The team of the International Affairs Department supports the internationalization process of RPTU as a bridge builder between students, departments and external cooperation partners. The department promotes the international study and research programs, supports students during their stay abroad, and supervises international students before, during, and after their stay at RPTU.

Offerings

• First Steps
• Orientation and Language
• Daily life
• Settling in & making (German) friends

The General Student Committee (AStA) represents the interests of all RPTU students vis-à-vis the university and society. The students active in the AStA advise their fellow students on questions concerning their studies.

AStA Kaiserslautern location

• Examination and study advising: Individual advising and information on exam inspection, hardship applications, illness and oral supplementary exams. Office hours by appointment (by phone or e-mail pruefungsberatung(at)asta.uni-kl.de)

Further information: AStA Kaiserslautern 

AStA Location Landau

• News and university policy
• Information about departments
• Groups and Projects
• Services: Help, Lending, Repair, Documents
• Information about: semester ticket, BAföG, job search, restructuring RPTU
• Legal advice for students of the RPTU (The AStA offers a free initial legal consultation. Registration: Department of Social Affairs, Equality and Queer at soziales.support(at)asta-landau.de. Advice on the following legal areas is available: family law, social law and general civil law, tenancy law. The legal area of university and examination law is not covered by the legal advice of the AStA, for this please contact the Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz). 

Further information: AStA Landau

All students of a department form a student council according to the statutes of the student body. The student council (FSR) is the representative body of a student council. At least one general meeting (VV) of the student council takes place every semester.

While the AStA is responsible for all students, the individual Fachschafträte (consisting of students) are the contact points for subject-related matters at the respective departments.

Offers

• Individual counseling
• Questions about studying
• Problems with lecturers
• Questions about examination regulations
• Office hours by appointment (by phone or e-mail)

Further information: Website of the AStA with an overview of the student councils in Kaiserslautern

The academic advising services of the departments and individual institutions will answer your specific questions about the content and organization of the degree programs offered.

RPTU Kaiserslautern and Landau campuses: During your studies (overview of services and advising), academic advising

Location Kaiserslautern

The Equality, Diversity and Family Office of the RPTU is the first point of contact in cases of discrimination. In addition, it offers students interdisciplinary support in the areas of equality, gender sensitization, diversity, students with children, compatibility of family and career/studies, and support for female students and young academics through further education, coaching, and mentoring. 

Offerings 

• Series of events: gender competence workshops
• Individual counseling and information: Students with children 
• Individual counseling and information: Students with dependents in need of care

Special offers for female students

• Series of events: Seminars for female students 
• Individual counseling: Mentoring for first-year female students 
• Individual counseling and networking: Group mentoring 
• Individual counseling and networking: Mentoring for young female academics
• Information offer (find contact persons): Mentoring Marketplace 

Further information: Kaiserslautern Office for Equality, Diversity and Family website.

Location Landau

• Central Equal Opportunity Officer Campus Landau
• Stabsstelle für Vielfalt, Gleichstellung und Familie Landau - Counseling and information services for women, e.g. applying for scholarships, orientation at the university, counseling on sexualized discrimination and violence Advice on job and career planning: Women Career Center and KARLA

The university chaplaincy within the framework of the Protestant and Catholic university community offers all students - regardless of nationality and religion - guidance and assistance in all questions of life.

Individual counseling

• Pastoral care
• Psychological counseling
• Counseling for foreigners
• Information about scholarships

Events

• Seminars and theme nights
• Excursions and trips
• Church services and devotions
• Community activities

Appointments by appointment (by phone or e-mail), contact persons can be found on the respective website.
Further information:

• Website Protestant Student Community (ESG) Kaiserslautern & Homburg/Saar
• Website Catholic University Community Kaiserslautern (KHG)
• Website Catholic Student Community Landau (KHG)
• Website Protestant Student Community Landau (ESG)

The Competence Center for Studies and Career (KSB) is a central institution of the RPTU in Landau. It offers students of all courses of study supplementary interdisciplinary events so that they can successfully make the transition from school or work to study and the transition from an undergraduate degree to a master's program or into a profession. Particular attention is paid to promoting students' self-competence and strengthening their readiness for lifelong learning. The Competence Center for Studies and Career is also responsible for the interdisciplinary profile area in the two-subject Bachelor's programs at the Landau location.

Offers

• Orientation days of the RPTU in Landau
• Key competence courses (study-related key competence courses, career and career-related key competence courses)
• Offers for two-subject bachelor
• Offers in case of study doubts (self-coaching tool, counseling offers at the Landau campus, e.g. by certified student first aiders for mental health / Mental Health First Aid)
• Offers for career and occupational choice
• Focus on Rhetoric (Through public events, such as the Rhetoric Battle or the Rhetorical Salon, students can receive practical impulses on the topic of rhetoric).
• Orientation Studies RPTUzero

More info: KSB website

The Student Service Center (SSC) is the contact point for RPTU students at the Landau location for all questions regarding studies and the university. The SSC can be used to find the right contact person, to issue and collect student ID cards, and to hand in final papers. 
Further information: StudentServiceCenter Landau

SSC Landau

Marie-Curie-Strasse 5 a
New Exhibition Grounds
76829 Landau
Phone: 06341 - 280 37340
E-Mail: ssc[at]uni-landau.de

Kaiserslautern location: The Student Service Center (SSC) offers a comprehensive range of advice and information about studying at the RPTU.

Offers

• Information for freshmen 
• Information about studies and campus
• Assistance with formalities (e.g. application, enrollment, change of program, re-registration, de-registration, leaves of absence, advice on maternity and parental leave during studies)
• Service: Student ID "chip card
• Student Hotline: Advice on study-related concerns: Mail or via online form

Further information: Website SSC  

Student Service Center Kaiserslautern
Gottlieb-Daimler-Strasse
Building 47, Room 109, Ground Floor
67663 Kaiserslautern
Phone: +49 631 205 5252
Fax: +49 631 205 5040
E-Mail: info(at)rptu.de

Psychological Counseling Center

The Psychological Counseling Center of the Kaiserslautern Student Union offers students professional help in personal conflict and crisis situations as well as for study-related psychological problems.

Individual counseling for

• anxieties
• depressive moods
• identity crises, self-esteem doubts
• contact difficulties
• learning and work disorders
• partnership problems
• psychosomatic complaints

Appointments by appointment: Registration (by phone or e-mail)

Further information: Website Psychological Counseling (Studierendenwerk Kaiserslautern)

Legal Counseling

In case of legal problems, students who are enrolled at the Kaiserslautern universities have the possibility to make use of the free legal advice provided by the Studierendenwerk.

Individual advice in the areas of 

• General civil law
• Labor law
• Tenancy law
• Maintenance issues
• Legal questions of everyday life 

Appointments by appointment (by phone or e-mail). Important: Bring student ID to the consultation.
Further information: Website Studierendenwerk Kaiserslautern 

Further offers of the Studierendenwerk Kaiserslautern 

Individual consultations on the following topics (Service section, Counseling section)

• Semester ticket
• Job placement
• Financial matters
• Car rental
• Insurance (e.g. insurance coverage for foreign students, theft insurance)
• Certification of certificates
• International Student Identity Card (ISIC Card)
• Individual counseling for students with disabilities 
• Information offer: Studying with a child (Our Kita)

Appointments by appointment (by phone or e-mail), contact persons can be found on the respective website.
Further information: Website Studierendenwerk Kaiserslautern

Psychological Counseling Center

The psychological counseling service of the Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz offers students of the RPTU in Landau a place to go for problems during their studies, as well as for personal life crises. Counseling is free of charge and not covered by health insurance. The counselors are bound to professional secrecy. 

Registration for counseling and further information: Psychological counseling Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz

Further (counseling) services:

• Social counseling (e.g. studying with a child or questions about student financing)
• Student finance counseling (e.g. questions about BAFöG)
• Food & Drink (information on the menu in the Mensa)
• Student housing
• Private room exchange
• Student jobs
• Studying with a child
• International 
• Culture/Project Funding
• Career

Further information: Website Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz

The University Library (UB) offers electronic and printed media as well as learning and meeting spaces at its various locations on campus (Kaiserslautern and Landau).

The website and UB staff provide information and advice on the services and offerings of the UB. The main focus is on advising and supporting users in their search for information and research in databases and on the Internet.

Selection of some services 

• E-mail information: "Ask us" online form 
• Individual consulting: Book a librarian
• Individual consulting: Citavi question time
• Event series Fit to Study: online seminars and self-study courses (including researching scientific literature, evaluating and efficiently managing literature, standards, citation and plagiarism), library tours bookable by groups as needed: online form)

More info: RPTU University Library website.

The Center for Innovation and Digitization in Teaching and Learning (ZIDiS) (formerly Self-Study Center) - under the direction of the Vice President for Teaching and Learning - supports students through various free offers to strengthen their interdisciplinary skills and to learn and actively try out strategies and methods around the topics of self-learning and self-management (e.g. learning techniques, time management, (online) presenting, dealing with exam stress and exam anxiety, work-life-learn balance). 

Offers

• Series of events Diemersteiner Selbstlerntage and other workshops to strengthen study-related competencies
• Individual counseling: Coaching during studies for "acute" problems as well as preventive (mode: in presence or online; language: German, English)
• Individual counseling by student peer coaches in the online forum lern-BAR (available at any time)
• Continuing education "Introduction to Peer-Coaching"
• Online offers eDSL: self-study courses (available at any time, two of which are in English) and online seminars (scheduled) Coaching for junior scientists.

More info: ZIDiS website

How do I find a psychotherapy place?

If you have decided to seek professional help in the form of psychotherapy, there are various ways to find a place. On the portal of the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of Psychotherapists (LPR), you can use a search mask to find psychotherapists with a registered office in your chosen area. A "Kassensitz" means that the respective therapist is allowed to bill the health insurance companies for the psychotherapy, i.e. you do not have to pay for the therapy out of your own pocket. On the website of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Rhineland-Palatinate you can find more information about psychotherapy. You can also find a search for doctors and psychotherapists here, where you can also find the respective telephone consultation times and other information. Since the waiting times for a psychotherapy place can currently be very high (there are always exceptions!), it is worthwhile to call several psychotherapists and also to be put on the waiting list. If you do not want to call the individual therapy practices individually, there is also the possibility to find a psychotherapy place centrally via the patient service 116117.

Just calling can be a big hurdle, as you may not really know what to say or what you will be asked as soon as the other person picks up the phone. It is quite sufficient to tell briefly what your name is and that you are looking for a place in therapy. If you are asked what the issue is, briefly touch on your problem. Here it can be worthwhile to make a few short notes before the phone call and to think about what you want to say. This gives you a little more confidence. Usually, however, your counterpart will not want to know more about you and your issues until the initial call, so don't worry!

Not being able to reach anyone or being constantly put off can cause feelings of frustration and is certainly not helpful if you are already at the end of your rope psychologically. Therefore, it is best to ask a friend or family member for support! Maybe you know someone who has already undergone psychotherapy and can ask them for help.

Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy
Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 64, 67655 Kaiserslautern, Germany
Telephone: 0631 53490
In case of emergency: you can reach the adult psychiatry department in urgent cases day and night at: 06349 900-2020.
Further information: Website Pfalzklinikum, Emergency

Social Psychiatric Service (SpDi) Kaiserslautern District
The social psychiatric service supports those affected by mental crises or mental illnesses. The counselors help to clarify the situation and refer those seeking advice to treatment and facilitate access to assistance for everyday life. The Social Psychiatric Service acts as a mediator between the citizens, the community, the affected persons and their environment. 
Further information: SpDi website

In a self-help group, you can exchange ideas with people who have the same or similar problems, and you can give each other support, courage and comfort. As a rule, these are open groups, which means that new interested people can join at any time without further preconditions.

Further information: Kaiserslautern District Health Office website