[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [K] [L] [M] [N] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [Z]

A

Akkreditierung (Accreditation)
The degree programme has successfully gained accreditation as part of the internal quality management and is registered accordingly in the study information system. Internally accredited programmes receive the seal of the German Accreditation Council after successful system accreditation. Accreditation is not intended for degree programmes with a state examination.

Alma Mater
"Nourishing mother" (Latin term for university)

Arbeitsvermittlung, Studentische – STAV e.V. (Student employment agency)
a team of the students’ council that helps with the job hunt

AQUA
General qualification for the acquisition of key qualifications (e.g. communication skills, presentation skills, team work)

B

Bachelor  
First university degree that qualifies for a profession

BAföG (Federal Training Assistance Act)
possibility to finance studies (for German students; in special cases also for students from EU-countries), application through the grant office at the student union Dresden

Brückenkurse  
Each September, the university offers courses in chemistry, mathematics, and physics, which are supposed to introduce students to the fields and refresh their Abitur, i.e. secondary school, knowledge

C

Campusbüro Uni mit Kind  (Campus Office University with Child)
central point of contact for families at the universities in Dresden

Credit Points  
Credit points (CP) are graduate credits, which indicate the workload of a module. Upon passing the module examination, the student receives the credit points indicated for the module in addition to the exam grade. One graduate credit  equals approx. 30 hours of work.

D

Dekan/-in  (Dean)
head of a faculty, chosen from the circle of professors for a certain period of time

Dialogorientiertes Serviceverfahren  
Platform for the coordination of local university selection processes; supports universities during their admission processes through the comparison of admission proposals.

Diplom  
Academic degree/successfully passed university examination

Dissertation  
Scientific paper for acquiring a doctoral degree

Doppelabschluss ( Double degree)
Through various programs, it is possible to study at a partner university for several semesters during the course of studies and thus acquire a degree from the partner university as well as from the TU.

Dozent/-in
Teacher at a university

Dresdner Hochschulsportzentrum (DHSZ)
The Dresden University Sports Center offers a broad range of sports classes at the beginning of each semester.

E

ECTS   
European Credit Transfer System: European point system for transferring course work

Eignungsfestellungsverfahren, Eignungsprüfung/-test/-gespräch  
Assessment of aptitude for studying a certain programme or subject. Please note that there are specific application periods!

Einführungsveranstaltung  
Event organised by the faculty or by the coordinators of the degree programmes at the beginning of the studies; Offers are published on the "Studienstart" website.

Einschreibung  
Two meanings:
1.    Registration for at the university (see Immatrikulation)
2.    Registration for a course: sometimes online, sometimes not necessary

ERASMUS+  
European exchange programme for students regarding studies (International Office) and internships (LEONARDO-office)

Erweiterter Senat  
Extended senate; among others responsible for electing the rector as well as for resolutions and changes regarding the constitution of the TU Dresden.

Exmatrikulation   
De-registration; removal from the list of students (departure from a university)

F

Fachschaftsrat
Student representatives of a certain field or faculty

Fachsemester  
Full study semester; semesters (half a year) completed in a course of study and subject.

Fächerbezogen zulassungsbeschränkt
Subject-related TU Dresden admission restrictions; in some courses of study, students have to choose one to two majors or minors. If the student choses a subject with admission restrictions the application deadline for NC-programmes applies to the whole course of study.

Fakultät 
Faculty; division of a university, which consists of a group of scientific fields (traditional structuring unit)

Fernstudium  
Distance learning; course of study, which is mainly studied independently and without actual presence in the city where the university is located. The TU Dresden currently offers technical distance learning programmes in civil engineering and mechanical engineering.

G

Gasthörerschaft
Audior; course participant, who is not an enrolled student (no entitlement to examinations); registration into the list of auditors in the admission office. Attention: charges apply!

Gebühren
Fees; in Saxony, there are no tuition fees for the first course of study. The Saxon university fee schedule regulates exceptions.

Grundständiger Studiengang
Undergraduate studies; a course of study that does not require any previous studies but can be started right after acquiring the qualification for university entrance

Grundstudium  
First part of a Diplom programme, usually takes four semesters.

H

Hauptstudium 
Second part of a Diplom programme following the basic study period (Grundstudium) and intermediate exam; students are often able to choose core fields and/or core study areas.

Hochschulstart
Service point for university admissions, University Admissions Foundation Dortmund

I

Immatrikulation
Registration of the applicant into the list of students at the university

International Office
university institution that facilitates international relations, supervises foreign students, and promotes international exchange programmes

Internationaler Studentenausweis
Internationally valid student identity card, which can be obtained at the service office of the students’ council.

K

Kanzler  
Chancellor; head of the university administration

Kolloquium  
Colloquium/discussion on scientific topics

Kommentiertes Vorlesungsverzeichnis
Annotated course catalogue; an annotated list of the courses offered by a certain department.

Konsekutiver Master
1.    Subject-specific continuation and consolidation of the preceding Bachelor’s degree or
2.    Interdisciplinary expansion of the preceding Bachelor’s degree or
3.    New orientation regarding the subject
4.    Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes can be studied consecutively at different universities, at different kinds of post-secondary institutions, as well as with periods of professional life between the first and the second degree.

Krankenversicherung
Health insurance; before registration, students have to prove that they have health insurance (self-insured or co-insured through parents or spouse). According to government regulations, you must hold a health insurance policy from a public insurer until you are 30 years old. The international office provides information material for foreign students upon registration.

L

Lehrveranstaltung
Course; can be a lecture, seminar, tutorial, practical course, or colloquium.

LEONARDO-Büro Sachsen
Saxon internship office for international internships

LSK  
Lehrzentrum Sprachen und Kulturen: centre for languages and cultures

Los-/Clearingverfahren
Admission chosen by lottery; only applicable for admission-restricted courses of study and for German applicants or applicants who are deemed equal to Germans. If places are still available after the last clearing, universities award these in a lottery. Informal application through email. Please note that there are deadlines! Information can be found on the admissions office’s homepage.

M

Master
Degree awarded after finishing a continuing course of study at a university

Matrikel
List of students

Mensa
Canteen for students and university staff

Module   
Modules are complete didactic units, which contain lectures, tutorials, seminars, as well as practical work and self-study periods. They subsume areas of studies that are related by subject and topic.

N

NC/ Numerus clausus
Some subjects have admissions restrictions (Numerus clausus = NC), which are based on the grade point average of your school-leaving certificate.
TU NC: The number of places to study is limited; the places are awarded directly by the TU Dresden.
TU NC (subject-related): in some courses of study, students have to choose one to two majors or minors. If the student choses a subject with admission restrictions the application deadline for NC-programmes applies to the whole course of study.
Nationwide NC: The number of places to study is limited nationwide. EU and EEA nationals, as well as educational residents (Bildungsinländer), apply directly to the Foundation for Higher Education Admission for these subjects (www.hochschulstart.de/). Non-EU nationals apply directly to www.uni-assist.de.

NC-Auswahlverfahren
University-internal selection procedure for awarding the places to study

NC-Grenzwert  
The NC-value arises during the admission procedure due to the ranking of all applicants according to grade point average or length of waiting period. The value indicates the grade point average or the waiting period of the last admitted applicant on the ranking list, i.e. in the last application process, all applicants with the same or a better grade point average or the same or a longer waiting period were admitted to the respective course of study. Foreign applicants (non-EU) are admitted via a separate ranking, i.e. separately of the German applicants or applicants who are deemed equal to Germans.

Nebenhörer:innen  
Students who attend a second course of study or additional or postgraduate studies (or parts of these studies) at a second university; a double-registration is only possible in certain cases and requires the permission of both universities.

N.N.
Lat. Nomen Nominandum: “name hitherto unknown”; used if the person who will teach the course, e.g. lecture, is not yet determined.

P

Parallelstudium
Two courses of study are studied parallel (according to the Saxon Higher Education Act only possible in certain cases)

Pflichtmodul
Mandatory module; has to be completed by all students of a certain course of study

Praktikumsordnung
Guidelines for internships; regulate the time frame, specific requirements, and organisational conditions for the practical study period

Promotion
Acquisition of a doctoral degree

Prüfungsamt
Examination office; regulates the organisational preparation and realisation of exams

Prüfungsordnung  
Examination regulations; determine the general conditions for the exams in a certain course of study

R

Regelstudienzeit  
The standard period of study is the number of semesters that is needed to complete the course of study if the recommended study schedule is adhered to.

Rektor:in
The rector, head of a university, is elected by the members of the extended senate and represents the university (term of office: 5 years).

Rückmeldung  
Re-registration; necessary renewal of the registration at the beginning of the semester

S

Schein  
Certificate; proof of academic achievement or confirmation of the successful participation in a course; often prerequisite for exam admission

ServiceCenterStud­ies
The ServiceCenterStudies is here to answer all your questions regarding your studies at TU Dresden.

Self-Assessment
Self-Assessment tests are online guidance instruments, which help persons interested in a certain course of study to determine their qualification and affinity for the field.

selma
The selma student portal can be used to manage personal data, download documents and notifications and register or deregister for examinations.

Semester  
Six-month study period;
summer semester: April – September,
winter semester: October – March

Semesterbeitrag (semester fee)
fee that students have to pay at the beginning of the semester; contains fees for the student union, the students’ council, and the cost for the semester ticket.
Please find more information here.

Semesterticket 
Paid for by every student with the semester fee; turns the Campuscard into a ticket for public transportation (currently local and regional transportation across Saxony) for the whole semester; a poll decides whether the students want the semester ticket.

Semesterwochenstunde (SWS)  (Credit hour per week)
1 SWS equals a lesson of 45 minutes per week for one semester; however, most courses at the TU last 90 minutes (double lesson = 2 SWS)

Seminar  
A course that is lead by a lecturer or an assistant and asks for the students’ active contribution

Senat  (Senate)
university board that makes fundamental decisions (particularly regarding studies, research, and instruction)

SLUB  
Saxon State and University Library Dresden (Sächsische Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden)

Staatsexamen  (State exam)
final exam in courses of study that entitle the graduate to work in public service or in state-controlled professions

Stipendien  (Scholarships)
possibility of financing studies; often awarded by foundations

Studierendenrat  (Student council) StuRa
represents the interests of the TU Dresden students and consists of representatives of the faculty student councils.

Studentenwerk  
Student union; an independent public institution, responsible for the social concerns and interest of students (student residences, canteens, BAföG etc.)

Studienablaufplan  (Study schedule)
a recommendation as to which courses should be attended in which semester in order to finish the course of study within the standard period of study.

Studienfachberater:innen (Academic Advisors)
advisors (for each faculty) who support and counsel students regarding subject-specific and organisational matters

Studienführer  
The TU Dresden does not publish a general study guide; some departments have subject-specific study guides and the ServiceCenterStudies offer info material on some courses of study.

Studiengang  (degree program)
study of a subject, aiming for a certain degree and regulated by examination and study regulations

Studiengebühren  (tuition fees )
in Saxony, there are no tuition fees for the first course of study. The Saxon university fee schedule regulates exceptions.

Studienkolleg  
Preparatory courses; institution in various college cities, where foreign applicants (with secondary school certificates that do not allow immediate admission to a course of study) can prepare for the assessment test of aptitude.

Studienordnung  (Study regulations)
regulate the requirements and the course of a programme

Studium generale  
Is not an actual course of study, but a cross- and interdisciplinary range of courses for students of all faculties

Study preparation for international applicants
In order to start studying at TU Dresden, a number of criteria must be fulfilled. The two most important prerequisites are sufficient German language skills (with the exception of applicants for master’s programmes in English) as well as an equivalent school or university degree. Should you, as an international applicant, be unable to meet the all of the requirements, you are able to catch up by taking part in a preparatory course (a German language or Studienkolleg course). Information about the possibilities offered by TU Dresden is available on the website of the International Office

T

Tutor:in
Student (usually from a higher semester) who guides groups

Tutorium  
Additional practical course or seminar lead by a tutor

U

Übungen  
Tutorials serve the application of theoretical knowledge or the practical use of a language.

V

Vergleichbare Hochschulzugangsberechtigung
Pertains to German degrees that are comparable to the German Abitur
According to § 17 Saxon Higher Education Act, comparable qualifications for university entrance are:
-    Subject-linked university entrance qualification (only valid for courses of study that are listed on the certificate)
-    Degree from a university of applied sciences or from another university (equivalent to the general university entrance qualification)
-    Successfully passed TU Dresden entrance examination (equivalent to the general university entrance qualification)

Vordiplom  
see Zwischenprüfung; prerequisite for the Diplom examination

Vorlesung  
Lecture; course in which a lecturer from the pertaining field presents the contents

Vorlesungsverzeichnis  
Course catalogue; directory of all courses, which is published at the beginning of the semester and available for purchase

W

Wahlpflichtmodul  
Mandatory elective; a module that can be chosen from a variety of choices

Weiterführender Studiengang  
Postgraduate studies are courses of study that require the successful completion of a previous course of study

Weiterbildender Master  

• Requires eligible practical work experience of usually no less than one year.
• The contents of the continuing Master’s programme take the professional experiences into account and build on them.
• Qualification goals also take the demands of the professional practice into account.
• Tuition fees are possible.

Z

ZIH  
Centre for Information Services and High Performance Computing – central facility of the university, responsible, among others, for various student computer labs
 

Zulassungsbeschränkt (Numerus clausus = zahlenmäßig beschränkte Zulassung)
(limited admission)
Some subjects have admissions restrictions (Numerus clausus = NC), which are based on the grade point average of your school-leaving certificate.
TU NC: The number of places to study is limited; the places are awarded directly by the TU Dresden.
TU NC (subject-related): in some courses of study, students have to choose one to two majors or minors. If the student choses a subject with admission restrictions the application deadline for NC-programmes applies to the whole course of study.
Nationwide NC: The number of places to study is limited nationwide. EU and EEA nationals, as well as educational residents (Bildungsinländer), apply directly to the Foundation for Higher Education Admission for these subjects (www.hochschulstart.de/). Non-EU nationals apply directly to www.uni-assist.de.

Zulassungsbeschränkt hochschulstart.de (limited admission hochschulstart.de)
Some subjects have admissions restrictions (Numerus clausus = NC), which are based on the grade point average of your school-leaving certificate.
Nationwide NC: The number of places to study is limited nationwide. EU and EEA nationals, as well as educational residents (Bildungsinländer), apply directly to the Foundation for Higher Education Admission for these subjects (www.hochschulstart.de/). Non-EU nationals apply directly to www.uni-assist.de.

Zulassungsbeschränkt TU Dresden (limited admission Numerus clausus = NC)
Some subjects have admissions restrictions (Numerus clausus = NC), which are based on the grade point average of your school-leaving certificate.
TU NC: The number of places to study is limited; the places are awarded directly by the TU Dresden.
TU NC (subject-related): in some courses of study, students have to choose one to two majors or minors. If the student choses a subject with admission restrictions the application deadline for NC-programmes applies to the whole course of study.

Zulassungsfrei (open admission)
There are no admission restrictions for the course of study or for the subject, i.e. all applicants who have a valid qualification for university entrance and whose application is submitted in time and according to the required form generally receive a place to study. It is not possible to retroactively establish admission restrictions during the pertaining application period if the expected number of applicants is higher than expected.

Zulassungsfrei mit Eignungsfeststellung (open admission with aptitude assessment)
Some courses of study require an assessment of aptitude for the desired course of study or subject in addition to the qualification for university entrance. The proof of aptitude could, for example, be the submission of additional documents, an aptitude test that has to be completed, or an interview during which the aptitude is determined. It is important to be aware of the application deadlines because they are usually before the general application deadlines.

Zweitstudium
Second degree course; registration for a second, complete course of study after the successful completion of another course of study in Germany

Zwischenprüfung
Intermediate exam; exam after the first part of the programme (for non-modularised courses of study with an at least 8 semester long standard period of study); for Diplom courses of study: Vordiplom