Refresher Courses for Military Students

All officer cadets and officers must have completed SLP 3332 by the start of their studies. This SLP 3332, which is to be completed at the Officer Cadet School prior to university, counts towards the required credits for the Bachelor’s degree and is awarded 8 ECTS credits. These credits cannot be offset by other academic achievements (see “Principles for Foreign Language Training in the Armed Forces” issued by the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr on 22 April 2010).

Officer cadets and officer candidates who, at the start of their studies, have not yet attained the required level of proficiency for SLP 3332, or who have not had the opportunity to take a language course and examination at an officer training school, will receive additional training to achieve the required SLP level in the areas where they are deficient.

For most degree programs, the refresher courses take place during the summer break as two-week intensive courses following the first year of study (see ‘News’ for details of the dates, which are usually posted there from the spring term onwards). If the SLP is not fully achieved during these "summer courses", further tuition will be provided in the second year of study, subject to availability of places and the student’s schedule.

For the ETTI, HRM, LRT, MB and MM degree programs, the supplementary language training takes place in addition to the compulsory language course from the autumn trimester of the second year onwards, due to the extended work placements undertaken during the summer. The students concerned will therefore have 90 minutes of English lessons twice a week: once for the supplementary training towards the academic SLP and once for the NATO SLP, which must be completed by the end of the course. Students remain in the refresher course until they have passed the remaining modules required, which usually takes between one and three trimesters, depending on their prior knowledge and the number of modules they have yet to pass. Extending the refresher course beyond the second year of study is only possible provided that the deadlines for (provisional) admission to the Master’s program allow for this. If the SLP is not achieved by the deadline (usually in March of the third year of study), progression to the Master’s program and the student’s overall academic success are at risk.

For those with very little prior knowledge of English, the opportunities for further language training at the University of the Bundeswehr are not always sufficient. Even those with only beginner-level language skills must reach upper-intermediate level during their bachelor’s degree in order to pass SLP 3332. This depends heavily on the student’s commitment; where necessary, they should also make use of language courses, online platforms or private tuition outside the university, on their own initiative, to improve their language skills quickly. Alongside their studies, this can be a considerable undertaking, and it is advisable to start as early as possible rather than waiting until the second year of study, so as not to risk their studies being derailed by a lack of language skills.

Refresher Courses for Civilian Students

Undergraduate students who also need to complete an SLP to earn ECTS credits can attend refresher courses at the Language Centre and then sit the SLP exams.

For civilian students on the ETTI and INF degree programmes, the supplementary training leading to SLP 3332 usually takes place in the autumn trimester of the second year (4th academic term). In some cases, credits from other modules may be recognized in these programs, thereby exempting students from the SLP – consultation with the Examinations Office is required for this.

For WT students, English language training is provided in the 5th trimester, with the target SLP 2221.

For DIV students, English language training is provided in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, with the target SLP 3332.