Business Administration and Economics

The optional “Preliminary Course on Mathematical Methods” for the Business Administration and Economics programs will take place in person from September 9 to October 2, 2026, every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

You can find the current dates and content in ILIAS. It is important that you log in to ILIAS in advance using your student account (S-Mail). You do not need to register with KLIPS. 

Business Informatics

The optional “Preliminary Course in Mathematics” for the Business Informatics program will take place from September 14 to October 2, 2016, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. All further information can be found here.

Health Economics, Social Sciences, and Teacher Education for Vocational Colleges, MES (Management, Economics and Social Science)

No preparatory course is required for these degree programs.

This optional crash course in (Generative) Artificial Intelligence provides a solid foundation in generative AI—including how it works, its capabilities, and its limitations—in just a few hours. 

You can find the digital course on this page in ILIAS. The course will appear once you’ve logged into ILIAS with your S-Mail account. The course is available exclusively in German.
 

Here we will explain how to register for courses and exams in KLIPS.

Please register for the session corresponding to your degree program.

Information Systems: September 3, 2026, 10:00–11:30 AM, Registration

Social Sciences: September 4, 2026, 10:00–11:30 AM, Registration

Business Administration: September 7, 2026, 10:00–11:30 AM, Registration

Economics: September 8, 2026, 10:00–11:30 AM, Registration

Management, Economics & Social Science: September 9, 2026, 10:00–11:30 AM, Registration

Health Economics: September 11, 2026, 11:30 AM - 01:00 PM, Registration

Teacher Training for Vocational Colleges: The Zentrum für Lehrer*innenbildung (ZFL) offers courses on “How to Create a Class Schedule” for all bachelor’s degree programs. You can find these courses here. We encourage you to participate in this component. If you have specific questions about the modules in the WiSo Faculty, please feel free to contact the WiSSPo directly.

Kick off your time at the WiSo Faculty with WiSo Welcome Week from October 6–10, 2026, and get to know the faculty, your fellow students, and key services and offerings.

Please register to participate in the events via Anny.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 10:00 AM – 2:15 PM

The WiSo Welcome Week kicks off with a welcome event for all students. You’ll meet the dean, the student council, and the people who will support you during your studies at the WiSo Faculty. Two workshops will also help prepare you for the start of your studies. The workshops are offered in both German and English on different days, so you can attend both in your preferred language. You’ll also meet your future classmates and the program coordinators at “Meet Your Academic Director.”

• Welcome at WiSo (10:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Lecture Hall I, WiSo High-Rise Building 101)

  • Welcome WiSSPo & Fachschaft
  • Meet the Dean
  • Meet WiSSPo & WiSo Services

• Break (11:00-11:15 AM)

• Workshops (11:15 AM - 12:15 PM)

  • Werteworkshop - Eigene Werte erkennen und anwenden (DE) (Lecture Hall I, WiSo High-Rise Building 101)
  • Your studies, your path: Start with clarity and balance (EN) (Auditorium II, Main Building)

• Break and Networking (12:15-13:15 PM)

• Meet your Academic Director (01:00-02:00 PM)

  • Business Administration with Prof. Dr. Franziska Völckner, Lecture Hall I, WiSo High-Rise Building 101)
  • Economics with Prof. Dr. Eric Hornung (Auditorium II, Main Building)
  • Social Sciences wirth Prof. Dr. Detlef Fetchenhauer (Lecture Hall XII, Main Building 100)
  • Information Systems with Prof. Dr. Christoph Rosenkranz (Lecture Hall XVIII Main Building 100)
  • Health Economics with Prof. Dr. Ludwig Kuntz and Dirk Müller (Lecture Hall VI, Main Building 100)
  • Management, Economics and Social Sciences (Lecture Hall H115, IBW-Building 211)
  • Vocational School Teacher Training (Lecture Hall XVIIa, Main Building 100)

• Open Consultation (02:30-04:30 PM, WiSo Student Service Point, WiSo Building 101)

Wednesday, October 8, 2026, 10:00 AM – 2:15 PM

On this day, you’ll receive all the information you need from the Student Advising Office for your first semester. The program is supplemented by the other workshop, depending on which language you’ve chosen. During the FAQ Session & Hands-on KLIPS, we’ll answer your questions so that you can start your studies well-prepared the following week.

• Welcome WiSSPo – What You Need to Know (10:00–11:00 AM, Lecture Hall I, WiSo High-Rise Building 101)

• Break (11:00–11:15 AM)

• Workshops (11:15 AM –12:15 PM)

  • Dein Studium, dein Weg: Mit Klarheit und Balance starten(DE) (Lecture Hall I, WiSo High-Rise Building 101)
  • Values Workshop – Recognizing and Applying Your Own Values (EN) ( Lecture Hall I, WiSo High-Rise Building 101)

• Break (12:15–1:15 PM)

• FAQ Session & Hands-on KLIPS (1:15–2:15 PM., Lecture Hall I, WiSo High-Rise Building 101)

• Open Consultation (02:30-04:30 PM, WiSo Student Service Point, WiSo Building 101)

   

Information about the workshops:

Values Workshop – Recognizing and Applying Your Own Values/ Werteworkshop - Eigene Werte erkennen und anwenden

In this interactive workshop, you will explore your personal values and discover the role they can play in your studies, professional life, and everyday experiences. At the same time, the Values Workshop prepares you for the ethics training that is part of your studies at the WiSo Faculty and lays the foundation for a thoughtful approach to ethical questions.

Your studies, your path: Start with clarity and balance/ Dein Studium, dein Weg: Mit Klarheit und Balance starten

A workshop to kick off your studies with clarity and balance. Learn how to manage stress, structure your time, and activate your personal resources - for a focussed, healthy, and self-directed student life. 

09.-11.10.2025, all day

Discover the campus and university life together with your fellow students and experienced students from the WiSo student council. Look forward to great events, interesting discussions and insights into everyday student life. You will get to know your fellow students, take a tour of the campus and receive tips about studying from experienced students. You will get to know the offers and services of the student council. Of course, there will also be a party and a Campusrallye. 

Please remember to register for the orientation phase with the WiSo student council. You can find all the information here. 

If you have any questions about the orientation phase, please contact the WiSo Student Council.

To mark the start of your studies, the Rector of the University of Cologne, the Vice-Rector for Teaching and Studies, and the General Students’ Committee (AStA) warmly welcome you on October 12, 2026.

You can find more information here.

By choosing an elective subject, you can tailor your studies to include content from the WiSo Faculty. In this session, we will introduce the available options.

September 24, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Room H80, 103 – Philosophikum

• Regional Studies Latin America (Business Administration, Social Sciences)
• Regional Studies China (Business Administration, Economics, Social Sciences)
• Regional Studies Eastern and Central Europe (Economics, Social Sciences)

September 24, 2025, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Room H80, 103 – Philosophikum

• Media Studies (Media Management and -Economics)

Do you have any questions about starting your studies? Our phone hotline for first-year students is available Monday through Friday, October 12–16, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. each day at 0221 470 4132.

At the start of your studies, you can participate in both the Welcome Week events offered by the WiSo Faculty and the events organized by the Zentrum für Lehrer*innenbildung (ZfL).

Please note: You are not expected to attend all events. Visit the websites of the WiSo Faculty and the ZfL to learn about the respective programs and select the events that are most relevant to your personal start to your studies.

We especially recommend the event “Meet your AD” on October 6, 2026. There, you’ll get to know the other first-year students in your program and have the opportunity to meet your Academic Director (AD), ask questions about your studies, and talk with your fellow students.

Welcome Week, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences: October 6, 2026–October 10, 2026

Welcome Week ZFL: September 21, 2026–September 25, 2026

The orientation days for the Bachelor’s program in Management, Economics, and Social Sciences (MES) begin with “My I-days” on Monday, October 5th, 2026, at 09:00 in Lecture Hall 115, IBW Building 211.

During the week, you’ll get to know the people with whom you’ll be studying over the coming years, take time to reflect on what you hope to gain from your studies, and work with your cohort to develop a shared vision of what you want to achieve. You’ll also receive the organizational tools you need to get started: information on how the program is structured, who to contact for specific questions, and everything else you need for a smooth start to your first semester in the MES program.

Your attendance is required. Please register via ILIAS after you’ve enrolled.

As students in the Regional Studies programs for China, Latin America, and Eastern and Central Europe, as well as in the Media Studies program, you will participate in the first-semester events offered by the Faculty of Arts. You can find these on this page.

In addition, there is a joint event organized by the WiSo Faculty and the Faculty of Philosophy:
 

• Welcome to WiSo Regional Studies in China, Latin America, and Eastern and Central Europe 

  September 23, 2026, 2:00–3:00 p.m., Room H80, Philosophikum, 103
   

• Welcome to WiSo Media Studies

  September 23, 2026, 3:00–4:00 p.m., Room H80, Philosophikum, 103