Course Catalog

Dear Exchange Students,

Welcome to NGU Nuertingen-Geislingen University and congratulations that you decided to study abroad in Germany.  

We strive to make NGU Nuertingen-Geislingen University attractive to international students. We understand that some students do not feel comfortable communicating in German and that following classes taught in German might be a problem. To keep this language barrier as low as possible, Nuertingen-Geislingen University has developed a Course Catalog. We offer around 100 lectures taught in English for students from one of our 100 international partner institutions around the globe.

Please don’t worry about your German language skills: all students and professors speak English. Taking classes and communicating on campus is not a problem, even if you are not fluent in German. Daily life off campus might be more difficult since English language skills vary in the German population. Therefore, we offer German language instruction at different levels and recommend regular attendance so that you come back after one or two semesters and can speak another foreign language.

A few classes have corequisites, which must be taken together with the class in question. Information about pre- and corequisites, and other recommended experiences, is given in the description section of each class in this catalog. Students are responsible for ensuring that any prerequisites have been met before enrolling in a class. Some classes are only offered in one semester each year either in “spring/summer” or in “fall/winter”. A few classes have limited places and are allocated on a first come, first served basis. This selection of classes is updated regularly and subject to changes. 

Contact: andrea.heissler@no spamhfwu.de, +49 7022 201 436

The course catalog offers a range of classes in the following subject areas at different bachelor's or master's levels:

• Finance and Accounting
• Management, Innovation and Sustainability
• Marketing
• Economics
• International Business and Management
• International Management and Organizational Behavior
• German Society and Culture
• Business English
• Landscape Architecture

Classes offered at Geislingen Campus are open for exchange students, too. They are listed in the different subject areas. Please note that it takes about an hour to travel from one campus to the other, which is important to know when planning a time schedule for a semester.

All classes in this course catalog are indicated with levels from 100 to 500 and above. 100 level means that it is a class with no prerequisites, like a German class for beginners. 200 level classes are targeting students in our first year which means after having completed General Education classes. German universities do not offer General Education classes. German students start with their academic coursework in their first year. 300 level classes target students in our second year and 400 level classes are meant for students in their final year. Classes on a level 500 and above are classes in our master's degree programs, i.e. for our graduate students. International students can take these classes if enough slots are available and if your academic standing allows you to participate.

Our classes do not have a common number of contact hours per week. However, many classes meet for 2 hours per week. Some classes require more time for preparation and studying, others less. This is indicated by the amount of ECTS which stands for European Credit Transfer System that allows a student to assess how much work must be invested in order to pass the class. 1 ECTS stands for 25 hours of work during the semester. A class with 2 hours per week and 4 ECTS requires 100 hours of workload of which 25 hours are spent in the classroom. A class with 2 hours per week and 2 ECTS requires 50 hours of workload of which 25 hours are spent in the classroom. All classes in our course catalogue show the contact hours per week, the workload per semester and the ECTS. The non-negotiable required minimum workload for exchange students is 20 ECTS. Students on a grant (e.g. Baden-Wuerttemberg Stiftung) will have to fulfill some different requirements, i.e. 24 ECTS and 100 % attendance.

Since the classes instructed in English come from several semesters and different degree programs, it is likely that you will have time clashes. Therefore, it is necessary to select more classes than necessary so that we can accommodate you according to your university’s requirements.

In the German system attendance is only required for some few classes. This is extremely challenging for international students. Therefore, we highly recommend 100% attendance. NGU has an attendance requirement of at least 80% for all exchange students. All NGU lecturers who teach classes in English have a list containing the exchange students' names and will take attendance.

There is a variety of assessments at NGU. However, the most common assessment is the written exam at the end of the semester. Here is an overview of feasible assessments according to §9-12 of „Studien- und Prüfungsordnung der Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Umwelt Nürtingen-Geislingen Allgemeiner Teil für Bachelorstudiengänge vom 19. Dezember 2012 in der Fassung der 13. Änderungssatzung vom 17. Juni 2020“:

Combinations are possible, e.g. K30 R means that the students will take an exam of 30 minutes during the examination period and give a presentation during the semester. In a written exam, students should demonstrate that they have the necessary specialized knowledge and that they are able to work on topics and solve tasks within a specified time period, with limited aids and using the common methods of their subject. A written electronic exam is an exam whose preparation, performance, and evaluation is computer-based (except for open questions). A written electronic exam is feasible if it is useful to prove that the examinee has mastered the contents and methods of the module in the essential contexts and is able to apply the acquired knowledge and skills; if necessary, it can be supplemented by other forms of examination. In case of a written electronic examination, the completion of the examination may be recorded if necessary to ensure that the examination is conducted in accordance with the law. In a paper, students should demonstrate that they are able to research, evaluate and link the information necessary to solve a task or problem in a goal-oriented manner. They should prove that they know and can fulfill the requirements of an academic paper and the principles of scientific work. The timely submission of the work is a prerequisite. In oral exams, students should demonstrate that they have a broad knowledge of the subject and that they recognize the interrelationships of the subject area. In presentations, students should demonstrate that they can solve a task in their academic field and communicate appropriately with the support of media. In coursework projects, students should demonstrate that they are able to solve complex, cross-curricular problems from their professional field. Coursework projects can consist of a written paper as well as a presentation.

NGU Nuertingen-Geislingen University has a very detailed grading system from 1.0 (very good) to 4.0 (pass) with steps of 0.3 in between. A 1.0 is an extremely good performance that only very few students manage to get. Grades of 2.3 or 2.7 are very common. The partner university decides how the grades on your transcripts will be translated into your grades. You will see that studying in Germany is quite different from your home country. We are convinced that you will be rewarded by a life-time experience. Even if so much is new, nearly all our international students pass the classes they took.

Although many younger Germans speak English pretty well we recommend to take German language courses in order to learn the basics for your daily life in Germany. All German language courses are offered free of charge.

Classroom based German Language Courses

NGU Nuertingen-Geislingen University offers at its campus in Nuertingen German language courses throughout the semester. Depending on your pre-knowledge in German you can choose between

• German for Beginners A1.1, A1.2
• German for Beginners A2.1, A2.2
• German Intermediate B1.1

Internet based German Language Courses

In addition to the classroom based language courses we offer internet based German language courses that complement each other very well. You have the possibility to attend an online course for beginners A1-A2, intermediates B1-B2 and advanced students C1 on certain days. Apart from that, we offer as well a German online pre-course for beginners with important topics from everyday life during the lecture-free period in September. The descriptions of all German language courses can be found in the English Course Catalog.