Course Selection and Registration

For information about available courses please see the category Social Sciences in the course catalog for exchange students. Please pay attention to the differentiation according to your level of study (bachelor’s/master’s program). Courses taught at the master’s level are only open to students in a master’s program. Only in individual cases can students of a bachelor’s program in their 3rd / 4th year also attend courses designed for master’s students (proof of necessary previous knowledge must be furnished in the form of a transcript of records).

The course catalog for the fall semester is published on 15 May each year. The courses for the spring semester will be announced on 15 November. If the course catalog for the respective semester is not yet available, please refer to the courses of the previous fall or spring semester.

What should I know about the procedure?

Please pay attention to whether the courses that you would like to take are offered in the respective semester of your stay in Mannheim as many courses are not offered every semester.

There are different types of courses: lectures, seminars and exercise courses. While the number of available places is limited in seminars and exercise courses, participation in lectures is always possible. You can attend all courses that are taught in German or English.

Exchange students at the School of Social Sciences must attend at least 50% of their courses at the School. Up to 50% of their courses may be selected from the University Wide Electives.

Each school offers courses that can also be attended by exchange students from other schools and/or departments. These are mostly lectures (held in English). Please refer to the respective course description for information on course registration. After enrollment, you can register independently via Portal² for almost all lectures. You can take up to 50% of your courses at other schools.

Exchange students who have been nominated are automatically contacted by the competent exchange coordinators. If you are going to spend the fall semester in Mannheim, you will receive an e-mail from your exchange coordinator at the end of May/beginning of June. If you start your studies in Mannheim in the spring semester, you will receive an e-mail at the end of November/beginning of December. The e-mail contains all information about the selection of courses and the registration procedure.

Please note:  Registration for German language courses is organized by the International Office.

The course catalog shows how many ECTS credits you will obtain for each course.

Subject to prior agreement with the teachers, exchange students who need additional ECTS credits in certain courses have the possibility to obtain more ECTS credits through additional coursework and/or examinations (e.g. presentations or term papers). Please ask the teachers directly and take note of the information provided in the course catalog.

Please note that some courses will not be graded. These courses are assessed as passed or failed. If you need a grade, please inform your teacher in the first session.

Exchange students from other schools may only attend courses in Political Science, Psychology or Sociology (beyond the University Wide Electives) on a case-by-case basis and under the following conditions:

• if there are still enough free places (in seminars);
• if you meet the necessary requirements (in particular with regard to statistical knowledge); a transcript must be submitted;
• after consultation with the competent exchange coordinator(s)

If you have any questions, please contact the competent departmental exchange coordinator(s).

Exchange students from other schools may attend courses at the School of Social Sciences that are offered within the context of the University Wide Electives. Please pay attention to the courses offered in your respective semester.

Please register independently via Portal² for the University Wide Elective courses of the School of Social Sciences.

The course catalog shows how many ECTS credits you will obtain for each course.

Subject to prior agreement with the teachers, exchange students who need additional ECTS credits in certain courses have the possibility to obtain more ECTS credits through additional coursework and/or examinations (e.g. presentations or term papers). Please ask the teachers directly and take note of the information provided in the course catalog.

Please note that some courses will not be graded. These courses are assessed as passed or failed. However, if you need a grade, please inform your teacher in the first session.