FAQ

• There are two ways for you to enrol:

1. Send us an email to sommerkurse@ifs-kassel.de and we will send you the application form which you then complete and return to us.

or

2. Online: use our enrolment template on the Homepage. > Enrolment

• After completing the enrolment form or online template,transfer the fees payable to:

Holder of bank account: Institut für Sprachen, Dr. H. Quehl
Name of bank: Kreissparkasse Schwalm-Eder
Bank code: 520 521 54
Bank account number: 31 000 896
IBAN: DE04 5205 2154 0031 0008 96
SWIFT: HELADEF1MEG

• Please be aware that the bank will deduct a transaction fee. Please inform yourself about this and make sure that you transfer the complete amount including all possible bank transfer fees.

After payment of the course fee, your enrolment has been completed and you will be sent confirmation of your payment (admission letter) as well as further course information.

After completion of your enrolment, the "Institut für Sprachen“ will send you an admission letter for the purpose of visa application at the German Embassy of your country.

Please check also our website for more information > visa application

To apply for a visa at the German Embassy in your country you will need, among other documents, an insurance certificate for the duration of your stay in Germany. Actually, this requirement is quite useful because you never know if you might need medical treatment by specialists (e.g., orthopaedists, gynaecologists) or even in-patient treatment during your stay abroad.

You can take out an international policy directly online and, after your application has been checked and approved, you will receive your insurance documents by e-mail within a few minutes.

For more information as well as for the Online - Application Form see > Care Concept.

IfS does not provide scholarships, but you can ask your home university whether they will grant you a stipend, or you might address yourself to the > DAAD and ask whether you can apply for a scholarship for your selected course.

Our regular language courses only include language instruction and no theme-specific project units, no consultation and advisory services and no accompanying programme. These courses therefore have lower fees than our other courses.

Our summer and winter courses also include, alongside the intensive German course, specific conversation training (on two afternoons per week) as well as many consultation and advisory services such as providing assistance with immigration formalities and visa or residence conditions or organising accommodation including a cleaning service after your departure. Textbooks are also provided at no extra charge to our summer and winter course participants.

Our specialised language courses „Learn German: Language, land and people“, „Learn German: experience art“, „Flight and migration“ and „Renewable energy“ also include theme-specific project units, a workshop on a key skill, a wide variety of free recreation activities and day trips in and around Kassel.

Each course will conclude with a final exam according to the respective level. The test results and regular and active participation in the lessons will be attested in a certificate which you can use as a proof of your language ability, e.g. attached to your CV for job applications.
In addition, you can enrol – depending on your level of German language ability – for the test “Zertifikat Deutsch” or “TestDaF” (test fees will be charged extra). The test dates are listed on our website. > Exams and Certificates

You may obtain an initial evaluation of your language ability through an online grammar-oriented language test at, for example, http://www.sprachtest.de. Or simply write to us and we will send you a grading test via email which you need to complete and return to us on the following day. This written grading test can, however, only serve as an initial estimate of your language ability.

Once you have arrived here at IfS in Kassel, you will write a detailed grading test on the first day of your course. If required we may also conduct an oral test. According to the results you will be assigned to an A1, A2, B2, B2 or C1 / TestDaF course.

• A1 to B1: Studio d (Cornelsen) Kurs- und Übungsbuch und Sprachtrainer
• B2: em neu (2008) Hauptkurs (Hueber) Kursbuch und Arbeitsbuch
• C1: em neu (2008) Abschlusskurs (Hueber) Kursbuch und Arbeitsbuch
• TestDaF/DSH: TestDaF/DSH-Training (Fabouda)

In all courses, authentic materials will be used as additional teaching materials (copies free of charge).

- Zertifikat Deutsch (telc) on level B1 > Zertifikat Deutsch
- TestDaF (TesDaF-Institut) on level B2/C1 > TestDaF

Please consult your home university whether they grant ECTS credit points fort the above described services, tests and certificates.

Everybody who wants to refresh or upgrade his language abilities can participate in the IfS language courses. Even students without any previous knowledge of German can participate in our A 1 course. Our courses do not have an age limit.

The average number of participants per course on A 1, A 2 and B 1 level is limited to 15 students. On higher levels (B 2 and C 1), the number of participants usually range between 6 and 12 students.

There are two possibilities for accommodation:
Firstly, in our IfS guest house "Die Ruthen" in the city of Felsberg, a small town in the environment of Kassel, or, secondly, in the city of Kassel itself.

a) In our guesthouse in the small, attractive town of Felsberg (25 km from Kassel) you can book an affordable room. The price per room lies between 175 € and 250 € per month. The guesthouse has a fully equipped kitchen, a washing machine and television room. > Guesthouse "Die Ruthen"

b) If you prefer to stay in the city of Kassel, we will help you to find an accomodation for temporary rent (for a small fee). The rent for such a room depends on what is on offer. We will do our best to find you a room that lies as close as possible to the centre of town and does not cost too much, but we cannot provide any information about the exact amenities at this point. You can expect to pay rent of about 300 € per month. > Accomodation

Yes, it is possible to book only the course, and find an accomodation on your own.

It depends on the landlord whether he agrees on an extension of your stay. An extension of about 2 - 3 days in the IfS guest house is possible if you inform us in time, and if the rooms are not booked out.

Yes, this is possible at a cheap rate. (you might have to leave a deposit )

The "Institut für Sprachen“ is located in the center of Kassel. You can reach the pedestrian zone within five minutes walking distance, and the urban park and lake areas within 10 minutes on the bike. A public transport stop (tram and bus) is in front of the IfS office. > Location

Our recreational programme includes a diverse offering of museum, cinema, concert and theatre visits, not to mention sampling of German cuisine, brewery tours, communal sporting activities, various excursions and further more. 
The recreation programme is included in the fee for the specialised language courses (900€). Parts of the recreation programme may be booked individually to go with other language courses after you have arrived.
Please check also our website > Recreational programme

Kassel is one of the most prominent museum centers in Germany with a whole range of leasure activity and cultural offers, such as: cinemas, theatre, various museums (art, history, sciences, etc.), dance floor activities and discos, sport facilities and more.

In case you have booked a course with an art focus pleae bring your favorite equipment with you.

In case you are booked for an accomodation other than the IfS guesthouse, please bring bed sheets with you.

Depending on your personal interest you should bring suitable clothing for your prefered leasure activities with you, such as bathing clothes, sport shoes, hiking shoes etc.

You can buy books in the local bookstores.

Please bring your international student ID (ISICI) with you in order to be accepted as a student in the cafeteria of the university of Kassel.

You can move into the room or appartment one day prior to the start of the course. In case you want to arrive earlier, you have to give notice to IfS at least 4 weeks before your arrival date, otherwise you will have to find an accomodation on your own until your room or appartment is free.

You will have to hand over your appartment or room the day after the course ends, which usually is a Saturday. Please keep in mind that you will have to clean it before handing over! If you intend to stay in Kassel for a longer time, you will have to find an accomodation on your own.

Key deposit: Before you can move into your apartement / your room a key deposit of 50 EURO is required.
These 50 EURO will be rewarded on departure, provided that the apartement / the room is in a clean and tidy condition.