M.Sc. EconomicsWelcome to AWI!
The Alfred-Weber-Institute for Economics is delighted to welcome all new students in the M.Sc. Economics programme in the winter term 2023/24 and would also like to invite you to two events to facilitate your start in Heidelberg.
During these first-semester welcome events, you will learn important information that will make your start at the AWI easier and provide specific suggestions for your new phase of life. We have also compiled a wide range of information on this page on the topics of arriving, orientation and studying.
Additionally, below you will find two of the key documents for your programme: the examination regulations (in German) and the module handbook (in English). The module handbook also includes details and study guides on the different tracks.
Arriving
After you have decided to study at Heidelberg University, there are various things to arrange and to implement.
... At the university
Arriving at the university first means enrolling and thus registering. This process is managed by the central student administration/international office of Heidelberg University. After you have been admitted, you will have to provide various details and submit a number of documents. When everything is received, you will be given a matriculation number and your Uni-ID. The matriculation number uniquely identifies you and is often needed in administrative processes at the university. The Uni-ID is your login for the various services (LSF, heiCO, WLAN, university library, etc.).
As the visa and enrollment process for international students is highly individual, we kindly ask you to contact the experts in the international office in case of questions.
... in Heidelberg
In addition to university, many of you will also have to move new city or a new country. The central issue here is housing. The Studierendenwerk Heidelberg runs various halls of residence, which, however, do not offer space for all students by a long shot. You can find more information about the allocation and the halls of residence on the Studierendenwerk website. In addition, there are various portals for the private flat or shared flat market. You can also regularly find offers in the local newspapers (e.g. Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung). If you are in the area, you might also find an offer or request on the notice board in one of the canteens or in one of the various university buildings. Since the housing market in Heidelberg is competitive, it is worthwhile to start looking early if possible.
... at the AWI
The best way to arrive at the AWI is to attend the first-semester welcome events and take advantage of the offers during the introductory phase of your studies. No further registration or similar is necessary, you also do not have to register for events before the start of the semester.
Events
For new students in the M.Sc. Economics programme, we offer two events. The welcome presentation, where you will given the most important infos on your programme and the prep course in Econometrics, to brush up your skills in Econometrics before entering the first semester courses.
Links
October 10 - 12, 2023 | 9am - 3pm | Lecture Hall 04
The prep course in Econometrics provides a review of basic concepts of probability theory, statistics and matrix algebra. Participation is voluntary. To register, write an e-mail at emwi@awi.uni-heidelberg.de
October 04, 2023 | 2 - 4 pm | Neue Universität, Hörsaal (Lecture Hall) 04
The welcome presentation will provide you with all the necessary information you need for the first steps of your programme.
Fachschaft VWL
The student representative body (Fachschaft VWL) also organizes various activities for new students. In the Welcome Borchure below you can find their welcome programme for new Master's students, You can find more info on their website and can also contact them, if you want to get directly in touch with students at the AWI.
Key Documents
The documents linked below are also important. It is advisable to read them all once and look them up if you are unclear:
- Examination regulations: The examination regulations are something like the basic law of your degree programme. All legal questions are regulated there (e.g. repetition rules, weighting of achievements). As it is a legally binding document, it is only available in German.
- Module handbook: The module handbook supplements the examination regulations with details on the individual sections (modules) that you have to complete during your studies. Further regulations can also be found there (e.g. how many lectures or seminars you may choose in the elective module).
- Study plan: The study plan gives you a good overview of when you should complete which modules and thus of the rough structure of your studies at the AWI.
The AWI also offers students an e-mail list, the ECONLIST. We inform you about scholarships abroad, information events or interesting lectures on an irregular basis. You can register for this below.
Studying
You will use various portals when studying at Heidelberg University:
- in heiCO you will find the course catalogue, i.e. which courses are offered in the current semester and further information about them (locations, times, content). As the University is in the process of adapting the new platform, some services are still in LSF, e.g. printing your enrollment certificate. The M.Sc. Economics is one of the two first programmes in the new system.
- Moodle is the e-learning platform of Heidelberg University. After logging in with your Uni-ID, you can enrol in the various Moodle courses of the lectures. There you will find, for example, the lecture vidoes, slides or problem sets. The password for enrolling in a Moodle course is either mentioned in the course commentary in heiCO or otherwise announced in the first lecture session. So go there!
- There are also various IT services for students: from e-mail and WLAN (eduroam) to printing services or software licences (e.g. MS Office). You can find out more on the pages of the URZ (University Computer Centre).
When do courses start?
Lectures start on Monday, 16.10.2023. In the morning, the Rector invites you to the big first semester welcome and fair. On the same day, the lectures and seminars begin! Only the tutorials at the AWI usually take place from the second week onwards. So in the first week you go to the lectures you want to attend - even if you may not yet have your Uni-ID.
And where exactly do I have to go?
Heidelberg University is spread all over the city. This means that although the AWI is located in Bergheim, large lectures or the AWI's first-semester welcome events (see above) take place in the Old Town (Neue Uni). Some courses will take place in Campus Bergheim, where also the administration of AWI is located and most staff offices.
The exact rooms are always listed in heiCO.
Do I have to do anything else?
If you are enrolled, you do not have to do anything else. Just come to the AWI's first semester welcome presentation and you will be told everything you need to know. You don't have to register for events at the AWI - you just go.
Links
Support
Any questions you may have before starting your programme may be directed at:
-
Questions regarding the programme:
Marcus Padberg, Academic Advisor, -
Questions regarding
general administration (fees, enrollment, etc.):
Student Administration (German Citizens) or International Office (International Students),
In principle, the student advisory service is always a good first point of contact. If we don't know the answer, we can at least tell you who can answer your question.
At the AWI, there is also an examination office that takes care of the administration of examinations. This is where your registration for exams is administered. You will also receive official grade certificates there, e.g. for institutions and authorities.
The AWI Career Service supports you with questions regarding your career and the transition to it. Internships are also credited and administered here, although there is now mandatory internship in the M.Sc. Economics.
Buddy Programme
The Buddy Programme is a project of the Alfred-Weber-Institute for Economics (AWI). We want to make your orientation to academic and everyday life in Heidelberg as easy as possible by assigning another Heidelberg student from the AWI as your buddy. You can contact him or her before your arrival in Heidelberg and address any concerns. Your Heidelberg buddy will be there to offer support as you get settled in and to answer your questions about living and studying in Heidelberg, perhaps even greet you when you first step off the train. Your buddy will continue to provide help throughout the semester.
