CAU’s International Center provides excellent assistance to all of you coming to Germany from abroad. If you have any questions, please visit their website and do not hesitate to contact them with your questions or concerns.

The International Center also holds an orientation program for the international student community to provide you with all of the information you need at the start of your studies. We highly recommend taking part in their information sessions and beginning-of-the-semester activities:

• General Welcome Service
• International Students Advising Service
• Orientation Program
• Tutors for International Students
• International Student Associations
• Study Buddy Program
• German language courses

Most of our curriculum’s lectures and practical courses will be held at the GEOMAR campus on the east shore of Kiel Fjord.

If you live on the west shore, you can reach our research center via bike, bus or ferry. From the city center the bus lines 11, X60, 100, 200/201 all run to the bus stop "Seefischmarkt" close to GEOMAR.

The ferry line F2 stops at the “Wellingdorf” pier right next to our building. You can ride free of extra charge with your students’ mobility pass.

We also offer work spaces in our GEOMAR library (building 5, 2^nd floor) which is open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Classes usually start in mid-October. We will welcome you with an introductory lecture and get-together before diving into the regular schedule of the semester. All details will be provided to you via e-mail.

Your first semester contains a practical portion at sea on our research vessel Alkor. Please be prepared to provide us with your matriculation number, your stu-email address and your personal ID at the start of the semester.

Winter term runs from mid-October to the beginning of February followed by a two-week exam period. Please consult CAU’s semester dates for the current semester overviews and the general information on examinations for background on how examinations will be organized.

As part of the mentoring system experienced scientists and lecturers will guide students through the curriculum. Students can communicate to mentors about missing information / obstacles / problems related to the curriculum (e.g. language, cultural differences of learning and teaching, etc.). This feedback then helps us improve the curriculum in an evolving manner. Additionally, mentors are giving a first impression of upfront scientific work through their daily research activities to the students – linking them closer to the scientific community.

We will provide you with more information on the mentoring system and how to take past at the start of the semester.

Our current mentors are: Dr. Elizabeta Briski, Prof. Dr. Ute Hentschel Humeida, Dr. Mark Lenz, Prof. Dr. Frank Melzner, Prof. Dr. Andreas Oschlies, Dr. Markus Pahlow, Prof. Dr. Thorsten Reusch, Prof. Dr. Martin Wahl, Dr. Florian Weinberger.

As students of Biological Oceanography, you are represented at large by the Student body (Fachschaft) Physics of the Earth System. However, we also have a very active student representation for BiOc specifically. If your are interested to join, have any questions or concerns you would like to raise, please feel free to reach out to biocfachschaft(at)gmail.com.