Welcome Guide for International Students
Page content
- Introductory Meeting for International Students
- Support from Welcome Tutors
- Semester information
- Enrolment at the EAH Jena
- Student ID Card – THOSKA
- Web services at the EAH Jena
- Timetable
- Events at the beginning of the semester
- Sports courses in Jena
If you have any questions, please contact the International Office.
Introductory Meeting for International Students
Dear international students,
The winter semester has started and with it a new, exciting phase of your education. We, the International Office of Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena, would therefore like to invite you to an Introductory Meeting for International Students on 9 October 2025.
- When? Thursday, 9 October 2025, 10.30 AM
- Where? Lecture hall 6 (house 4, room 04.00.01)
We will answer the following questions during the introductory meeting:
- What does the International Office do?
- How do I apply for a residence permit in Jena?
- Where can I find my timetable?
- How do I enrol in courses?
- How can I find a room/flat in Jena?
Anyways, we will also take the time to answer your individual questions. Registration for the event is not necessary. Just drop by!
You can find the Introductory Meeting in the timetable at:
Support from Welcome Tutors
Are you coming from abroad to study at the University of Applied Sciences Jena? Then register for free support from our Welcome Tutors, who will help you get started in Jena and at the university.
Our offer
- Reception in Jena
- Help with flat-hunting
- Support at visits to authorities
- Introduction to the University procedures
- Help with general questions
Semester information
The academic year at the EAH Jena consists of two semesters: winter and summer semester. The academic year begins at the start of the winter semester (1 October) every year. The semesters are divided into three phases: lecture period, examination period and semester break. Exchange students have to be present during the lecture and examination period, but it is not mandatory to be present during the semester break.
Winter Semester 2025/26
| Administrative period | 1 October 2025 – 31 March 2026 |
| Online intensive German course | 8 – 26 September 2025 |
| Arrival days | 1 – 5 October 2025 |
| Welcome days | 6 – 10 October 2025 |
| Lecture period | 13 October 2025 – 6 February 2026 |
| Days without lectures | 31 October (Reformation day) 22 December 2025 – 2 Januar 2026 (Christmas holidays) |
| Examination period | 9 – 27 February 2026 |
| Semester break | 28 February – 31 March 2026 |
- A more detailed overview of the semester dates can be found at: Semestertermine (eah-jena.de)
Once per semester, every student of the EAH Jena has to pay a so-called semester fee, which amounts to €320.30 for the Winter Semester 2025/26. The semester fee includes your student’s identity card as well as your semester ticket with which you can use all local and regional public transportation services in Germany free of charges. You can either transfer the semester fee from abroad before your arrival, or from your newly opened German bank account after your arrival in Jena.
The semester fee consists of the following items:
| Germany semester ticket, incl. culture ticket | €213.05 |
| Student council of the University of Applied Sciences Jena | €7,25 |
| Association for student affairs in Thuringia (Studierendenwerk Thueringen) | €85.00 |
| thoska ‒ student’s ID card | €15.00 |
| Total amount | €320.30 |
- Information on how to pay the semester fee can be found at: semester fee (eah-jena.de)
Enrolment at the EAH Jena
You can enrol online in the Campus portal of the EAH Jena.
Enrolment Documents
Once you have enrolled, you can log in to the university's campus portal with your access data and download your enrolment certificate and other documents.
The certificate of enrolment is available in German (page 1) and English (page 2) and confirms your enrolment in the winter semester at the EAH Jena, starting 1 October 2025.
In the document "Account data" you will find your personal access data for your student account at the EAH Jena. These access data are valid for all internet services of the university. For your own security, please change your initial password immediately after logging in for the first time. Follow these instructions to change your password: eah-jena.de/password-aendern.
Student ID Card – THOSKA
The THOSKA (Thüringer Hochschul- und Studierendenwerkskarte) is your student ID card at the EAH Jena. The THOSKA has the following functions:
- Student ID card and culture ticket
- Library pass (use of photocopier, book lending)
- Cashless payments in dining halls and cafeterias (can be toped up with €10 to €100)
- Access authorisation to buildings, labs, seminar rooms and parking area
- Use of washing machines in dormitories of Studierendenwerk
- Re-registration resp. validation of student status
Germany Semester Ticket and Culture Ticket
The semester ticket is valid as Germany semester ticket ("Deutschlandticket") and allows you to use the following means of transport throughout Germany free of charge:
- Local public transport (tram, city bus, commuter train, metro)
- Regional trains operated by Deutsche Bahn and most private railway companies
- Intercity and regional buses
Not included in the Germany semester ticket are long-distance trains (IC/ICE), long-distance buses (e.g. Flixbus) and taxis.
To download the Germany semester ticket, you must first install the MeinJena app on your smartphone and register in the app. You can find detailed instructions for downloading the Germany semester ticket here:
The culture ticket is part of the semester fee and provides free entrance to the following cultural institution:
- Theatre in Jena („Theaterhaus Jena“)
- Jena’s philharmonic orchestra („Jenaer Philharmonie”)
- Museums in Jena
Please note: Before visiting the cultural institutions, you will need to get an entry ticket first. The entry ticket can be obtained in the corresponding shops (e.g. Jena’s tourist office). The ticket will be free of charges if you present your THOSKA.
Web services at the EAH Jena
When you enrol at the EAH Jena, you will receive your access data (document "Account data") for the university's web services. You can access the most important web services via the EAH Jena homepage (www.eah-jena.de).
| Web service | Description |
|---|---|
| Eduroam | Eduroam is a free Wi-Fi service used by many universities and scientific institutions worldwide. In Jena, there is good coverage with eduroam especially in the city centre and on the campus of the EAH.
|
| Library account | To borrow online and print media from the EAH Jena library or associated catalogues, please use your library account.
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| BigBlueButton | BigBlueButton is a browser-based tool for video conferences and online seminars, which is used by the EAH Jena for online courses. No software needs to be installed.
|
| Campus portal | You can manage your student data (e.g. contact information) in the campus portal. You will also find your study certificates and proof of payment there.
|
| My EAH | My EAH is the university's intranet. There you will find, for example, the pages of the departments and examination offices as well as IT resources.
|
| Moodle | Moodle is a teaching and learning platform where you can enrol in your courses. Teachers provide you with presentations, scripts, readers or tasks via Moodle.
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| Self-service | You can use the self-service to register and de-register for your exams.
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| Webmail | When you enrolled at the EAH Jena, you also received an email address from the university. Please check your emails there regularly so that you do not miss any important information.
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| IT Portal | You can apply for free access to Microsoft 365 in the IT portal of the EAH Jena to download and use the MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint etc.).
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| IT Helpdesk | If you have any questions or problems with the EAH Jena's web services, you can contact the university's IT helpdesk.
|
Timetable
To access the timetable (‘MOSES’), please use your login data, which you will find on the document "Account data" in the Campus Portal of the EAH Jena.
| Course type | Explanation | Sign in the timetable |
| Lecture ("Vorlesung") | Large groups, in the lecture hall or online, frontal teaching | V |
| Seminar | Medium-sized groups, in the seminar room, interactive, discussions | S |
| Lab practical ("Praktikum") | Small groups, in the lab, experiments | P |
| Tutorial ("Übung") | Small groups, practice of the subject matter with tutors | Ü |
The room numbers at the EAH consist of three components. The numbering follows the pattern: xx.yy.zz
- xx = House number
- yy = Floor
- zz = Room number
| Example | 05.00.04 | 03.02.15 |
| House | House 5 | House 3 |
| Floor | 0 floor (ground floor) | 2nd floor |
| Room | Room 4 | Room 15 |
Moodle is a teaching and learning platform where online seminars take place and where you can find teaching material for your courses. Some lecturers also use Moodle for course enrolment, others do not. This depends on the respective lecturer. To register for Moodle, please use your login data, which you will find on the document "Account data".
Events at the beginning of the semester
- The International Centre at Haus auf der Mauer is the central meeting place for students in Jena. Events take place almost daily at the International Centre, e.g. country presentations, film evenings, parties and workshops. Students can also book rooms free of charge and organise their own events in the building.
- By the way: On 11 October 2025, the International Centre will be celebrating this year's Festival on the Wall from 3 pm to 10 pm. Come along and join in!
- On 16 October 2025, the University of Applied Sciences Jena is organising the Welcome Evening for International Students in the International Centre. You can expect a welcome address by the university management, a stage programme with music and dance, icebreaker games, as well as buffet and drinks.
- The WelcomeCafé in the International Centre is the place for new students who just arrived in Jena to get information and make new contacts. The WelcomeCafé is open from 29 September to 17 October 2025, Monday to Friday from 3 to 5 pm., on the 1st floor of the International Centre at Haus auf der Mauer.
- The Erasmus Student Network Jena (ESN Jena) organises a diverse semester programme for students at Jena's universities. There are weekly get-togethers, excursions, parties and sporting events.
- Together in Jena is an international group that organizes indoor and outdoor activities for students to promote friendships, fun and learning. They are based in the International Centre at Haus auf der Mauer in Jena and organise numerous events in different cities. Everyone is welcome to join!
Sports courses in Jena
During the semester, numerous sports courses take place at both universities in Jena. You can book sports courses at the University of Applied Sciences Jena as well as at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. You pay a small participation fee to take part in the courses.
- Sports courses at the University of Applied Sciences Jena (Course booking from 7 October 2025)
- Sports courses at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Course booking from 13 October 2025)