• How do I register for classes at the LAI?

In order to register for a class at LAI, you do not sign up on Campus Management. Instead, you will attend the first class and if you decide to take it in the future you approach the respective teacher and let him_her know that you want to attend the class permanently. You may have to give your teacher your (Zedat) email address, so that they can add you to our e-learning system (Blackboard). That way, you will be able to access the course materials.

If you are interested in taking classes outside our institute (such as specific Erasmus classes) you may have to register through Campus Management.

• Where do I find general information regarding my stay in Berlin?

General information regarding your stay in Berlin can be found on the Website of the general Erasmus office of Freie Universität Berlin.

• Where can I find the course catalogue (Vorlesungsverzeichnis) and is there also an English version available?

You can find the LAI course catalogue here.

Important: The course catalogue for the next winter term will not go online before September; the course catalogue for the summer term usually goes online in late February or March.

Please take into account that we do not guarantee completeness and immutability of the commented course catalogue, due to the fact that there can be changes at any time.

There is both an English and a German version. For BA students, please click on "Module offering in Latin American Studies".

MA students, respectively, click on "Master's programme in Latin American Studies".

If you want to find only those classes that are being offered in Spanish or English, please navigate around the right-hand side of the webpage and click on the arrow button next to the "search now" button. It will give you the option of "advanced search". You may then choose your filters.

• What courses can I take?

Generally, the majority of courses have to be chosen from the Latin American Studies course catalogue (Vorlesungsverzeichnis).

• Which types of courses are held at the LAI?

The LAI offers different kind of courses.

One type of course is the lecture (“Vorlesung (V)”), which provides you with an introductory overview of the respective study area. Generally, the assignment you have to complete to receive a certificate of achievement (“Leistungsschein”) in this type of course is a written exam. There is also the tutorial (“Tutorium (T)”) and the exercise (“Übungen (Ü”), which are held to provide you with further information about the subject of the lecture and give you the possibility to ask questions on the topic. They may be valuable to you, even if no ECTS are awarded for them.

Another form of courses is the seminar (“Seminar (S)”). There are two different kinds of seminars available at the LAI. In general, they treat specific subjects more in depth than lectures. In these types of courses your participation, your questions and taking part in discussions will add to the functioning of the seminar. There are introductory seminars (“Proseminare (PS)”) and advanced seminars (“Hauptseminare (HS)”).

All courses are held weekly and every session lasts two lessons (“Semesterwochenstunden” (SWS)), which are 90 minutes.

• Are courses held in Spanish or English at the LAI?

In the BA and MA programs some courses are regularly held in German, Spanish, Portugese or English. However, this offer varies each semester. In most cases the language of the course is indicated in the course catalogue. The course catalogue is updated each semester and is usually available at the end of the previous semester (about March/August). If you want to find only those classes that are being offered in any other language but German, please navigate around the right-hand side of the webpage and click on the arrow button next to the "search now" button. It will give you the option of "advanced search". You may then choose your filters.

• How many ECTS can I obtain in the various courses?

The number of ECTS points obtained at the LAI differs according to the type of seminar you choose and the type of assignment you complete.

Course offer of the M.A. program „Interdisciplinary Latin American Studies“/ „Interdisziplinäre Lateinamerikastudien“:

Lecture, „Grundlagenveranstaltung“	Active participation	3 ECTS
Lecture, „Grundlagenveranstaltung“	Active participation + exam*	5 ECTS
Lecture, „Grundlagenveranstaltung“	Active participation + term paper*	8 ECTS
Seminar, „Hauptseminar", „Übung“, „Tutorium“	Active participation (eventually one mandatory presentation*)	5 ECTS
Seminar, „Hauptseminar", „Übung“, „Tutorium“	Active participation + exam*	7 ECTS
Seminar, „Hauptseminar", „Übung“, „Tutorium“	Active participation + term paper*	10 ECTS

Course offer of the 30 LP B.A. program „Interdisciplinary Latin American Studies“/ „Interdisziplinäre Lateinamerikastudien“ / previous course programs / basic courses:

Lecture, „Grundlagenveranstlatung“	Active participation	2 ECTS
Lecture, „Grundlagenveranstlatung“	Active participation + exam*	5 ECTS
Lecture, „Grundlagenveranstlatung“	Active participation + term paper*	7 ECTS
Seminar, „Proseminar“, „Übung“, „Grundkurs“, „Tutorium“	Active participation (eventually one mandatory presentation*)	4 ECTS
Seminar, „Proseminar“, „Übung“, „Grundkurs“, „Tutorium“	Active participation + exam*	6 ECTS
Seminar, „Proseminar“, „Übung“, „Grundkurs“, „Tutorium“	Active participation + term paper*	8 ECTS

* The possible examination modes can vary as determined by the lecturer.

If you attend courses at other FU institutions, e.g. language courses, you receive the number of ECTS points determined by the other institution. If you wish to know the number of ECTS points awarded for classes taken outside the OSI, please contact the ERASMUS coordinators of the respective departments or institutes.

The ECTS awarded for German-language courses depend on the number of lessons you have taken per week and per semester (“Semesterwochenstunden (SWS)”) and are also determined by the Sprachenzentrum (FU language center).

Please note that no extra credit points will be awarded for extra work.

• What are the differences between a participation certificate (“Teilnahmeschein”) and a certificate of achievement (“Leistungsschein”)?

In general, the required work for a certificate of achievement (“Leistungschein”) is more complex than the one for a participation certificate (“Teilnahmeschein”).

The latter is awarded with 3 ECTS for your general participation in the specific course, which usually means regular attendance, literature reading and a presentation, if required, as well as sometimes a review (for the specific requirements please contact your lecturer at the beginning of the course). This kind of certificate may NOT be graded.

A certificate of achievement additionally requires the completion of an assignment (e.g. research paper or exam), which will be graded (specific information on the assignment will be given by the lecturer at the beginning of the course). You will be awarded with 7 ECTS for the total work. 

The number of ECTS will be filled in by the Erasmus office and NOT by the course instructor.

• How do I sign up on Campus Management (CM) and where do I get my "Scheine"?

Erasmus students in political science can now sign up on Campus Management. Otherwise, course instructors will fill in a certificate on paper (“Schein”) at the end of the semester. This Schein must contain information on the title of the course, the course number, the type of the course, and on the kind of assignment (written exam, oral examination etc.) you have completed. If you finish a course with a certificate of achievement (“Leistungsnachweis”), this certificate will be graded. The certificate (“Schein”) must be signed and stamped by the lecturer. The ERASMUS office will fill in the respective ECTS-points. You can find a blank certificate here.

If the course instructor is not an employee at the LAI, but an external lecturer, they can obtain the required stamp in the office of the coordinator of the respective field of study (e.g. political theory).

• How can I obtain a transcript of records?

Your Transcript of Records (ToR) is issued at the end of your studies at FU Berlin, once you have collected all of your grades and certificates ("Scheine"), and only upon your request. Transcripts are not produced automatically!

Please forward your "Scheine" to the LAI Erasmus delegate, either via email (PDF format only, we do not accept photographies!), via post, or in person. If you have left Berlin already and are still waiting for "Scheine", you can ask your respective lecturers to forward your grades to us directly. Additionally, in order to officially request your ToR, you will need to fill in a form (click here for form) and send it to us together with your "Scheine" and a copy of your FU student ID. Once we have received all of these documents, we will be able to produce your ToR. Please note that it may take up to four weeks until you or your home institution receive your ToR.

• What is a Learning Agreement and whom should I send it to?

The Learning Agreement is a contract (study contract) between an exchange student, the sending university and the receiving university.

The receiving university's coordinator agrees (preliminarily) to the student's choice of courses prior to her or his arrival in Berlin on the Learning Agreement, ensuring their availability for attendance. Then, the sending university confirms that this study programme is in line with the requirements of their own study programs and that courses can be successfully integrated into the student's studies.

The Institute for Latin American Studies at the Freie Universität Berlin allows ERASMUS-students to choose the courses they want. There are no mandatory courses and no minimum number of ECTS-credits that need to be achieved. Exchange students can decide for themselves how many and which courses they wish to take.

Important: The graduation requirements of the sending university have top priority. Please check with your ERASMUS-coordinator before you leave for Berlin what terms and conditions apply! You are solely responsible for meeting your home university's requirements!

A first draft of the Learning Agreement for the winter semester has to be forwarded to the ERASMUS bureau of the Institute for Latin American Studies or to the Freie Universität Berlin's central ERASMUS bureau in June. Students planning to come in for the summer semester have to send their learning agreement in December.

• May I complete an internship as part of the Erasmus program?

Yes, it is possible to complete an internship. Please contact the Career Service for detailed information.

(Unfortunately the website information is available in German only. If you need any help please contact the Career Service office.) 

We do not grant ECTS for internships! Internships may only be graded and credited by the home university.

• I did an internship during my Erasmus stay in Berlin. Can the FU Berlin give me ECTS credits for this and can the credits be included in my transcript of records?

No, we cannot give you credits for internships completed during your stay in Berlin. You will have to ask for credits at your home university.

• What is a 'module' and how do I complete it?

The module system (one lecture + one seminar = 10 ECTS) does not apply to Erasmus students. Only regular FU students need to complete modules. Erasmus students pick single courses according to their own interest and requirements set by their universities. For each course they can get either 3 or 7 ECTS.

• What is Blackboard?

Blackboard is an online teaching and learning platform that many of our course instructors use for their seminars or lectures. When you "enroll" in a class on Blackboard, you gain access to important course content uploaded by the course instructor. This usually includes readings, the syllabus, announcements, etc. You mostly will need a password to access this information. This password will be provided by the course instructor in class.

Please note that "enrolling" in a class on Blackboard does not mean you are officially enrolled for this class. For that purpose, and since you are not supposed to use Campus Management, you need to personally get in touch with the respective course instructor at the beginning and at the end of the semester.

• Who signs my Learning Agreement and how do I complete it?

In order to get your Learning Agreement signed, please bring the completed and printed form to our office during our office hours. Alternatively, you can email us the Learning Agreement as a pdf file.

We understand that our course catalogue is being updated after you are supposed to hand in your first Learning Agreement. However, similar courses are offered in the winter and summer terms. In your first course choice, please refer to the current course catalogue. You can make changes at a later point in the Learning Agreement titled "During the Mobility".

We kindly ask you to fill out the contact details prior to asking for our signature. Please note that we only accept fully completed forms. The table below may help you fill out the contact details correctly:

The Receiving Institution

Name	Freie Universität Berlin	Faculty	Social and Political Science
Erasmus code	D BERLIN 01	Department	Institute for Latin American Studies
Address	Ihnstr. 21, R 116 14195 Berlin	Country, Country code	Germany
Contact person	Tilman Menzel	Contact person email/ phone	erasmus@lai.fu-berlin.de +49 30 838 70192