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Here is a short introduction to your stay at Kassel University. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Magura (magura[at]uni-kassel[dot]de). In addition you can visit the Kassel University website online
(www.uni-kassel.de).

1. Admission: To participate in the program, you just need a one-liner of support from one of the professors at the Center "Division of Global Affairs".

2. Registration deadline: The academic year in Germany is divided in two terms (winter term: ca. Oct. 15-Febr. 15/ summer term ca. April 15-July 15). The registration deadline for the winter term is July 15th, and for the summer term January 15th.

3. Formal Application: Send an email with your personal data to Mrs. Ernst (master[at]uni-kassel[dot]de). She will send you the general application form and the form for student housing by mail as well as an English translation of the form.

4. Tuition fee: There is no tuition fee at Kassel University. Students need only to pay the inscription fees of currently 235 Euro per semester (includes public transportation in the Greater Kassel area, computer account, and sport facilities).

5. Housing: The University of Kassel offers housing facilities for their students. The period of contract to rent an apartment is six months. The total costs for six months are approximately 1500€. Moreover the students have to pay a deposit of 150€. You can pay the amount of 1500€ on-site, but the deposit is to pay in advance (no credit card transfer). Private housing in Kassel is affordable. A student can rent a room in a flat-sharing community for about 200€ a month. However, it is difficult and risky to rent private rooms without checking them out first.

6. Administrative requirements: After your arrival in Kassel you have to visit the following administrative offices (please pay attention to the correct order).

1) Registration office of the city of Kassel (see point 7)
2) Health insurance (see point 8)
3) Registration office at the University (see point 9)
4) Foreign office (see point 10)

7. Registration office of the city of Kassel: The registration office wants to know your address in Germany. Please go to the authority within one week after your arrival in Germany. You need a valid passport for your registration.

8. Health insurance: You need German health insurance. The fee is about 55€ per month. Students which are older than twenty-nine years, need a private health insurance. The fee for a private health insurance is about 70€ per months.

9. Registration office at the University of Kassel: You need three documents for your registration.

A completely filled-out application
Verification of your health insurance
Verification of your payment of the inscription fee. (Voucher with stamp of your bank).

You get the student ID after the registration.

10. Foreign Office: The foreign office need six documents for your registration.

Passport
Passport photograph
Verification of your liquidity
Student ID
Verification of your residence
Verification of your health insurance

11. Week of Orientation: The week of orientation is a program for foreign students. You will learn about the important bureaucratic aspects of your stay in Germany and you will get to know a bit of Kassel and the University. This week is a good chance to make contact with other foreign students. Moreover the student service offers excursions to some other towns in the Kassel area and Germany (Erfurt, Göttingen, Berlin, Lübeck, Eisenach, Weimar).

12. English language instruction: The Department of Social Sciences offers two MA programs completely taught in English: MA Global Political Economy (www.uni-kassel.de/go/gpe), MA Labour Policies and Globalisation (www.global-labour-university.org). You are welcome to participate in the MA courses.

13. Signing up for courses: No registration is necessary. If you cannot come directly at the beginning of the semester, please contact the instructor for working out special arrangements. You can also participate in other programs offered by the Department of Social Sciences or by other departments of Kassel University.

14. Lecture timetable: The lecture timetable is available at the university bookshop. Furthermore you can access the timetable online.

15. Computer account: During your stay at our faculty you get a mail address from the computer centre. The student ID is the authorization for the use of computer stations on campus. Moreover, the computer centre offers wireless lan cards for their students. You have to pay a deposit of 50€ to lend such a card.

16. Language courses: Thanks to the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) we can offer you one German language course for free. Please indicate early, if and when do you want to participate. The language centre of Kassel University is offering a great program of different language courses. If you want to learn other languages, you must pay the course by yourself. The charges for a course(two hours per week) is about 30€.

17. Library: The library system of Kassel University is comparable with the system in the United States. You take out books with a library ID. You need a student ID, a passport, and a verification of your residence to get the library ID. The loan period is four weeks. If necessary you can renew the loan period twice. Furthermore, Kassel students can use the inter-library loan system of the university to lend books from other universities in Germany. Pay attention to the circulation period! It is very expensive to break the return deadline.

18. Student service: The student service is your information centre for: leave of absence, application, registration, enrolment receipt, ticket, consultation for handicapped people, support service for foreign students, and so on.

Mail: studienservice[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
Phone: 0561/8042205 or 0561/8042209

19. Sport facilities: The University of Kassel offers an elaborate sport program. Most of the sports are free of charge (you have to pay only a small amount of 5€ for the registration process). Only a few sports (for example rowing) are chargeable. [ more ]

Contact :

Prof. Dr. Christoph Scherrer scherrer[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
Sabine Ernst (student service) master[at]uni-kassel[dot]de

Nicole Magura (secretary of Prof. Scherrer) magura[at]uni-kassel[dot]de

Franziska Richter (student assistant) franziska.antonia.richter(at)googlemail.com
Lisa-Marie Heimeshoff (student assistant) l.heimeshoff(at)gmx.de

Welcome in Kassel!!