Information for Incoming Master Students
Enrollment at the university's Studierendensekretariat
Information about the university
- Tuition Fees
- Semester dates
- Electronic class schedule
- Orientation session
- Economics examinations office
- Support, advice, contact
- Accommodation/Housing
- Registration
- Aliens office
- Health insurance
- Bank account
- Living in Bonn
- Learning German
ENROLLMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY'S STUDIERENDENSEKRETARIAT
Prior to the beginning of classes, you need to enroll at the University of Bonn.
This needs to be done in person at the Studierendensekretariat, the "Office of the Registrar". It is located at Poppelsdorfer Allee 49 and has the following office hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-12:00, Thursday 13:30-15:00.
There is a fixed enrollment period depending on the University of origin:
- September 23-24 for students with a Bachelor Degree from a German University;
- September 23 - October 18 for students with a Bachelor Degree from an international university. Please note that the 3rd of October is a public holiday in Germany and the Studierendensekretariat will be closed that day.
To enroll you need to bring all the following documents:
- the filled-out enrollment form called Antrag auf Einschreibung (German version; the English version will be available in the section Einschreibung on this webpage);
- all the documents listed at the end of the application form. Please note that you need to present the originals of your documents (Bachelor degree, Transcript of Records) as well as the certified translations;
- an original of your health insurance certificate or a confirmation of exemption from the need to have German health insurance.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY
Tuition Fees
When enrolling at the University of Bonn, all students must pay a so-called social contribution of approx. € 300. This contribution is neither a registration nor a tuition fee. Among other things, it includes a travel ticket for public transportation ("Semesterticket") in Bonn and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and is valid for one semester (April to September or October to March).
As of now, the University of Bonn does not charge any tuition fees. However, we cannot guarantee that circumstances will not change, as the administration of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is considering whether to introduce tuition fees for all non-EU international students. If introduced, these tuition fees would probably amount to 1,500 Euro per semester, that is to say a total of 6,000 Euro for the two-year Master program.
Semester dates
Winter Term 2019/20
| Beginning of Lecture Period | 7 October 2019 |
| Dies Academicus | TBA |
| Christmas Break | 23 December 2019 - 06 January 2020 |
| End of Lecture Period | 31 January 2020 |
Summer Term 2020
| Beginning of Lecture Period | 6 April 2020 |
| Dies Academicus | TBA |
| Pentecost Break | 01-05 June 2020 |
| End of Lecture Period | 17 July 2020 |
Electronic class schedule
All classes offered at the University of Bonn are listed in the electronic class schedule (BASIS). You can browse through the schedule without having to log in. Once you have received your individual account, you will be able to log in and then to register for exams electronically and to see your current transcript.
Orientation session
Before you start your studies, we would like to welcome you to the Department of Economics and provide some general information about the Master program. We will introduce the professors who will teach the classes in the first semester and give you a chance to meet your fellow Master students. You will receive a separate invitation for this orientation session, which will take place on October 4.
Economics Examination Office
The Economics Examination Office (Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Prüfungsamt) organizes and coordinates all exams and keeps your file. In order for the Prüfungsamt to open your file, you will need to come by and be admitted to the participation in the Master examinations. In the process of this admission, the Exam Office will need to see certified copies and official translations of your documents (Bachelor degree, Transcript of Records, language certificate), a CV and a photo. More detailed information can be found on their webpage. Admission will take place in December 2019 (specific dates will be announced later).
Support, advice, contact
For a list of institutions providing support and advice with academic affairs, please visit the webpage of the International Office.
Below you find information on several issues relevant for preparing your stay in Bonn. For more detailed information on accommodation, visa, health insurance, enrollment, etc. you may also want to check out the pages of our central International Office: Before Studying.
Accommodation/Housing
The Studierendenwerk (an organisation providing social, financial and other support services for students in Germany) runs the majority of the dormitories in Bonn. The demand for these rooms is extremely high and available rooms are very limited. For this reason, we support all international Master students in finding a room.
You can apply for a room of the Studierendenwerk through us by
- filling in our form;
- following the next steps described in the e-mail you will receive. We will give you detailed information about how to apply online and how to pay the deposit;
- paying a 300 Euro deposit which will be refunded once you have signed the rental agreement and paid the first month's rent for your room to the Studierendenwerk.
The application deadline is July 31th!
Some words of warning:
- Even though we are able to reserve a contingent of rooms, there is no guarantee that you will actually be allotted a room as there may be not enough for everybody. We will try to both inform and support you as best as we can;
- Please note that neither you nor we can influence the odds of you receiving a room, as the Studierendenwerk is in charge of the allocation process;
- You will be asked where you would prefer to obtain housing. This, however, is only for technical reasons. In case you obtain housing, you will be offered a room irrespective of your preference and you will have to accept the room assigned to you;
- The chances of receiving a room by applying directly to the Studierendenwerk, and not through us, are close to zero;
- For the above-mentioned reasons, please be prepared to also look for private accommodation on your own.
You can find an overview of the dormitories on the Studierendenwerk's webpage (some sections are, unfortunately, in German only).
Finally, you can find useful information regarding short-term accommodation, shared housing, student flats, and dorms run by other institutions on the webpage of the University's International Office.
Registration with the city of Bonn
Once you have found a place to stay, you need to register with the Residents’ Registration Office (Bürgeramt). In order to register, you need to bring along your rental agreement and your passport. Students with a room or an apartment in downtown Bonn can register at the Bürgeramt im Stadthaus. You can find more information (in German) on their webpage and also an online form for making an appointment (Terminvereinbarung) but you can also go there without appointment. We will provide assistance for international students seeking to register with the city.
Aliens office (Ausländeramt)
All international students need a valid residence permit: Students with a visa that is valid throughout their stay do not need to register with the Aliens office (Ausländeramt), all others do. You can find a map (Stadtplan) and more information (in German only) on the webpage of the aliens office. There is also an online form (in German) to make an appointment (Terminvereinbarung). We will also provide assistance for international students at the aliens office.
In order to get the residence permit, please bring a valid passport, admission letter or proof of registration from the university, proof of registration form the Bürgeramt, proof that you can support yourself financially, student visa (not applicable for EU citizens), and proof of sufficient health insurance.
Health insurance
In Germany, all students are required by law to have health insurance. EU citizens or students form countries that have signed a social security agreement with Germany can take out health insurance in their home country, this insurance will be recognized in Germany. Please double-check with your insurance company and with the Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK) in Bonn whether you are sufficiently covered.
All other students need to take out a German health insurance policy. You can do so with an insurance company of your choice. Several insurance companies are located in downtown Bonn, e.g. AOK, Barmer Ersatzkasse,Techniker Krankenkasse. Health insurance costs amount to about 80 Euro per month. Make sure to bring your certificate of admission to the Master program along when applying for health insurance.
Usually, some representatives of health insurance companies will be present at the Studierendensekretariat during the registration period and you will be able to get a health insurance contract then.
You can find more information on the topic on the webpage of the international office.
Bank account
Since most payments can only be made through bank transfers, you will need to open a German bank account, more specifically a current account or checking account (Girokonto). You can open such an account after having registered with the Residents Registration Office (Bürgeramt) with a bank of your choice or with the post office. In most cases the basic account is free of charge for students.
Living in Bonn
For more programs and activities organized by the International Office for all international students of the University of Bonn, ranging from the study buddy program which will provide you with a German study buddy familiar with the university via the help desk to the program of the international club, please visit the homepage for international students.
Additional information can be also found in the “Guide for International Students”.
Learning German
We strongly urge those of you who have no or only limited knowledge of German to take German language classes.
For international students of the Master program in Economics, we offer a Intensive Beginner's class in German Language and Communication (level A1 CEFR), as well as a A2.2 course for advanced learners. You will receive further information by email.
Information on additional German courses offered at different levels by the International Office through Pro Integration can be found here.
These classes start on October 15 (or 17) and are free of charge.
If you wish to register for a German Language class (A1 or A2.2), please fill in the following form.
After your admission, there are many appointments and deadlines to remember (mandatory ones are in bold letters).
Here the one-offs:
- July 31: application for accommodation provided by the Studierendenwerk;
- September 23-24, 2019: enrollment period for students with a German Bachelor Degree;
- September 23 - October 18, 2019: enrollment period for students with a Bachelor Degree from an international University;
- Once enrolled: payment of the social contribution, Sozialbeitrag, to the University of Bonn. The deadline should be mentioned during the enrollment process;
- October 4, 2019: Orientation Session.
- TBA (December): registration at the Economics Examinations Office.
Once you have enrolled, paid the first social contribution installment and registered at the Economics Examinations Office, please look out for the exact deadlines of the following appointments when they are approaching:
- Mid-January: exam registration (Winter semester);
- From January to end of February: payment of the Summer semester social contribution, Sozialbeitrag;
- End of June/Beginning of July: exam registration (Summer semester);
- From June to end of August: payment of the Winter semester social contribution, Sozialbeitrag;
- Mid-September: registration for the research modules.
