International MAs

Bewerber-AG of KISD

The »Bewerber-AG« is responsible for the application procedure at KISD and supporting international and national applicants. If you have questions concerning the application procedure or your admission, please contact them via email.

International Cooperation Center at KISD

The International Cooperation Center at KISD is responsible for international communications and the international students at KISD.

We are located at KISD on the first floor (room 123). If you are a prospective International student to the KISD you may contact us for information or further assistance.

International Office of FH-Köln

If you have questions regarding the enrolment at FH Köln (Cologne University of Applied Sciences), or would like to receive some general information about first steps in Cologne, please contact Maria Üpping of the International Office, or directly visit their web site of FH-Köln

You may also find valuable information in the »Just Arrived« Booklet

International AG

Once you have started at KISD, beside the ICC you may always contact the International-AG of KISD for further assistance. The International AG is a students working group at KISD that supports international students and works very closely with the ICC. Throughout the semester they organize different events for and together with the international students at KISD. On their blog on KISD Spaces they provide tips concerning first steps in Cologne. Here you also get informed about current activities during the semester.

In order to stay in Germany for the duration of your studies, you will need to get a »student visa«. A student visa can be obtained by handing in an original (or certified) letter of acceptance to a German higher education institute at a German embassy. 

A certified copy is a photocopy of an original document that has been signed by an official office to prove it is real. This can be done at a German embassy and certain consulates (of course you must bring your passport, the official document and the copy) or at a notary office. As German visa application procedures vary for different nationalities, please phone the German embassy in your home country, and make sure what documents you will need to supply.

Your passport will have to be valid for at least 1 year, and the visa application cost some money, and will usually take anywhere between 2 – 6 weeks, so make sure you don«™t leave it for the last minute. 

You may find more information about visa applications on the FH Köln website

Health Insurance

Before you can enrol at the FH you will need a health insurance provider (»Krankenkassen«) in Germany. Prices for students are set at 64 Euros a month across all providers. A short list of recommended providers can be found on the 5th page of the FH »Just Arrived« booklet

When you open your account you will have to bring your letter of acceptance of KISD, or of the FH in order to get the reduced student price.

Personal Enrolment in the »Studienbüro«

You must personally enrol with Ms. Klein of the registration office at the FH (»Studienbüro«). The address for the enrolment is:

Fachhochschule Köln / Cologne university of applied sciences
Student and Examination services
Room A1.41a
Claudiusstraße 1
50678 Köln 

You may find a map and a short explanation on how to arrive at the registration office on the International-AG Space. The registration office is in the FH building at Claudiusstraße 1, at the main entrance walk down the stairs, then right into the corridor with the 2 red machines on the wall (this is also where you print your VRS semester ticket once you have paid your study fees). The registration office is the second office on the right. 

Please bring the following forms and documents with you on the enrolment day, all the forms can be found online at this page of FH Köln:

• Letter of admission (Zulassungsbescheid) of FH Köln (this is the letter you received asking you to come and enrol)
• Your passport with valid student visa (If you entered Germany with a tourist visa, and are allowed to get a student visa later on, just bring your valid passport.)
• Filled in Résumé form
• »MultiCa« form (can be downloaded here)
• 2 passport sized photos (3,5 cm x 4,5 cm) for the Résumé and MultiCa form.
• Copies of all the papers you sent to Uni-Assist (for more information about Uni-Assist, please follow this link)
• Proof of English language proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS or similar proof). For TOEFL, a minimum test score of 79 (internet-based version) is required.
• Health insurance certificate / or card
• Enrolment form of FH Köln
• Letter of admission of KISD (certificate of having successfully passed the examination) 

Please note: As most of the programmes offered by FH Köln, require a minimum of German, not all of the staff members in the registration office speak English. Both the International Office at the FH and the International Cooperation Center (ICC) at KISD will do their best to assist you if needed. Please feel free to call the ICC at KISD (Tel: 0221 / 82753606) or directly visit Branimir Brkan in the International Office. His office is situated in the same part of the building: section A, room 54

Semester fees

As of winter semester 2011/2012, Cologne University of Applied Sciences will no longer charge tuition. For information about the regular semester fees which include a ticket (»MultiCa«) for public transport in Cologne and surroundings please check the website of Cologne University of Applied Sciences. After your personal enrolment you will receive your »MultiCa« card by post.

MulitCa

The »MultiCa« is your student ID and a rechargeable debit card, so you can reload it with money to spend at the different services of the FH (Cafeteria, copy machines). Two to three days after you have transferred the semester fees to FH Köln this card can be stamped at one of the red machines inside the FH main-building, Claudiusstraße 1, in front of the »Studienbüro«. Please refer to this map for further instructions. Your card is only valid with this stamp and you will have to get a new stamp each semester. Once you print an additional printout, you will also be able to travel with your student card in the whole federal state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the explanation for this can be found on the International AG's Space.

KISD Account: Intranet and Email

Once you have enroled at the FH, it is very important to create a KISD user account. You can get more information about this account here

You will get a KISD email address and will gain access to the intranet (the internal KISD web communications platform). You can only create this account after your enrolment at FH Köln. In order to create the account you need your Matrikel-Number, this you will get by mail a few days after your enrolment in person at the FH Köln.

German Course

The International Office offers a special German language course for incoming students: Prior to their first lectures, international students who possess no or only basic German skills can sign up for a three-week intensive course that will be held from September 6th - September 24th, 2010. The course fee is 60€ and should be paid on the first day of class at the International Office. In order to register for this class, please write an email to Petra Reitze of the International Office by providing the following information:

• Last name, first name 
• Course of study: Design 
• Partner university

Welcome Meeting

On September 24th at 2 pm there will be a Welcome Meeting for all the freshmen of the MA "Integrated Design". The head of programme, Prof. Philipp Heidkamp as well as other professors will give you an introduction of the key aspects of your studies at KISD.

Master Bootcamp

This one-week project starts on Monday, October 4th. Similar to the "Cologne Resources" project you will work on a defined topic very intensley for one week. You will get to know the other students, and gain some knowledge of the resources of KISD and Cologne. At the end of the project you will have a public presentation of the observations and results of the project.

Project and seminar start

One week after the end of the "Master Bootcamp" the regular projects and seminars start. Please check the curricular calendar (it will be published on our website in the beginning of August) to get to know the projects and seminars that are offered at KISD, but also the events that are especially for you as MA "Integrated Design" students. Please note, that the backbone (75%) of the MA "Integrated Design" programme and your studies at KISD will be your master project with its 3 phases:

1. SELF-INITIATED PROJECT: Reflection, Context and Methods 
2. RESEARCH PROPOSAL 
3. FINAL THESIS

That means you only will be able to take part in a few projects and seminars offered in the curricular calendar of KISD - and you will not select your courses the same way as the BA students. More detailed information about the course selection process and the structure of your studies you will get at the Welcome Meeting.

MA colloquium

On Tuesday, October 12th starts the MA colloquium. It is the core of the MA Integrated Design programme. You will meet every week and all the participants of this year's course will present the status quo and current question and research findings of their work. This will help you to learn from each other - what is essential. Furthermore, we will invite lecturers and speakers from outside the university regularly. The speakers will be suggested by you - in accordance to your project. In addition to that, we have a monthly meeting to talk about your study structure, the courses you have chosen or will choose and the experiences and expectations deriving from that. This social and professional platform will be essential for your study.

Semester duration

Winter semester 2010/11: 20.09.2010 - 04.02.2011
Summer semester 2011: 07.03.2011 - 08.07.2011
Official dates of the semester from the FH can be found here.

Official Holidays (Winter semester 2010/11)

Day of German Unity 03.10.2010
All Saints' Day 01.11.2010
Christmas 25.12.2010
St. Stephen's Day 26.12.2010
Christmas break 23.12.2010 - 02.01.2011

Please note that the duration of your Christmas break depends largely on your selected courses and projects.