KLIPS stands for "Kölner Lehr-, Informations- und Prüfungsservice" (Cologne Teaching, Information and Examination Service). KLIPS is used in particular to register for and de-register from courses and examinations. You can find out exactly how this works here.

Be sure to take part in the WiSo KLIPS team's information event at the beginning of your studies. Since you will be using KLIPS throughout your studies, it is important to understand the system and its functionalities already at the beginning of your studies. In the information session, all the necessary functions will be explained to you and you can clarify your individual questions.

Be sure to store your current study address and telephone number in KLIPS and update them if necessary. Since the WiSo Examination Office will be happy to contact you itself in the event of a written application or queries, the direct and quickest way to contact them is via currently valid data only.

Communication at the university takes place exclusively via your s-mail address. The issue of data protection is very important to us and in order to guarantee this, we can only offer individual, study-related advice at the WiSo Student Service Point if the enquiries are sent from your s-mail address. Only with your s-Mailaccount you can use selected services of the UoC, which are essential for you as a student, such as KLIPS, ILIAS, internet access etc. Please bookmark this page and check it at least once a week. If you do not know your s-mail code or need further information about the account, please contact the RRZK computer centre.

ILIAS stands for "Integriertes Lern-, Informations- und Arbeitskooperations-System" (Integrated Learning, Information and Work Cooperation System) and is the central e-learning platform of the University of Cologne. Information on ILIAS can also be found here.

The chairs use ILIAS as an online platform for their courses. In addition to current information about the courses, the learning materials such as presentations, external sources, lecture slides or other files are available for download.

ILIAS is linked to KLIPS. If you have registered a course in KLIPS and have been allocated a place there after the end of the registration phase, your data will automatically be imported into the corresponding ILIAS course at the start of the lecture and you will receive access to the corresponding materials.

In addition, ILIAS is also used as an examination environment for online exams. Therefore, please familiarise yourself with the system at the beginning of your studies.

Other ILIAS courses that are independent of your modules in the degree programme must be actively joined by you. This includes, for example, LOTSE, the self-test on maths school knowledge or the course "Learning to learn".

So that you can start your studies well prepared and successfully master the first semester, the WiSSPo provides you with a series of video tutorials for the 1st semester.

The videos are only available to you if you already have an s-mail account.

• First steps for entering students 
• How to register for courses 
• Advisory options

Detailed instructions about how to register for exams can be found here.

At the beginning of each semester, you create your own timetable using the scheduler function in KLIPS. You will find the modules to be taken for the first semester in your module catalogue (ER 2021).

If you would like to know what is specifically taught in the individual modules, then take a look at the description of the modules. In addition to details of content, you can also see in which rotation a module is offered or which language of instruction applies. Information on the legal basis for your studies is provided by the examination regulations (ER) of your degree programme. It is essential that you familiarise yourself with them, as they will accompany you throughout your studies.

Please remember that the module descriptions are only valid for one academic year. However, outdated versions can still be found in the archive on the website. And examination regulations are also subject to change, which are published in the Official Notices of the UoC.

To create your schedule, please make sure to watch this short video with helpful tipps!

Or instead follow these steps:

1. The first thing you do is look at the sample study plan for your degree programme, which you can find in the module catalogue (ER 2021).
2. There you can see which modules are recommended for the first semester (usually 4-5 modules).
   Note: Some modules consist of several courses, e.g. lecture+exercise+tutorial.
3. Now log into KLIPS with your s-mail data.
   Note: You received your s-mail data from the Student's Registration Office when you enrolled. You can only register for courses and examinations in student status with your s-mail data (and no longer with your private mail address). You can find information on the first steps in KLIPS here.
4. On your business card, select the tab "my degree programme", via which you now take the modules that are recommended for you in the first semester according to the sample study plan.
   Note: Please only ever use this section for course registration, as this will only show you the courses that you are actually allowed to attend. Do not use the free search for the courses.
5. Each course in a module (lecture, exercise, tutorial) must be booked individually in KLIPS. If, e.g., only a lecture is offered, but no tutorial or exercise, then these will not be offered at the time of registration.
6. Prioritise the courses you have taken, here you will find helpful instructions.
   Note: We recommend that you choose several tutorials per module and then also prioritise them. As the places per tutorial are very limited, you have a better chance if you choose more than one.
7. Please be sure to not miss the KLIPS registration periods. Only in these periods can the modules for the coming semester be taken. As a rule, this is the 2nd KLIPS registration phase for first semester students. In the 1st enrolment phase, mainly seminars and Bachelor theses are taken. Please have a look at the overview of the courses to be taken at the end of the lecture period, which the WiSo KLIPS team has compiled for you here (list of available WiSo events). In the allocation of remaining places (3rd KLIPS registration period), you can still take courses at the beginning of your studies where there are still free places.
8. The timetable is created after all courses have been taken in KLIPS: Courses in which you have received a place are automatically transferred to your timetable. This can be viewed in KLIPS via the calendar application. In the settings of the timetable, you can specify whether courses for which you are on the waiting list should also be displayed for planning purposes (this option also includes courses for which you have submitted enrolment requests)

School vs. university:

Learning at university is different from learning at school. You are responsible for your own personal learning and study success. For you as a first-year student, it therefore makes a lot of sense to deal with your own learning process at the beginning.

LOTSE ("pilot") offers a helpful module on learning strategies with important tips in Chapter 3. Use the time until the first lecture to prepare yourself optimally for your studies.

Have you already taken examinations in another degree programme or at another university and would like to have them checked to see if they are eligible for credit? Then submit an application for credit as follows:

• Make sure your s-mail account is activated and your degree programme is listed under the tab "my degree programme" in KLIPS.
• Then access the credit transfer portal and create a final application for credit. You will also find instructions on the linked website.
• Read through the information on how to apply and follow the corresponding diagram, depending on which applies to you.
• If additional documents or proofs need to be submitted, they can be dropped into the letterbox in front of WiSSPo A. The addressee is the WiSo Credit Centre.

WiSo Student Service Point (WiSSPo)

Do you have any questions about your studies? Then feel free to contact us - the WiSo Student Service Point. We are always your first point of contact for all questions about WiSo studies.

We provide information and advice on topics such as KLIPS, course enrolment, choice of specialisation and help with general questions about examination matters. You can either book an appointment or drop by on Thursdays between 10 am and 12 pm for open advisory hours. You can find our contact details and appointment booking links on the WiSSPo website.

For students with disabilities

The University of Cologne offers additional counselling and support services for students with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses. The Service Centre for Inclusion (SZI) will be happy to help you with your questions and discuss your needs and support services with you, e.g., as compensation for disadvantages in exams or support measures in lectures. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact them. You will also find many important tips and information on the topic of empowerment. The SZI will be happy to introduce itself to you via this presentation.

Student Initiatives

The WiSo Faculty has a very dynamic campus life and a variety of student initiatives, which are independently organised by the students. These initiatives have different orientations and objectives, but always relate to either the study programme or the faculty. For example, there are student groups such as AEGEE, a student organisation that is active throughout Europe. At the university level, there is also the student self-administration, the AStA. Internship placement, congress organisation or subject-related offers - student associations offer many opportunities to gain practical experience as well as to benefit from networks.

You can find a list of most student groups, Fachschaften and other student associations here.

The WiSo student council

The WiSo Student Council is the student body of the WiSo Faculty. Every day, numerous students volunteer on behalf of their fellow students to represent their interests to professors, institutions and the university. But the student council offers even more - namely service for students by students. Their service also includes offers such as the exam CD or the book market. In addition, there are numerous teams that deal with, for example, the orientation phase for first-semester students or the graduation celebration. The student council also includes the Mitschriften-AG (MAG), where students produce and sell lecture notes for almost all courses. In addition, the student council publishes the WiSo-Mitteilung (WM) - in the student council newspaper you can always read the latest information about studying. Everything important, such as contact details or the opening hours of the WiSo office, can be found at their website . Every student is cordially invited by the student council to contribute there!

The WiSo office is the seat of the student body. There, students help their fellow students with their concerns on a peer level.

The professional student advisors at the WiSo Student Service Point (WiSSPo) at the various WiSo service institutions, on the other hand, provide objective information and offer advice based on this mission statement.

If you have enrolled in an English-language degree programme that does not require German language skills for application and enrolment, then you may be able to attend a German language course at the University of Cologne. German courses are organised by the International Office and the Department German as foreign language. Check their website and find out about the German course directly there.

Especially at the beginning of your studies, but of course also during the degree course, many questions arise, e.g. about the organisation of your studies, the focus of your studies, your final thesis, an internship or a semester abroad. We have already compiled a list of answers to your questions in our FAQ section.

Please always look there first, in the spirit of independent information search, which was formulated as an expectation for you during the first steps after enrolment.

If your question and the corresponding answer are not listed or if you have a more comprehensive advising request, our WiSo student advisors at the WiSo Student Service Point will be happy to help you.