FAQ

01. How do I apply to the Master Course? 02. Do you offer online courses? 03. What is the study duration? 04. Do you have a Visiting Student programme? 05. Do you offer any scholarships for international students? 06. How do I contact students of the same nationality? 07. Are their any study fees? 08. How do I pay my fees? 09. How do I open a bank account? 10. When do I enrol? 11. What are the living costs? 12. How do I get to Bochum university? 13. Where can I find a map of the University? 14. Where can I find out more about the city of Bochum? 15. When does the Winter semester start, and when does it finish? 16. How do I get my accommodation? 17. Can I change my accommodation in case that I do not like the offered one? 18. How much does the accommodation cost? 19. Is food included in the price of accommodation? 20. How do I get access to the library? 21. How can I get my email address? 22. How do I get temporary work on campus? 23. How do I register at the Residents' Registration Office? 24. How do I join sports or social clubs? 25. Is it possible to take the lecture notes from the internet? 26. May I ask professors or assistants after lectures about some unclear points ? 27. What is the procedure for registration of exams? 28. How many times per year are examination terms? 29. How many times can I repeat the same exam? 30. If my mark is better in the first attempt then in the following one, which one is counted? 31. If I do not turn up for the exam, is that counted like one of the attempts or not? 32. In the case that I have registered for an exam and I then realise that I am not good prepared for it, is it possible to cancel it? 33. Will it be specified in my diploma that I have failed some of the exams during my studies? 34. Do I have to complete all the credits (90 in total) if I want to take the Master Thesis? 35. Is it possible to take the Master Thesis in industry or some institute outside the university? 01. How do I apply to the Master Course? Please see Application. Top 02. Do you offer online courses? No. Top 03. What is the study duration? The Master course is two years in length (four semesters: three semesters tutorials and one semester master thesis). Top 04. Do you have a Visiting Student programme? There is the Erasmus Student Programme. For further information see www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/intoff/studying-in-bochum/exchange-programmes/index.html Top 05. Do you offer any scholarships for international students? Please see Financial Issues Top 06. How do I contact students of the study programme / of my nationality? Write us an email; we will forward it to some students of your nationality. Top 07. Are their any study fees? Please see Financial Issues For your special case please contact: admission@rub.de Top 08. How do I pay my fees? At the first semester you have to pay the fees within the period of enrolling. This period will be announced on time. After the first semester, the fees have to be paid within the re-registration period. Usually this period is at the end of the previous semester, it will be announced on time. You can either transfer the fees, pay it in cash at the bank or give the University the permission to debit the money directly from your account. Top 09. How do I open a bank account? In order to participate in the cash-free transfer of money to pay for rent, health insurance and similar things you must have your personal current account. To open the bank account you will need: your passport and residence permit, letter of acceptance from the University, your address in Germany. There is e.g. a branch of Sparkasse situated in the Uni Center. You can also choose any other bank like e.g. Volksbank or Deutsche Bank, but Sparkasse has the most local branches in Germany. Top 10. When do I enrol? You need to register with the University within the period indicated on your Letter of Admission. You have to enrol personally at the Studiensekretariat. After registration you have to pay the student fee of EUR 500,- and a social fee of about EUR 170. The tuition and the social fee have to be paid by all students and are charged each semester. The social fee is a general fee towards the cost of running the cafeterias and students dormitories and offers a number of other services free of charge (for example ticket for free public transport in the Bochum area. Top 11. What are the living costs? Approximately 600,- Euro per month are sufficient for living (including rent for accommodation, health insurance and expenses for food, books and excursions). Top 12. How do I get to Bochum university? The nearest airport is Düsseldorf. It is linked with rail to Bochum Main Station (cheapest S1/S21). Frequent subway services operate between Bochum Main Station and Ruhr University (line U35). Take the direction Hustadt and you will arrive at the Ruhr University. Top 13. Where can I find a map of the University? http://www.rub.de/lage/lageplan.htm Top 14. Where can I find out more about the city of Bochum? A lot of information can be found on www.bochum.de Top 15. When does the Winter semester start, and when does it finish? The winter semester starts on 1st of October and ends on 31.3. the following year (in that period your card for transportation is valid). The lectures start around mid of October. For more detailed information look at http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/studierendensekretariat/fristen.htm Top 16. How do I get my accommodation? Please have a look at Accommodation Top 17. Can I change my accommodation in case that I do not like the offered one? You can change your accommodation after the expiring date of your contract. In the meantime you can apply for a new accommodation at AKAFÖ or a private hostel. But have in mind that there is a waiting list and that you have to wait about six months from the date you have applied. Most hostels offer semester contracts. Depending on your contract you have to inform the administration of the hostel 1-3 months in advance in writing that you would like to cancel the contract. Top 18. How much does the accommodation cost? The price of accommodation is 150-300 Euro per month, depending on the hostel and the size of the room. Top 19. Is food included in the price of the accommodation? No, but all accommodations have cooking facilities. There is the possibility to eat in the University refectory ('Mensa'). The price of a meal is about 1.80-3.50 Euro (Monday to Friday). Consider that most shops are closed on Sunday. Top 20. How do I get access to the library? As soon as you have enrolled, you get your student card which you should carry with you at all times. This card will give you access to the main university library. Some departments and most institutes also have their own libraries (some institute libraries do not lend out books, but you can make copies or read inside the library). Another possibility is to borrow books from the library of the Fachhochschule which is very close to the university. Top 21. How can I get my email address? With your matriculation you will get you own email address at the RUB. You have to start www.mail.rub.de in case you want to change the password. Top 22. How do I get temporary work on the campus? There is the possibility of getting a position in one of the University's Institutes after the first semester, depending on the results shown in the exams. International students can work up to 3 months full time or 6 months half time and there is the possibility of an extra 10 hours per week with the given working permit. Also see Financial Issues Top 23. How do I register at the Residents' Registration Office? All international students are required to register with the Residents' Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) and apply for the residence permit at the Foreigners' Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde). Students who are required to have a student visa, have to extend the visa issued in their home country (normally valid for three months) into a one year residence permit. FIRST go to Einwohnermeldeamt and THEN go to Ausländerbehörde. Please also see the Visa regulations Top 24. How do I join a sports or social club? The University offers many free sport courses. Ask at 'Asta' for a booklet about the sport courses. Top 25. Is it possible to take the lecture notes from the internet? Some of the institutes have displayed lecture notes and tasks for exercising on the internet. Some lecture notes can be bought directly at the institute. Top 26. May I ask professors or assistants after lectures about some unclear points ? You are invited to ask them about all problems you are facing while you are studying. Since professors are usually very engaged in some projects it would be best to make an appointment with their secretary or try to find the assistants in their office. Top 27. What is the procedure for registration of exams? You will be informed in time by mail that you have to fill in the registration forms for the examinations. These forms you have to hand in at the examination office to Ms Habel (IA, 5th floor) in the required time. Top 28. How many times per year are examination terms? There are two examination terms: one after the winter semester and one after the summer semester. Top 29. How many times can I repeat the same exam? There are three attempts and one free shot. Free shot means that in case you fail in the first attempt the attempt is not counted, or if you are not satisfied with your mark you can try to improve it and take the exam one more time (but only in the following exam term). Top 30. If my mark of the first attempt was better than in the following one, which one is counted? The better mark is counted. Top 31. If I do not turn up for the exam, is that counted like one of the attempts or not? If you do not turn up for the exam and you have registered for it, it is counted as one of the attempts. Top 32. In case that I have registered for an exam and I then realise that I am not good prepared for it, is it possible to cancel it? Yes, it is possible at the latest one week before the exam. You have to go personally to the examination office to Ms Habel (IA, 5th floor). You cannot cancel it by the email. Top 33. Will it be specified in my diploma that I have failed some of the exams during my studies? In the final document you will have just the grades of your exams without any information about the attempts. But if you are applying for some position at the end of your studies without completing all the credits and the Master Thesis it will be specified how many attempts you needed for the same exam. Top 34. Do I have to complete all the credits (90 in total) if I want to take the Master Thesis? You have to complete 80 credits before you can take the Master Thesis. Top 35. Is it possible to take the Master Thesis in industry or some institute outside the university? Yes, but you need to get a main advisor from our course. You can ask our professors if they have contacts to industry or you make the first contact to the industry yourself and search for a suitable advisor afterwards. Don't be afraid! The professors are interested in having cooperation with industry or other institutes, so it would be advantageous both for you and the professor. Top