Registration and deregistration take place on Campus Management. The registration period for the upcoming semester begins on Tuesday, April 1st, 2025 at 09:00 a.m.. All courses at the history department have limited capacity, so you will only be able to see whether you have received a spot after Friday April 11th, 2025 at 12:00 noon. If you have not received a spot in a class that you would still like to attend, contact the respective lecturer directly. See here for more in-depth information.

You can still register or deregister for courses on Campus Management until Friday, May 2nd, 2025 at 12:00 noon. Afterwards, you must contact the Study and Examination Offices at the Department of Political and Social Sciences (studienbuero@polsoz.fu-berlin.de) for help. To register manually, please fill out this form. To deregister from a course, please fill out this form.

For Erasmus students and other people needing a course & exam participation form (Papierschein), please consult your lecturer.

What are lecturers’ office hours during the winter term 2024/25?

Jessica Gienow Hecht, Mondays at 1-2pm, room 216

Helen Gibson, Wednesdays at 11-1 pm or by appointment, room 207

Anne van der Pas, Tuesdays at 12-1 pm, room 213

Ethan Ruby, Wednesdays at 12-14pm, room 213

The front office can be reached Mondays-Fridays from 10am-1pm or by phone (838-52474) and email (history@jfki.fu-berlin.de)

What do I need to do to obtain credits?

Grades and attendances are usually entered in Campus Management at the end of the semester. Please make sure you have fulfilled the requirements for either a pass (active participation) or for a grade, such as turning in a term paper or passing an (oral) exam.

The requirements for credits depend on your specific study regulation and on the instructor’s individual task concept. Detailed information about course requirements can be found on Blackboard and/or will be announced during the first lesson of a course.

We recommend getting in touch with the respective lecturer in time if you are facing any difficulties regarding the fulfillment of requirements or with assessments.

Students who do not have access to CM (students from other study fields than NAS or from other universities) will need to ask for a (digital) paper certificate (Papierschein) at the end of the semester. For this purpose, please fill out the respective form: FU Students (w/o CM Registration) or JFKI Incoming Students and send it to history@jfki.fu-berlin.de, along with your full name, matriculation no., the course title and no., name of the module and your study program. We will send you a signed Papierschein after we have received all necessary information as listed.

How to manage course credits and conversion of courses?

If you want to receive credit points that were obtained at universities other than FU Berlin or want to convert credits for classes taken at JFKI, you will need to fill out a digital accreditation form.

We have removed this form from the JFKI website because of the high percentage of forms which were either incomplete or contained incorrect information. You will now obtain the form after attending WebEx office hours; please send a message to david.bosold@fu-berlin.de to make an appointment.

Conversion of courses: Be sure to clearly specify which course and topic you would like to have transferred. Courses without any clear connection to the history department will not be recognized.

Please add to the completed digital form additional documents: a recent PDF-version of your FU transcript / a course description / syllabus of the one that is going to be transfered / a paper certificate (Papierschein) / a scan of the transcript from the other university.

To hand in your request, please upload all documents to the Box.Fu or use the following email: anrechnung@jfki.fu-berlin.de.

For more detailed information on course credits and conversion of courses please see here.

What do I need to do to obtain a letter of recommendation?

If you require a letter of recommendation by Prof. Jessica Gienow-Hecht, please get in touch 8 weeks before the deadline by filling out this form and sending it to: historystudents@jfki.fu-berlin.de, along with your cv and a current transcript of records.

Which steps do I have to take to write my BA or MA thesis at the history department?

Approach potential thesis supervisors well in advance either via email or by attending their office hours. The topic is selected in consultation with your first supervisor. All professors and “wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter” who hold a doctorate and who teach at JFKI are eligible as supervisors. Students who wish Prof. Gienow-Hecht to serve as first reader of BA and MA theses are requested to take at least one of her seminars.

After consultation with your first supervisor, fill out the form “Themenblatt mit Bearbeitungshinweisen” and make sure it is signed by your first and second supervisor. Submit the form to the Exam Rewiew Committee, then submit it along with the application and a valid certificate of matriculation to the Office of Examinations. You will also have to proof that you completed the required credit points in your studies.

For detailed information about the registration procedure (requirements, forms, deadlines,contact persons), please see our website (Bachelor thesis and Master thesis).

Where can I find helpful guides for writing history papers?

Harvard College Writing Center's Brief Guide to Writing a History Paper

Format and Citations for History Papers according to the Chicago Manual of Style/U. Arizona Writing Center

Academic Integrity Roadmap: Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism (University of Arizona)

Who can I turn to for academic advisement?

For advisement at JFKI, you may contact the Academic Advisement Office.

The FU Berlin Student Services Center (SSC) may help students with general questions regarding academic advising. It also offers a welcome service for International Student Mobility.

John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies

Department of History

FAQs

What history classes are offered in the winter term 2024/25?

How do I register/deregister for classes?