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! Do not 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.