German as a Foreign Language

The German language courses are free-of-charge. However, only students and staff of Osnabrück University can be admitted.

A1.1: If you have no prior knowledge of German and would like to take part in A1.1, please register for the course in Stud.IP during the A1.1 registration period. The dates of the registration period will be published in advance on our website and can be found in the course description as well.

The following applies to all other German language courses: If you have already completed a standardised test (e.g. TestDaF, DSH, telc or Goethe-Zertifikat), we will automatically register you for the appropriate language course based on your results. Please send a copy of your certificate to  claudia.nathaus@uni-osnabrueck.de.
If you have prior knowledge of German but NO certificate, you must take a placement test. The test takes place shortly before the start of the semester. After having taken the placement test, you will receive an email within 24 hours informing you about the course and proficiency level we have signed you up for. If you are unable or unwilling to participate in the course, please send an email to  claudia.nathaus@uni-osnabrueck.de.

You can find information about the placement test before the start of the semester under  Good to know before you register. You can find a sample test at  www.onset.de under "Services" at the bottom of the page.

Registration is not necessary. Just turn up on the specified day and time. However, it is wise to create a personal account on  www.onset.de beforehand and bring your login details with you on the day of the test.

You do not have to take a placement test, if you would like to register for an A1.1 course.

If you have already successfully completed a German language course with us, or if you have already taken a standardised test such as TestDaF, DSH, telc or Goethe-Zertifikat, you do not have to take a placement test either. In these cases, please contact  claudia.nathaus@uni-osnabrueck.de.

For an A1.1 course, you can sign up directly via the course site on Stud.IP during the registration period.

For all other courses (A1.2 to C1), we will do the registration for you based on your placement test result or your proof of German language proficiency.

If you have good reasons to believe that the proficiency level of the course is not appropriate, please contact  claudia.nathaus@uni-osnabrueck.de.

Unfortunately, timetable clashes are rather common at a German university. If your German class coincides with another class, you have to decide for yourself which course to choose. It is best to consult the Erasmus representatives at your home university and / or Osnabrück University.

If you attend the course regularly (at least 80 % attendance) and successfully pass the exam, you can get ECTS points. A two-hour course is worth 3 ECTS and a four-hour course is 6 ECTS.

No. However, if you need the credit points and/or a certificate of participation, you must register for the exam in HISinOne within the registration period specified in the course description (usually from week 7 to week 11 of the semester).

If you use HISinOne and have registered for the exam, your grade will automatically appear on your Transcript of Records - provided you have passed the final exam and attended at least 80% of the lessons.
If you do not have a HISinOne account, please contact  claudia.nathaus@uni-osnabrueck.de.

Unfortunately, only students and employees of Osnabrück University can participate in our courses.

Please always talk to your lecturer first. If changing the course makes sense, it is possible within the first two weeks of the course, provided there are still places available in the other course. In any case, please also inform  claudia.nathaus@uni-osnabrueck.de about the course change. Please remember that attendance is compulsory for all language courses at the Language Center.