FAQs

The Language Center at h_da offers Chinese, German as a foreign language, German Sign Languages, English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

With the exception of the DSH (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang) preparatory course, our language courses are free of charge for all h_da students.

All h_da students can take the courses in the Open Language Programme of the Language Center.

The h_da Language Center accepts guest students (“Gasthörerin/Gasthörer” – also known as observers/auditors) on courses if places are still available after the enrolment deadline. If you wish to attend a course as a guest student, you must apply for official guest student status (German).

Come to the office during office hours or contact the Language Center coordinators directly if you have any questions regarding specific language courses or language certificates.

You can find the Language Center programme in the course catalog (“Vorlesungsverzeichnis”) in my.h-da.

Only students who fulfil the course requirements are admitted to language courses: either by demonstrating their language proficiency level on the basis of a placement test or by passing an appropriate h_da language course (at least grade 4.0). If you apply to take a language course that does not correspond to your current language or placement level, you will not be admitted to the course.

There are no requirements for taking beginners' courses at level A1.1.

Before the course starts, please check in my.h-da whether you have been admitted (My Courses). Only then is it possible to take part.

Missing a lesson within the enrolment period (“Belegfrist”) without a valid excuse may forfeit your admission to the course. If you are on the waiting list (“Warteliste”) for a course, you should come to the course anyway, as the teacher will allocate any free places on the spot.

If your application is rejected, it is usually because you do not meet the requirements for the relevant language course (wrong language level, no placement test). Please contact the main office of the Language Center or a coordinator for the respective language.

You can take a maximum of two Open Language Programme courses in German as a Foreign Language or English per semester.
In the case of Romance languages, it is not possible to take different levels in the same language or different languages at the same level simultaneously.

The course catalog contains details (dates, rooms, course content, etc.) of all courses offered at the h_da.

Click here for information on the placement tests for the different languages.

No, not normally. If there are extenuating circumstances, please contact the secretaries' office of the Language Center.

The results of any previous placement tests remain valid. Passing a language course counts as evidence of your new placement level.

The current deadlines can be found under Semester schedule.

If necessary, you can also deregister from a course within the enrolment period. After the deadline has passed, please contact the secretaires' office of the Language Center.

Register for Open Language Programme exams via the main office  of the Language Center. The prerequisites: you must have enrolled for the course within the enrolment period and have been admitted to the course.

Transfer students can have language courses they have taken at other institutions recognised by the Language Center. Recognition

Certificate for internationel Studies (ZIS) (German)

"Technical English for Architects” Certificate (German)