Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Institute for European Ethnology

1. Your home university has a current Erasmus contract with our institute.

2. Required language level can be proven.
 

• Certified German proficiency (C1) is regularly required to accept you in our program.
• Please do not forget to attach the proof of the required language level (e.g. Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung, Small or Large German Language Diploma, DSH, TestDaF) when submitting your application.
• If you have no european recognised examination, you would be required to take an online language test.
• Even if you might not have reached the required minimum score of 35 points in the online test, it would still be possible to be accepted at our institute upon presentation of a detailed curriculum and individual agreement with our academic coordinator.
• An exception can be made if only wishing to take courses in English, for which we also require an equivalent proficiency in that language. We need an official language certificate (TOEFL, Cambridge, IELTS, etc.). For the certificate, students can also take an English test with the language center at Humboldt-Universität.
• For incoming students not wishing to attend any courses, but are active in research, language requirements will be determined individually.
• The participation in a language intensive course is strongly recommended.
   

Application

• After a successful application for SMS program at your home university (following their conditions), your home university must nominate you for the Erasmus program at the HU.
• As soon as your university has nominated you, you will be asked to register with MoveOn by email. Please study the online application and accompanying information available on the International Office website
• The deadline for the registration on MoveOn is May 30 (if you intend to start in the winter term) and November 30 (for the summer term).
• More information about the following procedure can be found here.

Enrolment

• Your enrolment date will be announced in your confirmation. This is the absolute latest day on which you should plan to arrive in Berlin
• Here you can read which documents you need to bring with you.
• After matriculation, you are officially enrolled as a Humboldt University student. You will receive your Campus Card including your Berlin ABC public transport ticket and the integrated Mensa card.
• If you have any questions regarding your application or matriculation, please contact the Incoming Team  of the HU.

Semester schedule

• You can find the current academic calendar with exact semester dates here.
   

Course Selection

• We would recommend you to choose courses comprising around 20-30 credits (ECTS) per semester.
• Take some time to familiarize yourself in advance with the courses offered at HU. The course selection (in English and German) at the HU can be found in the online course catalogue Agnes. Our institute (Institut for Europäische Ethnologie) is found under “Philosophische Fakultät” in the Agnes course catalogue. 
• In general, incoming Erasmus students can take courses from across all departments. However, at our Institute we can help you secure places in seminars, while you  depend on the goodwill of lectures in other departments to be allowed into (crowded) seminars.
• Please be aware that our course offer changes from semester to semester, and the list of available courses can only be known some weeks in advance of the beginning of each semester. You can use previous semesters for orientation.

ECTS

• All of our courses have a given number of ECTS, which could be found in the Agnes course catalogue. 1 "Leistungspunkt" or short "LP" = 1 ECTS.
• The ECTS Credits are awarded according to the current study regulations (workload in hours/ECTS).
• Courses are not automatically graded. Instead, you must take exams or write homework or papers if you need a grade.
• Students (BA and MA) needing a grade are requested to consult the instructor at the beginning of the semester. More information can be found here:
  • Bachelorstudiengang Studien- und Prüfungsordnung (2017) page 18
  • Masterstudiengang Ethnographie: Theorie – Praxis – Kritik Studien- und Prüfungsordnung (2019) page 22
• Our courses tend to have the following ECTS (only valid for courses at the Department of European Ethnology):

Bachelor students (BA):

• Vorlesung/Lecture (VL): 2 SWS, 2 ECTS
• Seminar (SE): 2 SWS, 4 ECTS
• Grundlagenseminar/introductory seminar (GS): 4 SWS, 4 – 6 ECTS / 6 - 8 ECTS inkl. Tutorium
• Institutscolloquium (CO): 2 SWS, 2 ECTS
• Projektseminar (PS): 4 SWS, 8 ECTS inkl. (Konferenz-)Exkursion
• Modulabschlussprüfung/module exam (MAP): 2 - 3 ECTS

Master's students (MA):

• Grundlagenseminar/introductory seminar(GS): 2 SWS, 8 ECTS inkl. Tutorium
• Seminar (SE): 2 SWS, 6 ECTS
• Ringvorlesung: 2 SWS, 2 ECTS
• Studienprojekt (SP): 4 SWS, 6 ECTS
• Exkursion (EX): 2 ECTS
• Colloquium (CO): 2 SWS, 2 ECTS
• Modulabschlussprüfung/module exam (MAP): 2 ECTS

*SWS = hours a week

 

Additional ECTS:

1 ECTS / Workload 25 h

• Preparation of a course session (45 minutes)*
• Presentation (up to 20 minutes)*
• Empirical-ethnographic mini research and presentation in seminar
• Written work or portfolio approx. 11,500 characters without spaces (corresponds to 5 pages à 2,300 characters)
• Multimodal work or portfolio (e.g. creation of audio or video material, web page of an exhibition unit)*

2 ECTS / Workload 50 h

• Preparation of a course session (90 minutes)*
• Presentation (up to 40 minutes)*
• Empirical-ethnographic research on a small scale and presentationi in seminar*
• Written work or portfolio approx. 23,000 characters without spaces (corresponds to 10 pages à 2,300 characters)
• Multimodal work or portfolio (e.g. creation of audio or video material, web page of an exhibition unit)*

3 ECTS / Workload 75 h

• Empirical-ethnographic research on a larger scale and presentation in seminar*
• Written work or portfolio approx. 34,500 characters without spaces (corresponds to 15 pages à 2,300 characters)
• Multimodal work or portfolio of multiple multimodal work (e.g. creation of audio or video material, web pages of an exhibition unit)*

* can also be a group work, if possible in terms of content and organisation.

 

The grades awarded for student work correspond to the following values
A = 1,0 – 1,5 excellent
B = 1,6 – 2,0 very good
C = 2,1 – 2,9 good
D = 3,0 – 3,5 satisfactory
E = 3,6 – 4,0 sufficient
F = 4,1 – 5,0 failed / not sufficient

 

• Before coming, please check in advance the study program at the HU with your home university's Erasmus Coordinator. This will be important to formalize the first Learning Agreement.
• Please use the forms provided by your home university to do so.
   

 

• Transcripts of Records are not automatically issued! This means that you must request a transcript before you leave the university by filling out this form. In the last session you must bring these with you and have them signed and stamped by the lecturer.
• Transcripts can only be issued after all module sheets including grades have been submitted.

 

 

• To confirm your stay, please contact our office directly sending us your home institution’s form.

 

 

• Erasmus students from abroad can apply for a place in a student residence. Since it can be very difficult to find accommodations in Berlin, we recommend taking advantage of this offer. If you would like to apply for a place in a residence hall, please indicate this in your application to MoveOn.
• Information about the residence halls awill be sent to you after your registration on MoveOn.
• The application deadline for dormitory places is
  - 30 May (winter semester) and
  - 30 November (summer semester)
• Residence places can only be rented for 6 or 12 months:
  - September 1 to February 28 (winter semester)
  - March 1 to August 31 (summer semester)
   
• Contact person:
  Mrs. Reebanna Kusche
  Incoming Team of the International Department
  exchange-students@hu-berlin.de
   
• If you want to extend your stay in Berlin, you can find some help here for your private apartment search.
   

There are several different mentoring programs at HU that make it easier for international students and Erasmus students to join the university and live in Berlin. Here you can find an overview of the International Office. Erasmus students can access the following resources:

Erasmus-Studierende können folgende Angebote nutzen: 

• "Studis4Studis": German students help international students to find their way around the university. Here you can register for free..
• Internationaler Club "Orbis Humboldtianus":
  International Club (Orbis Humboldtianus): The HU International Club organizes introductory events for international students, a language tandem exchange, a regulars' table and a visa service.