Orientation events, finances, student ID cards, finding your way around campus. Here you’ll find all essential information at a glance.
You have been admitted. What's next?
Submit enrollment forms
By enrolling you are accepting your study place at the university and you will receive a student ID number. Read about the details here.
Read all the information on your program
Read the examination regulations and the module catalog for your program in order to be able to plan your degree. All information can be found on the websites for first-year students of the individual schools and on the student portal.
Mark your calendar for the orientation events During the first days of the semester a number of orientation events take place. They will help you find your way around campus and university life. The orientation events take place during “zero week”, the week before the lecture period begins.
Preparation: Living in Mannheim
Financing
Financial support through BAföG, scholarships or jobs for students – there are a number of options when it comes to financing your studies. To find the right solution for you, you should look into the various options early on and learn about requirements and deadlines.
Find a place to stay
The Studierendenwerk manages around 3,000 rooms in 17 residence halls, that spread out through the entire city. Tip: To apply for a spot in a residence hall you do not need to be enrolled. It pays to be quick. Buy the semester ticket
The semester ticket allows you to use all public transport in the city of Mannheim and in the whole area of the Rhein-Neckar Verkehrsverbund. Find your way around campus
Get to know the university and its institutions.
Campus tour (online)
Library tour (online)
Preparation: Setting up your IT infrastructure
Get your ecUM and activate it
The ecUM, short for electronic card University of Mannheim, is your student ID, your library ID and means of cashless payment all in one. You will get your card via Mail as soon as your on campus enrollment is completed and you have uploaded a picture of yourself.
Please activate your ecUM before you visit the library for the first time, since you need your ecUM for checking in.
Set up your Uni-ID and password
You need your Uni-ID (user ID) to operate your e-mail account, the library and for accessing the information portal Portal² and the e-learning platform Ilias.
Accessing the university network from your laptop
On campus, you can use your login information to use the eduroam university wireless.
In order to access the university network from your home, you need to install the Cisco VPN AnyConnect Client.
Setting up Office 365 for students
Students have two options for using Office 365. You can use a free online version under the Microsoft 365 agreement for students or an installed version for which you have to pay an annual fee of EUR 3.99.
Further assistance
Please contact the University IT if you have any questions on the IT services.
Starting your studies: Our Welcome Week
Go to orientation events Orientation events help you find your way around the university and campus life. They also are a good opportunity to get in touch with people.
Set up your course schedule and register for courses Take a look at the course catalog and select your courses for the first semester. You can register for your courses on the student portal Portal². The orientation events will provide some guidance for setting up your course schedule. Also, the departmental student committees can help.
Register for tours and introductory courses offered by the University Library
The University Library offers a variety of tours, courses and learning videos for subject-specific research competencies.
Register for sport courses
The Institute of Sports offers a wide range of sports courses. Most of the courses are free of charge.
Register for language and IT classes
Studium Generale offers a wide range of extracurricular classes: language classes, IT classes, communication or presentation classes.
Get involved and meet new people
Members of a departmental student committee or student organization are actively shaping life at university. Study successfully: Exams
Keep up to date
The university informs students about any news relevant to their studies. Please check your e-mails regularly. For current information, please refer to the website of the University of Mannheim and the newsletters on our programs.
Read your examination regulations Each degree program has examination regulations which outline the coursework and examinations to be completed by students. This document also contains information on examination deadlines, circumstances in which an examination can be re-taken, the number of ECTS credits, and the exact degree awarded.
Learn about exam registration You need to register for exams during the semester. The requirements and conditions for registration, withdrawal, late registration, change in registration are different for every program. Exam registration is done via Portal². Learning and study techniques
The University of Mannheim offers various support services for students. Study techniques and learning methods help to complete your program successfully. Besides an extensive course offer, you also have the option to receive support in individual sessions.
E-learning course
In our e-learning course, students learn about the contents and strategies of self-regulated learning and receive tips on studying from home. The course is free of charge and you can participate at any time.
Studying during the coronavirus pandemic
On our coronavirus website, we have compiled all information on the coronavirus measures at the university and answers on frequently asked questions for our students. On this page, you will also find answers on the most important questions for first-year students.
When does the semester start and when does the lecture period begin?
What is the teaching format?
Spring semester 2022
The current pandemic situation requires us to change our plans for the spring semester 2022. In general, the spring semester 2022 will be an on-campus semester, as already announced in the fall semester 2021/2022. Upon consultation with the deans for student affairs and the student representatives, the President's Office has decided to make the following adjustments:
We want to ensure that classes can be held, but we also want to protect us all against infection. Classes that take place until 8 April 2022 may be held in person or digitally. The teachers will take the individual framework conditions (type of class, number of participants, room situation, infection rates and quarantine situation among the participants) into account when deciding if the class will be held on campus or digitally. They will inform you if there are changes to the plan for your class. Please check the inbox of your university e-mail account regularly and go to Portal2 to check the course details section, particularly the information on the individual classes and the notes regarding the classes, in order to find out about changes at short notice. Please note that the information on the form of participation might not apply for each individual class in the spring semester and that there might be changes that apply to individual dates.
If your class is held on campus and you are unable to attend (e.g. due to quarantine or isolation), we will ensure that you are able to continue your studies without restraints by providing you with alternative offers.
As of 25 April 2022, classes will generally be held on campus again.
If you encounter problems with the implementation of these regulations, please do not hesitate to contact student representatives of AStA and the student representatives council (by sending a message to corona-lehrevs-uni-mannheim.de). If required, they can forward your concern in anonymized form to the President’s Office.
Please follow the rules of conduct whenever you are on campus. Further information are also available in the Hygiene policy of the University of Mannheim.
Please take also note of the following: Should you experience symptoms that are typical for a coronavirus infection, please leave on-campus classes immediately and do not enter the campus again until a doctor confirms that you are not infected.
What are the support options for studying from home?
Microsoft 365 instance for students
You can use the Microsoft 365 instance for students to work with your fellow students in virtual study groups. Furthermore, this new instance enables you to use OneDrive with 1 TB of cloud storage, a cloud version of Office 365 with Word, Excel and PowerPoint, OneNote as well as Lists.
On the page Microsoft 365 for students, you will find an overview of all available applications with instructions and information for activating your account.Support in developing learning skills and study techniques
Study techniques, such as learning methods, self-management or time management strategies or knowing how to handle databases securely, help you to master the challenges of your program. The University of Mannheim offers its students various support services: In addition to a wide-ranging course program, students can also receive individual support in one-on-one sessions.
E-learning course: Self-managed learning and studying from home
For succeeding in your studies, it is also important to work on your learning techniques and to develop efficient and effective learning strategies. The University of Mannheim supports its students by offering e-learning services in cooperation with Professor Stefan Münzer (Chair of Education Psychology), the Department of Educational Development & E-Learning and the Psychological Counseling Services of the Studierendenwerk (PBS).
Borrowing laptops for digital examinations
UNIT and the University Library cooperate to provide laptops that students may borrow. The laptops have the latest versions of SPSS and STATA and may be borrowed for 14 days or a semester at the University Library. For more information, please see the website of the University Library.
Do I need to move to Mannheim?
How can I get in touch with other students?
The schools offer various opportunities to get used to life on campus: Social events in small groups, learning groups, meetings with teachers etc.
More information about the departmental student committees
Understanding Study-Related Terms: The world of higher education comes with its own vocabulary, which is not always easy to understand in the beginning. We help you to understand the most common study-related terms.