Glossary
The academic year at the University of Applied Sciences Amberg-Weiden is divided into two terms, winter term and summer term.
Click here for the complete Academic Calender, including lecture and examination periods as well as registration deadlines.
| Winter term: 1 October - 14 March | |
|---|---|
| Lecture period: | 1 October -31 January |
| Examination period: | 1 February - 14 February |
| Holidays: | Christmas (2 weeks in late December) 15 February - 14 March |
| Summer term: 15 March - 30 September | |
|---|---|
| Lecture period: | 15 March - 30 September |
| Examination period: | 15 July - 31 July |
| Holidays: | 1 August - 30 September |
There are many options for accommodation for our students. There are student dormitories as well as private apartments.
Go to the Studentenwerk website to find information about student dorms in Amberg and Weiden.
To apply for a place in the student dorm, fill out the application form.
You may also want to check the classified ads at the University’s „market place”.
Other useful pages might be:
Amberg
Amberg is a cute little city in South Germany in Bavaria. It has about 40,000 inhabitants.
You can drive to Nuremberg or to Regensburg within an hour . Munich is about two hours away.
Here are links to some of the important offices:
- Amberg Residents’ Office
- Amberg Registration Office
- Foreigners Office
- Tourist Info Amberg
- Tourist Info Amberg-Sulzbach
Here are the links to museums in Amberg:
You may also join a sports club. There’s everything from football over swimming to athletics and more.
The region offers numerous leisure activities.
Application
Here you will find important information on how to apply (in English). For information in German, click here.
You have to apply simultaneously via Uni Assist (VPD assessment) and our application portal Primuss.
The application period for the summer semester starts on November 15 and ends on January 15. Applications for the winter semester have to be submitted from May 1 until July 15.
Please note that the application platform is only accessible during the application period.
If you still have questions, send us an e-mail.
Blocked Account
To apply for a visa, you have to put money into a blocked account.
For 1 year residence: 11.904 € (12 x 992€)
For 2 year residence: 23.808 € (24 x 992€)
Café International
Our Café International is a regular meeting of the international students, but everybody is invited to join, talk and have fun. Sometimes we go on trips to explore the region.
Cafeteria
We have nice cafeterias both in Amberg and Weiden.
You have the choice between different dishes, or you may choose something from the pasta or salad bar.
Check the menu to find out what’s on offer for lunch.
AMBERG:
This is the map of the Amberg Campus.
If you leave the area shown on the map to the right (direction east), you go directly to the historic center of Amberg.
The big blue Ps mark the parking lots. The one on the left is for students. The one next to the left one is for employees. Between the two parking lots, you will find the rally point where people have to gather in case of emergency. The two left ones in the upper part are parking lots of OTH. They are only accessible for students or employees of the university. The right one in the upper half is a paid parking lot.
The purple-framed building is the Department "EMI" (Electrical Engineering, Media Technology and Computer Science). This building also houses the cafeteria.
In the green-framed buildings are the administration buildings.
The turquoise-framed building is the Department "MB/UT" (Mechanical Engineering and Environmental Technology). This building houses the biggest lecture hall of the Amberg Campus, the Audimax /Siemens Innovatorium.
The orange-framed building is the library building. This building also houses some administration offices and the IT Center.
The grey-framed building is the University gym.
The brown-framed building is the ATC, the Amberg Center of Technology.
The black-framed building houses the Competence Center for Combined Heat and Power.
WEIDEN:
This is the map of the Weiden Campus.
The big blue Ps mark the parking lots. The one on the left is for the employees of the WTC (Weiden Center of Technology --> see below). The parking lot on the right next to the big building is for employees. The other three parking lots are for students and visitors.
The big parking lot in the upper part is the rally point where people have to gather in case of emergency.
The big building on the right is divided into two parts. The upper part is the Weiden Business School, while the lower part houses the Department of Industrial Engineering (WI).
The building next to the Department of WI houses the cafeteria.
The long building above the cafeteria is the lecture hall building.
The building left to lecture hall building is the WTC, the Weiden Center of Technology, which is also home to the University’s Language Center.
The small building left of WTC is the E-House.
If you have to find something, feel free to ask your fellow students or professors. We are sure that almost everybody will help you!
If you need any advice or help in connection with your studies, just get in touch with the Student and Career Service.
Below are some typical situations where you might want to ask their advice:
- You want to know whether a change from one degree program to another is possible.
- You want to apply for a job or internship and need help with your application.
- You have to write a paper in German and want to have it proofread.
- You want to take courses on academic writing and research.
Our Centre for Gender and Diversity is there to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity regardless of her or his gender, origin, religious beliefs or disability.
If you have any queries or complaints in this regard, please contact the Centre for Gender and Diversity.
Once you arrive in Germany, you have to register at the Citizen's Office in either Amberg or Weiden, depending on where your program takes place.
You can contact the OTH International Office if you need any help with the administrative procedures.
The climate in Southern Germany is fairly mild. However, the weather is unpredictable.
In summer, the temperatures may range between 10°C and over 40°C. So there is really a big difference.
From sunny over cloudy to rainy – everything is possible. Sometimes there is a big thunderstorm with storm and hail. In early or late summer, there may even be some snow.
In winter it’s mostly cloudy and a bit rainy and often there’s snow. Temperatures range from -20°C up to +10°C.
Here are the contact details of the professors and lecturers.
These are the names and contact details of the university officers.
Here you can find the email-addresses and numbers of all staff members.
The costs of living in Amberg and Weiden are reasonable and much lower than in the big cities.
Here’s an overview of all the relevant cost items in euro/month on average:
- Accommodation: 200 – 300
- Food and clothing: 200
- Mobility: 50
- Course materials (books, photocopies, paper, etc.): 50
- Enrolment fees: 60
- Communication (telephone, broadcasting): 30
- Health insurance: 112
Total costs: approx. 800 euros/month
culture shock
Culture shock is the emotional and physical discomfort one suffers when coming to live at a place different from the place of origin.
Culture shock can appear at different times. Symptoms can be:
- Sadness, loneliness
- Changes in mood
- Anger, resentment
- Loss of identity
- Lack of confidence
- Longing for family (home sickness)
- Developing stereotypes about the new culture
- Feelings of insecurity/inadequacy
- Feelings of being lost, overlooked, exploited
Whathelpstoovercomecultureshock?
- Learn about the new culture; learn the language
- Be patient with regard to the adaptation process
- Maintain contact with your ethnic group and share your experiences
- Embrace the grief over leaving your old country and accept the new country
- Set simple goals and evaluate your progress
- Take up a hobby
- Go out and meet new people
There are a few deadlines that you have to meet during your studies.
The first one is the the application deadline. If you click here and then press the orange button "Hier geht es direkt zur Bewerbung", you will be guided to another site with all the application deadlines and information as to whether the application is still open or already closed.
You can also look up the application periods here.
Also, during your application, you might meet deadlines for uploading certain documents or certificates. These deadlines will be visible in the application portal or, if necessery, submitted via email by the Students’ Office.
Special case – health insurance: please note that you will no longer receive a written proof of you valid German Health Insurance. This changed to an electronic transmittance via your Health Insurance to our university.
The next deadline is the immatriculation deadline. You should register shortly before the start of the lectures. This deadline changes yearly and depends on the the study programme you are in.
You also have to meet several deadlines during your studies, for example re-registration, registration for examinations or projects or for your final paper, but they depend on the program you are in.
Deutschlandstipendium
International students at our University may apply for „Deutschlandstipendium”, a scholarship which involves federal and privately donated funds. The grant consists of a monthly rate of 300 Euros for a period of one year.
The Deutschlandstipendium is not intended to support only elites. The criteria for eligibilty are as follows:
- Good grades
- Migration background
- Reconcilitation of family and studies
- Social commitment
Check this page to find more information: Stipendien und Fördermodelle
We maintain double degree programs with our partner universities in Finland and Australia.
If you need further information, feel free to contact the International Office.
Double Degree Program USC (Australia)
Double Degree Program Novia UAS (Finland)
If you have any questions, please send us an Email.
We have an online job market where you'll find job opportunities in Germany.
In the Primuss Portal, you will find a list of recognized internship companies that you can contact for an internship.
You can download your Enrolment Certificate from Primuss as soon as you have uploaded the requested documents. If you cannot find the Enrolment Certificate in Primuss, make sure and check again whether you have completed the necessary paperwork.
Withdrawal from admission.
You have changed your mind and want to study at a different university. If you withdraw from admission before the beginning of the semester, the administration fees will be refunded.
The Erasmus+ program of the European Commission is a program to promote international academic mobility within Europe. It is open to students of all disciplines and all types of higher education institutions who have already completed at least one year of study.
Possible length:
2 - 12 months (study abroad)
2 - 12 months (internship abroad)
Monthly allowance:
From 330 euros (study) and 435 euros (internship), graded according to country groups.
Here you will find a list of our Erasmus+ Partnership Agreements.
Our Facebook page.
Here are the FAQs in German.
Upon your arrival in Germany, you have to register at the Citizen’s Office. To do so, you need a confirmation of your landlord that you have rented an apartment (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). You also have to submit your passport.
To apply for residence permit, you have to submit your health insurance document, enrolment certificate, proof of blocked account and photograph. The administration fee is 100 euros.
Check this site to learn more about the university, studies, service, research etc.
Students of English-taught programmes have to submit a certificate of German skills at the level A2 at the end of their first year of study. There are no German beginners courses on offer at OTH. You have to attend the courses offered by VHB (virtual university of Bavaria).
Language courses (available at CLASSIC vhb):
• Deutsch als zweite Fremdsprache. German after English (A1)
• DaF Strukturen und Kommunikation A2
You may attend German language courses offered by the Language Center to improve your German skills. Please check these timetables to find the courses.
If you have any questions, get in touch with the Language Center or the International Office.
By the way: There are other languages on offer, for example English, Czech, Russian, French or Italian.
- 1,0 sehr gut / Excellent / A+ / GPA 4.0
- 1,3 sehr gut / very good / A / GPA 3.7
- 1,7 gut / good / A- / GPA 3.3
- 2,0 gut / good / B+ / GPA 3.0
- 2,3 gut / good / B / GPA 2.7
- 2,7 befriedigend / satisfactory / B- / GPA 2.3
- 3,0 befriedigend / satisfactory / C+ / GPA 2.0
- 3,3 befriedigend / satisfactory / C / GPA 1.7
- 3,7 ausreichend / sufficient / D+ / GPA 1.3
- 4,0 ausreichend / sufficient / D / GPA 1.0
- 4,3 – 5,0 nicht ausreichend / fail / F / GPA 0.7 – 0.0
Health insurance
Health Insurance
All students in Germany, both German and internationals, must take out health insurance. For admission to OTH, you must provide a health insurance certificate issued or verified by a German statutory health insurance provider.
Students from EU member states as well as Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, United Kingdom or Switzerland:
You have to ask your insurance provider for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Please make sure that this insurance card is valid for the complete duration of your stay. Submit the EHIC to a statutory health insurance company in Germany, which will then transmit the corresponding insurance confirmation digitally to the OTH Students’ Office.
Students from the United Kingdom must contact the National Health Service (NHS). This organization will issue a valid card for you.
Students from EU Candidate Countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Tunisia:
You have to apply for a valid insurance certificate from a health insurance provider in your home country prior to your departure to Germany. Make sure that the certificate is valid for the complete duration of your stay. The insurance certificate must be submitted to a statutory health insurance company in Germany, which will then transmit the corresponding insurance confirmation digitally to the OTH Students’ Office.
For students from non-EU states, there are three options:
Option 1 – Take out statutory health insurance:
You may take out statutory health insurance with a provider in Germany. Please note that this only works if you are under 30 years of age. Please note that health insurance is subject to a fee. You can enquire about the amount of the fee at the health insurance company of your choice. Inform your insurance provider that you have been admitted to OTH. The insurance provider will then send a confirmation to the OTH Students’ Office.
The advantage of statutory health insurance is that the doctor’s bill is forwarded directly to the insurance company. So you do not have to pay for medical treatment. Please note, however, that insurance coverage comes into effect only after the beginning of your studies. That’s why you must take out another health insurance until the beginning of the semester to bridge the time between your arrival and the start of your studies.
Option 2 – Take out private health insurance with a German insurance provider:
You may take out health insurance from a private health insurance company in Germany, regardless of your age. This particularly applies to students who are over 30. Then submit your private health insurance policy to a statutory health insurance company, which will then transmit an insurance confirmation to the OTH Students’ Office.
Please note that if you have a private health insurance, you must pay the doctor’s bill up front and will then be reimbursed by your insurance. It may happen though that the amount for the doctor’s bill is not fully reimbursed. Also, once you have decided to take out private insurance, this decision is (almost) irreversible: you cannot switch to a statutory health insurance anymore.
Option 3 – Private health insurance in your home country:
If you take out health insurance from an insurance company in your home country for the complete duration of your stay at OTH Amberg-Weiden, you must bring along a complete insurance policy from the insurance company in your home country to prove that you are insured. This document must be issued either in German or in English.
The complete health insurance policy from the insurance company in your home country must cover at least the same services as the German statutory health insurance.
Submit your insurance policy to a statutory health insurance company in Germany, which will then send a confirmation to the OTH Students’ Office, provided that your insurance meets the German legal requirements. If your insurance does not meet German standards, you have to choose options 1 or 2 above.
Here you’ll find the Index A-Z.
Our Blog for international mobilities is called "Zugvögel" or migratory birds (in English). This is where students share their international experiences.
IT Services
Password for university email account
This is the direct link to the webmail account.
You will find your OTH webmail account and other important services like Primuss and the notice board in MyOTH.
Moodle (online-learning platform)
Moodle is the e-learning platform of OTH Amberg-Weiden and can be found here: https://moodle.oth-aw.de/local/login/
Login with your username and password.
Access details (user name, account)
You can find your username in the account information of our Primuss application system after your successful enrolment: www.primuss.de/status-fhaw (note that your initial password has to be changed before your first login and remember the new password well).
Student ID card
Student ID card will be sent by physical post to your residential address in Germany. Make sure that you have entered your correct address. Student ID cards will not be sent to places outside Germany.
There are quite a few job opportunities for international students, but please make sure that you do not work more than 20 hours per week. Otherwise you will lose your status for student health insurance.
You can always ask at the local shops like "Lidl" or "Edeka" or work as a waitress or waiter in a restaurant.
You can also look for jobs here, or you can apply as a working student in regional companies.
The Competence Center Bavaria - Central and Eastern Europe (KOMO) takes care of the connection between Bavaria and Central and Eastern Europe.
Its aim is to further deepen and network the existing scientific partnerships and to train students accordingly.
The Language Centre offers language courses in Amberg and Weiden.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact them.
Here you'll find all the University’s organizational units, including information about the International Office, Library and others.
Main Page in German.
Main Page in English.
Here you can find everything from learning partnerships and accomodation to selling things.
You can also buy and sell things on eBay, Facebook or other sites.
Your student visa allows you to work 120 days full-time (more than 4 hours per working day) or 240 days part-time (less than 4 hours per working day) per calendar year. If you want to work more hours, you have to get the foreigners office's permission.
You may work longer hours if you have a student assistant job at the university (Studentische Hilfskraft, also known as SHK). You have to notify Ausländerbehörde, though.
Mobility Online is our application platform for incoming and outgoing students. If you want to take part in an exchange semester or internship, you have to register via the platform. Incoming students have to be nominated by their home university. Outgoing students just go to the platform to sign up.
Watch this tutorial to learn how the system works.
Here is the Login for Moodle, the OTH’s learning platform.
Moodle is a learning management system where lectures, lecture notes and learning material are made available to you.
Ask your teacher or the assistant of your department for the access key for the respective course.
Here you can find the news at OTH Amberg-Weiden (in German).
You will find the latest news and announcements on our noticeboard (Schwarzes Brett).
The information provided is in German, but if you subscribe to it, you will get the information also in English.
If you want to practice your faith or if you need help because something bad happend in your life, contact our campus ministry. They offer individual pastoral care to everybody in need.
Psychological Counselling
If you need psychological counseling, you can make an appointment here.
Please note: This site is available in German only
If you have your own apartment, you have to pay the mandatory radio and TV licence fee. You can find more information as well as answers to frequently asked questions on the service’s landing page.
If you are from a non-European country, you have to apply for a student visa with the German Embassy or a German Consulate in your home country. Once you arrive in Germany, you have to apply for residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) at the Foreigners’ Registration Department in Amberg or Weiden before your visa expires.
To get your residence permit, you have to submit the following documents:
- Enrollment certificate
- Financing statement, e.g. blocked account or scholarship certificate
- Health insurance certificate
- Passport
- Photograph
- Letter of admission
- Registration certificate of residence (from your landlord/landlady)
Fees: 100 Euro
With your student visa you are allowed to work max. 20 hours a week. You may also take on a student job.
If you have a working visa, you are not allowed to study. You have to go back to your home country and apply for a new visa. However, you may go to the Foreigners Registration Department at your district authority to apply for an altered residence title.
If you have a visa for studying purposes, the residence permit is bound to the studies. Changing a course of studies or breaking off studies may lead to loss of the right of residence. You may change your course of study within the first three semesters (18 months). If you change the university or your course of studies, you must apply to the Foreigners’ Registration Department at the university’s district authority (i.e. Weiden or Amberg) for a new residence permit for studies immediately after you have taken up your university place and registered as a student. Again, you are only allowed to change your course of studies within the first three semesters.
A residence permit for a stay as an au pair or for voluntary service in Germany may be converted into a residence permit for purposes of study; however, enquiries must be made at the Foreigners’ Registration Department in good time before the existing residence permit expires.
Here’s an overview of scholarship programs available to international students:
- DAAD Scholarships
- Heinrich-Böll-Foundation Scholarships
- Deutschland Stipendium – The German Scholarship Program
- Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation Scholarships
- Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Scholarships
Check the Studying-in-Germany Website to learn more.
The Student and Career Service will help you if you have questions about your studies or career.
There are several options to find accommodation:
Amberg:
The Studentenwerk Oberfranken offers places in student dormitories.
Wohnungsunternehmen Amberg also has student dormitories.
If you want to live closer to the city, you may try Eichenforst.
Furthermore there is student accomodation at Malteserplatz. Just search for Studentenwohnheim Malteserplatz.
Weiden:
Studentenwerk Oberfranken runs two student dormitories in Weiden, Wohnanlage Am Postkeller and Wohnanlage Fischerberg.
The complete list of student halls of residence (Studierendenwohnheim) in Amberg and Weiden can be viewed under „Marketplace” on the University’s website.
There are a lot of things to do in Amberg.
Among other things, you may go to the students cinema, or sing in a choir or do sports (websites are all in German).
Here you can find all the student representatives of OTH.
If you have questions regarding application, immatriculation, health insurance or exams, you can write an email to your Students’ Office (Studienbüro).
Tuition
Most public higher education institutions in Germany do not charge tuition fees. So when you study in Germany, you will get first-class teaching and education free of charge!
However, universities in Germany charge a small amount of money intended for administrative costs, student union and public transport. This payment is called “Semesterbeitrag” (semester contribution) and has to be paid at the beginning of each semester. The contribution at OTH Amberg-Weiden is 72 Euros per semester.
Additional, for international students coming from outside the EU
In order to ensure the academic success and long-term integration of international students at OTH Amberg-Weiden, OTH Amberg-Weiden is introducing study service fees of EUR 500 per semester from winter semester 24/25. This applies to persons with a nationality outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) who start their studies from the winter semester 2024/25.
The fees are charged for the duration of the entire degree programme and enrolment at OTH Amberg-Weiden.
International students who obtained their university entrance qualification outside Germany have to have their qualifications assessed by Uni Assist. They have to register for VPD assessment. The VPD is a document certifying the applicants’ aptitude and average grade as well as their preferred field of study. For this assessment, Uni Assist charges a fee of 75,00 EUR for their first choice and 30,00 EUR for each additional choice.
The OTH offers lots of sports activities for students and staff. Here, you will find the courses on offer (site in German).
Weiden
Weiden is almost the same size as Amberg. It also has around 40,000 inhabitants.
You can drive to Nuremberg or to Regensburg within an hour and half . Munich is about two hours away.
Here are links to some of the important offices:
Here are the links to museums in Weiden:
You may also join a sports club. There’s everything from football over swimming to athletics and more.
The region offers numerous leisure activities.