Questions regarding our courses

Who can take a course at the Language Centre?

In general, the courses at the Language Centre are open to all students of the University of Münster. However, there may be specific restrictions with some courses, which are stated in the course registration programme (e.g. if subject-specific courses are only open to students of that particular subject).
 Our courses are not open to students from other Münster universities.

Where can I find information about the language courses?

• course lists posted on the Language Centre noticeboards
• Language Centre website (courses)
• office hours of the language coordinators as well as the general office hour (staff)

Questions regarding course registration

Do I have to register for courses?

You have to register online for ALL courses.

When does the course registration end?

As a rule, the course registration period ends on the first Wednesday of the semester. The exact deadline is stated on our website. Registration for compact courses that take place before or at the beginning of term usually ends earlier (for details, see our website).

How do I register for courses?

Online on this website: Once you have logged in, click on the course you want to take and apply for a place (provided registration for that course has started).

Can I register for a course if I have not taken the C-Test?

Only if the course does not require a C-Test (i.e. courses for absolute beginners or courses in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Russian or Turkish). But you always have to log in first before you can register for a course.

How can I de-register from a course?

During the registration period, you will find a button on the course website which says "Meine Anmeldung rückgängig machen" („De-register me from the course“); after the registration period, please write an e-mail to the coordinator of the language in questions.

What should I do if I have problems with my course registration?

If you are having problems logging in or there are technical issues with our website, please contact Gerrit Seifert.
 If you have any content-related questions or problems, please email the coordinator of the language in question. 

What do the flags in the list of courses mean?

The flags indicate how large the interest for each course is – green flag: there are still free places; yellow: there are already more registrations than places; red: the course is full and registration is no longer possible.
 
 During the registration period the colour of the flag may change, usually from green to yellow but sometimes also from yellow to green (if someone de-registers). If you register while the flag is still green, you have a good chance of getting a place in the course (assuming you fulfil all course requirements). If a flag is yellow, then you can still register for the course but may get a place on the waiting list. If there are similar courses with a green flag, it may therefore be advisable to register for the other course instead.

A blue flag indicates that registration for this course is not possible yet.

Do I also have to register in QISPOS?

Only students who are enrolled in a full degree progamme at the University of Münster and need credits for the so-called „Allgemeinen Studien“ („General Studies“) have to/can register in QISPOS. And you should only in QISPOS once you know that you have a place in the language course of your choice, i.e. usually from the third week of the semester onwards. Please be aware of the QISPOS deadlines.

Is the order of registration relevant for getting a place?

Yes. As soon as a course is full (including the waiting list), registration for this course is closed (red flag in the registration programme). Places in the course and on the waiting list are then awarded according to the order in which students registered.

What happens if a course is oversubscribed?

As a rule, places in a course and on the waiting list are awarded according to the order in which students registered.

How do I know whether I have a place in the course?

You can check in „Mein Profil“ (“My Profile“) whether you have a place in the course ca. two days after registration has ended.

Can I get a place in a course preferentially?

Normally not. The only exceptions are: it is the last course you need to complete a UNIcert® certificate, it is the last course you need for the „Allgemeine Studien“ and you are in your last bachelor semester, or you are in the fourth semester of your FFA studies and still need a so-called „Ergänzungskurs“. In such a case, please get in touch with the coordinator of the language in question (and not the course instructor) before the end of the registration period and state which course you need to take for one of the above reasons.

What do I do if I only have a place on the waiting list?

You have to go to the first class – if students who have a place do not show up, then students from the waiting list who are there will get their place instead.

What do I do if I did not get a place in a course?

Please contact the coordinator of the language in question to see whether there are still free places in another course.

What can I do if I have missed the registration deadline?

Please get in touch with the coordinator of the language in question (and not the course instructor!). Should there still be free places in the course you would like to take, you may perhaps still be able to take part. However, if the course requires it, you must provide a suitable C-Test score.

Will I lose my place in the course if I do not attend the first class?

If you miss the first class without having excused yourself beforehand, you will lose your right to the place and a student from the waiting list may get it instead. To excuse yourself, please send an e-mail to the coordinator of the language in question.

Which courses can I take to get credit for the „Allgemeinen Studien“ („General Studies“ as part of double-major bachelor degrees)?

Only those courses where the course information explicitly states that they count for the „Allgemeine Studien“.

Questions regarding the C-Test

What is the C-Test?

The C-Test is an academically recognised, well-researched placement test. It consists of four texts with 100 gaps in total where the second half of the word is missing. As a placement test, the C-Test measures the test-taker‘s current knowledge of the language. A score of >95 is considered roughly equivalent to native-speaker level.

Who can take the C-Test?

 Students enrolled at the University of Münster.

In which languages can you take the C-Test?

The computer-based C-Test is available in the languages English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

How can I prepare for the C-Test?

By doing the practice version (Demo-Version). It not only explains the basic principle underlying a C-Test but also provides examples, keyboard practice (for diacritical signs) and a complete practice test. Apart from that, extensive reading is a useful preparation.
 

When can I take the C-Test?

The „early“ C-Test phase usually begins in the last week of the previous semester; the „late“ C-Test phase starts ca. two weeks before the beginning of the semester and ends on the first Wednesday of the semester (5.30 pm). The exact C-Test times and dead-lines are stated on our website under Anmeldetermine und Fristen („registration dates and deadlines“).

Do I have to register in order to take the C-Test?

Yes, once you have logged onto the main Language Centre website, you have to register on this page. You do so by clicking on "Anmeldung Test" („Registering for the C-Test“).

Where does the C-Test take place?

In the Language Centre computer lab („Computerlernstudio“) (4th floor, Room B403, Bispinghof 2B, 48143 Münster).

What do I have to be aware of when I take the C-Test?

Once you have started the „proper“ C-Test, this counts as the one attempt you are allowed per term. It is therefore very important that you prepare for the C-Test by doing the practice version (C-Test Demoversion). Only start the proper C-Test if you are feeling well and sufficiently prepared for it. Only click on "Senden" to submit your answers when you
are absolutely sure that you have worked on all four texts as much as you want to.

When do I get the result?

You will see the result on the screen immediately after you have finished the test. As the result is stored in our system, you can then register for courses online directly.  

How often can I take the C-Test?

Once per semester (i.e. per C-Test phase) per language; the new C-Test phase always begins in the last week of the preceding semester.

How long does the C-Test score stay valid?

 You can use it for two years to register for our courses.

Is it possible to fail the C-Test?

No. The C-Test is a placement test so it simply shows what level you are at in the language in question. A score of >95 is considered roughly equivalent to native-speaker level.

What C-Test score do I need?

In the list of courses on our website, the information whether you need to take the C-Test and, if yes, how many points you need is stated next to each course.