The Department from A to Z

ATIS

This is the name of the technical infrastructure service at the Department of Informatics that provides a computer pool, printers, laptop access and much more in the basement of building 50.34. All students of the department can use these facilities free of charge. More information can be found here.

 

Studying Abroad

Partnerships with other universities based in Germany and abroad ensure that students can spend part of their course of studies at other universities. Qualifications gained there can be officially recognized.

 

Spectrum

The Department of Informatics in Karlsruhe offers an outstanding spectrum of academic disciplines: From Computer Technology and Telematics through to the application of Informatics in other fields.

 

Mentoring

The German Excellence Initiative has allowed the Department of Informatics to improve its mentoring relations still further. Thanks to your assistance, we have been able to appoint new professors and found new departments, such as the Institute of Anthropomatics.

 

Evaluation

At KIT, detailled evaluations of all courses are carried out every semester.  The students are asked to assess specific criteria such as the course structure, the amount of work or the engagement and motivation of the lecturer. The informatics students at KIT seem to be very pleased with the quality of the courses, since no course has been evaluated worse than „good“ during the last couple of years.

 

WLAN for the Entire Department

Thanks to WLAN, the Internet can be accessed from all department premises.

 

Department Library and Professsorship-related Libraries

Situated in the basement of the main Informatics building, the department library contains around 53,000 books and more than 200 current journals, as well as offering various WLAN work-stations.
In addition to the university and department libraries, several professorships also have their own libraries. These offer specific, topic-related books that would otherwise be difficult to access for students.

 

Friends of the Department of Informatics

The Friends of the Department of Informatics (FFI) association organizes the exchange of information and experiences between students, graduates and companies.

 

Close Affiliation to the Industry

FZI - The Research Centre for Information Technology was founded by the federal state of Baden-Wurttemberg and the KIT. It is designed to apply the latest scientific research results in companies and public institutions. The individual sub-departments of the department mentor several projects within the industry. This enables students to gain valuable insights into the work of Informatics scientists.

 

Information Engineering and Management

The Information Engineering and Management Programme, which is currently unique as a degree course in Germany, consolidates the skills of two separate departments (Informatics and Economics) and compliments this with a Law module. 

 

Integration of Acadamics and Research

With a view to ensuring the greatest possible practical relevance, all institutes and bodies affiliated to the department give students the opportunity to write Bachelor and Master theses within the framework of their specific fields of research. Research assistance jobs available to students at various institutions mean that longer-term insights into specific research fields can be gained.

 

Orientation Phase

The O-Phase – orientation phase – is an event organised by student representatives of the various university departments. This programme gives first-semesters the overview they need to begin their studies as well as helping them become familiar with the university and the city of Karlsruhe, and letting them get to know each other. The O-Phase takes place every year, about one week before the start of lectures in the winter term.

 

More information: Study Representatives Mathematics/Informatics or O-Phase

 

Practical Relevance

With approx. 45 research groups, the department lays the foundation for an exceptionally broad range of research activities in the field of Informatics. Many groups participate in major interdisciplinary research projects and specialist research fields. Projects funded by third parties even give students the opportunity to gain practical experience. (Projects funded by third parties are research and development initiatives carried out by members of the university within the framework of their professional responsibilities. They are not funded through the university's budget but rather by third-party finances.)
The department cooperates with the Friends of the Department of Informatics (FFI) association to offer students the so-called Job talk designed to give them initial insights into the daily work of Informatics scientists that is set to become their future professional career. In addition, more than 30 companies have been founded so far from within the department.

 

Computer Pools

The computer pools in the university's computer centre are equipped differently. With the exception of two pools on the second floor, they are all located in the basement of the building 20.21 SCC- Steinbuch Centre for Computing. Students can use the computers free of charge. Located in the foyer of the first floor, you can seek assistance from the Consultancy and Information Team BIT8000.
In addition, the individual professorships of the Department of Informatics are equipped with their own computer pools available to students working on specific projects and seminars.

 

Reputation

The Department of Informatics already has been high up the table of various university rankings for many years now and benefits from its outstanding reputation within the industry. It has developed into one of the largest departments at the KIT and one of the most influential departments for Informatics in the whole of Germany. Due to its outstanding research activities, the department has grown into an important source for young professional scientists in the field of Informatics.
The relatively new Information Engineering and Management programme has also made its mark with an excellent ranking in the CHE league table published by  the newspaper "Die Zeit" and the Centre for University Development, as well as in the ranking by the journal "Wirtschaftswoche". Read more

 

 

Studying for School Pupils

The School Pupil Programme offers older pupils in the upper grades the opportunity to gain insights into studying Informatics, also saving them precious study time at the same time.
They are even allowed to take regular examinations that can be officially recognized in their later studies. Read more

 

Tradition

Our department is the oldest department of informatics in Germany and looks back on a successful tradition established in research and academics: Since 1972, the department can testify to around 5,000 graduates and more than 700 doctorates. By 2007, 39 researchers had achieved their postdoctoral lecture qualification.

 

Subject Variety

Students of Informatics at the KIT can choose their minor course from a wide range of different subject fields. Although the focus here is on natural and engineering sciences, courses in humanistic and social sciences, such as Sociology, can also be selected.

 

Central Location

The Department of Informatics is located on the main campus. This means that different courses, the canteen or library are always just a short walk away.