After Arrival
Once you arrive in Dortmund, there is much to discover. We hope you enjoy it! Here you will find information about the first steps after the arrival, life and studying in Dortmund. Of course, incidents can also occur during your stay, so you should definitely know the emergency numbers in Germany. We hope you won't need them.
Welcome | German Intensive Course
If you take part in the German Intensive Course in March or September before the beginning of the lecture period, we are pleased to officially welcome you on the first day of the Intensive Language Course at 9:00 a.m. in TU Dortmund University's International Meeting Center (IBZ) (Campus North | Emil-Figge-Straße 59 | see campus map). Afterwards you will have the opportunity to get to know the North Campus during a guided tour.
Course Selection
Exchange students are assigned a personal Academic Advisor who assists with all academic questions. Please contact your Academic Advisor at the latest upon arrival in Dortmund and arrange a personal meeting to discuss your course selection and enrolment in those courses.
You will find the contact details of your Academic Advisor in your welcome e-mail, which you received from the International Office of TU Dortmund University after your acceptance into the exchange program.
Administrative Formalities
Before or during the official welcome you will receive a TU Dortmund University welcome bag, in which you will find important information and a schedule for all the necessary administrative procedures. The International Office team will support you during your first weeks in Dortmund with these necessary steps:
- Enrollment at TU Dortmund University
- Setting up a statutory health insurance
- Opening a bank account
- Registration with the city of Dortmund
- Applying for a residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde Dortmund
Social Contribution
All students must pay the social contribution fee for each semester in order to get fully enrolled. This social contribution is not a tuition fee and must be paid by all students, regardless of when they enroll.
Upon receipt of your preliminary certificate of enrollment, you will receive a request for payment of the social contribution. Please do not transfer the social contribution until you have received your preliminary certificate of enrollment.
Attention ISEP Students: TU Dortmund University's International Office will pay the social contribution for you!
Activation of Your UniAccount
Exchange students are provided with a UniAccount upon enrollment. With this account you will not only receive your personal UniMail e-mail address but also have access to important online services that TU Dortmund University provides to its students. You will receive your personal access data with your preliminary certificate of enrollment. You can activate your UniAccount here.
Student Ticket NRW/VRR
Exchange students receive a student semester ticket for public transport from the university, arranged in cooperation with the AStA and the respective transport associations. After successful enrollment you will receive an e-mail with the student ticket via your UniMail.
UniCard & Student ID Card
Exchange students receive a student ID card, the "UniCard".
WLAN on Campus
Exchange students may use the university WLAN network through their UniAccount.
TU Dortmund App
The TU Dortmund App can be a very practical companion for your studies. The app provides information such as cafeteria meals, LSF, university sports program, person search, campus navigation, departure monitor, AStA service, current news, events and much more.
Campus Life
On TU Dortmund University's websites you will find a lot of interesting information about the numerous offers of entertainment, culture, sports and catering the university has to offer.
Orientation on Campus
Where is the SRG I building? How do I get from the North Campus to the South Campus? Where is the closest cafeteria? TU Dortmund University's interactive map and site plan help with these questions.
Places to Study
TU Dortmund University offers various rooms with workstations and Internet access, which can be used optimally for studying. Further information can be found here.
Library
The University Library offers a variety of rooms for studying as well as a large selection of literature.
Moodle | e-Learning
In the learning platform Moodle, course materials are made available online in almost all courses at TU Dortmund University. The registration is done with the UniAccount.
Dortmund - A Versatile Metropolis in the Ruhr Region
The city of Dortmund offers a variety of attractions and a distinct cultural scene.
Free Concerts and Theater Performances for TU Students
Exchange students have access to a very special offer: they can obtain free tickets to almost the entire range of performances at the Theater Dortmund by presenting the student ID.
During your studies you may work 120 full days or 240 half days per calendar year.
Although it is quite difficult to get a job for only one or two semesters, it is not impossible. You can obtain information about student jobs from the following offices:
- International Office career pages
- Blackboards distributed around campus
- TU Dortmund University's Job Portal
- AStA
We are very pleased that you like it at TU Dortmund University and that you would like to study with us for another semester!
To extend your exchange by one semester, your home university has to nominate you for another semester at TU Dortmund University. ISEP students must be officially nominated via ISEP. To do so, please contact the contact person at your home university and ISEP (if you are an ISEP student) and ask for an extension of your nomination. It is sufficient for your coordinator to send an e-mail to exchange-studentstu-dortmundde with the corresponding nomination. Please also contact your contact person in the International Office at TU Dortmund University as early as possible and let him/her know of your wish for an extension, so that they can prepare all necessary administrative steps in time. It is also a prerequisite that your Academic Advisor at TU Dortmund University agrees to an extension.
For logistical reasons, an extension within an academic year is advisable, i.e. from the winter semester to the summer semester. An extension by one semester after the summer semester is not recommended.
If you have to stop your stay prematurely for health, personal or any other reasons, please contact the International Office (exchange-studentstu-dortmundde) as soon as possible! You will then receive all important information about necessary steps by e-mail. If possible, please also contact your Academic Advisor.
Exchange Students (Worldwide | ISEP | USA Program)
exchange-studentstu-dortmundde
If you have any questions regarding your exchange at TU Dortmund University, please also have a look at our FAQs
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Application Deadline: ERP Scholarship for Research and Academic Programs
Application Deadline: 2-week online Japanese language course (TUJP1) in December through Tohoku University
Application Deadline:Short-term Program "Winter for International Learners & Leaders (WILL)"
Online-Workshop "Applying in Germany"
Application deadline: Overseas Exchange Program in 2021/2022
Location & approach
The campus of TU Dortmund University is located close to interstate junction Dortmund West, where the Sauerlandlinie A 45 (Frankfurt-Dortmund) crosses the Ruhrschnellweg B 1 / A 40. The best interstate exit to take from A 45 is "Dortmund-Eichlinghofen" (closer to Campus Süd), and from B 1 / A 40 "Dortmund-Dorstfeld" (closer to Campus Nord). Signs for the university are located at both exits. Also, there is a new exit before you pass over the B 1-bridge leading into Dortmund.
To get from Campus Nord to Campus Süd by car, there is the connection via Vogelpothsweg/Baroper Straße. We recommend you leave your car on one of the parking lots at Campus Nord and use the H-Bahn (suspended monorail system), which conveniently connects the two campuses.
TU Dortmund University has its own train station ("Dortmund Universität"). From there, suburban trains (S-Bahn) leave for Dortmund main station ("Dortmund Hauptbahnhof") and Düsseldorf main station via the "Düsseldorf Airport Train Station" (take S-Bahn number 1, which leaves every 20 or 30 minutes). The university is easily reached from Bochum, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Duisburg.
You can also take the bus or subway train from Dortmund city to the university: From Dortmund main station, you can take any train bound for the Station "Stadtgarten", usually lines U41, U45, U 47 and U49. At "Stadtgarten" you switch trains and get on line U42 towards "Hombruch". Look out for the Station "An der Palmweide". From the bus stop just across the road, busses bound for TU Dortmund University leave every ten minutes (445, 447 and 462). Another option is to take the subway routes U41, U45, U47 and U49 from Dortmund main station to the stop "Dortmund Kampstraße". From there, take U43 or U44 to the stop "Dortmund Wittener Straße". Switch to bus line 447 and get off at "Dortmund Universität S".
The H-Bahn is one of the hallmarks of TU Dortmund University. There are two stations on Campus Nord. One ("Dortmund Universität S") is directly located at the suburban train stop, which connects the university directly with the city of Dortmund and the rest of the Ruhr Area. Also from this station, there are connections to the "Technologiepark" and (via Campus Süd) Eichlinghofen. The other station is located at the dining hall at Campus Nord and offers a direct connection to Campus Süd every five minutes.
The AirportExpress is a fast and convenient means of transport from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Dortmund Central Station, taking you there in little more than 20 minutes. From Dortmund Central Station, you can continue to the university campus by interurban railway (S-Bahn). A larger range of international flight connections is offered at Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which is about 60 kilometres away and can be directly reached by S-Bahn from the university station.
The facilities of TU Dortmund University are spread over two campuses, the larger Campus North and the smaller Campus South. Additionally, some areas of the university are located in the adjacent "Technologiepark".
Site Map of TU Dortmund University (Second Page in English)