consists of QnAs related to TH Köln and the TH Buddy Program
official Buddy Program FAQ: here.

my major is Dig. Sc. SAR, so your questions might have a different answer depending on your uni and the course you enrol in.

German

is learning German a must?

yes.

more on German here.

how to take the language course?

have a look at the Sprachlernzentrum.
iirc you have to pass a test to get accepted to courses higher than A1. all the details are usually sent out by email.

admission

how competitive is TH Köln for M.Eng in Automation and IT

Automation & IT is NC-frei. you’ll be admitted to the course as long as you meet the minimum requirements!

when can I expect a decision from the TH considering I am applying for the Winter Semester?

i got my admission certificate in the first week of August ‘22 for the WiSe ‘22.

i was planning to apply to Digital Sciences, but before that, I received an admission to Automation & IT.
what would you suggest? which course has better opportunities?

i honestly cannot compare Digital Sciences and Automation & IT, because i am not familiar with the curriculum of the latter. you can find all the courses in Digital Sciences here

i’d say you should choose a program which has courses that align with your interests, coz TH Köln is a pretty well-known Uni in Germany, and i don’t think you can go wrong with either of the programs when/if you’re looking for work after graduation.

modules

do you have classes everyday?

no, we do not have classes everyday.

a lot of Professors like to take long lectures (3/4+ hrs) on alternate weeks instead of 1.5/2 hr-lectures every week.
you just have to make sure you do not select courses that overlap each other.

what is the class size of TH Köln in general?

courses in Dig. Sc. had anywhere from 6 to 20 people; might be different for different majors.

there are mandatory modules on my enrolment letter, what to do about them?

if there are mandatory modules listed, you obviously have to register for all of them.

is there any rule that we have to complete 30 credits per sem?

no.
though the Ausländerbehörde will prolly not be happy if you’re slacking off and take more than 2 extra semesters.

how to select the modules and register for the first semester?

use your smail (or campusID) to log in to ILU.
navigate to the course and submit a request to join the course.
we don’t really have a registration for all the courses in the semester; we can only register for courses individually.

if you want the grade in your transcript, you have to register for the exam separately. usually, it’s done on PSSO

exams

what is the examination process? is it mostly written, or assignment-based?

the exam depends on the professor.

i can’t really say how your exams are gonna be held, but it might be one of the following:

  • presentation
  • assignment/project throughout the sem
  • pen & paper test
  • online test (MCQs)
  • 1 on 1 oral exam with the Prof. (and any other method the Prof. likes)

housing

how is the housing situation in TH Köln?

there is no accommodation on campus.
however, KSTW provides student dorms.

have a look at Germany FAQ for more.

work

what about part-time jobs and internship opportunities in Gummersbach?

you can definitely find work here if your German is good enough. a couple of my friends also work at the TH as TA/RA!

you can also try and find work in Köln, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Bonn, Leverkusen, and other nearby cities so, even though it is time-consuming (1.5hrs one-way), a lot of people just prefer to live in Köln coz of work (and quality of life, in general) and travel to the campus to attend classes.

Is it possible to get a RA/TA?

yes, it is possible to get a RA/TA position at the TH!

are there opportunities for people who are in data science roles?

🤷‍♂️ not my field, but i think so.
a lot more if you speak German! :)

general questions

how do you find the CS department?

the CS department is pretty good in my opinion.
most, if not all of our Professors have worked in corporate before getting into academia, and hence they are able to explain the importance of the course content in real-life scenarios.
a few courses also have projects which include working with companies, be it working with their employees, or working on the data provided to us in various formats.

how is Cologne as a city?

pretty good! not as big as Berlin or other major cities, but you’ll prolly find everything you need here!

how’s the Gummersbach campus?

i’m biased but it’s the best (and the most modern) TH campus imo