Extracurricular course program

Exchange students are offered the opportunity to take additional courses during the semester. These include both German language courses and courses on regional and cultural studies. Courses on regional and cultural studies are taught in English. Language courses are available at different levels (A1 to C1) according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

These courses are open to all exchange students. Registration costs EUR 15 per course. This fee is not refundable, not even if you cannot participate in the course. A minimum number of participants is required for each course. Courses might be canceled due to lack of enrollment.

  • German language and culture courses in Fall Semester 2024

    You can find an overview of our offered German Language and Culture Courses in June in the course catalogue.

  • Conditions

    General Conditions
    Every exchange student can register for a maximum of 3 German Language and Culture Courses during the semester. Within the German language courses you can register for a maximum of one parallelgroup for each course type. In addition, only students who are present on the first day of the course will be allowed to participate in the course. If you are unable to attend the first day of the course, for example due to illness, please inform the International Office: germancoursesmail-uni-mannheim.de. Due to restrictions on the number of participants (maximum of 15 participants per course), we seek your cooperation in choosing an appropriate course. Please ensure that your language and culture courses do not clash with your regular university courses by checking the course times in the Course Catalogue. Also, please remember to de-register should you be unable to participate in a course so that students on the waiting list may be considered for the course.

    Attention: Courses may be canceled should there be insufficient participants.

    You may register for a course twice, but you will not be awarded ECTS points for your second attempt, i.e. should you have completed a course in a previous semester, you may register for this course this semester again, but you will not be able to improve your grade or receive ECTS points for this course a second time.

    Language Level
    You will only be able to register for German Language Courses according to your language proficiency level. You cannot attend courses of different language levels at the same time. Exceptions are only possible in special cases and upon permission by the International Office.

    Waiting List
    Your preferred course has been fully booked? In this case, you may register on the waiting list.
    Attention: Please remember to de-register from the waiting list (by sending us an email) should you no longer have any interest in attending the course or if there are scheduling conflicts, as you will be automatically registered for a course if a spot becomes available! There will be no separate notification and you will be responsible for paying the registration fee of €15 per course.

  • Evidence of Language Proficiency

    Before you can register for the German Language and Culture Courses, you will need to provide evidence of your language proficiency level. Evidence of your language proficiency can be provided through the online placement test.

    Please upload your results your Mobility Online workflow by 7 August 2024 at the latest. Only students who have presented proof of their language proficiency to the International Office will be able to register for the German language courses during the registration period.
    Please note that the upload is only possible after you have received our e-mail with the subject line University of Mannheim: German language and culture courses.

    Attention: You are not required to do the language proficiency test if you do not have any prior knowledge of German. Simply go to your Mobility Online Workflow and select that you do not have any prior knowledge of the German language and we will give you access to the beginner courses.

  • Registration

    Course registration is only possible after you have informed us of your language proficiency (see ‘Evidence of Language Proficiency'). You will only be allowed to view courses corresponding to your language proficiency. Please check your timetable (refer to the Course Catalogue) to see if your regular courses clash with the German Language and Culture Courses you wish to attend before you register for the courses. The User Manuals in Portal² will show you how to register for courses.
    Attention: Free de-registration is only possible during the registration period! Refunds after the end of the registration period are not possible.

    Registration Period
    You will be able to register for the German Language and Culture Courses from 15 August 2024, 9 a.m. until 28 August 2024, 2 p.m. (CEST). For questions, please contact: germancoursesmail-uni-mannheim.de

  • Payment of Registration Fees

    Please keep in mind that it is only possible to de-register from courses free of charge during the registration period until 28 August 2024. You can de-register yourself on Portal².
    After the registration period ends, you will be responsible for paying all registration fees (€15 per course), regardless if you attend the course or not.
    You can check the amount you need to pay on Portal² (MyStudies > Student Service > Bills and Payments) after the registration period ends.
    We will inform you about the bank details soon after the end of the registration period.

  • Organizational Information

    You are required to attend the first day of the course. Otherwise, you will lose your place on the course and can no longer attend. Courses are limited to a maximum of 15 participants. In view of the limited number of participants we kindly ask you to make your choice carefully. When planning your semester schedule, please make sure that the courses on German language and culture and the courses of your regular curriculum do not overlap. If you de-register in time, your place can be offered to other students on the wait list. 

  • ECTS-credits

    You may receive the corresponding number of ECTS credits for the successful completion of a German Language or Culture Course. Successful completion of a course entails the fulfillment of the examination requirements. The examination requirements vary from course to course and can include a final exam, several tests, and a final exam, a presentation, etc. The examination requirements will be given to you by your instructor.

    Attention: Check with your home university if credits can be awarded for the German Language and Culture Courses! In order to receive the credits and for the German Language and Culture Course to appear on your transcript, you will need to register for the final exam for the course. We will provide you with more information about this step during the semester.

The German lessons were very helpful for learning a new language in a new country. It’s fun to realize you are starting to understand the language in just a few short months.

Anikka Chan, exchange student in the bachelor’s program in Business Administration, University of Toronto (Canada) / Photo credit: Elisa Berdica

You can find an overview of our currently offered German Language and Culture Courses here.

Tandem Conversation Partner

Are you looking for a way to improve your language skills in another language? Would you like to practise with native speakers? Here you can find your tandem partner:

Tandem Conversation Partner

Contact:

Ricarda Diehl

Ricarda Diehl (she/her)

German Language Courses Coordinator and Accommodation Officer for International Exchange Students
University of Mannheim
Division II – Student Affairs
International Office
L 1, 1 – Room 109
68161 Mannheim
Phone: +49 621 181-1158
Fax: +49 621 181-1161
E-mail: germancoursesmail-uni-mannheim.de
Office hours:
Working from home every Thursday and Friday as well as Wednesday in even calendar weeks; available only via E-Mail on these days.