About the course
The TI-Course is designed for future students of engineering at universities of applied sciences. It provides technical and mathematical foundations with a strong focus on practical applications and prepares you specifically for the application-oriented approach of universities of applied sciences.
In addition to the technical content, you'll also learn technical terminology and practice-oriented working methods that will play an important role in your later studies at a university of applied sciences.
Course structure
- Introductory Phase (1st Semester) – Engineering fundamentals and technical terminology
- Main Phase (2nd Semester) – Deepening knowledge and specific preparation for the assessment test
The TI-Course subjects in detail
The TI-Course teaches the same technical fundamentals as a university-track course but consistently applies them to practice. Mathematics covers calculus, applied technical mathematics and statistics as a working tool; physics focuses on mechanics, electrical engineering and technical applications rather than long derivations.
Computer science covers programming basics, technical computing and, depending on the Studienkolleg, CAD. German and English are practice-oriented: technical terminology, documentation, reports and presentations — precisely the text types expected at a university of applied sciences and later on the job.
What a typical week looks like
The TI-Course is full-time study in a fixed class group with a fixed timetable, offered by Studienkollegs that prepare students for universities of applied sciences. Calculation exercises, application-based tasks and — depending on the Studienkolleg — lab or computer work shape the lessons.
Attendance is normally monitored and you write tests throughout the semester. Working the exercises yourself rather than only reading model solutions is the clearest advantage in the final exam, where similar task types come back.
What the Feststellungsprüfung tests in the TI-Course
The two semesters end with the Feststellungsprüfung (FSP). It covers German plus the core subjects of your course — in the TI-Course usually mathematics and physics or a technical subject. Each Studienkolleg decides which subjects are examined and whether an oral exam is added.
The certificate entitles you to study in the technical field group at universities of applied sciences. Whether and under what conditions you can later move to a research university is regulated differently by each federal state and institution — clarify this before choosing the course if a university degree is your actual goal.
Which degree programmes the TI-Course opens up
The TI-Course leads to practice-oriented engineering programmes at universities of applied sciences: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mechatronics, civil engineering, process engineering, production engineering, energy technology and environmental technology. These programmes work with projects, labs and practical semesters.
The difference to the T-Course is the institution type, not the difficulty: the T-Course prepares for universities with a stronger theoretical and mathematical focus, the TI-Course for applied study. The TI-Course is offered by only a few Studienkollegs, so check early which ones run it.