Entrants-FAQ

Disclaimer:
If you – we mean especially you entrants – are missing some information on this page, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to answer your questions and, if necessary, expand this page.🙂

  1. Start your studies
  2. Student Council
  3. Working alongside your studies
  4. Studying physics in general
  5. Physics
  6. Medical Physics
  7. Uni life

Start your studies

Which courses can take place now?
  • You can find an overview of the O-Phase program here!
  • If you have any questions about studying, have a look at this page to see if you can find answers. Otherwise, you can always drop by one of the info cafés.
Pre-Courses
  • Pre-course of the Faculty of Mathematics: With lectures (2 hours daily) and exercises (2 hours daily); current information can be found here. Registration is already possible there. There will be no overlap between the lectures of this preliminary course and the refresher course.
  • Mathematical refresher course of the Faculty of Physics: If you had major uncertainties in the self-test, you should take the mathematical refresher course to practice mathematical techniques before the actual preliminary course. You can find information about this here and on the website of the Faculty of Physics, where you can also register.
  • Mathematical preliminary course of the Faculty of Physics: Participation is recommended for all students of the first semester at the Faculty of Physics! Like the preliminary course of the Faculty of Mathematics, this preliminary course also consists of two hours of lectures and two hours of exercises every day, in which the knowledge acquired in the lecture is deepened and practiced with tasks. As far as possible, the preliminary course will be held in presence (i.e. in the lecture hall and in seminar rooms). Registration will take place here.
  • Online bridge course: The online mathematics bridge course offers a very good repetition of school mathematics: click here. Working through the bridge course is a good preparation for the preliminary mathematics courses at the university. However, as the scope of the material is not the same, the bridge course is not a substitute for the preliminary course.
  • Techniques for “Managing your studies and other interesting information from the Dortmunder Zentrum Studienstart.
  • Important information on the teaching profession can be found at DoKoLL.
Virtual campus tour

Infos will follow

Contact via student council mailing list, Instagram, …

Student Council

What is the student council?

The Student Representative Council consists of 18 members of the Faculty of Physics and is elected by the Physics Student Council (all students of the Faculty of Physics). The members hold various offices, according to which their main tasks are determined.

What does the student council do?

The Physics Student Council acts as an intermediary between the professors, the faculty and other student councils on behalf of the students. In general, the council can be approached with all kinds of questions/problems relating to (medical) physics studies.
The student council meets regularly for public meetings in which everyone is allowed to participate. At the meetings, a number of decisions are made, discussions with professors and/or other student councils etc. are reported on and events are planned. These include information events, parties and online events. In some cases, the council also sits together for a while after a meeting.

How can I get involved? How can I get involved, even if I am not elected?

Anyone can get involved, regardless of whether they have been elected or not. The elected members are primarily responsible for ensuring that student council work can be carried out at all. So anyone is welcome to get involved or contribute their own ideas. To do this, you can simply contact individual student council members directly or attend one of the public meetings. In addition to the council, there is also a “helper group”, which is always called in when the council members realize that they need another pair of hands for individual events, for example. Either way, you can always contact the council with new ideas and suggestions!

Working alongside your studies

  • Student assistant
    Student assistants (SHK for short) are enrolled students who are employed at German universities. They usually take on tasks in research, teaching or administration. SHK positions are sometimes advertised, but contact to fill a vacancy is often made directly during lectures/exercises. University lecturers prefer to approach students who have made a positive impression on them (e.g. through a good exam result). As a result, students often only have the opportunity to fill a SHK position from the third semester onwards.
  • Other classics
    Tutoring: Many tutors are needed, especially in subjects such as math and physics. You can either become active yourself and look for tutors or apply to a tutoring agency (e.g. Studienkreis).
  • A practical alternative:
    Many students either finance their studies themselves or want to save something. As a student, however, you can only have a tax-free mini-job contract. However, if you still have time and would like to do more, you could have another job on the side in a “short-term employment” contract. There is no monthly limit on this contract, if you want to remain tax-free you just have to be careful to stay below the annual tax-free allowance (currently: 11,604 euros, as of 2024). A mini-job contract and a “short-term employment” contract can be combined without hesitation. (If you have any specific questions, please contact Sydney, our third media officer).

Physics studies in general

How do I create a timetable?

In the study plan you will find the subjects that make sense to take in the respective semester. You can find these and your electives in the LSF and create your timetable there. This can be a bit tricky at the beginning, but we will be happy to help you with this during the O-week. Currently, the LSF and BOSS systems are being merged, but for now the LSF should be enough for you.

How do I take subjects?

You don’t have to register for most subjects. You simply attend the relevant lecture and register in the Moodle course if necessary. You can find a list of all compulsory and compulsory elective modules, including a brief description, in the module handbook (Physics, Medical Physics).

Beginner/advanced practical course

The beginner internship takes place in the third semester according to the study plan. The first part consists of a short series of lectures entitled “Introduction to measurement technology”, in which the basics of measurement technology, data analysis and data evaluation are covered. This is followed by the experimental part, in which students learn how to carry out and evaluate the recorded data using basic experiments from experimental physics.
The advanced internship builds on the experiments from the beginners’ practical course and goes a little deeper into the subject matter of the individual experiments. As the measurement tasks are also more extensive, fewer experiments have to be completed.

Exam registration

You can register for the exam via the BOSS system as soon as the respective lecturer has activated it.
In order to be able to register for the exam, you need a course achievement in some subjects. In order for this to be entered, you must also register for it via the BOSS system as soon as your lecturer or the exercise instructor asks you to do so.

Coursework and exercise sheets

For some subjects (in the first semester in HöMa, Physics or ExpPhy, and in EidP) you have to hand in exercise sheets to achieve your academic achievement. The coursework is necessary for you to be allowed to write the respective exam. You will learn the details in the lectures. In normal physics, in addition to the exercise sheets, there are sometimes intermediate exams. These are usually written in the middle of the semester and depend on the respective lecturer. Not all of them want to set one.

Registering for the exercise groups

You will find out how to register for the exercise groups in your first lecture. This is done via the Moodle page or the course website. In some subjects, you have to be quick when registering to get into your desired exercise group. (In almost all and large or full modules, the first-come, first-served system applies, so if it is particularly important to you to be in a certain group, it is best to make your choices as soon as possible after activation).

Who can answer my questions about physics or other subjects?

Tutorium, math and computer science helpdesk, other students, lecturers…

Physics

Which courses do I have to take?

You have to complete various modules and take a final module examination at the end. This study plan on the website of the Faculty of Physics serves as a reference as to which modules must be completed.

Which electives can/must I choose?

You can find out which subjects you can/must take during your studies in the module handbook of the Faculty of Physics.

Medical Physics

Which courses do I have to take?

During the course of your studies, you must take all the subjects listed in the curriculum.

What are electives? Which ones are possible?

Electives can be found in the module handbook, you can choose them as you wish, but you must have fulfilled the requirements for the respective subject. It is therefore advisable to first take a medical elective in the second semester. For the most part, registration is not required.
You must also bear in mind that languages are not counted as electives and the credit points you receive do not count towards this degree program. In principle, only subjects that are listed in the relevant section of the module handbook can be counted as electives. However, it is still possible to take other modules that are meaningfully related to the (medical) physics degree program. However, you should discuss this with the student advisory service beforehand.

Clinical internship

When does the clinical internship take place?
The clinical internship is scheduled for two weeks during the semester break of the fifth semester. Although it is possible to complete it earlier, it makes sense to wait until you have a basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology and perhaps also of medical equipment such as CT and MRI. Then you can gain much more experience from the internship.
Do I have to look for an internship myself?
No, the internships are made available through a cooperation between TU Dortmund University, Dortmund University Hospital (Municipal Hospitals) and Klinikum Westfalen. For this purpose, a Moodle room will be created in the current semester in which you can indicate in which clinic you would prefer to complete the internship. You will then be informed promptly about the allocation to the clinics. There is also a mandatory information event beforehand.
How does the internship work?
During the two weeks, you will get an all-round insight into the various wards (e.g. internal medicine, radiology, anesthesia, radiotherapy) and get to know the typical work processes and the use of technical equipment. You will also be allowed to observe operations. At the end of the internship, you will have to write an internship report about the individual wards. Details of the content will be given to you at the information event. A little tip: make a few notes every day about what you have experienced and learned, or even start writing the report during the internship.

Secondary listener

How do I become a secondary student?
Enrolment takes place via an online enrolment portal. Enter “Examination Dortmund University” as your degree and “Theoretical Medicine” as your first subject. If you have any questions, you can also contact the Registrar’s Office by email. The email address is: immatrikulation@uv.rub.de. To enrol, you must submit a current certificate of enrolment, a certified copy of your university entrance qualification (Abitur certificate) and a copy of your identity card.
Why do I need a second student?
Since the medical subjects are not offered at the TU, but the TU cooperates with the RUB, you will take the medical subjects at the RUB.
When do I have to go to the RUB?
In the first semester you only have to go to the RUB for the exams of the medical subjects. These are the subjects Physiology 1, Biochemistry 1 and possibly Anatomy 1. In the following semesters, most of the lectures of the medical subjects are at the RUB. You can find out in the respective Moodle course or in the LSF.

Uni life

TU-App

TU Dortmund University has its own app. It contains lots of practical information. It also makes it easier for you to register your attendance at TU events. In addition to your student ID card, you will also find your semester ticket, canteen plans, learning locations and a campus navigation system.
We strongly recommend that you install the app.
Download link iOS and download link Android

Uni time info

Many events will start a quarter of an hour later and end a quarter of an hour earlier (“Academic Quarter Hour”). These times are given in c.t. (cum tempore) format.
For some courses, an s.t. (sine tempore) is given after the time. In these cases, the “academic quarter hour” is omitted.
So the following applies: 10 a.m. c.t. => the lecture begins at 10:15 a.m.
12:15 p.m. s.t. => the event begins at 12:15 p.m.

Campus

Where can I sit down to study?
Library, departmental library, seminar room building, physics foyer, gallery, …
Canteens
Main Mensa, Vital, Gallery, Food Faculty, ISM Mensa, Mensa Max Ophuels Platz, Mensa Sonnenstraße, kostBar, Restaurant Calla, Mensa Süd, Architeria
More: see TU app
H-Bahn
Between North and South Campus
From the S-Bahn station, via the South Campus to Eichlinghofen
How do I find my lecture halls?
The lecture halls in which lectures, tutorials etc. take place are listed in the LSF or moodle. You can find the buildings on the site plan or with the campus navigation system.

Semester ticket

This is a summary. You can find the binding information on the TU website, the AStA website and in the corresponding FAQ.

What can I travel when, where and with whom/what?
You can use all regional and local transport (i.e. not IC/ICE/EC) in 2nd class throughout Germany at any time. This includes buses, trams/urban trains and suburban trains.
Since the changeover from the Semester NRW-Ticket to the Germany semester ticket, you are unfortunately no longer allowed to take people or bicycles with you.

Validity of the ticket:
You must have the ticket either printed out or digitally (e.g. in the TU app). However, it is only valid with an official photo ID (i.e. not a student ID).
You pay for your semester ticket with your semester fee and it will be sent to you before the start of the semester. The ticket is only valid during the semester (i.e. also outside the lecture period), so it is not automatically valid after receiving the e-mail.

Further information on the semester ticket can be found here.

Semester and lecture period

You can find the binding dates and deadlines on the TU website.

The winter semester 2024/25:
Semester: 01.10.2024 – 31.03.2025
Lecture period: 07.10.2024 – 31.01.2025
Lecture-free days: 03.10.2024, 01.11.2024, 23.12.2024 – 03.01.2025

The university year is divided into two semesters (comparable to the school year). One is the winter semester (WS), which begins in the fall and is also the start of studies for almost all subjects at the TU, and the summer semester (SS), which begins in the spring. It is therefore a semester all year long.
The lecture period refers to the periods in which lectures take place during the semester. This means that lectures do not take place during the entire semester (although courses such as preliminary courses and block seminars may take place).

The time outside the lecture period is called the “lecture-free period” (semester break). The lecture-free period is not completely free. Events and, above all, examinations can take place there. Examinations almost always take place during the lecture-free period.

The lecture period is interrupted by lecture-free days. These are, for example, public holidays when there are normally no lectures. In addition, there are always around two weeks off around Christmas and New Year (the only period that can officially be called “semester break” 😀 )

Miscellaneous

Metropolbike Ruhr

All enrolled students at TU Dortmund University can borrow bikes from Metropolrad Ruhr free of charge for an unlimited number of hours at a time.

The student ID card is an important identification document within the university.
The student ID card, together with the identity card, is required for identification during exams.
You can only get a reduced price on food in the canteen and other Studierendenwerk facilities on presentation of your ID card.
There are many discounts that you can get with the ID card, e.g. in the theater, cinemas and many other facilities.
The student ID is also valid as a library card, so you need it to borrow books. In addition, if you are logged into the TU app with your UniAccount, you can also call up a QR code, which can also be used to borrow books.

Further information on the student ID card can be found here.