Plan properly and stay informed!
This is how you can make the most of your study stay and profit both personally and academically.
In order to have a successful study stay at the University of Konstanz, you should always plan for and organise important dates at the beginning of the semester as well as during the semester and academic year. This page provides you with information on important topics and lets you know when the International Office's informational events take place where you can ask important questions.
Important Dates
Please keep important semester dates in mind: the duration of the courses, holidays, lecture-free periods and the re-registration deadlines:
Semester dates (courses and lecture-free periods)
For new international students, the dates for the orientation courses before the semester are also important.
Orientation programmes for new international students
Here you can download the most important dates in the academic year.
- Academic Year 2023/2024 (01 October 2023 - 30 September 2024)
- Academic Year 2022/2023 (01 October 2022 - 30 September 2023)
- Academic Year 2021/2022 (01 October 2021 - 30 September 2022)
- Academic Year 2020/2021 (01 October 2020 - 30 September 2021)
Erasmus+ Formalities
All Erasmus+ exchange students have to present 3 documents to their home universities in order to receive the Erasmus+ scholarship funds:
1) Learning Agreement (prior to arrival at the host university and possible updates/amendments to it after the start of the courses at the host university)
2) Confirmation of arrival/departure at the host university (upon arrival and/or departure)
3) Transcript of Records from the host university (after completion of studies at the host university) - see below in the list: preparing for your return home
Note:
All Erasmus+ forms (Learning Agreement and its updates/amendments, Confirmation of Arrival/Departure) are provided by your home university and must be signed by the University of Konstanz (host institution). Please pay attention to the respective submission deadlines for each Erasmus+ form provided by your home university.
1) Learning Agreement
The purpose of the Learning Agreement is to prepare the exchange in a transparent and efficient way to ensure that the student receives recognition for the activities successfully completed abroad.
The Learning Agreement sets out the programme of courses to be carried out abroad and must be approved by the student, the sending and the receiving institutions before the exchange begins.
The Learning Agreement should contain all the academic achievements that the student is to acquire during the exchange.
For student mobility for study purposes, the Learning Agreement should define the set of educational components that will be replaced in the student's degree upon successful completion of the study abroad.
Who signs this form for me at the University of Konstanz?
Since the form involves courses, i.e. academic matters, the respective Departmental Erasmus+/Exchange Coordinator will sign it.
The Learning Agreement has to be updated again on site during the running exchange semester. For this purpose, an additional form is usually provided by the home university.
2) Confirmation of Arrival/Departure (or also: Confirmation of Stay or similar)
In this form the host university confirms when an exchange student has arrived at the host university and when the student will leave the host university again.
This is the funding period for the Erasmus+ scholarship.
Who signs this form for me at the University of Konstanz?
Since it is not about courses, i.e. non-academic matters, the International Office of the University of Konstanz (international.incoming@uni-konstanz.de) will sign it.
Practical tip:
Please keep in mind that the arrival date is not the date of arrival in Konstanz/ Germany or the first day at the University of Konstanz, but the actual time at the host university that is necessary to successfully complete the exchange program.
Accordingly, the first day of arrival is considered to be the official first day of the orientation programme (GO-Konstanz or OriPro).
The end date or departure date refers to the last day at the University of Konstanz which was necessary for the successful completion of the exchange studies at the University of Konstanz. This is usually 31.7. (SuSe) or 28/29.2. (WiSe). If attendance after the above-mentioned dates is required (course attendance, exams, etc), then proof of participation will be required and the actual attendance will be required for obtaining the signature in the respective month (March in SuSe, August, September in WiSe).
Unfortunately, the deadline for submission of term papers or essays cannot be taken into account as the end date for the Confirmation of Departure (Confirmation of Stay), as these do not require attendance at the University of Konstanz and can be sent by email to the respective instructors.
Please consider the information of your home university regarding when the forms should be signed and when they should be submitted.
Course selection
Courses at the University of Konstanz are offered in German and English. In general, exchange students can study across subject areas. Restrictions due to a limited number of participants or target groups are always possible.
We recommend that exchange students take the regular course load. Bachelor's and Master's students usually take 24-30 ECTS credits per semester. We also recommend that students take at least 50% of their courses in their major subject.
Further information on course selection can be found on our website.
Examination registration via ZEuS (TAN list)
Extending your study period
For Erasmus+ ICM students, the period of nomination (1 or 2 semesters) applies. No extension beyond this period is possible.
Exchange students from partnerships outside the Erasmus+ ICM programme and free movers can, after consultation with their home university and the relevant coordinators and the International Office in Konstanz, extend their stay by 1 semester if there is sufficient academic justification.
An extension is only possible from the Winter Semester into the Summer Semester!
Important:
There is no guarantee to live in a Seezeit student accommodation when extending your exchange. The International Office will draw lots with its remaining Seezeit rooms by the middle of December/May and inform all applicants by email. Thus, students who do not get a Seezeit accommodation have to find a place to stay on the private accommodation market without the assistance of the International Office.
Please carefully read the following documents and follow the given instructions, while minding the respective deadlines:
Re-registration
If you are an enrolled student at the University of Konstanz and would like to continue your studies in the next semester, you must explicitly declare your intent to do so. If you pay the re-registration fee, then you are officially re-enrolled. You can submit your payment through a bank transfer by using the individual 12-digit number as your payment reference. The university will inform you in due time about the re-registration procedure.
Preparing for your return home / Transcript of Records
Is the semester nearing its end? Then make sure you take certain issues into consideration and complete specific tasks. Please consult the following information and our checklist:
Seezeit documents:
The Transcript of Records does not issue itself! Please read the following guidelne carefully to find out how you can request your Transcript:
Maternity protection
The health of the student and her child during the pregnancy, after childbirth and during the breastfeeding period are protected by the law. The student has the option to continue her studies without risk to her health or that of her child. The law also works to reduce disadvantages during pregnany, after childbirth and during the breastfeeding period.
For the protection of the mother and the child, the student is kindly asked to inform the univeristy on her pregnancy - please find details and contacts here.