Finding your way at HdM | Language and culture | Medical care | Offers on campus |
HdM is not a big university and yet, you may get lost in our buildings during the first days of your stay. With the help of our navigation system HoRST, you will easily find your way to our faculties, departments, classrooms and university staff.
The International Office at Hochschule der Medien is located on Nobelstraße 10, first floor, office rooms 123-125, in 70569 Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.
Moreover, HdM offers guided tours in English through our faculties and library at the start of each semester. For a first orientation, you can find an overview of our facilites here.
„Ich spreche Deutsch“
Get a taste of German language in a beginner’s course or deepen your knowledge of German in a course for advanced speakers at our HdM Language Center (Sprachenzentrum). The HdM Language Centers offers a broad range of language courses on all levels and according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). In addition, you can take part in placement and assessments tests as well as internationally recognized language tests at our language hub.
Additional language courses are offered within the Language Association Programme VESPA (Verbund für Sprachenangelegenheiten). These courses are reciprocally recognized by the four participating universities in the Stuttgart Region that pursue the aim of joint language teaching across all universities.
The Volkshochschule, Stuttgarts community college, offers a large range of inexpensive language courses. German as a foreign language is offered on all levels.
The Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) is specialized on German as a Foreign Language. Other private language schools can be found on the homepage of the city of Stuttgart.
Additionally, the Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband offers a learning portal "ich-will-deutsch-lernen" to support verbal, social and work-related integration.
The radio program Deutsche Welle provides free online German courses and a number of additional services (e.g. slowly spoken news in German). Use interactive, free apps like Duolingo as vocabulary trainer.
Culture and Living in the South-West of Baden-Württemberg
The website of the Welcome Center and the event calender of the city of Stuttgart inform you on culture, sport, party and outdoor activities in and around Stuttgart. The sub-site Region Stuttgart offers an overview of touristical highlights in and around Stuttgart.
If you intend to practice sports you can check at the sport associations (Sportvereine).
More than 100 different migrants associations exist in Stuttgart. A list of them can be found at the Forum der Kulturen Stuttgart
If you would like to find out more on mosques or prayer places for Muslims, places of worship for Hindhus and churches for many Christian denominations in Stuttgart please contact the Ecumenical Center (Ökumenisches Zentrum/ÖZ) on Campus Vaihingen. Moreover, website of the public transport system VVS provides you with a city map (religious institutions) with adresses (in German).
Up-to-date information about German politics, culture, society and history is available on How Germany ticks and Facts about Germany. A extensive overview about traveling, movies, art and lifestyle is provided by Deutsche Welle. More information concerning life in Germany can be found on Research in Germany.
German universities do not provide medical service for students and staff on campus. A list of English speaking doctors and hospitals in the state of Baden-Württemberg can be found here.
Generally speaking, you have to make an appointment with the doctor before you go. Some general practitioners also have open consultation hours. Don’t forget to take along your health card (Gesundheitskarte) if you are insured through statutory German health insurance. If you hold a European health insurance card, present this at the doctor’s. If you are insured through a private health insurance, take along your insurance policy and make sure the doctor takes notice of it, so that s/he knows how to charge you for his/her services.
If you become ill at night or during the weekend you may call the on-call duty 116 117. In case of an emergency you can directly go to the Emergency Medical Service of Stuttgart doctors on duty if you can still walk or call 112 for an ambulance.
HdM Students and staff can benefit from a selection of sports program offered by Stuttgart University. Further information on the sports program in English can be found here. Moreover, university staff can book a professional massagist As part of prevential health care program, HdM offers massages to university staff. Contact the International Office to book a slot for a massage of the neck and shoulders and enjoy a relaxing time.
The HdM library is a specialized scientific library. It procures, archives, makes accessible and transmits specialized information in both printed and digital media. Its information portals and catalogs provide access to world-wide resources to both teachers and students, for research and teaching. Visiting staff can borrow books and media from HdM library with the help of their temporary HdM ID card, which also functions as a copy card. Each semester, HdM library offers library tours in English.
Moreover, the University of Stuttgart has a university library (Universitätsbibliothek, short UB) situated on Campus Vaihingen. You use this library with your HdM ID card.
HdM has an own university canteen, Eat’n Talk, on campus that is open to university students and staff. Visiting staff at HdM are also given discount for meals in the university canteen on Campus Vaihingen. To do so, you first need to validate your HdM ID card before topping it up with 10 EUR minimum.