Hochschulreife
General higher education entrance qualification.

Hörsaal
lecture room

I

Immatrikulation

Enrolment 

IT-Berufe
IT Professions
A collection of professions which include all the Information Technology professions (IT).
This includes all the information and software-related professions in the area of Information, data-processing, information, communications and telecommunications technology, multimedia etc.

K

Klausur
Written examination

Kommentiertes Vorlesungsverzeichnis
(= course directory) A complete listing of all courses offered by a department. It supplements the Vorlesungsverzeichnis, the general university catalog. It provides a more detailed description of each course and lecture. The registration dates for courses are also given along with the addresses and office times of lecturers and professors.

Kommilitone, Kommilitonin
fellow student.

Kunsthochschule (University of Art and Design)
Art academy - higher education institution offering courses in the visual, design and performing arts, in some cases, and also theoretical disciplines (fine arts and art history). Admission requirements are an upper secondary leaving and an artistic aptitude. For purely artistic programmes, admission in most of the counties is possible without an upper secondary qualification if a high degree of artistic talent is shown.

L

Land / Länder
Constituent state of the Federal Republic of Germany (16 in all) which, like the Federation, has original state authority. However, responsibility for the execution of state powers and the fulfilment of state tasks is divided by the German constitution, the Basic Law, between the Federation and its constituent states.

Latinum
Certificate demonstrating knowledge of Latin. Required for studying certain subjects such as history.

Lehrplan
Curriculum – course content and structure.

M

Master’s Degree (MA)
Academic degree qualifying for entry into a profession. It can be obtained after one to two years of study at a university or equivalent institution of higher. The Master’s builds on the Bachelor’s and is part of a recently introduced graduation system of consecutive degrees that exists alongside the traditional system of higher education qualifications.

Matrikelnummer
Personal student ID number.

Mensa
cafeteria serving hot and cold meals, snacks and drinks. Students receive a card which entitles them to subsidised meals.

 

Musikhochschule (University of Music)
Type of higher education institution offering courses in various music and acting subjects, in some cases, as well as the theoretical disciplines (musicology, history and teaching of music). Admission requirements are an upper secondary leaving certification and an artistic aptitude. For purely artistic programmes, admission in most of the Länder is also possible without an upper secondary qualification if a high degree of artistic talent is shown.

Mündliche Prüfung
Oral examination

N

N.C. (Numerus clausus)
Entrance restrictions for course where there are less places than applicants applying.

 

N.N.
(Nomen Nominandum) Of Latin origin. It sometimes follows the announcement of a university course. Literally translated means: “Name (of lecturer or professor) in the process of being named”, i.e. as yet no one has been nominated to teach the course.

O

Oberseminar
Course for final exam candidates and Doktoranden. In this course the participants present and discuss the results of their scholarly research work.

OPAC
(Online Public Access Catalogue) Online search system for academic literature at the university library.

P

Postgraduales Studium
Post-graduate degree
Second or third, more advanced, degree (Master’s or doctorate) building on successful completion of undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s).

 

Promotion
Successful completion of PhD. Award of a doctoral degree on the basis of a doctoral thesis and either an oral examination or a viva on the student's thesis.

Propädeutikum
University course in which basic knowledge relevant to the further course of study is taught (normally in the first semester).

Proseminar
University course in the Grundstudium. The course’s main emphasis is an introduction to a topic and the main reference works.

Pädagogische Hochschule (University of Education)
Higher education institution in Baden-Württemberg, equivalent in status to the universities offering courses of study for teaching careers at primary level and certain teaching careers at lower secondary level.

R

Referat
Oral presentation by a student on a subject previously agreed upon.

Regelstudienplan
Suggested programme on which the timetable is based.

Regelstudienzeit
The period of time in which a course of study is supposed to be completed.

Rückmeldung
Notification to the university administration that a student plans to continue his/her studies in the following semester. The Rückmeldung is performed by transferring the administration fee. In return students receive a valid student ID for the following semester.

S

s.t.
Abbreviation for “sine tempore" (Lat. Without time).
Teaching events which have this prefix always begin punctually. There is no “academic quarter” here.

Schein
Document certifying attendance and satisfactory participation in a course.

Schwerpunkt
Focus
This names the focus of the subject selected for the main course of studies.

Semester
Half a year. The academic year is normally divided into the Winter Semester (WS) and Summer Semester(SS). The semester includes the time where courses and lectures take place as well as when they do not take place.

Semesterferien
Semester Holidays
Lecture or course free time between semester. Can be used for internships or learning.

Semesterticket
Semester Ticket
Some universities have introduced a reasonable priced ticket which can be used on public transport in combination with your student identity card.

Semesterwochenstunden (SWS)
Semester week times
The amount of hours for a teaching event in one. Preparation time for a course is not included in this.

Seminar
Seminar
As opposed to a lecture has active participation from students. Amount of students participating in a seminar is restricted.
However, study rooms, library areas in faculties are also categorised as Seminars.

Skript
Written transcript of a lecture.

Studentenwerk
Administrative department at a university which is responsible for running the cafeterias on the university campus as well as the distribution of rooms in the student dormitories and their maintenance. In addition, the Studentenwerk offers counseling in questions of law, psychology or social issues.

Studiengang
A degree programme, e.g. Computer Science, Electronics, Mechanical Engineering.

Studiengebühren
A fee chargeable in respect of the cost of teaching and related services, administration and capital facilities relating to units of study for a course of the higher education provider in which a student is enrolled at the higher education provider. Go to Studies Online for further information.

T

Technische Hochschule
Don’t be confused by the terminology. This institution is a university which specialises in the study of natural sciences and engineering.

Tutorium
Course accompanying a lecture or seminar in which a tutor (often a Hilfswissenschaftler) concentrates on a subject matter of a course in more detail. The tutor also helps to prepare for tests given in the course, therefore attendance is highly recommended.

U

UB
(Universitätsbibliothek) The main library of a university.

uni-assist
uni-assist e.V. is an association of more than 70 German universities. It was founded on the initiative of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
uni-assist (originally ASSIST) is a certification office founded to make the application procedure for international student applicants easier and at the same time to support German universities in the selection of their foreign students.
All applicants wanting to study at one of the members of uni-assist have to send their applications not to the chosen university, but to uni-assist. uni-assist checks whether the applications are complete and whether the academic records (school, university and language certificates etc.) sent by the applicants qualify them for the chosen course of studies. If all requirements are met, uni-assist will forward the application electronically to the chosen university, or, if requested, several universities, who will then select candidates using their own criteria.

http://www.uni-assist.de/index.php?id=1&ebene=2&lang=en

Universität
University

 

V

Vordiplom
Certificate received after completing the Grundstudium in certain academic majors of the natural and social sciences.

Vorlesung
Lecture

Vorlesungsverzeichnis
Course catalogue

Z

Zulassungsbescheid
(also called Zulassung) Official letter from the university administration confirming acceptance for a particular academic major. It is followed by matriculation.

ZVS
(Zentralstelle für die Vergabe von Studiengängen) Administrative institution for deciding on and awarding admittance to certain academic majors, admittance to which is restricted by an Numerus Clausus (N.C.), e.g. medicine, law, pharmacy, dentistry. The ZVS is also responsible for admitting students from other EU countries.

Zwischenprüfung (ZP)
(= intermediate examination) Completion of the Grundstudium in certain liberal arts academic majors (normally after having been awarded a certain number of Scheine and passing a certain number of tests / exams).