Study with us
Information for incoming exchange students
We are happy that you are interested in the Ludwig-Uhland-Institute (LUI) for Historical and Cultural Anthropology in Tübingen! Our department participates in the exchange programs ERASMUS+ and CIVIS and is connected to lots of international partners. We do not offer a full degree program for exchange students, but we warmly invite you to take a class or spend one or two semesters in our Bachelor (undergraduate) or Master (graduate) program Empirische Kulturwissenschaft (Historical and Cultural Anthropology). You are curious to find out more? Then click on the links below or scroll down to find more information or contact our Advisory Office for exchange students.
Please note that we can only accept exchange students within our ERASMUS+ or CIVIS agreements or within other exchange programs between the University of Tübingen and your home university. If you are interested in becoming an exchange student in our department, please do not forget to turn to your home university for more information regarding the nomination and application process.
You are an exchange student already enrolled in another department of the University of Tübingen and would like to take a class at the LUI? Great, we would be happy to welcome you. Please contact your departmental coordinator for more information regarding your study and visit the course catalog to register for our classes.
About us
Welcome to the Ludwig-Uhland-Institute (LUI), the Department of Historical and Cultural Anthropology at one of Germany's oldest and most reowned universities. We are located in the heart of Tübingen's beautiful old city: The Tübingen Castle (Schloss Hohentübingen), the former residence of the House of Württemberg and the university's founder, Duke Eberhard I. Here we have our own publishing house (Tübinger Vereinigung für Empirische Kulturwissenschaft), a library, an exhibition hall as well as a large collection of textual, graphic, photographic, audio, video, and material sources documenting past everyday and popular European cultures. Here you can find more information about our research topics and here you can watch our teaser on YouTube (click on the settings to activate English subtitles).
Application process
Incoming exchange students are administrated centrally at the university's International Office. After your successful nomination by your home university, you will receive an email with the link for the online application portal. You will be admitted as a non-degree student for a limited study period (one or two semesters).
How to apply: step by step
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.
- 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.
- Check the language requirements: 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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Fill out the online application and upload the following supporting documents:
- Passport picture
- Scan of passport -
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.
Academic calendar
In our Academic Calendar you will find an overview of important dates:
- the application deadline for admission and housing
- start and end of classes
- semester breaks
- dates of the preparatory language courses for Erasmus and exchange students
- dates of the orientation programs and introductory courses for international students
Course options
The university's course catalog shows all offered courses sorted by faculty, subject, study program or level and course type. You can find our course program by browsing Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät > Empirische Kulturwissenschaft.
Instructional language in our classes is usually German, so we recommend German language skills B1 at least. However, as an exchange student you can choose freely from the courses offered at the University of Tübingen, even across different subjects and faculties. The University of Tübingen offers a wide range of courses in English every semester. Use the links below to see the courses for exchange students currently offered and the course catalogues of past semesters for your reference.
- Courses for Exchange students (updated before each semester)
If you need guidance or advice with all the course options, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Course registration
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.
Accomodation
We recommend all exchange students to consider living in the student dormitories as their first option. The private housing market in Tübingen is not only wildly expensive. It is also highly competitive and it is very difficult to rent a room for a limited time, i.e. one or two semesters. Living in the student dormitories is a convenient cheap housing option. All rooms for exchange students are fully furnished single rooms with shared kitchen and usually shared bathrooms in the city of Tübingen. Find more information below.
Dormitories
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.
Private housing
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.
Learning German
If you want to improve your German, we offer a large variety of German language classes.
- The Department for German as a Foreign Language offers intensive preparatory courses before the beginning of term
- During term a great variety of courses are offered at different levels, usually starting from A2.
The University of Tübingen has one of the biggest German as a Foreign Language Departments in Germany, offering a large variety of German language classes as well as classes of German culture, politics etc. The courses are free for exchange students. You only need to pay for course materials and for excursions, in case these are part of the course. Find out about your options on the website of the Division of German as a Foreign Language and Intercultural Programs!
Arrival and Orientation
Welcome to Tübingen!
Tübingen is a place of research and teaching: About 28.000 students from Germany and all around the world join the town’s regular population of around 90.000 every year to study in this beautiful and vibrant city. Situated in the medieval town of Tübingen and located in the sunny southwest of Germany, the University can look back on more than 500 years of teaching. Rich in culture and history, alive with a broad range of entertainment and sports activities all in easy access of the campus, Tübingen is certainly the perfect university setting.
Orientation programs for international students
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, 2-4 p.m. Coffee, tea and cookies for free! Meeting place: Clubhaus, Wilhelmstr. 30, upstairs.
Get-Tü-Know is a group of students whose goal it is to help you enjoy your stay in Tübingen. All international (degree seeking) students are welcome to join their activities. With Get-Tü-Know you can go on daytrips, meet new people, and get to know the German lifestyle.
Getting aroung in Tübingen
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.
Culture and Leisure Activities
At the University of Tübingen:
- Here you find a broad spectrum of activities at the University of Tübingen.
In the city of Tübingen: