Language courses
Languages connect worlds – Find your course at HSO
Languages open doors to new cultures and career paths. Our language courses help you to navigate the international arena with confidence. Are you a new guest from abroad? Then our intensive summer language course will prepare you for your start. Are you studying with us and simply want to learn a (new) language? Then choose from 7 languages to find the one that suits you best and learn during the semester or in a compact block course.
Language courses for enrolled students
All enrolled students can learn languages alongside their academic studies. We offer free courses in seven languages: English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Polish, or German as a foreign language.
What you can expect:
Languages for all levels: Learn languages from scratch or enhance your profile with specialized courses such as business or technical English.
German as a foreign language (DaF): We offer courses at all levels for our international students.
Real-life situations: In our courses, you will practice typical situations from everyday life and professional life, such as meetings or casual conversations while traveling.
How to participate:
You can find the current program on the intranet under "Language Courses." There you can choose between weekly courses (2 SWS/3 ECTS) or intensive block courses (4 SWS/5 ECTS) during the lecture-free period.
Upon successful completion, you will receive a certificate in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). You can also use this for your Certificate of Intercultural Competence. A real plus for your resume!
Kontakt
World Café
Want to use your foreign language skills in real life? Then our World Café is the perfect place for you! Once a month during the semester, our students from all over the world and members of the HSO get together to chat in a relaxed atmosphere. It's the perfect opportunity to practice your language skills and experience the cultural diversity of our university. So come by and grab some coffee, tea, and cookies.
Summer language course: German as a Foreign Language
Every year in September, the International Center offers an intensive summer language course "German as a Foreign Language" - sponsored by the DAAD.
This four-week intensive course is perfect if you are starting your studies or your exchange semester at Hochschule Offenburg in the winter semester and would like to consolidate German skills for your upcoming studies and everyday life in Offenburg.
The 2026 summer language course is set to take place: Monday, September 1 - Friday, September 25, 2026.
To register for the summer language course please click here.
Registration rounds open from Spring 2026.
Additional information
Lessons
All classes are taught by highly experienced German teachers. Based on an initial placement test, students are divided into small level groups (beginner, intermediate and advanced). The course concludes with a final exam, and participants receive a certificate. An individual pre- or postponement of the final exam date is not possible.
Late participation (after the course start) is not possible. Please make sure to plan your arrival accordingly.
Extracurricular Activities
The participants don't just learn German in the classroom: our varied social programme offers everyone the opportunity to get to know each other and to immerse in the culture of the region.
Together with the members of the Senior Service and other active members of the university, the international office regularly organizes tours around the city packed with exciting cultural activities.
Course fees and payment
Depending on your status, here are the fees incurred for your participation in the summer course.
€ 520 for external participants
€ 380 for Master's students (International Master's Degree Programs) and students from partner universities who only attend the summer language course
€ 200 for exchange students at Hochschule Offenburg
An additional charge for teaching materials is incurred to the course fees (approx. € 30,00). The complete course fee must be transferred to the following account by July 15, 2026:
Recipient: Landesoberkasse Baden-Württemberg
Bank: Baden-Württembergische Bank
BIC: SOLADEST600
IBAN: DE02 6005 0101 7495 5301 02
For all payments, include the following reference number: 1175280003845.
Important: If you register shortly before the 15 July, please transfer the course fee on the same day and send a confirmation by email to summercourse@hs-offenburg.de.
Cancellations
After the 15th of July, a refund of the course fee is only strictly possible in the case of visa cancellation or illness. The cancellation must be carried out with supporting documentation for justifying your absence from the summer course. For more clarification on this, please contact the course coordinator through our email. For exceptions and further details, check the fees regulations here.
(For the original German version please click here.)
Accommodation
Enrolled exchange students and Master's degree students of Hochschule Offenburg have the option of accommodation in the student residence or private accommodation. The rents range between approx. € 300-480. You will receive the application for accommodation directly from the exchange coordinator or the coordinator of the master's degree program.
If you are neither an exchange student nor a Master's student at Hochschule Offenburg but enrolled in the summer language course and need accommodation for the duration of the course, please do not hesitate to contact us for support.
More information about the accommodation in Offenburg you can find under accommodation.