FH Bielefeld Guide for International Students 2 FH BIELEFELD: GUIDE for INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WELCOME! 3
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FH Bielefeld Guide for International Students 2 FH BIELEFELD: GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WELCOME! 3 WELCOME! Dear Student, We are delighted that you have chosen the region The International Office and Buddy Team will of Eastern Westphalia for your studies or your support and help you with all of your questions. stay abroad and are looking forward to welcom- Please do not hesitate to contact us! It is our goal ing you here at Bielefeld University of Applied to make your stay at FH Bielefeld as wonderful, Sciences1 (subsequently called FH Bielefeld, short unique and enlightening as possible. for Fachhochschule Bielefeld). “Willkommen! Bienvenue! Tervetuloa! Välkommen! Verwelkomd! We wish you a great start and a successful stay Vitany! Bienvenido! Velkommen! Benvenuto! Hoş Geldiniz! Witamy! We are certain that the time you spend here at at FH Bielefeld! our university and in this region of Germany will Ni Hao! Benvenuto! Bem Vindo.” be filled with many new and exciting experiences. Your International Office Team Your International Office Team This brochure is designed to provide some FH Bielefeld guidance and to help you plan your stay at FH Bielefeld. It contains information you might find useful before and during your studies such as general organisational tips, a checklist and contact details. Please note that this guide focuses on information specifically related to studying at FH Bielefeld. Further general information on studying in Germany is provided on the official Study in Germany website at www.study-in.de. Further useful weblinks are provided at the end of this brochure. 1 Not to be confused with Bielefeld University as both are independent institutions. 4 FH BIELEFELD: GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CONTENTS 5 IMPRINT 06 WELCOME! 34 LIFE IN GERMANY: BIELEFELD, 08 International Office GÜTERSLOH, MINDEN Bielefeld University 09 Fachhochschule Bielefeld 36 Medical care of Applied Sciences 36 German etiquette: Du or Sie? Interaktion 1 10 PREPARATIONS FOR YOUR STAY 37 Living expenses 33619 Bielefeld, Germany 12 Visa or no visa? 37 Work permit Bielefeld © December 2018 12 Health insurance 37 Learning German Editor 13 Semester contribution and 38 Facts and figures International Office semester ticket 39 Bielefeld Responsible for content: 14 Arriving at campus 42 Minden Judith Peltz, Vanessa Hübner 15 Accommodation 42 Gütersloh [email protected] 17 The BUDDY Programme Phone +49.521.106-70093, -70517, -7764 44 APPENDICES Design: Communications Office 18 AFTER ARRIVAL: FRESHERS’ WEEKS 44 Dictionary of German AND THE FIRST STEPS higher education terms Photos/Maps 20 Freshers’ Weeks for international 45 Checklist: Planning your stay Charlene Böhmer exchange students in Germany Fachhochschule Bielefeld Susanne Freitag 21 Applying for a Residence Permit 47 Important Local Addresses Felix Hüffelmann 22 The REST regulation 48 Useful Weblinks moBiel GmbH 49 Campus Maps Andreas Secci 24 ON CAMPUS: STUDYING 52 Bielefeld Public Transportion Maps Berit Steinkröger AT FH BIELEFELD 26 General Academic Information 27 Courses, credits and transcripts 28 Service Facilities 29 Leisure-time activities and university groups 30 Eating and Drinking 31 Support – Advice – Counselling 6 FH BIELEFELD: GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Welcome! To FH Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences 8 FH BIELEFELD: GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WELCOME! 9 International Office Fachhochschule Bielefeld The International Office is the “international hub” Bielefeld University As a university of applied sciences, FH Bielefeld One university, three campuses of the FH Bielefeld. Our responsibilities include of Applied Sciences offers a wide range of practice-oriented courses FH Bielefeld is located in the beautiful region supporting international exchange and degree International Office and subjects. Founded in 1971, FH Bielefeld was of East Westphalia-Lippe (Ostwestfalen-Lippe, seeking students as well as managing the Buddy Rooms A 227/229/231 one of the first universities of applied sciences OWL for short). Located in the northeast of Programme for incoming students. In addition to Interaktion 1 in the first wave of FHs to open in Germany. We North Rhine-Westphalia, the region consists of 33619 Bielefeld coordinating and running international pro- are a welcoming university with strong ties in medium-sized cities and rural areas. It is well- Germany grammes, we also attract third-party funding and the region that values hands-on teaching and known for its furniture, as well as machine and Phone +49 521.106-70093, promote the process of internationalisation at the -70517, -7764 research in a global network. automation engineering industries. university with innovative ideas and concepts. [email protected] Our work focuses on encouraging international · 3 campuses: Bielefeld, Minden and Gütersloh FH Bielefeld is divided into three venues in mobility for all members of the university, but ↗ www.fh-bielefeld.de/en/ · 5 faculties: Design, Minden Campus, the cities of Bielefeld, Minden and Gütersloh. above all, students. international-office Engineering and Mathematics, Social Sciences, Students study in one of the venues depending Business and Health on their course of study. If you have any questions, please contact us: · 10.228 students (11/2018), We are happy to help! MAIN CONTACTS 858 international students (11/2018) · 270 professors (11/2018) Contact Person for · 258 academic staff members International Exchange Students Hannah Möhring · 248 administrative staff members Room A 227 · 37 Bachelor programmes Hamburg Phone +49.521.106-70093 · 21 Master programmes [email protected] · 2 certificates Berlin · 4 research institutes Hannover Contact Person for International · 4 research groups FH Bielefeld Leipzig Degree Seeking Students · 2 graduate schools Dresden Nora Naujoks GERMANY Room A 227 Köln Due to FH’s close cooperation with regional and Phone +49.521.106-70517 trans-regional businesses, students have the Frankfurt a. M. [email protected] opportunity to participate actively in professional Nürnberg Programmes for Refugees life. From the earliest stages of their studies, Dipl.-Kffr. (FH) Sandra Schoeß students apply the theoretical knowledge Stuttgart Room C 012 acquired in lectures, seminars and tutorials in München Phone +49.521.106-7764 projects and periods of practical training. Most [email protected] degree courses’ curricula at FH Bielefeld include an internship. Therefore, students usually estab- lish beneficial contacts with potential employers. This is a huge advantage on the job market once they have completed their studies. Preparations for your stay at FH Bielefeld 12 FH BIELEFELD: GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS PREPARATIONS 13 This chapter helps you to prepare for your stay at Visa and entry requirements are very complex! Private health insurances will only be accepted The DAAD (German Academic FH Bielefeld. You will also find a checklist at the Please check the official website of the German Em- for enrolment if their policy is comparable to Exchange Service) website offers end of this guide. bassy or a German Consulate in your home country a public health insurance. This is often not the more information on health to see if a visa is required and for further informa- case: A private health insurance may not pay for insurance: tion on application requirements and procedures. necessary treatments in every case, or they may ↗ www.bit.ly/2vqPF6T Visa or no visa? refuse payment past a certain sum (so that you You can also check the website would have to pay the rest yourself). You should Whether you need a visa for your entry into of the Federal Foreign Office at: also know that private health insurance compa- Semester contribution and Germany and for living and studying here ↗ www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en nies do not settle bills with the doctor or hospital semester ticket depends on which country you originate from directly, but with you. This means that you need and for how long you plan to stay in Germany. to pay for any doctor’s visits first and then apply The semester contribution is a mandatory sum Health insurance to the insurance company for reimbursement. that you have to pay in order to be able to Your home country is Also, please note: Once you take out private study at FH Bielefeld. It currently amounts to · an EU member country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Having a health insurance is compulsory in health insurance you cannot revert to public approx. €290 per semester at our institution. Norway or Switzerland? Germany. In order to enrol at FH Bielefeld, you health insurance! Please note that this is not a tuition fee! It is a You are exempt from visa requirements and must possess health insurance that is valid for contribution covering administration and other only need a valid personal identification card Germany. Please check with your insurance It is possible to purchase a German health student services. It helps to finance all of the to enter Germany. provider at home whether they cover you insurance policy online. If you need it to obtain facilities of the student service organisation · a non-European/non-EEA country? during your studies at FH Bielefeld. Your health your visa, for instance, you may want to consider Studierendenwerk (e.g. cafeteria, student In most cases, you will require a visa to study insurance is valid for your studies in Germany buying German health insurance before coming residences, day care centres) as well as the at FH Bielefeld. However, there are special if you have a European Health Insurance Card here. You can also apply for German health insur- Student Union (AStA). It also includes the cost regulations for certain states. Citizens from (EHIC). However, if you are planning on working ance once you are at FH Bielefeld. If you are not of the semester ticket (travel card). Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, in Germany while studying, you will need to sure whether your home health insurance will be South Korea and the United States, for apply for German health insurance.