Your Studies at LUE

The entire course catalogue is available in LSF. Course offerings change every semester. You can select the semester in LSF in the top right-hand corner. Generally speaking, the courses offered in the winter semester are comparable to those of the previous winter semester, and those in the summer semester are comparable to those of the previous summer semester. The new course catalogue for the summer semester is always published in mid-February and the one for the winter semester in mid-August. In individual cases, it may happen that a course does not allow further enrolment due to participant restrictions. In these cases, the International Office will endeavour to find a suitable replacement course for you. Our tutors will assist you in choosing your courses.

I  Educational and Social sciences          II Cultural and Natural Sciences      III Special Education

School Pedagogy                                               German Studies*                                      Intellectual Development

Early Education                                                   English Studies                                          Physical and Motoric Development

General Pedagogy                                              French Studies                                          Learning Difficulties

Educational Psychology                                  Cultural Administration                         Language and                                                                                                                                                                                             Communication

Sociology                                                               Culture and Media Education              Physical Education

Geography                                                             Speech Training

History                                                                     Fine Art

Politics                                                                     Music

Protestant Theology                                          Sport and PE

Catholic Theology                                              Mathematics

Philosophy                                                             Computer science

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Technics

*incl. courses on German as a Second and Foreign Language

• All courses in the course catalogue can be chosen, with the exception of MBA courses for which a fee is charged (e.g. INEMA)
• Participation in a German language course (DaF / German for guest students) is mandatory for exchange students whose mother tongue is not German (4 different levels, 6 ECTS)
• A maximum of one additional language course (e.g. Italian, Spanish, etc.) can be chosen . See language courses ("Sprachkurse des sprachdidaktischen Zentrums") in the course catalogue

• We expect that you study full-time (at least 20 ECTS per semester)

• We recommend taking 20-30 ECTS. Please also note the requirements of your home university and, if applicable, your scholarship

In addition to your studies, you have the opportunity to gain teaching experience at a training school. These are the following types of schools: primary school, comprehensive school, secondary school or special school (age of pupils: 6 - 16 years). In individual cases, a placement in a kindergarten is also possible (3-6 years). For your information: In Germany, it is customary during teaching practice not only to passively observe, but also to independently teach at least one lesson under the supervision of the teacher responsible for you. You can get 3 ECTS for a two-week internship.

The prerequisite for such an internship is a good to very good knowledge of German. In this case, all other subjects can be considered in addition to German. Internships in English, on the other hand, are normally only possible in the subject English itself. In some cases, however, classes in other subjects may also be taught in English.

After your arrival, the International Office will organise an information event for you, note down your wishes and then reserve internship places for you in cooperation with the School Practice Office.

Language Tandems are organised by the Langage Didactics Centre at LUE. In a language tandem, the tandem partners teach each other the different language. In such 1:1 contexts, there are many opportunities for communication and for practising a language and speaking freely. We will talk about this opportunity during the orientation programme, ask for your wishes in that context and then look for language tandem partners accordingly.

Further Information can be found here: https://www.ph-ludwigsburg.de/hochschule/einrichtungen/sprachdidaktisches-zentrum/sprachkurse-und-sprachentandems  (currently only available in German)

The term "Dozent / Dozentin" comes from the Latin origin of the word "to teach". “DozentInnen” are people who teach others at higher education institutions or educational institutions for adults. Anyone who teaches at a higher education institution is called a “Dozent / Dozentin” - this can be a professor, a private lecturer, a member of academic staff or an assistant lecturer.

ECTS points are credit points that are awarded for successfully completed modules/classes. The number of points awarded depends on the workload required.

A university is usually divided up into sections dealing with research and teaching. “Fakultät” (for example, the Faculty of Cultural and Natural Sciences) is the largest unity, divided into “Institute” (for example, the Institute of Natural Sciences) and then “Abteilungen” (for example, the Department of Physics).

Students write a (scientific) paper on a specific topic covered in a course. The form and content of the paper can vary. It is best to discuss this with the lecturers responsible. Under certain circumstances, term papers can be written during the semester break - but this must be discussed with the lecturers in charge beforehand.

It should be noted that in Germany great importance is attached to copyright and intellectual property rights, i.e. the sources of the quotations used must be named and quotations must be clearly recognisable as such. Copying sources without comment, for example, from the internet, can lead to rejection of the assignment and refusal of a grade!

A “Klausur” is a written test that usually takes place at the end of a semester to test the student’s knowledge of the course topic.

A discussion with lecturers on a specific academic topic. This corresponds to the tutorial in the Anglo-Saxon language area. A “Kolloquium” can also be a type of oral examination.

Using this platform, you can register for courses and, for example, view a timetable (overview of registered seminars / courses). You can access it via the following link: lsf.ph-ludwigsburg.de

A module is a teaching unit into which the learning matter is divided. Modules consist of multiple seminars or lectures and are dedicated to a specific topic.

Moodle is a free learning platform / course management system. To use Moodle, you need a valid PH account.

Access is via an internet browser.

Lecturers use Moodle for courses and will send you the enrolment keys (access data) for the courses you have chosen.

Students often give a (short) presentation on partial aspects of a seminar topic. Such a lecture is called a “Referat” or “Präsentation”. It is expected that you do not just read from the paper but speak freely and use media to facilitate comprehension.

German students frequently get their course credits confirmed in the form of a “Schein”. A “Schein” is a certificate on which the name of the student, the subject, the title of the course, the work done and, as a rule, the grade achieved are written. International students receive a collective certificate from the International Office on which all the courses attended are listed.

A seminar usually focuses on theoretical knowledge that the students have acquired themselves. Usually, students present the results of their own research and discuss them with the other students under the guidance of lecturers. In this type of event, you can actively participate. Seminars have different levels: “Proseminar” (Introduction) – “Seminar” (Intermediate Seminar) – Hauptseminar (Adanced Seminar).

In order to receive ECTS points, students must complete a qualified piece of work: e.g. write a term paper, give a presentation, take a written or oral test. Based on this work, the student receives a grade. What is required as work in a seminar or exercise is ultimately decided by the lecturer responsible. Often, students must do multiple pieces of work to receive their ECTS points.

If no course work is required for a course, no certificate is issued, but students receive a “Testat” = a confirmation of regular attendance and active participation in class.

A Transcript of Records is a certificate of achievement issued by the university. It can also be seen as a transcript of grades from all courses attended so far.

The Transcript of Records contains:

• all examination attainments / examination grades
• a list of the courses attended (title and period of attendance)
• ECTS points gained

In an “Übung” students are expected to apply and practise intensively their competences and skills. A language practice class or a sports training unit is a typical „Übung”.

In a one or two-hour lecture, a specific topic is presented academically. In lectures, lecturers and professors provide an overview of larger thematic contexts. As a rule, students are listeners and note-takers and do not make their own contribution. It is possible to earn ECTS points here, but usually not more than two.