International Students

The Fachschaft Mathematik/Informatik (FSMI) welcomes you at KIT!

Who are we?

The Fachschaft (FS) is the student representative body of all students of the Mathematics and the Informatics (computer science) departments. We advise students concerning their studies, provide old exams (both written and oral) and represent student interest in committees. Additionally, we arrange fun events and are always there for you if you want to talk to someone or just have a cup of coffee or tea. All students contribute on a voluntary basis, and we do not get paid. We have two office rooms, the Fachschaft Mathematik (FSM) in the mathematics building and the Fachschaft Informatik (FSI) in the informatics building.

Need help?

You’re welcome to visit or contact us with any questions — whether they’re about your studies, exams, or other concerns. We’ll do our best to help you. And if we can’t answer your question ourselves, we’ll likely know who can. We have regular office hours, but feel free to stop by anytime. There is a good chance that somebody will be there anyway. For international students, we have the following email address for consultation: international@fsmi.org. You can also find our address and phone number on the contact information page.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions reqarding international studies here.

Want to join?

We are a mixed group of mathematics and informatics students, who like being involved in university topics, and help with student issues. Every mathematics or informatics student is welcome to join. The Fachschaft is a great way to meet new people and a fun activity alongside studying. Generally, you decide what and how much you want to contribute. Most newcomers begin with participating in a weekly consultation hour. Getting an exam ready to print is also a great help and also beginner-friendly.

New at KIT?

We are organizing the O-Phase (orientation days) for all new Bachelor and Master students of mathematics and informatics. The orientation days are a great way to get to know the university, life in Karlsruhe and fellow students. They usually take place in the week before the lectures start. You can find more information on our separate website. We highly recommend to participate! It is guaranteed to be fun and you will receive all the information you need to get a good start.

Preparing for exams?

We provide past exams and protocols of oral exams and consult students. Protocols of oral exams are notes from students who have previously taken an oral exam and wrote down the questions and topics the examiner asked about. We maintain a constantly growing database of those protocols and old exams for almost every subject. Feel free to visit us to get the best preparation for your exams. You can see which exams and protocols are available here.

Contrary to some other countries, learning with past exams is not considered cheating in Germany and we even receive most of the exams in our database from the lecturers.

Getting to know us?

To encourage bonding with us and other students, we offer two breakfasts in both the Fachschaft Mathematik and Fachschaft Informatik on different days of the week. Stop by - grab a bread roll and a cup of coffee for free - it's great for getting to know people! You can find the times for the weekly free breakfast ("Fachschaftsfrühstück") in our schedule.

More information?

For more detailed information you can find the IMAMA (International Masters Manual) Handbook, which is relevant to all international students and offers specific information for international master students of mathematics and computer science.