In order to be admitted to the WiSo Faculty, every student needs to be enrolled at the University of Cologne by registering individually through our WiSo Exchange Platform (WEX) and KLIPS 2.0 database (the teaching and exam service of the University of Cologne).

1. After successful nomination by your home university's coordinator on WEX and after the official nomination deadline has passed, students and their coordinators will receive a welcome email from ZIB WiSo. Students will also receive a separate email with their personal log-in data for WEX.
    
2. You will then be asked to confirm your acceptance via WEX by completing your personal information, exchange information, data security preferences and German language course preferences.
    
3. To complete your enrolment, you will also need to complete an application for admission form in the KLIPS 2.0 database and upload it to WEX. ZIB WiSo will inform you as soon as the database is activated for your exchange term.
   
   To proceed with your enrolment, you will need to upload a single document to WEX. No other certificates, forms or transcripts are necessary. The submission deadline will be posted in WEX as well as under "application deadline" in the semester schedule.
   
   Enrolment document
   • Signed application for admission (generated on the University of Cologne’s KLIPS 2.0 database once it opens – students will be informed accordingly)
   
   You can track your enrolment status throughout your stay via your individual WEX profile.

After confirmation of your personal details and the details of your exchange, you will receive an official letter of acceptance (LoA) from ZIB WiSo, which can then be downloaded from your WiSo Exchange Platform (WEX) profile. This document is proof of acceptance to the exchange programme and your formal invitation to Germany. Non-EU students in particular will need it for visa/residence permit purposes.

NEW EU TRAVEL REGULATIONS - Start mid 2025
For travelers from visa-exempt countries (also known as the 90-day tourist visa), a travel authorisation called ETIAS will be required to enter most European countries. This has to be done before traveling. See details here: European Union - ETIAS (link)

Please note that students are responsible for organising their own visa in a timely fashion (some procedures take months to complete).

After you have enrolled at the University of Cologne, you will receive a student ID (UCCard) along with a remittance slip. To complete your admission, you need to pay the social contribution of around € 315.

The social contribution is not a tuition fee but a solidarity contribution that enables all students to use student services such as the university restaurants/cafés and the sports facilities at reduced prices. The contribution also includes the cost of the NRW travel ticket, which provides you with free public transportation in and around Cologne. Please note, that it does not include health insurance. For questions regarding the payment of your social contribution, please refer to the KLIPS support team.

All incoming guest students are required to have valid health insurance. Proof, either in the form of a German health insurance policy or an exemption certificate, must be delivered to the University's International Office after your arrival when you pick up your UCCard.

If you live in an EU country or the United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Switzerland or Norway, you probably have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC or GHIC) or your insurer at home will provide you with a health insurance document for abroad. Please bring it with you to Cologne in order to obtain an exemption certificate at one of the local health insurance companies.

If you do not come from an EU/EEA state, please request the relevant information from your health insurer. You may have to take out supplementary insurance for abroad. Further information can be found on WEX.

After your social contribution fee has been paid, you will receive an email asking you to activate your Cologne student account. The ZIB WiSo Incomings Team will send you detailed information about this.

Once you have activated your student account, your status on KLIPS 2.0 will change from applicant to student . At this point, you will be able to register for your courses and exams during the respective registration periods. 

Note, there are two separate registration periods – one for courses and one for exams.

Please log into KLIPS with your individualised student account from this point on.

A full term workload should comprise 30 ECTS credits, equivalent to three to five successfully completed courses (one course has 6, 9 or 12 ECTS). One credit point in the Cologne system is equivalent to one ECTS credit point and corresponds to a total of 30 working hours. The home university's provisions governing the required workload take precedence, if different.

Course selection parameters:

Bachelor students who come to Cologne in the fourth year of their bachelor studies may also choose from the course options offered at master level.

Information sources listing the courses available for guest students:

• 'Course options for incoming students'
  The list of 'Course options for incoming students' (available under "Downloads" on this page) is a term-by-term list of all courses available to guest students at the WiSo Faculty. Most of the courses are held in English, some are held in German. The list is frequently updated and sent to students before the beginning of term.
  Until the list for the exchange term is available, the previous year's list can be used as a guide since most of the courses run in the same term every year. Please note that there might be time overlaps between courses.
• KLIPS 2.0 database
  Basic information about the courses as well as times and locations can be found in the KLIPS 2.0 database without any need to log in. Credit points (ECTS) are not listed in KLIPS 2.0 but you will find them in the 'Course options for incoming students'.

Most of the courses available to guest students are taught in English, while a smaller number of courses are taught in German. The minimum language requirement is CEF level B2 in English or German. No certificates are required.

The WiSo Faculty offers the following different types of courses with different degrees of independent learning:

Lectures – Structured and presented by a professor; written examination; often in combination with exercises (see below)

Exercises – Held by professor's teaching assistants; interactive format and smaller groups; serve as exam preparation

Tutorials – Led by fellow students who are further along in their studies; high level of interaction; serve as exam preparation; limited number of participants

Seminars – Higher level of interaction between professor and students; independent group work; examination mostly consists of a term paper and a presentation in class

Before the beginning of the term and during the term, the "German as a Foreign Language" (Deutsch als Fremdsprache – DaF) unit at the University of Cologne's central International Office offers incoming students German language courses at various levels. The ZIB WiSo Incomings Team will provide you with all necessary information before the term starts.

Participation
- 1 course (either pre-semester or semester) is free of charge for international exchange students at the WiSo Faculty

- Want to take both courses? This is possible, however a fee will be charged for the second course.

- Staying for an academic year? You are eligible for one free course in the Fall and one in the Spring.

Pre-semester German course (only for new incoming students)
The pre-semester courses start four weeks before the lecture period starts. The courses are intensive language courses with approx. 20 teaching units per week from Monday to Friday, either mornings or afternoons, depending on course level. They are held from the beginning of March to mid-April (spring term) or from the beginning of September to mid-October (fall term).

Fall term: Please note that there is no 'early leaver' option for German courses and therefore early leavers will only be able to attend pre-semester German courses.

ECTS: 9

Semester German course
German courses are also offered during term time on a weekly basis. These courses consist of 8 teaching units per week. They are held from mid-April to mid-July (spring term) or from mid-October to mid-February (fall term).

ECTS: 9

Registration process

Interested in attending a course?

As you activate your WEX account, you can indicate which course you would like to attend. The ZIB WiSo Incomings Team will then provide you with further information.

The ZIB WiSo's role is limited to the registration process and we are not involved in or responsible for organising or executing the German language courses. Therefore, once the pre-registration and the online placement test is completed, we ask that all questions regarding course details, schedules, ECTS, etc. be directed to the German as a Foreign Language Department via their contact form.

General dates

Fall term
Regular term: Beginning of October – end of February (including examination period)
Short term/'early leaver': Beginning of October – 15 December (including examination period)*
Pre-semester German language course: September

*Early leaver option: Students can only take part in this option due to academic calendar conflicts (not including internships) and if they are nominated by their home university.
To see what courses are ‘Early Leaver’ compatible, refer to the list available under "Downloads" on this page. Along with the ability to finish their term abroad in December, it includes a much higher workload, additional assignments and shorter deadlines. For questions, please refer to your home university and the ZIB WiSo.

Spring term
Beginning of April – end of July (including examination period)
Pre-semester German language course: March

Exact term dates, a comprehensive summary of the most important deadlines as well as dates for CEMS students can be found in the academic calendar available under "Downloads" on this page.

• Academic calendar 23/24
• Academic calendar 24/25
• Course options for incoming students fall 2024/25
• Course options for incoming students spring 2024
• Fact sheet 2024/25
• Fact sheet 2025/26
• Incomings presentation 2024

The following types of accommodation are suitable for visiting students:

• Rooms temporarily sublet by Cologne students who have themselves gone abroad for studies
• Rooms and apartments in student residences run by the Kölner Studierendenwerk (public student service organisation)
• Rooms and apartments (private or shared) through private lessors or housing agencies

The ZIB WiSo Incomings Team will provide you with more detailed information regarding accommodation before you arrive.

Please note that places in student dorms are limited and it is up to visiting students to find an accommodation for their stay. We suggest you start looking for a room or flat around three to four months prior to arrival. It may also help to talk to other students (e.g. "buddies" as well as former or current incoming students) about their experiences.

Contact

Anna-Luisa Liedtke
Phone: +49 (0)221 470-1280
Email: incomings@wiso.uni-koeln.de

The Buddy Programme is organised by ZIB WiSo and the PIM & CEMS Student and Alumni Club Cologne e.V.. All incoming exchange students are assigned a "buddy" – i.e. a Cologne student who helps them find their way around the city and the University during their stay. ZIB WiSo puts guest students and their buddies in contact with another before the guest students arrive. Buddies thus lend their support in organisational matters right from the start, for example by helping incoming students obtain their keys to accommodation or by meeting incoming students at the airport. They also help guest students register with the authorities (translational assistance) as well as taking part in many of the "Welcome Week" events at the beginning of term.

Contact

Jens Funk & Sam Sipponen
Phone: +49 (0)221 470-7969

KLIPS 2.0 is the teaching, information and exam service of the University of Cologne (Kölner Lehr-, Informations- und Prüfungs-Service). This is the course catalogue for most of the University's faculties and also enables incoming students to register for their courses and exams.

During the University's second course enrolment period ("KLIPS Belegungsphase 2.0"), i.e. in March or September, the ZIB WiSo offers individual course guidance sessions for all new exchange students online (Zoom). Before your individual course guidance appointment, please prepare a list of courses that you would like to take in Cologne. When making your selection, you should always check which courses will be recognised by your home university.

Click here for information on the 'Course options for incoming students' and on workload and access depending on study level.

Most courses offer enough places so that all students who wish to take the course can do so. In order to foster a productive learning environment some courses, e.g. seminars and computer lab courses, are limited to a certain number participants. If necessary, any remaining places will be assigned on a special first-come, first-served process known as "Restplatzvergabe". This takes place after the selection process has been concluded, usually during the first week of classes.

In light of these special procedures, there is no guarantee that students will be able to register for all the courses that they wish to take. It is therefore recommended that students choose at least one course more than they are required to take to ensure that they satisfy their academic requirements for the semester.

Living costs largely depend on personal needs and lifestyle. The following list contains average monthly figures for a study stay in Cologne, based on experience:

• Housing (including ancillary costs): €300–500
• Books and learning materials: €30
• Food: €170
• Leisure activities: €100–250
• Health insurance: approx. €100 (if the insurance from your provider at home is not recognised)

This does not include the social contribution of approximately €315 per term. Please note that this does not include health insurance.

The University of Cologne does not offer scholarships but you can find some useful websites on this topic below.

To successfully complete any course, students must pass an examination.

The grading scale at the WiSo Faculty of the University of Cologne ranges from 1.0 (best) to 5.0 (fail) though the best marks of 1.0 and 1.3 (A grades) are seldom awarded. A minimum mark of 4.0 (E grade) is required to pass a subject.

Once students notify the ZIB WiSo Incomings Team via email that all of their grades have been uploaded to WEX, they will process a transcript of records.

Official transcripts are available for download via our WEX portal. The information provided is equivalent to the information on our paper transcripts. We follow an eco-friendly process when issuing our transcripts but if necessary, coordinators can request a hard copy via WEX.

The WiSo Faculty's grade conversion scheme can be found under "Downloads" on this page.

Contact

Natasha Turner
Phone: +49 (0)221 470-1283

Christoph Karl
Phone: +49 (0)221 470-2779

Email: incomingswiso.uni-koeln.de

The Incomings team is your first point of contact and we are happy to sign anything related to academics at the University of Cologne, WiSo Faculty. To speed up processing times, students should fill out the forms as much as they can, this includes our contact details, course titles, credits, dates etc.

We process Learning agreements and confirmations/certificates as PDFs or via the Erasmus+ Dashboard.

Special request: for OLA’s please send us an email notification when it is ready to sign. We will not be able to see this status otherwise.

• DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service
• DAAD - Scholarship database
• Scholarship programmes for foreign students
• Scholarships and financing
• Scholarships to Study in Germany

The Incomings team is the students’ first point of contact and function as guides for their exchange experience. This includes topics related to disabilities (physical and otherwise) as well as conditions that could affect their academic success. When confirming their nominations, students are able to notify us privately if they require learning support services (extra time on exams, barrier-free access, etc.). We will then work with each student to try to connect them with the services and support they need.

Note, that the Incomings team are not trained counselors and function as guides. We are always happy to listen but for more intensive support, students will be encouraged to contact a professional.

Before the beginning of every term, ZIB WiSo and the PIM and CEMS Student and Alumni Club Cologne e.V. organise a Welcome Programme for all WiSo Faculty incoming guest students. The programme consist of academic information events, guided tours of the city and campus as well as cultural trips and gatherings with fellow students to help newcomers get to know one another.

• Part I (September/March)
  • Events throughout the month that are designed for students as they arrive in Cologne
  • Mandatory events are held in a hybrid format (in-person and online participation is possible)
• Part II (One week before the beginning of classes in October and April)
  • Multiple events daily, including mandatory in-person events

Welcome Programme Part II attendance is mandatory and students should plan to arrive by this week at the latest.

More details on the Welcome Programme can be found under "Downloads" on this page.

• Academic calendar AY 23/24
• Academic calendar AY 24/25
• Grading scale
• Welcome programme: Part I
• Welcome programme: Part II