Study with us

Please note that we can only accept exchange students within the ERASMUS+ or CIVIS agreement or within other exchange programs between the University of Tübingen and your home university.

1. Check if the University of Tübingen is a partner of your home university
   • a) In Europe this means that your faculty or department needs to have a valid ERASMUS+ or CIVIS agreement with our faculty or department. Here you can find a list with our ERASMUS+ partners.
   • b) If you are coming from outside of Europe, your institution needs to have a valid exchange agreement with the University of Tübingen.
2. Check the language requirements: At least B1 German language skills is recommended because most of our classes are in German. However, you do not have to hand in a proof of your language proficiency and are free to choose English-taught classes from other departments for your study abroad.
3. Contact the International Office at your home university. Your home university needs to nominate you via our online portal until the deadline. The link to the online portal will be provided by our International Office to all partner universities.
4. After your nomination has been accepted by the University of Tübingen, you will receive an email with the link for the online application portal. Then you need to complete your application online until the application deadline. 
    
5. Fill out the online application and upload the following supporting documents:
   -    Passport picture
   -    Scan of passport
6. Once we have received your complete application, it usually takes between one and three weeks to assess your application. After that you will receive the official letter of admission.

If you have any questions or problems regarding the application process, please contact our International Office or your departmental coordinator.

The regular university courses are listed in the ALMA portal. Before you are enrolled at the university you cannot sign up for courses as you need a login and password created by the portal during the enrollment process. However you are able to view courses. This way you can already get information on the courses and prepare a schedule.

You only register for some of the courses (usually those who are limited in the number of participants). All seminars at the LUI are limited and need a registration, lectures are open for all students. For some other courses you maybe need to register directly with the professor or you only need to register for the exam. The information should be provided in the course details.

General course information:

• Lecture (Vorlesung) – not limited in number of participants. Requirements: regular attendance, oral or written exam. Average of 3-4 ECTS. You register for this course with the lecturer at the first session.
• Seminar (Proseminar/Hauptseminar) – limited in the number of participants. Requirements: regular attendance, participation in class discussions, class presentation, exam and/or term paper. Average of 6 ECTS for a (Pro)seminar. 
• Exercise (Übung) – limited in the number of participants. Requirements: regular attendance, weekly exams and practical exercises, final exam. Average of 3-4 ECTS. 

ECTS, LP (Leistungspunkte) or CP (Credit Points) are basically the same. They are related to the workload of a course. Generally speaking 1 ECTS credit point requires 30 hours of participation and preparation.

The regular workload for a German student is 30 credits (ECTS). Generally speaking, international students tend to take on too much during their exchange semester(s). The demands on time and energy are greater than at home, so set a reasonable pace in your semester of study. 2-3 Seminare (seminars) or 2-3 Übungen (exercise courses) and 2 Vorlesungen (lectures) will constitute a reasonable load! Don’t overdo it and allow yourself the time to become acquainted with Tübingen and with Germans while you study here. Please also note that your home institution might have minimum requirements in regards to your workload.

The dormitories are administered by the Studierendenwerk Tübingen (Student Services Organization which is not affiliated with the University). Since the University does not own the dormitories, we cannot guarantee any rooms for exchange students. However, if you apply in time for a room in the dormitories, it is highly likely that you will receive a spot in one of the dorms. You can start an application at the same time as you apply for your exchange at the University of Tübingen. To complete your dormitory application, hand in a copy of your official letter of admission as soon as you have received it. For an overview of the dormitories please see here.

You can apply for dormitory housing online directly on the website of the Studierendenwerk. Contracts will be available for the duration of the whole semester only (September to February and March to July/August). Monthly rents are between 230 and 350 Euros. There is a deposit of 400 Euros due upon arrival.

We would not recommend to choose private housing and we cannot assist you in finding private housing. Most German students live in so-called Wohngemeinschaften (WGs), meaning that a couple of people share an apartment to split the rent. In this case the bathroom and the kitchen are usually shared.

In the Orientation Week prior to the official beginning of term, numerous welcome events and information / orientation meetings for regular and exchange students take place around the University. The Orientation Week brochure provides information on the introductory events (help desk, advisory course, official welcome), general information (student initiatives), general orientation as well as orientation events at the various departments. Here you can find the current Orientation Weeks brochure shortly before the semester.

The Studierendeninitiative Internationales Tübingen (StudIT) helps international students with organizational matters, fosters contacts between international and German students and offers leisure time activities in and around Tübingen.

The International Coffee Hour is a meeting spot for International and German students. Everybody is welcome! The get-together takes place during semesters on Friday afternoon, 3-5 p.m. Coffee, tea and cookies for free! Meeting place: Brechtbau, Wilhelmstr. 50.

Local public transport is quite expensive. A valid certificate of enrollment, which Student Administration (Studierendensekretariat) supplies you with, entitles you to a student ticket (Semesterticket) at a reduced price.

At the university of Tübingen:

• Here you find a broad spectrum of activities at the University of Tübingen.

In the city of Tübingen:

• “Culture and Leisure” on the city of Tübingen's homepage.