Practical information
1. Semester dates
The winter semester runs from the beginning of September through the end of February, the spring semester lasts from the beginning of March though mid-August (exam periods included). During the months of September and March, our Welcome and Orientation Program as well as our pre-semester German classes for exchange students take place.
Dates of the lecture period (excluding our Welcome and Orientation Program) can be found at h_da.de. We expect exchange students to arrive in Darmstadt/Dieburg at the beginning of September (for winter semesters), and beginning of March (for spring semesters).
Winter 2024/25 semester:
start of mandatory Welcome & Orientation Program & (optional) German classes: 9 September 2024
start of lecture period: 14 October 2024
end of lecture period: 7 February 2025
start of exam period: 10 February 2025
2. Exam periods
The winter semester runs from beginning of September to the end of February, the spring semester runs from beginning of March to the end of August (exam periods included).
The regular lecture dates (without our Welcome & Orientation Program for exchange students) can be found at h_da.de. Please note that for exchange students like you, the start of the semester is earlier, as you’re expected to take part in our Welcome & Orientation Program:
- beginning of September if you’re coming for the fall/winter semester
- beginning of March if you’re coming for the spring semester
The link above gives you the last day of the lecture period (called “end of the study courses“). After that day, the examination period starts. Here you can see how long the examination periods at the various h_da departments typically last. Please note that there may be slight changes every now and then. Also, if an examination period is rather long, we may find an individual solution for you (especially for project deadlines and term papers).
for winter semesters:
The first part of the examination period takes place during 2 weeks after the end of the lecture period; the second part of the examination period takes place in the 5th and 6th week after the end of the examination period.
for spring semesters:
The first part of the examination period takes place 2 to 3 weeks after the end of the lecture period; the second part of the examination period takes place in September.
Animation & Game:
for winter semesters: 3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
for spring semesters: 1 week after the end of the lecture period
Expanded Media:
3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
IMC:
4 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Information Science:
2 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Motion Pictures:
4 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Online Communication/ Online Journalism:
2 weeks after the end of the lecture period (project deadlines may be later than that)
Applied Social Sciences:
for winter semesters: until the end of February
for spring semesters: until the end of July
Information Law:
3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Business Psychology:
3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Risk Assessment and Sustainability Management (RASUM):
3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
3. Finding a place to stay
Exchange students may apply for aroom in the residence halls run by Studierendenwerk Darmstadt or find a private accommodation.
Rent and application:
We have a contract with Studierendenwerk Darmstadt, a non-profit organization that runs a range of student residence halls in Darmstadt. Each semester, they provide us with a set number of pre-booked rooms in two of their residence halls, for which you can apply. The rooms are part of shared apartments and exchange students share their apartment with between two to four other students (these may be other international students or local students). The monthly rent for the rooms is between 400 and 550 euros. Additionally, students have to pay a deposit of 2.5 monthly rents (which you'll get back after moving out of your room).
So, how can you apply for one of our International-Office rooms? for this, just fill out the form we'll send you by email in June or July (if you're coming for the winter semester), or December or January (if you're coming for the spring semester).
Please be aware that:
- there is no guarantee that you will be assigned a room
- the rooms are rented out for one semester only (even if you're staying for two semesters)
- the Media Departmen is located in Dieburg; classes from the Business Department are partially taught at the Dieburg campus. Our International-Office rooms are located in Darmstadt, not Dieburg (Dieburg is about 30 minues away from Darmstadt)
- the move-in date is at the beginning of September, or beginning of March, respectively. If you arrive in Darmstadt a day or two earlier before the start of your rental contract, please make sure to book a hostel, hotel or Airbnb room for the first one or two nights.
- special deal: For the months of August, and February, you do not have to transfer a monthy rent for the room, if you have rented the room for the full period (March through August or September through February)
- the application procedure for our special International-Office rooms is through h_da's International Office, not through Studierendenwerk Darmstadt's website.
Important for everyone to know:
Some students search for "Studierendenwerk Darmstadt" on Google and apply for a general Studierendenwerk room before actually having received all of the information on our special International-Office rooms (all of these rooms are officially rented out through Studierendenwerk Darmstadt, but our International-Office rooms are different from the general Studierendenwerk rooms). Of course, you may apply for a general Studierendenwerk room through the website of Studierendenwerk Darmstadt. Please bear in mind, though, that the terms and conditions for the general Studierendenwerk rooms are different and generally more strict. As there are differences between the two types of rooms (even though they're all part of Studierendenwerk Darmstadt), we strongly advise you to wait for our email about our International-Office rooms before making a final decision about your place to stay in Darmstadt. This email is typically sent out to students in June or July (for students studying with us in the winter), and December or January (if you're coming to Darmstadt/Dieburg in the spring). The application procedure for our special International-Office rooms is through h_da's International Office, not through Studierendenwerk Darmstadt's website - the rooms are not available through the general Accommodation Service of Studierendenwerk Darmstadt.
You may apply for a general room in one of the many student residence halls in Darmstadt through Studierendenwerk Darmstadt's Accommodation Service. Applications for these rooms are managed by Studierendenwerk Darmstadt's Accommodation Service, not by h_da's International Office. A condition to apply for their rooms is that you're officially enrolled at one of the universities in Darmstadt. You'll find all the relevant details on their website.
Important: International-Office rooms versus general Studierendenwerk rooms
It is up to you whether you'd like to apply for one of the International-Office rooms or for a general Studierendenwerk room, but please be aware that the conditions for the two types of rooms are different. The conditions for the general Studierendenwerk rooms are typically a bit more strict than for our International-Office rooms:
- Rental period: Both types of rooms are rented out for 6 months. However, the exact rental period is different for the two types of rooms: The lease for our International-Office rooms starts at the beginning of September, and the beginning of March, respectively, because your exchange semester with h_da starts either at the beginning of September, or the beginning of March. The end of the rental period is end of February, and end of August.
The lease for the general Studierendenwerk rooms on the other hand starts on 1 April and 1 October and runs until the end of March, and September, respectivey. - Cancellation procedure: The lease for the general Studierendenwerk rooms needs to be actively cancelled by you if you want to move out; the lease for the International-Office rooms ends automatically.
- Number of payments: For the International-Office rooms there is a special deal with Studierendenwerk Darmstadt, according to which you do not have to transfer any monthly rent for your room in August, and February, respectively. For there general Studierendenwerk rooms, there is no such deal.
Please bear these aspects in mind when applying for a general Studierendenwerk room.
You‘re not the residence hall type? That‘s ok – you can find a place to stay on your own. These links might be helpful:
Darmstadt:
- Dünen Apartment: https://www.home2feel.de/mikrowohnen/
- Smartments: https://www.smartments-student.de/en/locations/darmstadt-stephanstrasse
- Stolze Haus Darmstadt: https://www.stolzehaus.de/en/
- The Fizz: https://www.the-fizz.com/student-accommodation/darmstadt
- Uninest: https://unineststudents.de/en/locations/darmstadt/elementum
Dieburg:
- Camp 5 Dieburg: https://camp5.de/en/
- Quartier 56 Dieburg: https://www.quartier56.com/en/studentenwohnheim/
- Study & Stay Dieburg: https://www.vonovia.de/de-de/wohnungen-in-dieburg
If you‘re looking for a flatshare, you might want to check out this website:
https://www.wg-gesucht.de.
We also have a Facebook group called "h_da housing exchange”, where you can get in touch with h_da students who are about to spend a semester or two abroad and who would like to sublet their room – it’s worth taking a look! (But please note that h_da is not liable in any way for the offers published on these websites!)
Residence halls:
IIf you apply for an International-Office room, it's likely that the room will be in one of the two residence halls "Karlshof" or "Berliner Allee", but changes are possible. More information at:
http://studierendenwerkdarmstadt.de/en/accomodation-service/wohnanlagen/
Semester contribution
h_da does not charge any tuition fees. However, every student is required to pay a so-called semester contribution. By paying this contribution, students are granted an official student status in Germany which entitles them to a range of discounts in every-day life (such as tickets for the movies, the theater, the opera and other events). What's more, as a student you receive a so-called semesterticket, i.e. a public transport travel pass you can use in almost any busses, trams and regional trains in all of Germany. Without this student travel pass, using the public transport in Germany would be much more expensive.
Exchange students pay a reduced semester contribution (excluding the part for administrative services). Currently, the amout of the reduced semester contribution is 287 euros per semester (as of January 2024); the amount is raised by a couple of euros every so often.
5. Scholarship opportunities
Students from certain partner unversities are eligible to apply for a scholarship:
Brazil: Universidade Estadual Paulista 'Júlio de Mesquita Filho' (UNESP) ● Brazil: Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC) ● Brazil: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) ● Brazil: Universidade Federal de Goiás ● Brazil: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina ● Chile: Universidad de Talca ● Colombia: Universidad ICESI ● Georgia: Caucasus Universtiy ● Georgia: Georgian Institute of Public Affairs ● Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology ● Hungary: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design ● India: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Amrita University ● India: Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) ● India: Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies ● India: VIT University - Institute of Technology ● Indonesia: Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) ● Iran: Amirkabir University of Technology ● Israel: Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design ● Japan: Kyushu Univeristy ● Jordan: German-Jordanian University ● Jordan: Jordan University of Science and Technology ● Malaysia: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) ● Malaysia: Taylor’s University ● Mexico: Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro ● Namibia: Namibia University of Science and Technology ● Nepal: Pokhara University ● Paraguay: Universidad Nacional de Asunción ● Poland: Akademia Sztuk Pięknych im. Jana Matejki w Krakowie ● Poland: Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach ● Romania: Universitatea Babes-Bolyai din Cluj-Napoca ● Thailand: King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi ● Ukraine: Uzhhorod National University ● Vietnam: Da Nang University
For more infos, see our scholarship site!
6. Semester travel pass
Students in Germany are handed out a so-called semesterticket, i.e. a public transport travel pass, which is not only valid in Darmstadt and Dieburg but in all of Germany. No, this is not a joke: After paying a semester contribution you're entitled to use almost any busses, trams and regional trains in the whole country throughout the better part of your exchange semester for free. This way, you can not only explore the Rhein-Main region (Frankfurt, Mainz, Wiesbaden etc.), but other cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. And since Hessen is so very centrally located, all of these cities are quite easy to reach. How great is that! Please note, though, that you're allowed to use regional trains only (RB, RE, S-Bahn), but no express trains (EC, IC, ICE, Flixtrain) and no coaches (Flixbus). Your Germany-wide semester pass will be valid throughout these periods:
- winter semester: 1 October through 31 March
- spring semester: 1 April through 30 September
For exchange students, the semester starts in March and September - this is when our Welcome & Orientation Program and our German classes take place. For the month of March or September you can either purchase a so-called Deutschland-Ticket (D-Ticket) or a RMV Ticket valid in Darmstadt only as a weekly or monthly tickets at these locations:
- Darmstadt Central Station (address: RMV-Mobilitätszentrale, Am Hauptbahnhof 20a, bus/tram stop: Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof)
- Darmstadt city center (Luisenplatz) (address: HEAG mobilo Kundenzentrum, Luisenplatz 6, bus/tram stop: Luisenplatz)
If you opt for a Deutschland-Ticket (D-Ticket), please note that it is a monthly subscription and that you need to cancel it before the 10th day of a month (otherwise you will automatically be charged for a Deutschland-Ticket in the next month). A D-Ticket for March should be cancelled by 9 March, a D-Ticket for September should be cancelled by 9 September.
You can buy the ticket through the different regional transportation associations (for example, FahrplanerApp, HVV oder RMVgo) or through the Deutsche Bahn app. Some apps require you to have a German addess and differ in the payment methods they offer. Please check which app lets you buy the ticket. Please note: The ticket has to be bought electronically and shown on an app; there are no paper versions of the ticket.
Contact
Marina Zielke (she/her) &
Ronja Schneider (she/her)
Incoming exchange students advisors
+49.6151.533-68014
+49.6151.533-60022
incoming.int@h-da.de
Office: C23, 02.10