Studienbüro Mathematik

This is a list of frequently asked questions with its answers. They are roughly sorted chronologically related to the course of the study.



And here are the answers:

Do I have to apply for the studies?


The Bachelor's programme in mathematics (B.Sc.) is admission-free (without NC), so you can enroll directly. A more detailed answer to that question can be found here: Enrollment for freshmen. If you want to enroll in mathematics being a university or subject switcher, you can get the suitable information here.

Is it difficult to study mathematics?


Every student has to answer that question for him- or herself. What can be said in general is that for most of the freshmen the change from school to university life is not easy.
Nonetheless, especially together you can do it. From the beginning on, you should choose a small group of fellow students with which you talk and argue about mathematics and pose many questions to one another. It can be said from experience that you especially need these requirements to study mathematics successfully.


  • You enjoy to think about mathematical/logical problems
  • Power of endurance
  • Frustration tolerance



What are lectures/exercises/practical courses?


Lectures are courses in which normally especially the instructors speak. Here, the material that has to be learned will be written on the (electronic) blackboard or presented with slides. Of course questions are allowed and welcome.
Exercise sessions mainly focus on the (solving of the) exercise sheets that have to be solved within the scope of the lectures. Normally, students presents their solutions here. If necessary, lecture material can be discussed and/or deepened together with the exercise instructor ... and it is always helpful to pose questions about the material.
In the first and second semester the so-called "Praktika" (practical courses) are voluntary (no compulsory attendance!) additional offers that should facilitate the introduction to university mathematics, as professors, their assistants and the exercise instructors regularly take time to answer questions to the lectures and exercises. Additionally, skills about subject-related discussion about mathematics and team work in mathematics is trained.

What are key competencies?


Normally, with the term key competencies skills are identified that exceed the pure subject-related competencies and help to develop posed requirements. Typical examples are method competencies like "How do I prepare a presentation?" or "How do I learn efficiently?" as well as social competencies like "How do I instruct a group?" or "How can I solve conflicts?".
By choosing the 18 credits that are intended for key competencies in the Bachelor's programme wisely, students can sharpen their personal profile and/or follow own wide-ranging interests. At Göttingen University there are five different categories of key competencies. More details and a list of university-wide key competencies can be found here.
For more information, you can also take a look at Which key competencies should I or do I have to acquire?

How does my time table look in the first semester?


In the first semester you take the lectures "Differential and integral calculus I" and "Analytical and linear algebra I" (both in the Bachelor's programme with two subjects and the B.Sc. Bachelor's programme). Additionally, there are exercises and practical courses. On the first look, the timetable looks quite empty. Nonetheless, the most time that has to be spent is normally not while attending the courses. Each course has weekly assignments - so-called exercise sheets - that you have to work on and reach in your solutions. The solving of the exercise sheets takes far more time than it takes to attend the corresponding courses. To understand mathematics you have to learn to solve exercises and actively think about what was mediated in the lectures and exercise sessions. This is the reason why the programme is structured like this.


When do I have to attend the compulsory advisory?


Before you register for the third (thus the last possible) examination try, in some cases a compulsory advisory is necessary. Details can be found here.

When should I schedule a stay abroad?


In the Bachelor's programme, you should not plan the stay abroad before the third and also not necessarily in the last (sixth) semester. It generally holds that you should already start planning at an early stage - at least a year before the planned stay abroad. It is recommended to visit the ERASMUS coordinator Hartje Kriete (Get in touch).

How will credits from my exchange studies be recognized?


All courses successfully completed at the exchange-university will be recognised as so-called "freie Anerkennung" in the respective study group ("Fachgruppe") with the number of credits as given by the exchange-university inst. Grade conversion will be made via the "Bayerische Formel”."

When should I schedule an industrial placement?


To import the industrial placement into the Bachelor's programme in mathematics, it should be well-planned and pre-decided with the study office. It especially has to meet the following requirements:


  • The internship takes place at an industrial environment in which graduates of mathematics actually work.
  • The internship covers at least 240 working hours.
  • The duties of the intern have a mathematical orientation.


Students should clarify if the internship can be imported to the mathematics programme before the start of the internship. For that purpose, they should get in touch with Hartje Kriete (Kontakt), because he also accredits the examination result after the internship. The examination consists of a presentation or a report about the internship.
It can be an organisational challenge to find enough exam-free time without interruption during the semester break. The time between the end of the lectures of the summer semester and the start of the winter semester is in most cases the best choice, because it often is longer than the time between the end of the lectures of the winter semester and the start of the summer semester. The mentioned time normally covers the months of August and September which therefore are quite suitable for a placement.
Therefore, two time periods of time are the most suitable during the Bachelor's programme for a placement, namely the time between the second and the third as well as the time between the fourth and the fifth semester. That is barely a tip. Students can and should decide for themselves when they best can integrate the industrial placement into their studies.
Income of compulsory placements is charged for the BAföG, meaning that it is substracted from the monthly BAföG. Income of voluntary placements does not yield in a reduction of the monthly BAföG rate.


Where did our students do an industrial placement so far?



A list of enterprises where our students did an internship can be found here.


Do I have to let certify a field of study?


It is possible (but not obligatory) to let certificate the choice of the field of study on the diploma. For this, you have to acquire 30 credits in this field of study outside of the basic studies and the Bachelor's thesis.
The possible fields of study are:


  • SP 1: Analysis, geometry, topology
  • SP 2: Algebra, geometry, number theory
  • SP 3: Numerical and applied mathematics
  • SP 4: Mathematical stochastics


      • A field of study is automatically chosen at the end of the studies as it is defined as the field of study in which the Bachelor's thesis is written.



      How do I find a supervisor for my Bachelor's thesis?


      Students usually look for a supervisor for their thesis themselves by contacting the professors personally to find out whether they still have supervisory capacities and topics available. The professors are also happy to be contacted for the assignment of theses by e-mail.
      A list of possible supervisors ("Prüfungsberechtigte in Mathematik") as well as the thesis application form can be found at this link.
      A list of past theses topics for orientation can be found here.

      Note: Although the total time required to complete the Bachelor's thesis is 6 months, this is not meant to be full time for writing the thesis, which can be seen from the thesis credit of 12 credits. Twelve credits correspond to 360 student hours of work and one should refer to this information to the supervisor if necessary.


      How are seminars structured? How do I find a seminar that fits me?


      Seminars are courses in which students acquire a mathematical topic from (normally given) literature autonomously and then do a presentation to give the other seminar participants an understanding of the own topic. The instructors are happy to help you with structuring the preparation. They are also glad to answer your upcoming questions. During the seminar, an active participation - that means posing questions and active participation in the discussion - is very welcome.
      Normally, preliminary meetings of seminars with topic allocation take place at the latest in the first week of lectures.
      Often, seminars for the upcoming semester are already announced at the end of the courses of the current semester. The likelihood of this happening is greater if students show interest in a seminar built on the lecture. In such cases, the preliminary meeting for the seminar in the upcoming semester often already takes place in the current semester. Please get in touch with the instructors at an early stage if you are interested in a topic. This also makes sense because there often is a limited number of places in seminars.
      Above all, seminars with other courses are announced in the UniVZ/Stud.IP system as well as in some cases by notice in the hallways or on the doors of academics. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open!


      How do I register my Bachelor's thesis?



      After the supervisor situation is clarified, you have to fill out the following form together with the supervisor and hand it in in the examination office.
      Note: The time for processing for the Bachelor's thesis altogether is six months, but these are not intended to be full time for writing the thesis what can be seen by the number of credits (12 C) that are acquired by the Bachelor's thesis. Twelve credits correspond to 360 student working hours. If required, you should refer to this information when discussing with your supervisor.

      Which key competencies should I or do I have to acquire?


      All in all, each student of the Bachelor's programme in mathematics has to acquire 18 C in the key competencies section. The constraints of this section depend on the chosen study track (research-, practical- or physics-oriented). A programming course with the extent of at least 5 C is obligatory in 2 of our 3 tracks. In addition, practical courses are obligatory in the practical- and physics-oriented track. However, in the research-oriented track it is obligatory to acquire at least two modules of the key competencies area of mathematics of the department for mathematics and computer science.
      By choosing wisely from the other key competencies, it is possible for students to sharpen their personal profile and/or follow own wide-ranging interests.
      At Göttingen University there are five different categories of key competencies. More details and a list of university-wide key competencies can be found here.

      Do I have all necessary credits for the Bachelor degree?


      This always depends on the chosen track and of course also on the individual student and thus can not be answered in general.
      This checklist can give you a good impression: Checklist Bachelor Mathematics. If you have more detailed questions, the study advisory is happy to help you.

      How is the process of the delivery of the Bachelor's thesis?



      The thesis is handed in via upload in FlexNow.

      The form of the thesis has no special requirements. If you want to you can use this draft of a declaration of authorship (in German).

      Note: The time for processing for the Bachelor's thesis altogether is six months, but these are not intended to be full time for writing the thesis what can be seen by the number of credits (12 C) that are acquired by the Bachelor's thesis. Twelve credits correspond to 360 student working hours. If required, you should refer to this information when discussing with your advisor.

      How is the final grade of the Bachelor calculated?


      When calculating the final degree, the weighted mean of the corresponding credits of the following examination modules is calculated:
      a) the Bachelor's thesis
      b) all completed and graded module examinations.
      Upon request of the students, module examinations in the range of at most 18 credits do not have to be part of the final grade, in this case the corresponding modules appear on the Bachelor's certificate without a grade.

      Do I get a university place for the Master's programme?


      Because it is not possible to foresee the future, this question can not be answered terminally. Experience from the last years has shown that the most applicants that fulfil the formal admission criteria also get a place in the Master's programme.