Incoming

The academic year in Germany is divided into a winter semester and a summer semester. There are breaks from classes between semesters, at Christmas, and at Pentecost, among other times. You can find the exact dates in the TU Dresden academic calendar.

A course typically lasts 90 minutes (2 semester hours per week—SWS) and includes 20-minute breaks. You can find an overview of the class schedule here.

On this page you will find all the important information, helpful tips and links for a successful application.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with our course offerings in Civil Engineering early on and put together your own personalized study plan. The courses you select will be recorded in the Learning Agreement. To ensure a smooth start to your program, we will coordinate this document with your home university and TU Dresden before your arrival.

Modules of the Diploma Program for Erasmus Students (one semester)

• Language of instruction: German

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International Master’s Program: Advanced Computational and Civil Engineering Structural Studies (ACCESS)

• Language of instruction: English

All information about the ACCESS degree program.

International Master’s Program: Global Water and Climate Adaptation Centre (ABCD-Centre)

• Language of instruction: English

All information about the ABCD-Centre degree program.

Note for Erasmus students: Please note that for your Erasmus stay at TU Dresden, you may only select modules that are offered directly by the Faculty of Civil Engineering.

When you apply, you will create a Learning Agreement in which you outline your planned course of study. This must be signed by the appropriate official at your home university and submitted along with your application materials.

As soon as we receive your study plan, we will review its feasibility within our faculty. We recommend that you clarify in advance with your home university exactly how many modules you are required to complete at TU Dresden.

Note on language courses:

To earn ECTS credits for a language course, please select a corresponding module in the Civil Engineering degree program, such as BIW5-03 ( 4 SWS/6 ECTS) or BIW5-02 (Technical Language at Level B2+, 4 SWS/5 ECTS).

Please note that the TUDIAS language school itself only issues certificates of attendance without ECTS credits. This is important both when creating your Learning Agreement and when registering for exams later on.

OPAL is TU Dresden’s central learning platform, where instructors post materials and important information about their courses.

As soon as you are enrolled at TU Dresden, you will receive your official TUD email address. You can use these login credentials to sign in to OPAL. Starting at the beginning of the semester, we recommend using the OPAL search bar (search by module name or module number) or checking the information provided during the first week of classes to register for your courses. Please make sure to select the current semester, as older courses are often still visible.

Important for your future exam registration: If you wish to take modules from other faculties, these must be activated for exam registration after you have submitted your confirmed Learning Agreement. For students in the ACCESS program, the ACCESS Examination Office will handle the forwarding of this information on your behalf. If you have any questions regarding exams outside your field of study, please contact the relevant Examination Office in a timely manner.

Use Selma to register for your courses and exams. Please note: It is not possible to register for courses or create a class schedule via Selma at our faculty. In addition, you can access personal documents such as your certificate of enrollment or your transcript of records through the portal.

Registering for exams via Selma is mandatory in order to take the respective exam. Registration outside the specified time periods is not permitted! Since deadlines vary depending on the type of exam, they will be published in a timely manner on the Examination Office website. In addition, you will generally receive a reminder via email.

Good to know—an overview of exam types:

• Preliminary exam requirement: an ungraded exercise or assignment that you must pass before taking the actual exam

• Exam: a traditional written or oral exam at the end of the semester

• Coursework / Collection of assignments: graded assignments that you complete over the course of the semester

Knowledge of German (main requirement)
Since the majority of courses in Civil Engineering (especially in the diploma program) are taught in German, this is the most important language for your stay.

• Level: As a rule, at least B1 (CEFR) is required.
• Recommendation: A B2 level is strongly recommended in order to be able to follow the complex technical lectures and calculations in Civil Engineering.

English proficiency
If you plan to take primarily English-language courses (this usually applies more to the master’s level or specific international degree programs such as ACCESS), the following rules apply:

• Level: at least B1 or B2 (ENG)
• Note: The selection of modules taught entirely in English in “traditional” Civil Engineering is limited. Therefore, check the course catalog in advance to ensure that enough courses are available in English for your Learning Agreement.

To help international students get started at TU Dresden, a variety of support services and recreational activities are available . These are designed to provide academic guidance and promote social integration on campus.

Tutoring and Mentoring Programs
There are two central points of contact for personal support during the initial phase:

• Faculty Tutors (BIW): The International Office provides a dedicated team of tutors for the Faculty of Civil Engineering. The tutors assist with subject-specific questions, help students create their course schedules, and guide them through the faculty’s facilities and laboratories.
• Buddy Program: Through this interdisciplinary program , international students are paired with local mentors (“buddies”). These mentors provide support with practical matters even before arrival, assist with administrative procedures, and help students connect with the student community.

Civil Engineering Faculty Student Council (FSR BIW)
The Faculty Student Council is the elected representative body for students within the faculty. The Faculty Student Council offers advisory support on questions regarding exams or the course of study. In addition, the Faculty Student Council regularly organizes student events and field trips.

The FSR office is located here.

Dresden University Sports Center (DHSZ)
The DHSZ offers a wide-ranging sports program with over 800 classes per week.

• Registration: Registration takes place online at the beginning of each semester. Due to high demand, early registration is strongly recommended.
• Benefits: The program offers an affordable way to stay active and serves as a platform for getting to know students from other departments.

Academic Transcript (Transcript of Records)
Upon completion of your studies at TU Dresden, your academic achievements will be documented and prepared for submission to your home university.

You can obtain your Transcript of Records —which lists all modules you have passed and the grades you have earned—via selma or by requesting it from the Examination Office of the Faculty of Civil Engineering. Please note that all exam results must be fully recorded in selma in order to be included in the transcript.

If necessary, the Examination Office can also issue a stamped and signed version of your Transcript of Records.

The Transcript serves as the basis for the recognition of your academic achievements at your home university. Therefore, please familiarize yourself with your home university’s specific requirements well in advance and ensure that your Learning Agreement has been implemented accordingly.

It’s best to take care of the initial steps before you leave. Since grading exams often takes some time, it is common for not all grades to have been entered into selma by the time you leave. This is not a problem: As soon as the final results are recorded in the system, we can easily send you a scanned copy of the completed document afterward.

Important Notes:

• Make sure all grades have been entered.
• Check your transcript for completeness.
• Clarify credit recognition with your home university well in advance.

Certificate of Attendance
The International Office at TU Dresden is responsible for issuing a Confirmation of Attendance as part of your exchange program.

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Yes. If you plan to stay at TU Dresden for two semesters, you can easily enroll in the regular modules of our diploma program, which are designed to last a full academic year (two semesters).

This offers a major advantage. You can attend classes at a relaxed pace during the first semester and take the corresponding exam at the end of the second semester. This significantly spreads out your exam period and makes planning your studies much less stressful for everyone involved.

You can also earn ECTS credits through the Short-Term Mobility program, which can be applied toward your degree. Once the Mobility program is complete, the following applies:

• Documentation requirement: You must either submit a certificate of recognition in Mobility-Online (MO) or—if you do not wish to have the credits applied—upload an informal waiver.

• Transcript of Records (ToR): You will receive the grades and ECTS credits from your short-term stay directly via the Transcript of Records from the partner university.

• Inclusion on the TUD Transcript: Please note that additional coursework can only be listed on your TU Dresden transcript if an equivalent module exists in our faculty.

Everyday university life is full of abbreviations and specialized terms. You can find detailed overviews, campus maps, and orientation guides in the latest welcome brochure from the International Office at TU Dresden, as well as in TU Dresden’s interactive campus navigator (for searching rooms and buildings).

Here we’ve summarized the most important terms to help you get started at our faculty: