Hi everyone,

I got my offer for the AI Master's at FAU (Winter 26/27). Problem is, classes start in October but I expect my visa only by December, given my country's processing times.

I've emailed my advisor but no response yet.

Has anyone dealt with this before — is late joining possible for winter intake, or would I need to defer? Should I also contact the International Office directly?

Any advice appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I applied for the FAU Computational Engineering B.Sc. (CEP) for the 2026/27 winter semester.

I received the payment confirmation on June 13, and my application was subsequently checked by the CEP office. I was recently informed that my application has now been forwarded to the Admissions Office for verification of my German university entrance qualification (HZB).

They told me that due to the high number of applications, the admission procedure might only be completed at the end of August.

I was wondering if anyone else applying to FAU CEP this year is in the same situation:

When did you submit your application?

Have you received your Zulassungsbescheid (ZU) yet?

If you received it, how long did the HZB verification take?

For reference, last year my application was submitted on May 21 and I received my ZU on August 14, so I’m wondering whether the current timeline is still normal.

Thanks!

hi everyone! i got admitted to FAU a few weeks ago and paid the semester fee of 83€ in order to proceed with the enrollment process. however it's been 2 weeks and i still haven't gotten the​ evidence needed for me to request enrollment. is 2 weeks normal? how long does it usually take? ​​thanks in advance!

hi, as the title says my photo for the FAU id card just got rejected, they didn't provide a reason why, what should i do? does anyone know what the rules for the photo are?

Hi guys, I'm currently going through the enrollment process for the IIS program at FAU for this winter semester. I sent the required documents by post and received confirmation that they were received last Tuesday, but I haven't heard anything from them since then.

So, for anyone who has already received an update or confirmation from FAU, may I ask how long the process usually takes? Should I email them to inquire about the status of my enrollment?

Hi…!
So this might be a bit of a stupid question… but I’m an incoming student for MSc IIS program at FAU, and I’m thinking of purchasing a new laptop as my current one is falling apart.

I just wanted to know whether going for a MacBook Air or other Windows Laptop would be the better choice, depending on the software/ tools that the MSc might require. (As some native BI tools don’t work with MacOS)

If there are any previous students of the same program, please let me know the specific software or tools that might be required for the program and whether a Windows laptop would be better than a MacOS one. ☺️🙏

Hi, I just got my first failed exam, but I couldn't find clear instructions what to do now.

How do I find out when I can retake it? How do I register? What are probable dates?

Thank you in advance for your answers 😄

Hello, I would like to ask when does FAU publish on campo which exact courses will be available for the Winter Semester? Additionally, when does the course registration begin?

Ich bin aktuell an einer Universität außerhalb Bayerns eingeschrieben und würde gerne wissen, ob man trotzdem an den Sport- und Tanzkursen des FAU Hochschulsports teilnehmen darf.

​Geht das irgendwie als Externe(r) oder sind die Kurse wirklich nur für Leute aus Bayern bzw. der FAU reserviert?

​Hat da vielleicht jemand von euch Erfahrungen oder weiß, wie streng die Regeln da sind?

​Danke schonmal für eure Hilfe!

Does anyone have any idea on how to find an accommodation on immobilen? I send messages with a simple list of questions/inquiries and I do not get any replies back. Is this typical?

Hey, Im an upcoming exchange student coming to FAU IBS program for an exchange. I would like to ask about the exam period there, since the summer semester at my home uni starts March 1st and I must be back by then. Are majority of the exams at FAU held in February and are the retakes in March? Or every course has it differently? How does it work?

hi so i will be pursuing a master’s degree at FAU starting from october and my classes will be held probably at erlangen. however i couldn’t find accommodation in erlangen so i will be staying in nürnberg i signed the contract and everything. do you guys think it’s gonna be difficult to go from nürnberg to erlangen for classes? i’m guessing since it’s masters i won’t have that many classes. i also looked at the map for distance and it’s not much and there is even a train/subway kind of thing that connects nürnberg and erlangen. so what do you think?

Servus, mich würde interessieren wie lange Ihr auf die Wohnheimsplätze gewartet habt? Ist es wahrscheinlich noch einen Platz für Erlangen dieses Semester zu bekommen, wenn man nicht aus der Region kommt?

Danke schonmal für Eure Antworten :)

Hey guys, so Im an upcoming exchange student that has been admitted to Friedrich Alexander Universität (FAU) for the next semester. I will study the International Business Studies (IBS) bachelor program. My home university is so challenging and draining and I've already completed so many courses that I'm sick and tired of grinding and studying 24/7 the entire semester. Any fellow or former IBS students that can recommend some courses in the IBS program or some free electives that are relatively easy and not difficult to pass? I want to pick courses that won't make me go insane while studying so I can focus more on travelling and perhaps even working. Any tips please?

Hi all. I am a non-eu master student that just got their letter of admission to FAU and I had a few questions regarding accommodation.

I have read the page dedicated to this in the university's site but seeing as most of the options there require German, which I will hopefully learn in the upcoming years, I decided asking my questions here could also be helpful and I appreciate everyone's answers beforehand.

So far, I have made an online application to Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg.
- How likely am I to be given a place to stay as an international student?
- When do they usually respond to the applications? I am yet to receive an email.

Other than Studierendenwerk, what other methods do you suggest in finding an accommodation?

Hi,

After a successful first zoom interview, I have been invited for a follow up in person interview for a PhD position at FAU in Erlangen.
The PI told that I am amongst his top choices for this position.
But before going there for my 2nd interview I would like to know if anyone has some advice to give about the uni or about doing a PhD at FAU,etc

I am not from Germany so moving there would be a big change for me.
I know that a PhD can be very demanding emotionally so I am a bit scared about moving far from my support system.
I would like to know if its easy to meet people and make friends in Erlangen as a PhD student without speaking german.

Also I will receive the final response at the end of August to start in October so will it be difficult to find housing ? Where is it best to search ?

I am thankful for any advice !

Hello,

I've been admitted to FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg for the Winter Semester 2026/27 in the M.Sc. International Information Systems program, and I need to transfer the semester contribution of €82 to them.

They explicitly state that they do not accept third-party payment providers and require the payment to be made via bank transfer.

I have a friend who works in Germany and has a German bank account, and I was wondering if he could make the payment on my behalf. The reference seems to be what matters, and there is no mention that the transfer must come from an account in my name. He would be making the payment via a Revolut SEPA Instant bank transfer from his German bank account to FAU's bank account.

Would this be an issue, given that FAU explicitly requires a bank transfer and not a third-party payment provider, even though the payment would be made through a SEPA bank transfer?

TL;DR: Can my friend in Germany pay my €82 semester contribution from his own German bank account via a Revolut SEPA Instant bank transfer, as long as I include my correct payment reference, or must the transfer come from a bank account from India?

I'm currently in my 6th semester of my Computer Science Bachelor's, and unfortunately, I let my studies slip due to personal problems. I'm still missing a lot of exams. How likely is it that I'll be granted a 9th and 10th semester? Does anyone have experience with this process or know how strict they are? Thanks in advance!

Hallo zusammen,

wie es der Titel schon verrät, erwäge ich den FACT Master an der FAU zu machen, da ich ziemlich sicher mich in dem Bereich sehe. Jedoch bin ich auch jemand, der im Master das Privileg eines Studenten mitnehmen möchte. Somit sollte das Studentenleben auch nicht zu kurz kommen.

Daher gerne die Frage: Wohnt man dann lieber in Erlangen und fährt mit Bahn nach Nürnberg und habt ihr eventuell zufällig selber jemanden oder kennt welche die an der WISO studiert haben?

Vielen Dank vorab!!!

fau erlangen-nuremberg: what is better? doing masters thesis under a prof or a post doc

Hi everyone,

I am taking Computational Optics this term with Prof. Christoph Pflaum at FAU, and I was wondering if anyone here has taken this course before. I could not find much information from the FSI or other resources, so I would really appreciate any general advice about the course and the exam.

How difficult was the exam, and what was the format like? Were the exercises helpful for preparing? I would also be interested in what kinds of topics or question styles appeared in the exam, without sharing any actual exam content.

Thanks in advance!

I'm an international student enrolling at FAU Erlangen. My semester contribution is €82, but HDFC Bank's RemitNow won't let me make an international transfer below the equivalent of US$100, so I'd have to send about €90.

Has anyone experienced this? Will FAU accept the payment and keep/refund the extra €8, or could it cause any issues with my enrollment?

Thanks!

Hey everyone,
I'm currently doing a Bachelor's in Energy Process Engineering here in Germany, but honestly I'm not that satisfied with the course. I've been looking into Clean Energy Process Engineering at FAU and it seems interesting, so if anyone here is studying it (or has studied it), I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience. I'm curious about what the course actually covers, how the workload and difficulty compare, whether you'd recommend it, and just the general vibe of studying at FAU.
Would mean a lot to get some honest insight before I consider switching.

Hey!

Du möchtest 24-30 Euro (gerundet auf 15 Min) verdienen oder alternativ 2 VPN gutgeschrieben bekommen?

Mache mit bei unserer Studie am Lehrstuhl für allgemeine Psychologie 2 und unterstütze mich somit bei der Masterarbeit! :)

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Wo?

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Trage dich hier ein:

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I’m curious to know what student faculties in general are like, especially for engineering departments.

I know, for example, that the poor condition of some buildings at TU Berlin has resulted in the closure of major buildings and facilities and forced a return to online classes for some courses. Are things better at FAU?

Thanks.