Information for the new semester
HF Welcome Week—Departmental Welcome Events at the Start of Classes
October 12–16, 2026
No prior registration is required for the HF Welcome Week events.
The schedule will be updated regularly until classes begin. If there isn’t an event listed for your program yet, just check back on this page in the coming weeks. More info here!
Interdisciplinary Events
Welcome for first-year students hosted by the Rector’s Office of the University of Cologne on Monday, October 12, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
either in person in the auditorium of the lecture hall building or via livestream on YouTube. For a campus map and orientation, visit UoCMaps.
To mark the start of your student life, the President of the University of Cologne, the Vice President for Teaching and Academic Affairs, and the General Student Council (AStA) welcome you as first-semester students at the University of Cologne. More information here.
Here is the lecture hall building on the map:
Open Doors at the Student Service Center of the Faculty of Humanities (SSC HF)
| When? | During the first week of classes (Oct. 12–16), Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
| Where? | SSC Info Point (Building 214a, ground floor, Frangenheimstraße 2b) |
| What? | Open consultation on organizing your studies during the first semester |
Crash Course in Artificial Intelligence
A crash course on artificial intelligence is available to all members of the University of Cologne on the Ilias e-learning platform. You can take the course at any time; participation is recommended for all University of Cologne students.
The online course “Crash Course in (Generative) Artificial Intelligence” aims to provide you with a basic introduction to the topic of (generative) artificial intelligence in two to three hours and to equip you to continue exploring the subject on your own.
The course is intentionally broad in scope and is primarily aimed at individuals who have little to no prior experience with AI.
Log in to Ilias with your student account; you can then join the course via the following link: Crash Course in AI
Bachelor’s Degree Programs
B.A. in Interpreting: German Sign Language – German – You can find the orientation program for this degree program here.
B.A. Special Education – You can find the orientation program for this degree program here.
Master’s Degree Programs
M.A. in Educational Science (Double Major)
Field of Study: Intercultural Communication and Education (IKB):
Orientation Session
Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 2:00 p.m. to approx. 4:00 p
.m. Location: Seminar Room S181 in the Modular Building, 1st floor (Faculty of Human Sciences Campus, Building 906) – Herbert-Lewin-Str. 10, 50931 Cologne
M.A. in Intercultural Communication and Education (Single-Subject)
Introductory Session
October 9, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Seminar Room S181 in the Modular Building, 1st floor (Faculty of Human Sciences Campus, Building 906) – Herbert-Lewin-Str. 10, 50931 Cologne
M.A. in Rehabilitation Sciences