Student Q&A

On our website you will find information regarding courses, study locations, alumni’s and the mentoring programme.

If you have any further questions about the program you can always contact the gsp@mail.uni-freiburg.de address.

If you would like to talk to a representative of the Programme in person, please check the office hours on the person´s website or directly at the doors of their offices.

There are several documents the GSP office can issue for you. To have one of the following documents issued, please write an email to gsp@mail.uni-freiburg.de with the following information: your name and date of birth, your batch and your matriculation number in Freiburg. Please explain shortly, why you need the requested document.

Confirmation of mandatory internship
Confirmation of enrollment: in case you are studying in your 4^th semester, please provide a scan of the document you received from the GeKo, stating the date of submission of your Master´s thesis
Confirmation of study curriculum
Confirmation of English taught programme

Please note: Even though we try to answer all emails as quickly as possible, please bear in mind that you need to calculate with a processing period of around 1-2 weeks.

All documents that you have requested from the GSP office are to be picked-up or submitted at the Secretariat for Sociology, KG IV, 5^th floor – room 4508.

Monday 11 a.m. - noon and 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m
Tuesday 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Thursday 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Residence registration

Upon arrival in Freiburg, you must register as a resident at the Resident Registration Office of the City of Freiburg (called “Bürgeramt”) or, if you live outside of Freiburg, with the local authorities of your municipality.

For international students: In case you haven´t obtained your study visa yet, you need to apply for your residence permit at the Foreigners Office of the City of Freiburg (in Freiburg: “Ausländerbehörde”).

Resident Registration Office of the City of Freiburg (Bürgeramt):
Fehrenbachallee 12, 79106 Freiburg, service desk
Monday, Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 7:30 a.m.– 6 p.m.
Saturday by appointment only
Phone: +49 (0)761 201-0
buergeramt@stadt.freiburg.de
For more information, please visit: https://www.freiburg.de/pb/,Lde/-/205348/;oe6014405

Foreigners Office of the City of Freiburg (or “Ausländerbehörde“in Freiburg)

Berliner Allee 1, 79114 Freiburg
Service desk office hours: Mon., Tues. & Fri.: 7:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Wed.: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Thurs.: 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Fri.: 7:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m
auslaenderbehoerde@stadt-freiburg.de
For more information, please visit: http://www.freiburg.de/pb/,Lde/205368.html

Where do I have to register, if I live outside of Freiburg?
Please inquire with the municipal authorities or the town hall of the city in which you live to find out their office hours.
Immigration Office of the District Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald (if you live outside of Freiburg): Stadtstraße 2, 79104 Freiburg
Monday and Friday: 8 a.m. – 12 noon and Wednesday: 1:30 – 4 p.m.

For international students: The Service Center Studium – International Admissions and Services, Sedanstr. 6, 79098 Freiburg is the place to go, of you have any questions on the organizational part of your studies, for example: leave of absence, matriculation, registration.

The Service Center Studium also offers an information desk for international students, where you can receive help on various organizational matters:

Counselling on leaves of absence, subject and course changes
Enquiries about the equivalency of international school leaving certificates and high school diplomas
Advice on aspects of the immigration law
Admission and enrolment of international master students
Enrollment, registration, and verification of degree certificates for doctoral candidates
Issuing of confirmations for language schools and the “Ausländerbehörde” (Foreigners’ Registration Office)
Authentication of certificates from the University of Freiburg („Apostillen“)
General information for international students
Dates and deadlines for international applicants and students

For more information, please visit: http://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/en/counseling/ias

Office Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Thursday: 1 to 3 p.m.
Address see end of page

Telephone Hours:

Monday to Wednesday from 8 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 3 p.m.

Thursday and Friday from 8 to 9 a.m.

As a German student:

Please turn to the Studierendensekretariat, Sedanstr. 6, 79098 Freiburg.

All students have to be matriculated at the University of Freiburg in the 4^th semester and until the whole final examination process (including the oral exam) is finished. This might require you to register for a 5^th semester.

Exmatriculated students have to matriculate again. To do that, the following documents are needed:

The green “Studienbuch”
A proof of your health insurance
A proof of payment of fees
A copy of your passport (for non EU, also a copy of the residence permit!)
A complete registration form
Admission letter (to matriculate for your 4th or 5th semester: you do not need a copy of admission letter. Please mention in your matriculation, that you are a regular GSP student, coming back to Freiburg for your 4th/ 5th semester)

Usually, the period for matriculation is from mid-September until mid-October (one week shorter for German students). Please double-check these dates and times, since they are subject to change!
For more information and the matriculation form please see: http://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/en/student-services/matriculation

For international students: To matriculate, please turn to the Department for International Admissions and Services on the first floor of the Service Center Studium. The office hours for matriculation are Mon., Tues., Wed., and Thurs. from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and Thurs. from 2 to 4 p. within the period of enrollment.

In order to stay enrolled at the University of Freiburg, students need to re-register every semester during the registration periods:

for the winter term: from June to mid-August

for the summer term: from mid-January to mid-February

Re-registration includes paying the semester administration fee of 155,00€.

The necessity for re-registration also applies to students who have taken a leave of absence during their semesters abroad. For further information on the registration process, please check:

http://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/en/student-services/registration?set_language=en

Students who wish to exmatriculate from the University of Freiburg during their semesters abroad need to apply for exmatriculation at the Student Registration Office during the registration period:

for the winter term: from June to mid-August

for the summer term: from mid-January to mid-February

To ex-matriculate, you need to fill out the form for ex-matriculation, bring your green "Studienbuch", your Uni Card and a statement from the university library that you do no longer lend any books.

You find the required form here: http://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/en/student-services/exmatriculation

If you are unable to matriculate in person, e.g. if you are not in Freiburg during the matriculation period, you may give a person you trust (e.g. a family member or friend) a written power of attorney to matriculate in your name. In this case, the power of attorney must be included with your matriculation documents.

Please make sure the power of attorney is a signed original, copies or scans will not be accepted. More info on the matriculation process can be found here: http://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/en/student-services/matriculation

Housing

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer rooms in student residences to all our students. As you may understand, the room quota must be used for our international students who are coming from far away, especially for students from other continents (see information below). Therefore, we will not be able to offer rooms to German students or to students who already live in Germany. We know that this is quite unpleasant, but Freiburg became a place of serious housing shortage in the last years and the number of student rooms is still very limited.

Therefore, we have listed some options for you. Please read the information carefully. It might take some time to consult the indicated websites, but it is worth it. It is best to start looking for private accommodation as early as end of February. In April, it is very difficult to find rooms.

Useful information about all types of accommodation you can find on the websites of the ‘Studierendenwerk’: http://www.studentenwerk.uni-freiburg.de

Student residences of the International Office (only for international students)

If you are an international student, we will try to secure a room for you through the “Student Housing” of the International Office. Therefore, you will receive an email with instructions which you have to follow. If the ‘Studierendenwerk’ Freiburg offers you a room, you will be given a deadline, by which you have to accept the offer. Please note that if you do not accept the offer within the given time, your claim for accommodation expires and you won´t get another possibility to apply for a student accommodation through the International Office.

Additional information: The room contracts with the ‘Studierendenwerk’ are for the whole semester from April until the end of September.

Private rooms

You can also search for private accommodation. Monthly rent for a room in a hall of residence generally costs between 280 and 350 Euro. The rent for a room in a shared private flat or house usually varies from 280 to 500 Euro a month.

Database for rooms for foreign students

Accommodation can be also found through the international office, which runs a special database for rooms for foreign students: https://www.international.uni-freiburg.de/wohnen
For further questions, please have a look on their website or contact Dunja Weber who is responsible for the database: dunja.weber@io.uni-freiburg.de or housing@io.uni-freiburg.de.

Church owned residences

You may also apply at the church owned residences: http://www.kstwhfr.de

Application for residences can be sent from 15th of January until 28th of February. Please apply as soon as possible. The earlier you do so, the better are your chances!

Another possibility is the students’ accommodation office:

https://www.swfr.de/en/residence/student-residence/information-about-online-application/

Website “WG-Gesucht”

On this website people (mostly students) offer apartments and rooms in shared flats. http://www.wg-gesucht.de

Daily papers

You can also check the daily paper, Badische Zeitung, especially its Thursday supplement “Schnapp” (online: www.badische-zeitung.de). Much more helpful is the Wednesday and Saturday classified paper called “Zypresse” (online: www.zypresse.de) which in the past has been one of the best-known general information source for student rooms in Freiburg. Furthermore, there are notice boards all around the university and in surrounding pubs where you can read and hang up accommodation offers/requests.

Visa

Since we experienced lots of changes within the Visa regulations during the last years and due to the fact that the regulations differ from country to country, we can´t provide detailed information about the Visa process. However, we would like to point out a few things.

Please apply for a visa at an agency of the German government in your native country. Most applicants receive a “Certificate to Present to Embassies and Consulates of the Federal Republic of Germany” (a “Sichtvermerk”) along with their letter of acceptance to simplify the application process. Applicants from China, Vietnam, and Mongolia must first contact the APS (“Akademische Prüfstelle”). If you are not an EU citizen, you must apply for a residency permit at the Immigration Office of the City of Freiburg before your visa expires (or, if you live outside of Freiburg, at the immigration office of the “Landratsamt,” i.e., district administrative office). For more information about the Foreigners Office of the City of Freiburg please have a look at the section “Where do I have to go for information and services about visa issues?” in this Q&A.

The work of the Foreigners Office of the City of Freiburg (or “Ausländerbehörde“in Freiburg) includes visa issues, questions concerning the right of residence, work permits, and naturalization.
Berliner Allee 1, 79114 Freiburg
Service desk office hours: Mon., Tues. & Fri.: 7:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Wed.: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Thurs.: 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Fri.: 7:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m
auslaenderbehoerde@stadt-freiburg.de
For more information, please visit: http://www.freiburg.de/pb/,Lde/205368.html

You can either keep your Visa for Germany for two years or apply again for a new visa once you come back to Germany. We recommend getting a 2-year visa right away. If you finish in 5 semesters, you will need to extend the visa. This can be done easily when you are back in Germany for your last semester(s).

In that case, you need to ask the Ausländerbehörde in Freiburg for a special permit that you can leave Germany for more than 6 months before you leave Germany. We recommend applying to this special permit right at the beginning of your first semester in Freiburg.

This should not be a problem with a letter from the GSP office that explains the curriculum of GSP. To receive this letter, please contact gsp@mail.uni-freiburg.de and explain shortly, why you need the requested document. Please provide the following information: your name and date of birth and your batch.

Can I attend courses outside GSP?

Generally, it is possible to attend courses outside the GSP curriculum, however, it is not possible to have them put down on your GSP - transcript of records. Sometimes it is possible to receive a so called "Schein", a confirmation you attended the course. In case you are interested in participation classes outside of GSP, please contact the respective professor.

You are permitted to miss a total of 10% of a course. For any absence beyond this you need justified cause (e.g. illness). Please inform the respective lecturer and present a medical certificate in case of illness.

A missed deadline of an assignment may result in the failure of the assignment or in the lecturer deducting from your grade. The deduction rate depends on the specific lecturer and on the delay with which the assignment is handed in. Before missing a deadline (e.g. due to illness) contact you lecturer.

A failed exam needs to be retaken. It is up to the respective lecturer to decide on the form of the retake exam. Commonly, retake exams will differ from the initial exam in content or topic.

The GSP office will contact you with information on which formal procedures to follow.

Please contact your professor as soon as possible to agree with him or her on one of the two time frames in which it is formally possible for you to retake the exam.

The two time frames (not the exact dates) usually are

1. from the date you failed the exam until the end of November

2. within the next term: beginning of December until middle of April.

Furthermore, there is an official document that you need to fill in and hand in to the examination office to apply for a retake.

If you stayed matriculated the respective document will be send to you directly. In the case you have exmatriculated, we will send you the document once we have received it from the examination office.

Unfortunately, this document is – until now - only in German. To help you fill it out, the GSP office provides a translation so you know what to fill into the different spaces. This document is uploaded in the section ”Retaking an exam” in the folder ”1st and 4th Semester Freiburg” to which you have access with the GSP login.

If you fail to register for a retake within any the dates, you will fail the whole course and there is no other option to make up for the missed marks. This means you will not be able to complete the program. Therefore, please make sure you contact your professor as soon as possible and register for your retake.

If you fail a course in the 2^nd or 3^rd semester at one of our partner universities, you need to retake it at the partner university. Please contact your respective professor and the respective coordinator immediately and ask him/her whether there is a possibility to repeat the exam or provide a compensatory task to be credited with the ECTS. It is up to the professor to decide on the form of the retake exam. If you are allowed to retake the exam at the partner university, please take care of the next steps and formalities necessary to repeat the exam.

In the unlikely event that there is absolutely no chance to retake the exam abroad, there is a possibility to apply for a special exemption to retake one course in the 4^th semester (winter term) in Freiburg.

To make sure that this procedure will be handled correctly, you have to proceed with the following steps:

Firstly, you have to search for a course here in Freiburg, which is held in English, which can be considered as equivalent to the course you failed, and which you are eligible to attend.

Furthermore, you have to contact the Programme Director Dr. Janz (caroline.janz@soziologie.uni-freiburg.de) to make sure she accepts this chosen course as equivalent.

Additionally, please take note that the semester and therefore the courses and lectures in Freiburg begin October (double-check the date for the current term). Only the GSP courses begin in November. Therefore, your replacement course might already start in October!

A comprehensive overview of the academic writing standards used in GSP is given in the document 'A Guide to Academic Writing' which you can download from your login section.

Please keep in mind that these are general guidelines and each school or lecturer may have differing expectations.

When writing your master thesis please take the information in the “Final Examination Process”-document into account.

The generally used grading scale is as follows:

very good 1,0/1,3

good 1,7/2,0/2,3

satisfactory 2,7/3,0/3,3

sufficient 3,7/4,0

failed 5,0

You find a list with the grade conversion factors in your login section. The grade conversion complies with the requirements of the University of Freiburg for the conversion of foreign grades.

Transcripts can be accessed through students' personal ‘my account’ functions.

Important: If you are exmatriculated from Freiburg during your 2^nd and 3^rd semester, you will not have access to your ‘my account’ and therefore you will not be able to download your transcripts. Because of data protection issues, the GSP office does not have any access to students’ personal transcripts and cannot obtain these for you.

Please take into account that this becomes especially relevant when applying for internships during the 2^nd/3rd semester, as many employers require transcripts to be sent with the application.

If you are in need of a transcript of record while ex-matriculated, please see below.

If you are exmatriculated, you cannot access your transcripts via your personal ‘my account’ functions anymore. Because of data protection issues, the GSP office does not have any access to students’ personal transcripts and cannot obtain these for you.

All transcripts are organized by the GeKo (https://www.geko.uni-freiburg.de/), so you need to apply directly to the examination office (master@geko.uni-freiburg.de) for your preliminary transcript to be issued. Please hand in an informal letter, which states your request.

The letter should include:

your name,
your matriculation-number,
your course and degree of studies (for GSP students: Master of Arts in Social Sciences),
your number of semester,
your current email and post address to which the documents should be sent

Normally, a scanned version of this letter is sufficient, however, this letter must also be signed by you. The GeKo will send you the transcript via post around 2 weeks after they receive your letter.

For more information please refer to: http://www.geko.uni-freiburg.de/allginfo/leistungsuebersicht

Internship

Internships have the objective of providing students with practical organizational/ management skills in a public or private institution. Through this experience, students should gain insight into the organization in a societal field. Internships are a mandatory requirement of the programme and they must:

cover a minimum period of 6 weeks,
be undertaken during the break of approx. five months between the third and fourth semester,
Comprise of at least 120 working hours in total.

Furthermore:

an internship report (not graded) and an official confirmation of completion of the internship, signed by the organization have to be handed in latest until one week before the 1^st FORUM session during your 4^th semester Students will obtain 4 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System) for the successful completion of their internship. Upon completion of the internship, a report must be submitted which reflects the social
scientificdimensions of the field of work during the internship.
Employers must confirm that the internship was completed.The form can be found online at http://www.gsp.uni-freiburg.de/students/current-students/internship-form-gsp-2015-pdf. Please fill out the form on the computer (no handwriting).

Yes, as long as content and overall working hours are in line with the requirements above.

Yes, as long as overall working hours are equivalent to a 6-week full-time internship.

The general time frame given for the internship is between your 3rd and 4th semester.
In specific cases, it is possible to do the internship at a different time. Please discuss this with the GSP office.

Credits can only be obtained for academic achievements within GSP. Previously completed internships are not recognised.

Students wishing to complete their MA degree before the end of the 4^th semester (March 31^st of the graduation year) must send the application for admission to final examination no later than August 15^th to the Examination Office.

Please note: Even if you comply with the early registration date (August 15^th), the Examination Office cannot guarantee you to complete your MA degree before the end of the 4th semester but the chances are high. If it is absolutely necessary to complete your MA degree by the end of the winter semester, it is advisable to register the thesis (submit the application for admission) at an earlier date than 15^th of August, just to be on the safe side, because the examination procedure could be affected by delays. Please note: To be able to apply for admission to the Final Examination Process you need the signature of your 1^st supervisor.

Yes. In order to improve the thesis supervision, the fourth semester must be spent in Freiburg, where you have greater opportunities to consult your supervisor. The semester in Freiburg extends from the first week of November until mid-February. During this semester students participate in the Forum, Colloquium and write the Master’s thesis.

The Colloquium is the space provided for students to present the progress on their Master’s thesis to their fellow students and their supervisor. Thesis supervisors will be in charge of coordinating the colloquium. Students who are not presenting must also participate in the colloquium providing comments and constructive criticism to foster discussions. This will help the presenting students and the ones attending. Each student will be assigned a one-hour time slot in a two-hour session.

The colloquium is scheduled for up to three sessions per week, all taking place on Thursdays. Please take note that during the 4^th semester in Freiburg it is essential that you keep your timetable free for each of these sessions. This is due to the fact that prior to the semester it is unforeseeable on which specific time in which week the Colloquium will take place and if there will be one, two or three sessions on a Thursday. This depends on the supervisors (some are only able to give the colloquium in the afternoon, others in the forenoon etc.) and on how many students each of them is supervising. Therefore, you need to block 10-12, 14-16 and 16-18 on all the Thursdays during the winter term.

Please note: In order for you to participate in the colloquium, you need to have applied for thesis admission. You are only allowed to present in the colloquium if you have registered your thesis (meaning if you have applied for the admission to the Final Examination Process). The examination office informs us whether you have registered your master´s thesis or not.

All the presentations - independent from the status of your thesis - should be based on the following guidelines:

A presentation should last no more than 20 minutes. This way, there is enough time for the discussion and questions which are an essential part of the colloquium.

Prepare a document with the topic, the hypothesis/research questions and your methodological strategy (operationalization). You can, of course, additionally prepare a presentation.

Send this document latest 1 day before your presentation date to your first supervisor and the colloquium participants.

Please sign up for a date to present. > In accordance with your supervisor’s availability you will be assigned a date on which to present.

Please add to the document described above the preliminary table of content of your Master’s thesis.

Overall, you are permitted to either miss

a total of 2 colloquium sessions (thus 4 one-hour presentations) if they are on separate days

a total of up to 3 colloquium sessions (thus 6 one-hour presentations) if they are all on the same day.

If you are sick, please hand in a medical certificate for the dates on which you missed a colloquium session.

Forum

The internship forum is organized as a poster exhibition. There will be two days with each two groups of students presenting their internships through a large-sized poster which they design and create themselves. In each group, students exhibit their poster for a duration of 90 mins and engage with the audience. The presenters stand beside their posters to discuss their internships with the students approaching them. After a break, the next group takes over. While not presenting, students attend the exhibition and attendance is mandatory for all students during both days of the Forum. The event is public so that interested students from other subjects can visit and gather information on internship possibilities and experiences. Some drinks and snacks will be provided.

Please create a large (size A1) poster giving central information on your internship. This can e.g. include the organization’s profile, duration and tasks during your internship, your personal experiences (positive/negative), what you take away from it, etc. … We encourage you to be creative regarding the visual presentation. The poster can e.g. be printed at a copy shop or be arranged as a collage.

The internship forum is usually scheduled on two different irregular dates accommodating half of the presentations each. At the beginning of the 4th semester, students will be asked to sign up for one of the dates.

You are permitted to miss a single 90-minute time slot of the forum. You cannot miss an entire forum day, as this would amount to missing 50% of the internship presentations.

If you are sick, please hand in a medical certificate for the dates on which you missed a forum.

You can contact a supervisor of your choice in person during the semester at place or via email at a later stage.

In order to be accepted by the supervisors, students must send them a clear thesis proposal/ plan, no longer than 5 pages. This thesis proposal must contain all of the following items:

Suggested title for the thesis
Student's complete name
Research Topic: Research problem formulation, delimitation (time/space), justification of problem's relevance within global studies.
Research project objectives
Clear research questions/hypothesis.
Methodological strategy
References

The specific theoretical framework (a provisional definition of the main concepts and categories that will be used) can also be included in this thesis proposal.

It is essential to get confirmation of supervision in order to register the thesis. The earlier you contact your preferred supervisor, the higher are your chances of being accepted. Most supervisors have only limited capacities and will stop taking on students at some point.

It is possible to get an external supervisor (from the University of Freiburg but not formally associated with GSP) for your master's thesis. This person needs a) to hold at least a PhD. and b) needs to work in the field of “Social Sciences”. If you find somebody with a specific field of research that fits to your MA thesis topic, you can kindly send this person a request. However, external persons are not obliged to supervise GSP students and will only do so if they are interested in your topic. Furthermore, please contact the GSP office to confirm that under the “external supervisor” a supervision within the field of “Social Sciences” is given.

If an external supervisor agrees to supervise you please contact the GSP office again and as early as possible as we need to arrange the formalities with the examination office.

Please be aware that it can take up to 3 month to arrange the formalities for “external” supervisors. So, if you are interested in finding an external supervisor, please start early to search for an external person, who might fit your topic best.

Students can apply for admission to final examination with the Examination Office (GeKo) after getting the acceptance (by e-mail or orally) by both the first supervisor (Freiburg) and the co-supervisor (UCT/FLACSO).

Students can only apply for admission if 50 ECTS points are completed (please note that a time delay can occur by transferring grades from your third semester to the Uni Freiburg System).

Please note: To apply for the Master´s thesis, you need to be matriculated.

After you have been accepted by your two supervisors (via e-mail or orally), you can register your master’s thesis, which means you are applying for admission to the final examination.

Due to the special character of the GSP Programme, it is mandatory to register your thesis until the 7^th of November latest to finish the Programme within five semesters.

In order to graduate after 4 semesters, you need to register your thesis until August 15^th latest. In case it is absolutely necessary to complete your MA degree by the end of the winter semester, it is advisable to register the thesis (submit the application for admission) at an earlier date than 15th of August, just to be on the safe side, because the examination procedure could be affected by delays.

Please note: To apply for the Master´s thesis, you need to be matriculated.

Students apply for admission to final examination at the Examination Office (GeKo):

Gemeinsame Kommission der Philologischen und der Philosophischen Fakultät
Werthmannstr. 8/ Rückgebäude
79085 Freiburg

You need to fill in and submit the one-page form ‘Application for admission to Final Examination for Master of Arts (M.A.)’.

It requires the signature of your first (Freiburg) supervisor.

Please make sure that by November 7^th, you either

hand it in at the examination office in person;
deposit it in the examination office’s mailbox;
or post it (only from within Europe and with a post stamp no later than the deadline).

You can hand in your Master’s thesis 4 months after you have received your admission letter earliest (one month earlier than the official deadline, which is after 5 months).

Do not hand in your thesis earlier than that as it will raise doubts about the workload invested in it.

It is not possible to organize the Master's thesis as a group work. Each student's academic performance needs to be assessed individually.

It is possible for GSP students to write their thesis in cooperation with an external body as long as all the formal requirements of GSP are met. Your first and second supervisor's instructions and expectations always remain a priority over those of the external body. Whether or not it is possible to write your Master's thesis with an external body is always a case-by-case decision.

In case you plan to write your Master´s thesis with an external organization, please contact the GSP office as early as possible.

Oral Exam

When will I have my oral exam?

The oral examination period will start approximately 8-9 weeks after you have submitted your thesis - if all requirements are fulfilled (Master’s thesis approved, sufficient number of ECTS points).

How do I schedule my oral exam?

After having received a written approval by the examination office (approximately 7-8 weeks after submitting the MA thesis) MA candidates must contact their first supervisors to arrange a date for their oral examination. The individual examination period during which to complete the oral exam itself lasts approximately 7 weeks.

How will the oral exam be structured?

Your first supervisor and a second examiner will hold the exam. The second examiner needs to be appointed by the institute of your first supervisor (so for example the Institute of Sociology, Political Science etc.).

The oral exam lasts 45 minutes. The focus of the exam will be on the discussion and defense of your thesis. Within the discussion you should be able to relate your thesis to other theoretical concepts and discussions. At the end of the oral exam, you might be asked some general questions to central theories in the subject/profession (political science, sociology, anthropology, cultural geography) you decided to write your thesis in. Clarify this with your first supervisor!

You are not allowed to bring a handout or any other prepared document to the oral exam.

Graduation & Diplomas

When will I graduate?

Registering your thesis by November 7^th means you will be completing your studies after 5 semesters. For this reason, you will have to re-enroll for the upcoming summer term of the graduation year.

When will I get my final diploma?

For UCT students: most probably you will receive the diploma at the end of the year you graduate

For FLACSO students: after all the students who have been to Argentina have successfully finished the examination process, packages with all the joint diplomas will be sent to Argentina. Most probably you will receive the joint diploma between the end of the year you graduate and the beginning of the year after. For sending your diploma to FLACSO via express mail you will be asked to pay 10 € to during your 4^th semester.

Please note: Right after your oral exam, the GeKo will send a preliminary degree to you. It will be send to the address you registered in the university system (see “My Account”). This takes about 2-3 weeks.

How is my final grade calculated?

The final grade is created from 2 joint grades:

1. the joint grade of the Master thesis and oral Master exam (the Master thesis counts threefold, oral exam counts single)

and

2. the grade-point average of the course-related exams.

To create your final grade, the

1. joint grade of the Master thesis and oral master exam counts single
and
2. grade-point average of the course-related exams counts double.

This means:	Proportion
joint grade of the master thesis and oral master exam	1/3
grade-point average of the course-related exams	2/3

How do I get a Diploma Supplement?

If you need a diploma supplement, please send an informal letter requesting it to be issued to the examination office (Geko):

Gemeinsame Kommission der Philologischen und
Philosophischen Fakultät
Werthmannstr. 8/Rückgebäude
79085 Freiburg

Do not forget to state your degree (Master of Arts in Social Sciences – Global Studies Programme), your matriculation number and your address in the letter.

Health

I don´t feel well, mentally or physically. Whom can I talk to to?

If you do not feel well, mentally or physically, you can always contact the Studierendenwerk. https://www.swfr.de/en/social-services/psychological-counselling/psychological-counselling/

Whom can I talk to if I feel sexually harassed?

If you feel sexually harassed, it is helpful to speak about the situation with a person you trust to help you to cope with the situation. You can always contact the GSP office as well! Furthermore, we recommend contacting the responsible counseling service the University since it is not seldom the case that the perpetrator is also harassing or stalking other people or has done so in the past.

At the University of Freiburg Dr. Ina Sieckmann-Bock (Faculty Equal Opportunity Representative) as well as Prof. Dr. theol. Klaus Baumann (Faculty of Theology) are the contact persons for a confidential conversation. More information: https://www.zuv.uni-freiburg.de/formulare/sexuelle_belaestigung_broschuere-en.pdf.

Student life in Freiburg

I have general questions about the student life in Freiburg (e.g. housing, money, childcare, jobs, studying with disabilities, non-university courses). Whom can I talk to?

The Studierendenwerk offers advice on the following topics: all questions concerning studying in Freiburg, housing, money, childcare, jobs, BAföG, studying with disabilities as well as information about non-university course offers and leisure activities. Pre-registration is not necessary.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at Schreiberstrasse 12-16.

More information: https://www.swfr.de/en/social-services/counselling-services/

Are there any international student groups at the University of Freiburg?

The International Club is a group of students from all around the world. Their aim is to connect German and international students and promote intercultural exchange. The club offers a variety of events as well as the language tandem and buddy programs. For more information and current events please visit: https://www.swfr.de/en/international/the-international-club/the-international-team/.

I would like to learn/ practice German. What can I do?

Within the Global Studies Programme the language of communication is English, but if you know some basic German it is much easier to communicate in shops and on the street. People in Germany generally should know at least some English, but not everybody speaks it. If you are interested in additional German courses the Language Institute of Freiburg University (SLI) offers two options:

German Course parallel to the semester. This course takes place twice per week in the evenings and costs 120 € per semester. You can apply for it once you are here.
Intensive German course before the semester starts, in March or April.

More information and application at http://www.sli.uni-freiburg.de/german.

Students who already have some basic knowledge of German language can also book an intensive course at a private language school in Freiburg. The advantage of this course is that it is very flexible, you can start every Monday. Course description (search for "intensive course flexible") and prices are available at: http://www.ehrstein.de/de/kursangebot/Deutschkurse/Deutschkurse.php.
The Goethe-Institute is the largest German language school in the world. In case you want to improve your knowledge of the German language, the Goethe-Institute in Freiburg can help you to find a language studies tandem partner. They also offer various recreational activities for anyone one who is interested. For more information please visit: https://www.goethe.de/ins/de/en/kur/ort/fre.html?wt_sc=freiburg

Student Q&A

GSP Office

Where can I get more information about the Global Studies Programme?

Which documents can I request at the GSP office?

Where can I pick up and submit requested documents during the 1st and 4th semester?

What do I have to do after moving to Freiburg?

Re-registration, Matriculation & Exmatriculation

Where do I go to?

How do I matriculate at the University of Freiburg?

How do I stay enrolled at the University of Freiburg?

How do I exmatriculate from the University of Freiburg?

Can I matriculate through a friend/ family member if I am not yet in Freiburg myself?

Housing

How and where can I find a place to stay in Freiburg?

Visa

Can you help me with the Visa Process?

In Freiburg: Where do I have to go for information and services about visa issues?

Should I get a Visa just for one semester or for the whole two years?

Course Work & Exams

Can I attend courses outside GSP?

I cannot attend a course session. What do I have to do?

What happens if I miss an assignment deadline?

What happens if I fail an exam in Freiburg?

What happens if I fail an exam abroad?

Academic Writing Standards

Which academic writing standards should I observe?

Grades & Transcript of Records

Which grading system is used at the University of Freiburg?

How are grades from the 2nd and 3rd semester location converted?

How can I access my transcript of records?

I am exmatriculated. Can I still obtain a transcript of records form the examination office?

Internship

What are the requirements for the internship?

Can I do an internship via online work?

Can I do a part-time internship?

Can I also do the internship before or after the usual time frame?

I have already completed an internship before my master's studies. Can I obtain GSP credits for it?

Final Semester

I need to complete my studies within 4 semesters. What must I do?

Do I need to be present in Freiburg during the 4th semester?

Colloquium

How is the colloquium organized?

How do I structure my colloquium session?

I cannot attend one of the colloquium sessions – what must I do?

Forum

How is the forum organized?

What should the internship poster look like?

When will the forum take place?

I cannot attend a forum – what do I have to do?

Master's Thesis

How do I find a supervisor/second supervisor for my thesis?

Can I pick an external supervisor for my thesis?

What requirements do I have to meet in order to register my thesis?

When do I have to register my Master’s thesis?

How do I apply for admission to the Master’s thesis?

Can I hand in my master thesis before the deadline in order to graduate earlier?

Can the master's thesis be done as a group work?

Can I write my master's thesis with an external institute, NGO or company?