Glossary

Altbau

Old Building

Accommodation

The rooms in this kind of building typically have parquet floors and high ceilings with decorative mouldings. Also, it is very likely that they don´t have a lift.

Altpapier

Used Paper

Accommodation

You will find containers for used paper, where you can put old paper as long as it doesn’t have food wastes on it. See also ➔ Waste Separation.

Anerkennung

Recognition

University

If you have already taken courses/modules at other universities before your studies at the h-da and you need to take these again in your degree programme, you can apply for recognition. Please see the section current students for more information.

Anerkennung

Accreditation

University

Please see ➔ Recognition.

Anmeldung

Registration

General Administration

In Germany, you need to register at the city’s registration office when you move into a new address. You should do your registration at the City Hall during the first two weeks after your arrival to Darmstadt. You will need it for several purposes, e.g. the ➔ enrolment in the ➔ university. Please be aware of doing your registration on time and at the right office. In case you decide to live somewhere else close to Darmstadt, please verify which office is the correspondent one for your location.

Antrag auf Zulassung

Application for Admission

Application & Enrolment

You will receive the application for admission during your online application. It will be generated automatically at the end of your application process and sent to you as a PDF file.

Please send the signed application for admission together with your documents by post to the address given. It is a mandatory requirement for your admission to the program.

Aufenthaltstitel

Residence Permit

General Administration

Once you arrived in Germany, you need to change your ➔ visa into a ➔ residence permit. It will be issued by the ➔ foreigner’s registration office (Ausländerbehörde). You need to register for it within the first 3 months after your arrival. Please note that you need to register in the city’s registration office first.

Your residence permit serves as an identification card. You should always carry it with you as you are obliged to be able to identify yourself.

Aufzug

Elevator/Lift

Accommodation

A lift is usually only available in new buildings or in a high-rise. Sometimes it is only available to tenants on certain floors. If the ➔ rent advertisement does not mention an elevator, there is most likely none available.

Ausländerbehörde

Foreigner's Registration Office

General Administration

The Foreigner’s Registration Office is responsible for issuing your Residence Permit, extending your ➔ Visa, or renewing your ➔ Residence Permit. You can contact them via email: auslaenderbehoerde@darmstadt.de or by phone: +49 6151 13 1.

Badezimmer

Bathroom

Accommodation

Apartments with one or two rooms normally have one bathroom. Apartments with more than two rooms often have two bathrooms or a separate additional toilet. In shared flats, you will usually use the bathroom together with your roommates.

Balkon/Terrasse

Balcony/terrace

Accommodation

It is common that flats have a balcony or terrace even if it's very small. If the ➔ rent advertisement does not mention a balcony, there is most likely none available.

Barzahlung

Cash Payment

Living in Germany

Most establishments will accept card payment (EC Karte), but some won’t. We recommend always carrying some cash with you.

Beglaubigung

Certification

University

The certification verifies the authenticity of documents such as degree certificates that are submitted in an application process. If you do not have a certified copy of your original document by hand, it is possible to arrange an appointment at the University to confirm the authenticity of the documents by providing the originals. Please contact us for further information.

Beglaubigung

Notification

University

Please see ➔ Certification.

Belegung

Registration

University

Please see ➔ Course Registration.

Berufserfahrung

Professional Experience

Application & Enrolment

The practice and knowledge acquired through previous jobs and their different tasks.

Bescheinigung

Certificate

General Administration

An important word to keep in mind, since for a lot of procedures you will be asked for certificates: enrolment certificate, work certificate, study certificate, etc.

Beurlaubung

Leave of Absence

University

If you want to suspend a semester for certain reasons, such as health or private reasons, you can apply for a leave of absence for a certain period of time. Please find more information in the current students section.

During a semester leave, you are not allowed to take any exams (unless you take a semester leave for childcare). Please note, that you will have to pay the semester fee also in leave semesters, but may apply for a refund of the semester ticket.

Bewerbernummer

Applicant Number

Application & Enrolment

The applicant number is your personal identification number for your application to the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt. Once you are enrolled, you will receive a matriculation number.

Bewerbungsdokumente

Application Documents

Application & Enrolment

Your application documents must be submitted when applying to the MBA programme. If you are applying via my_hda visit the following link for detailed information about which documents have to be submitted. For international applications via uni-assist find more details here.

Bewerbungsportal

Online Application Portal

Application & Enrolment

You have to apply for the degree programmes at the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt via online application portals. See ➔ uni-assist and ➔ my_hda.

Biomüll

Organic Waste

Accommodation

The organic waste is one of the classifications for ➔ waste separation in Germany. It includes kitchen & garden waste like fruit or vegetable peels, leftovers or leaves. You will usually find a special container for this kind of waste.

Bushaltestelle

Bus Stop

Living in Germany

Please see ➔ Stop (transport).

Campus Card

Campus Card

University

This is your university identification which will give you access to the different buildings, learning spaces and other services of the university. It also recognises your status as a student and serves as library card. In addition, it contains your public transport ticket, so you should have it with you all the time when using the RMV-Transportation. Please see ➔ Stop (Transport).

Curriculum

Curriculum

University

The curriculum shows you which modules you have to attend during your studies. Usually, you will attend the modules at the semester indicated in the curriculum, but you are free to switch or postpone courses.

Dachgeschoss

Attic Floor

Accommodation

Attic floor means the advertised flat is located right beneath the roof. Sometimes these kinds of floors have normal ceilings; sometimes they have arched ceilings with inclined windows.

EBK (Einbauküche)

Fitted Kitchen

Accommodation

It is common to find unfurnished flats. That typically means they don’t contain any furnishing at all, like a built-in kitchen. Don’t be surprised if you attend a viewing and the kitchen is completely empty, which means you’d have to purchase an oven, refrigerator and cabinets on your own when you move in.

EC Karte

EC Card

Living in Germany

This type of debit cards are issued by German banks and are accepted at any establishment that accepts card payments. You will receive an EC Card, if you open a German bank account. Make sure there is one included when you open the account, as VISA, Mastercard, etc. are most likely not accepted in smaller shops.

Englisch – Nachweis

English Certificate

Application & Enrolment

To join the MBA program a comprehensive knowledge of English language is required. We accept the following certificates: IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge Certificates. Find detailed information here.

Englisch-Test

English Proficiency Test

Application & Enrolment

Applicants, who have sufficient english language skills, but no corresponding test certificate can take a digital English language test offered by the h_da language center. For national applicants visit the following link. For international applicants you will find the information here.

Entgelt

Fee

University

The Hessian Higher Education Act states that, in contrast to Bachelor's and ordinary Master's programmes, fees must be charged for Master's programmes providing further education. The fee can be found here.

Erdgeschoss

Ground Floor

Accommodation

Sometimes this floor is at street level, sometimes it is elevated a half-floor above street level.

Erststudium

First Degree

Application & Enrolment

Your first high-education degree. The first degree is your bachelor studies or equivalent.

Etagenheizung

Floor Heating

Accommodation

A floor/level heating system is a heating system for generating heat for one storey or a residential unit (even if it is divided over several storeys or floors).

Fachbereich Wirtschaft

Darmstadt Business School

University

Darmstadt Business School is one of twelve departments of the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt. Currently there are approximately 2,300 students at our Business School in the various degree programs. The MBA program is one of the economic degree programs offered by the department of Business. More information can be found on the department website.

FAQ

FAQ

University

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions of international applicants and students can be found on our website.

In addition, you can find the answers of the examination board for Frequently Asked Questions regarding examinations, courses, etc. in the current students section.

Garten

Garden

Accommodation

Some options for accommodation might include a shared common garden, which is a plus for summer time.

Gesamtmiete

Total Rent

Accommodation

Please see ➔ rent.

Haltestelle

Stop (Transport)

Living in Germany

Public transport in Darmstadt is provided with trams and buses. You can find an overview of the lines and stops available in Darmstadt at the homepage of the provider RMV (Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund).

If you are uncertain of what is the transport route, you can always ask the driver if he/she stops at the respective stop.

Hochschule Darmstadt

University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt

University

Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Germany with approx. 15,000 students, 340 professors, and over 50 degree programs. (The university’s range of programs and research capacities extends from engineering sciences, mathematics, information science and computer science to management, social sciences, and social work, as well as architecture, media and design.) h_da has an excellent reputation for its practice-oriented approach to higher education. More information here.

HZB

HZB

University

HZB (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung) is the abbreviation for the higher education entrance qualification. This is required for enrolment in a bachelor’s course of study.

Immatrikulation

Enrolment

Application & Enrolment

With the enrolment you become a student and member of the university. This official registration at the university will be done after your successful admission and before the start of your studies. It allows you to use the facilities of the university.

Kaltmiete

Cold Rent

Accommodation

The base monthly rent without ➔ utility costs.

Kaution

Deposit

Accommodation

It usually consists of three months of cold rent. This deposit acts as a form of security for the landlord in case you move out but you don’t meet the requirements of the contract in any way.

It is very common in Germany and you will most likely not find a flat where you do not need to make a deposit. Please never pay a deposit before you and the landlord signed the rental contract! You will get the deposit back when you move out and leave the flat in good condition.

Keller

Basement

Accommodation

The underground floor in a building, which is often used for storage.

Krankenversicherung (KV)

Health Insurance

Living in Germany

In Germany there are two sorts of health insurance – statutory and private. Most people have a statutory health insurance. It covers the cost of check-ups, treatment for illness or after an accident, and certain medications. General costs for hospital stays are also covered.

All students in Germany must have either a German statutory health insurance or – only if you are more than 30 years old by starting your studies – an equivalent private insurance. Please see the DAAD homepage for more information.

Krankenversicherungsnachweis

Health Insurance Certificate

Application & Enrolment

To be enrolled in a German university, you need to hand in a health insurance certificate for the purpose of studying. You will receive your health insurance certificate directly at your insurance company.

If you do not have a German Health Insurance, please contact the MBA Administration Team.

Kursbelegung

Course Registration

University

In certain fixed periods before the semester starts (01.03 - 15.03 for summer term and 01.09 - 15.09. for winter term), you can register for your courses/modules in ➔ QIS in order to attend them in the upcoming semester.

The course registration is mandatory and will reserve you a seat in the course. If you do not register in time, you can only attend the course, if there are still seats available and you may miss important information of the lecturer.

Leistungsübersicht

Transcript of Records

University

See ➔ Grade Summary.

Leistungsübersicht

Diploma Supplement

University

It recognises the academic qualifications, it is an important tool of the European Higher Education Area for graduates to ensure that their degrees are recognised by higher education institutions, public authorities and employers in their home countries and abroad.

LSF

LSF

University

LSF is the abbreviation for Lehre-Studium-Forschung and is the student portal at h-da. It is a synonym for ➔ QIS.

Miete

Rental Contract

Accommodation

The rent contains of the ➔ cold rent and the ➔ utility costs. The average rent costs in Darmstadt are around 320-450€ per month. The amount varies depending on the location, size, services, furniture, and number of people sharing the flat or if it's an individual apartment.

Mietvertrag

Rental Contract

Accommodation

It is the rental contract you receive for your accommodation. You will need it for example to ➔ register at the city’s registration office.

Please make sure to pay no fees before you and the landlord have signed the rental contract.

Möbiliert

Furnished

Accommodation

Most apartments in Germany are rented unfurnished, which means that they have literally no furniture and often even no kitchen. Some student accommodations are offered completely furnished or partially furnished. If there is nothing mentioned in the rent advertisement, the apartment will be most likely unfurnished.

Modulhandbuch

Module Handbook

University

The module handbook contains the modules of your degree program and their descriptions as well as the objectives, duration, study time, and types of examination.

Moodle

Moodle

University

Moodle is used by the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt as an e-learning platform and you can find it on the Internet at lernen.h-da.de.

Motivationsschreiben

Motivation Letter

Application & Enrolment

Document required for the admission process. It is important that you state the reasons why you are applying to the program. Let us know why this step is important in your professional career.

Mülltrennung

Waste Separation

Accommodation

In Germany there are different types of containers to organise wastes and how to process them. It is divided in ➔ Altpapier, ➔ Biomüll, ➔ Restmüll, and ➔ Wertstoffe. In addition, there are containers for glas, old clothes and small electrics at several locations in the city. Bigger electronic devices and hazardous waste need to be brought to the recycling centre. For more information, please see the homepage of the provider EAD (German only).

My_hda

My_hda

Application & Enrolment

My_hda is an online applicant portal of the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt. Applicants with a German school leaving certificate (for Bachelor's programmes) or a foreign first degree (for Master's programmes) apply via the online application portal my_hda.

Nachschreibeklausur

Retake Exam

University

In the MBA program at Darmstadt Business School, we offer a retake exam each semester. If you have failed an exam or could not write it at the scheduled date, you can register for the retake exam to be able to finish the course in the ongoing semester.

Nachweis Berufserfahrung

Employment Reference

Application & Enrolment

Document that confirms your working experience, performance, and developed tasks in previous jobs. See ➔ Professional Experience.

Nebenkosten

Utility Costs

Accommodation

Utility costs add to the ➔ cold rent and cover costs for waste collection, water, gas, heating and other amenities in the house. Please note that electricity is usually not covered in the utility costs and must be ordered by a provider separately.

Neubau

New Building

Accommodation

Rooms located in new constructions typically have a high standard and low ceilings. Please be aware that flats in new buildings are often advertised before the building is finished. Make sure that the apartment will be finished at the time you plan to come to Germany.

Notdienst

Emergency Services

Living in Germany

Call 112 in case of fire and medical assistance emergencies.

Call 110 for the Police.

If you need to see a doctor outside of the consultation hours, there is usually a substitute named (e.g. on the recorded message). Also, pharmacies have an emergency service during the weekend and night.

If you have an emergency but do not need to call an ambulance, you can go to the emergency unit at any hospital at any time.

Notenübersicht

Grade Summary

University

The summary of the acquired grades during your studies. Also known as Transcript of Records. Please see ➔ Transcript of Records and ➔ Diploma Supplement.

Pfand

Bottle Deposit

Living in Germany

Most bottles will have a deposit called “Pfand”. You can bring the bottles back to the supermarket in the deposit machines and you will get a voucher that you can change for cash. It is usually 0,08 or 0,25 Euro per bottle.

Provisionsfrei / null provision

No Broker Fee

Accommodation

It is very common that the landlord hires a renting agency to advertise an apartment. However, in Germany, the Bestellerprinzip law dictates that whoever orders the brokerage service to show a property must pay the broker fee. This means that usually you will not need to pay the fee for the broker, unless you yourself hire an agency to search for an apartment.

Prüfungsabmeldung

Exam Deregistration

University

To cancel registered exams, you can deregister via ➔ QIS up to 24 hours before the exam date. You do not need to provide a reason for the deregistration.

Deregistration during the 24 hours period before the exam date is only possible due to medical reasons, which must be shown in a certificate. Please contact the administration of your degree program for further information.

Prüfungsanmeldung

Exam Registration

University

In order to take part in examinations, you must register for the respective examinations in ➔ QIS. Registration is always possible from the semester start (01.04. for the summer semester and 01.10. for the winter semester) up to 14 days before the exam. Later registration (within the 14 days before the exam) is not possible.

Prüfungsausschuss

Examination Board

University

The respective examination board is responsible for the organisation and conduct of examinations and has the legal supervision for compliance with the examination regulations of the degree programme. Furthermore examination board examines your application documents for admission to the MBA programme.

QIS

QIS

University

QIS is the self-service portal for students. Here you organize your studies, e.g. for course and exam registration. You can also download certain certificates or check your grades. You can access QIS via qis.h-da.de.

Rathaus

City Hall

General Administration

The city hall in Darmstadt, where you need to do your ➔ registration is located in: Grafenstraße 30, 64283 Darmstadt. You can make an online appointment here: https://rathaus.darmstadt.de.

Rechnungsangaben

Invoice details

Application & Enrolment

Your degree programme is subject to fees, which is why the Darmstadt Business School requires some information for invoicing purposes. You will receive the form for the invoice details with your study contract after applying to the degree programme.

Renoviert

Renovated

Accommodation

In old buildings it is possible to find flats that have been completely renovated and are brand new on the inside. This might increase rent costs.

Restmüll

Residual Waste

Accommodation

The residual waste is one of the classifications for ➔ waste separation in Germany. Each building has a container for the wastes that can’t be recycled.

Rückmeldung

Re-registration

University

You must re-register for each semester at the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt within the respective deadlines by paying the semester fee on time. You can see whether you have successfully re-registered in ➔ QIS. Further information can be found on the h_da homepage at: h-da.de/studium/studienorganisation/semesterbeitrag.

Rundfunkbeitrag

Broadcasting Contribution

Living in Germany

This is a special fee, also called radio license fee, that funds public broadcasters in Germany. The fee is mandatory for everybody. You will receive a note from the GEZ (Gebühreneinzugszentrale) by post, after you registered at the City Hall.

Saniert

Refurbished

Accommodation

Some flats in old buildings have been refurbished. This means they will most likely have a high living standard, but it might increase the rent costs.

Schlafzimmer

Bedroom

Accommodation

The bedroom might be one of the rooms in a two room flat. Please see ➔ Two room apartment.

Semesterticket

Semester Ticket

University

Your Student Card includes your Semester Ticket, which allows you to use public transport in the RMV (Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund) area. (Tram, bus, RE, and RB). Please see the RMV homepage for detailed information on the area.

The semester ticket is your student identity card for the duration of your studies. You need to re-register each semester. For more information please see the section Campus Card at the universities homepage.

Souterrain

Semi-basement

Accommodation

A floor in a building that is half below the ground.

Sperrkonto

Blocked Account

General Administration

A blocked account is one of the possible ways to prove the Ausländerbehörde your financial support in Germany during your studies.

Sportverein

Sports Club

Living in Germany

Joining a sports club in Darmstadt might be a good possibility to meet new people and speak German while also doing sport.

Sprachnachweis

Language Certificate

Application & Enrolment

Document that validates the knowledge of a certain language. See ➔ English Certificate.

SSC

SSC

University

SSC is the abbreviation for the ➔ Student Service Center of the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt. You can find further information here.

Stipendium

Scholarship

Application & Enrolment

The Darmstadt Business School gives 3 partial scholarships per in take, this includes a 30% of reduction in the tuition fee. A scholarship application has to be submited during the application to the MBA programme.

Straßenbahnhaltestelle

Tram Stop

Living in Germany

Please see ➔ Stop (transport).

Student Service Center (SSC)

Student Service Center (SSC)

University

The SSC is the department for student counseling and study organisation at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences.

Studienvertrag

Study Contract

University

To be enrolled in the MBA program, you need to sign your study contract. This agreement between you and the university regulates all subjects related to your studies.

You will receive the contract together with the invoice details as soon as you got admitted to the program. It has to be signed and returned in good time prior to your enrolment.

Stundenpläne

Schedules

University

The schedules show you the timings of the courses, as well as examination dates and lecturers. You can find them in the current students section of your degree programme under "Schedules/Timetables".

Syllabus

Syllabus

University

The syllabus is a summary of the module and is given to you by the lecturer at the beginning of the course. In it you will find the dates, the exam format and the learning objectives. In most cases, the syllabus also contains the lecturer's contact details.

Tandem

Tandem

Living in Germany

There are some tandem gatherings where you can find people with whom to speak your mother tongue and German. Tandem is also the name for a two-person-bike.

Vermieter

Landlord

Accommodation

The owner or manager of your accommodation.

Versicherungsnachweis

Certificate of Insurance

Application & Enrolment

Please see ➔ Health Insurance Certificate.

Vertrag

Contract

University

Please see ➔ Study Contract.

VPN

VPN

University

This is the possibility to access the library resources remotely.

Warmmiete

Warm Rent

Accommodation

It is the base monthly ➔ cold rent plus the ➔ utility costs.

WBS (Wohnberechtigungsschein)

Permit for subsidized housing

Accommodation

If you see a listing that says WBS, it’s only available for people who have this permit.

Wertstoffe

Plastic Waste

Accommodation

The plastic waste is one of the classifications for ➔ waste separation in Germany. There is a container for plastic waste at every building. This type of waste includes packaging, cans, and tetrapacks.

WG (Wohngemeinschaft)

Shared Apartment/Flat

Accommodation

A usual type of student accommodation is a shared flat or WG. Common areas like living room, kitchen and bathroom as well as utility costs are usually shared. Please be aware that it is very common that men and women are living together in a shared flat.

Wohnfläche

Living Space

Accommodation

It means the total size of the entire place in square meters.

Wohnzimmer

Living Room

Accommodation

The living room might be one of the rooms in a two room flat. Please see ➔ Two room apartment.

Zentralheizung

Central Heating

Accommodation

Central heating or collective heating supplies an entire building with heat.

Zeugnis

University Degree

University

High-education academic degree given by a college or university.

Zeugnisurkunde

Diploma Certificate

University

High-education academic degree.

Zulassung

Admission

University

Admission means that you are allowed to start your studies in the program you applied for. The admission will be given by the examination board of the respective program of study.

You will get admission to the MBA program, when you meet all admission requirements. After you get admission to the MBA program, you need to enrol at the university ➔ Enrolment.

Zulassung unter Vorbehalt

Admission Under Reserve

Application & Enrolment

An admission under reserve indicates that not all admission requirements have been met at this point of the application. After all relevant documents have been submitted, the Examination Committee may grant (final) admission if the applicant meets the admission requirements. Please see ➔ Admission.

Zulassungsbedingungen

Admission Requirements

Application & Enrolment

There are specific admission requirements to join the MBA program at University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt. For detailed information visit our website.

Zulassungsbescheinigung

Admission Letter

Application & Enrolment

Once you are admitted to the MBA programme, you will receive an admission letter from the University. This is the first part of your enrolment process.

Zulassungsprüfung

Eligibility Check

Application & Enrolment

If you are not sure if you meet all the admission requirements, it is possible to do a free preliminary check. You will find more details in our website.

Zweizimmerwohnung

Two Room Apartment

Accommodation

It is common to find two room apartment accommodation offers. Be advised that a “2-room flat” means there are literally just two rooms, not two bedrooms.