International Exchange Students

The profile of the university

The profile of the University of Hildesheim is made up of four main academic areas:

• Faculty 1: Educational and Social Sciences
• Department 2: Cultural Studies and Aesthetic Communication
• Department 3: Information and Communication Sciences
• Department 4: Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Economics and Computer Science

These four focal points form the unmistakable profile of the University of Hildesheim in the national university landscape. With around 8,000 students, Hildesheim is one of the smaller of the eleven universities in Lower Saxony. In contrast to the mass universities, the University of Hildesheim offers students the great advantage of completing a qualified course of study in a manageable environment. The University of Hildesheim can rightly be characterized as a young, dynamic and innovative university. Students have the opportunity to acquire key qualifications and attend courses in related disciplines.

An overview of the undergraduate degree programs at the University of Hildesheim can be found here: Study programs

Additional information for the study programs from Department 2 can be found Here

There are two semesters per academic year, a winter semester and a summer semester.

The lecture period of the winter semester usually begins in mid-October and ends in mid-February. There is a two-week Christmas break at the end of December/beginning of January.

The lecture period of the summer semester usually begins in mid-April and ends in mid-July. The week after Whitsun is an excursion week at the University of Hildesheim, during which no normal teaching takes place.

The lecture-free period between semesters is generally used to write exams and assignments.

Semester periods

Academic year 2023/24

Academic year 2024/25

Academic year 2025/26

With over 100,000 inhabitants, Hildesheim is a charming city in which it doesn't take long to find your way around. It is a pleasure to discover that cafés, theaters, cinemas, supermarkets and, of course, the university are usually within easy reach by bike or on foot. If you want to do something in the evening, you can enjoy the city's rich cultural life: the municipal theater with plays, musicals, ballet, operetta and opera, the Kulturfabrik with theater and cabaret events, the Vier Linden and the Bischhofsmühle with many concerts. There are also museums, exhibitions and, and, and...

Those who prefer old and somewhat quieter art will also get their money's worth in Hildesheim. There are two UNESCO-protected church buildings here: The ancient St. Michael's Church and the cathedral, whose inner courtyard is home to the 1000-year-old rosebush, Hildesheim's landmark. A visit to these two world cultural monuments is definitely worthwhile. Other historical treasures, especially from Egyptian culture, can be admired in the world-famous Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum.

The convenient location of Hildesheim is also to be appreciated: the state capital of Hanover is just 1/2 hour away, other major cities such as Braunschweig or Hamburg are up to two hours away and even the German capital Berlin can be reached comfortably by train in two hours.

Website of the city of Hildesheim

www.hildesheim.de

Video about Hildesheim: "ffn - The north from above: Hildesheim"

youtu.be/F3K_QcLwJGo

Vacation magazine of the city of Hildesheim

You can find more information about sustainability at the University of Hildesheim here.

Prerequisites

Language skills: Incoming students should speak German at least at B1 level or English at least at B2 level!

Health insurance:

In order to study at a German university, you must have valid proof of statutory health insurance.

Important information for all European exchange students with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and Turkish students with an A/T 11 form:
A new European regulation stipulates that health insurance cover via the European Health Insurance Card is only given for a pure study stay.If you want to work or do a paid internship, then you can no longer use your European Health Insurance Card. You will then need a new German statutory health insurance policy.

In this case, please ask the International Office for a current overview of German statutory health insurances.

If you come from a country that is not part of the European Social Security Agreement, you will need statutory health insurance for your study visit. If you are over 30 years old, there is a special regulation.

You should also bring

• Your valid passport or identity card

• 2 copies of your passport

Application procedure

You submit your application for one of the exchange places to the International Office at your university. Your university will then nominate you online in Hildesheim. You will then automatically receive an e-mail with the link to your online application for the University of Hildesheim.

The sooner you apply to us online, the better your chances of us being able to find you a furnished room in Hildesheim.

Please note the following deadlines when applying:

Online nomination of the university:

Winter semester and winter + summer semester: May 15

Summer semester: November 15

Online application students and the signed student application to incoming@uni-hildesheim.de :

Winter semester and winter + summer semester: May 30

Summer semester: November 30

After you have completed the online application, please send us your signed application by e-mail to incoming@uni-hildesheim.de.

Your documents must be in Hildesheim by a certain deadline:

Winter Semester and Winter + Summer Semester (annual candidates): May 30

Summer semester: November 30

Before you apply, please consider carefully whether you really want to go abroad and whether it is at all possible in terms of your academic achievements. Any later cancellation means an enormous organizational effort for the International Office of the University of Hildesheim - so please let us know immediately (also by phone or email) if you cannot come to Hildesheim for any reason.

In the registration form, you will be asked whether we should arrange accommodation for you. The placement is binding, i.e. you must pay the costs if you do not take over the accommodation for the planned period. All rooms that we arrange for you are furnished and within easy reach of the university (max. 20 minutes by bus).

There are basically two types of accommodation to choose from:

1. student residence

This is a house which is inhabited entirely by students. The hall of residence is managed by an organization to which you pay your rent. Depending on the hall of residence, you will share the kitchen and bathroom with 3 - 12 other students.

You can find information about student halls of residence here: http://www.stw-on.de/hildesheim/wohnen

2. shared flat (WG)

Here you also live with several students (usually 2-5) in an apartment and share the kitchen and bathroom with them. However, the apartment is in a private apartment building and you pay your rent to the landlord. These rooms are usually offered by German students who are themselves attending a university abroad for a period of time.

Deposit / security deposit:

In Germany, it is usual to ask for a deposit when renting a room. This is a sum equivalent to 1-2 months' rent, which you will receive back when you move out if you leave the room in perfect condition.

At the beginning of the semester, we offer exchange students various events to make their start in Hildesheim easier.

The introductory days begin with a welcome breakfast. This is followed by various information events in which we help you to complete the necessary formalities. These include

• Matriculation (enrollment)
• health insurance
• rent payments
• Registration with the city
• Other events during the induction days

To become a student at the University of Hildesheim, you must enrol, i.e. register. You will receive an application for enrolment from us, which you must complete and sign. You must also submit proof of health insurance (see "Health insurance" below) and pay the semester fee.

You will receive a personal payment request by e-mail from the International Office a few weeks before your stay. Please transfer the semester fee to the account of the University of Hildesheim in due time.

The semester fee is not tuition fees, but student contributions to the student union and the student body, the semester ticket for bus and train and the cultural ticket.

Detailed information on the semester ticket can be found here.

Please hand in the complete documents (application for enrollment - with signature!, copy of health insurance certificate, passport photo, copy of ID card/passport) to the International Office.

After a few days you will receive your UniCard from the International Office.

In order to study at a German university, you must have valid proof of health insurance.

Important information for all European exchange students with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and for Turkish students with an A/T 11 form:
A new European regulation stipulates that health insurance cover via the European Health Insurance Card is only given for a pure study stay.
If you want to work or do a paid internship, you can no longer use your European Health Insurance Card. You will then need a new German statutory health insurance policy.
In this case, please ask the International Office for a current overview of German statutory health insurances.

If you come from a country that is not part of the European Social Security Agreement, you must take out German statutory health insurance. We recommend that you take out insurance with a statutory health insurance company here in Germany. The sum insured per month for students is approx. 90 euros (as of September 2018).

If you live in a hall of residence, you will (usually) receive a rental contract from us with the information letter, which you should sign and return. However, please do not transfer the first rent in your home country! We will take care of this once you are in Germany.

All others who live privately should agree with their interim landlord when and to whom they will pay the rent and deposit.

In Germany, it is customary to transfer a deposit (financial security for landlords) with the first rent. It will probably be around the amount of one month's rent. In any case, all students who are accommodated in a hall of residence must pay the deposit. If the room/apartment is left in perfect condition at the end of your stay, you will receive your deposit back in full.

We take care of the registration at the Hildesheim city administration on site in Hildesheim during the induction days, together with the enrollment formalities.

• Welcome breakfast
• Uni-Ralley
• Guided tour of the library
• Introduction to the computer center (computer access)
• Guided tour of Hildesheim
• Intensive German course
• Timetable advice from the responsible coordinators

An overview of the current courses.
Here you will find an overview of courses taught in English.

ECTS stands for European Credit Transfer System.

This system was developed by the EU Commission in order to guarantee students the mutual recognition of credits earned at a partner school. The ECTS system is essentially based on the awarding of so-called credits: Up to 60 credits are earned in one year. The credits represent the workload for courses with corresponding performance records such as examinations, presentations, assignments, tests, etc.

• ECTS conversion table and information on credit transfer (awarding options)

Registration for courses for examinations takes place online in two steps in the POS system of the University of Hildesheim.

After your matriculation during the introductory days in the fall (winter semester) or spring (summer semester), you can register for your courses online. After a few weeks, the POS system will be activated for exam registration and you can register online for your exams in a second step.

You can find information on registering in the POS system here.

Please register in POS for all lectures, seminars and courses for which you need ECTS credits and grades. When your transcript of records is complete, i.e. when all grades have been entered by the lecturers, print it out. You can obtain a signature + stamp from the International Office or your subject coordinator (please hand in a copy of the transcript to the IO).

If your transcript is not complete until after your departure, please send us or the subject coordinator the file as a pdf, and we will then send you the document by e-mail or post to your current address.

If you have any questions about your grades, please contact the lecturers or your subject coordinator directly.

To make it easier for you to learn German, we offer you an intensive language course at up to three levels (basic, intermediate and advanced) before the start of the semester.

You also have the opportunity to take part in a German course during the semester (2 - 3 hours per week).

We charge a fee for the intensive course (approx. 50 - 60 euros), the course during the semester is free of charge.

In addition, the International Office brings together German and international students who would like to support each other in learning the respective foreign language (tandem program). You can obtain registration forms for this during the induction week or generally from the International Office.

In addition to these language tandems, the Reading and Writing Center also offers international writing partnerships. Teams of three work together here: Student teachers accompany the language learners in their exercises. Information and registration can be found here.

An Erasmus Student Network (ESN) group has existed at the university since the summer semester of 2001. It is organized by Hildesheim students and aims to offer various events for Erasmus and other international students. The program is very diverse and ranges from cultural events (e.g. theater or opera visits) to city tours in the near and far surroundings (e.g. Cologne or Hamburg) and pub crawls.

During the introductory days, there is usually a pub crawl through Hildesheim and a trip to Hanover. All information about the initiative's activities can also be found on the Internet at http://hildesheim.esn-germany.de/.