Bachelor Exchange Programs
Study guide
 |
Roadmap for WiSo exchange students
 | Roadmap_WiSo_exchangestudents.pdf Roadmap for an exchange at the WiSo Faculty |
Offer for guest students
Course Offer
Bachelor exchange students may choose from the entire Bachelor course program offered at the WiSo Faculty, comprising a wide range of specialized studies in the subject divisions of Business Administration, Economics, Political Sciences and Sociology. Bachelor students who come to Cologne in the 4th year of their Bachelor studies may also choose from the course offer on the Master level.
The courses have differing formats; for instance, they may take the form of lectures, exercises, seminars and block seminars. More information on the individual course formats, can be found here:
You can obtain information on the WiSo Faculty’s departments and chairs as well as on the respective areas of specialization here.
German language course
Before the beginning of term, incoming students can participate in German language courses free of charge. These take place in March/April (summer semester) and in September/October (winter semester). Please note that the number of places available in the courses is limited.
In addition, accessory German courses are offered during term.
More information on the language course offer and application for German courses can be found here:
Guest students can moreover enrol for the courses of other faculties, providing that places are available and the lecturer has consented.
Course Language
Exchange students may study in German and/or English.
The extensive English-language course offer makes possible for guste studenst to study entirely in English.
Language requirements:
CEF level B2 in English or German, no certificates required
Academic calendar
Fall term:
- October to February
- “Early leaver”:October to December (Only for guest students of certain universities with overlapping schedules)
- Pre-semester German language course: September
Spring term:
- April to July
- Pre-semester German language course: March
Please note that some examinations are scheduled one to two weeks after the end of term.
The Semester Schedule provides a comprehensive overview of all dates & deadlines for this academic year and the next, including information on holidays, registration periods and Welcome Days:
All matters of concern to guest students are summarized in the Fact Sheet of the WiSo Faculty:
Module and Course Lists
Complete Course List for the Current Semester
The complete list of all courses offered in the current semester (in German and English) at the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences can be found under 
KLIPS.
Bachelor Module Catalogue
The Bachelor Module Catalogue furnishes a detailed overview of all modules from all degree courses offered at the WiSo Faculty. Please note that Module Catalogs specify the offer for the entire academic year. Under “Recurrence Frequency” and “Courses” you can find out in which semester a course is offered. The credit points (CP) for each course can be found here (1 CP = 1 ECTS).
List of all Courses Offered in English
Here you can obtain an overview of all courses held in English at the WiSo Faculty for each of the current semesters.
Course lists are as a rule published in July for the winter semester and in January for the summer semester.
Until the list for the semester of your study visit is available, you can use the previous year’s semester lists for your planning as most of the courses are recurrently offered according to the same semester cycle.
Nomination
Students of the Faculty's partner universities are nominated by the International Offices of their home institutions for an exchange stay at the WiSo Faculty. After they have been nominated, these students are contacted by ZIB-WiSo and then guided through the further procedure.
Nomination deadline:
Fall term: 1 May
Spring term: 1 November
You can find a comprehensive summary of all information pertaining to incoming exchange students in the Fact Sheet of the WiSo Faculty:
Studying
Workload
A full semester workload should comprise 30 ECTS credits, corresponding to the successful completion of 5 to 6 courses. One ECTS credit is equivalent to a credit point in the Cologne system.
The provisions of the home university governing the required workload take priority.
Selecting Courses
During their stay at the WiSo Faculty, exchange students are invited to attend lectures offered by its Economics, Business Administration, Sociology and Political Sciences divisions. In selecting your courses, you should in any case check which of these are credited by your home institution.
For information on the courses offered, please go to the link on this page under “Module and Course Lists”.
Course requests need not be notified to ZIB-WiSo prior to arrival. Incoming exchange students receive extensive course guidance within the Welcome Days framework.
Guest students should, however, enquire whether their home university demands preliminary information on prospective course enrolment in Cologne. In such cases, ZIB-WiSo will be pleased to advise you.
Course Registration
Incoming exchange students receive extensive course guidance within the Welcome Days framework. But please not that many courses require registration prior to the beginning of term. Nominated visiting students are informed by e-mail of the courses for which pre-registration is necessary.
There are three forms of course registration:
- Registration via the KLIPS online system in the month prior to the start of lectures, with this procedure applying only to many courses
- Registration by e-mail to the lecturer or the pertinent secretariat
- Attendance of the first class of a course
Course Registration via KLIPS
KLIPS is the Cologne University calendar listing all courses offered at the University. With the help of KLIPS, students can set up their own class schedule and apply for some of the courses.
An infocast on KLIPS is available here.
As KLIPS is only available in German, you can see detailed instructions for the KLIPS registration procedure in the following overview:
ILIAS
ILIAS is Cologne University’s course management system und online learning platform.
Examinations
Registration: Every examination (written exam/seminar paper) requires separate registration. As a rule, guest this is done at ZIB-WiSo for all exams organized by the Examination Office; only in rare cases must students register directly with the pertinent chair. All incoming students receive detailed information on exam registration at the beginning of term.
Examination periods: Written exams are taken mid-term and at the end of term (end of February/July), or also in the two to three weeks following the end of term. Please note this in planning your stay.
Repeat examinations are in most cases only possible in the subsequent semester as it usually takes two to three months before the marks are posted.
Overview of the written exams, dates and registration periods organized by the Examination Office.
Grades/Transcript of Records
The grading scale at the WiSo Faculty of the University of Cologne ranges from 1.0 (best) to 5.0 (fail). The best marks of 1.0 and 1.3 (A-grades) are nevertheless seldom awarded. To pass a subject, the minimum mark of 4.0 (E-grade) is required.
Marks are as a rule posted as late as two to three months after a written exam (oral exam results are announced immediately).
ZIB-WiSo issues a transcript of records documenting an exchange student’s performance in all courses taken at the University of Cologne. This transcript is then sent to the International Office of the home institution. On request, provisional transcripts can be furnished at anytime, or grades can be disclosed by telephone or e-mail.
GradingScale_12-13_-_long_version_-.pdf Übersicht über die Noten und ECTS-Äquivalente |
Schreiben_an_Lehrende_Pruefungsanmeldung_Gaststudenten.pdf Letter to lecturers re exam registration for exchange students |
Contact
E-Mail Team Incoming students:
wiso-incomings(at)uni-koeln.de
Via this E-Mail address the "Team incoming students" can be reached:
Ms. Cáit Kinsella (Tel: +49-221-470 7066)
Mr. Jens Funk (Tel: +49-221-470 7969)
Mr. Christoph Karl (CEMS) (Tel: +49-221-470 2779)
