FAQ

Table of contents

When do the courses start? When does the registration process start?

The sports courses start at the same time as the lectures. Registration usually takes place two weeks before the courses start. Detailed information can be found on the university sports department homepage.

Who can attend university sports courses?

Our sports facilities are primarily available to students. If space is available, the university sports courses are open to everyone, provided that they

  • are of age,
  • can meet the requirements of the respective course and
  • have made a booking via the university sports department’s online portal.

If you are pregnant, please find out which sporting activities are safe for you to participate in before booking a course. If you have a disability, please register in advance at the sports office.

How do I register?

Online registration is required for course participation. This takes place exclusively via the university sports department’s online portal. A maximum of five sports courses per person may be booked. Participation is possible immediately after the booking procedure. However, individuals are only entitled to the reserved space on the course in the wake of timely receipt of payment. If space allows, late registrations are possible at any time.

How to register:

  • Open the current sports programme , select the desired course and click on “Book now”.
  • Fill in the registration form and click on “Continue to booking”. Please include your email address so we can contact you if necessary. Check that all the details are correct and click on “Confirm purchase”. This will trigger the encrypted data transmission process. 
  • A registration confirmation is generated at the end of the registration process. Please print this out! It includes your credit transfer data and the participation ticket. The participation ticket must be shown during eligibility and attendance checks.

Note: If a course is fully booked, it is possible to add your name to the waiting list in the event that someone drops out.

How much do the courses cost?

The participation fee is calculated according to

  • the nature of the course and
  • an individual’s status (e.g. their eligibility for a concession)

Participants are assigned to different sliding scale groups which are subject to a range of fees. Students, school pupils and trainees/apprentices must present the relevant proof of status in addition to the participation ticket during on-site checks. If no proof is provided, an additional fee will be charged.

The specific costs are shown for each course and apply to its entire duration unless otherwise stated. The granting of discounts in the event of late entry to a course remains at the discretion of the university sports department.

What should I bear in mind when paying?

The amount must be transferred in due time, within 3 working days.
If no payment has been credited to the university sports account, the reserved space will automatically be cancelled. At the same time, individuals on the waiting list will be informed by email of the vacant space.

It is mandatory to transfer the fee for each individual registration and to indicate the booking number and the name of the participating individual as the reference. If this is not done, an unequivocal assignment to the course cannot be guaranteed and there is a risk of losing the space.

Can I change to another course?

In principle, changing to another course is possible, but can only be made by the university sports department. If you would like to rebook, please send us an email with the following details:

  • Surname, first name
  • Details of the currently booked course: Name | day | time
  • Details of the desired alternative course: Name | day | time

In the event that the rebooking results in a deficit, subsequent payment of the difference is required. If there is an excess, this may be credited to another course in the current or subsequent course programme. A partial refund from rebookings is not usually possible.

What happens if individual sessions are cancelled?

If individual course dates are cancelled and no substitution arrangements are possible (e.g. in the event of the illness of the course instructor or the closure of sports facilities), we will send an email to the affected group of participants as soon as possible. There is no right to a refund in the event of individual course dates being cancelled.

My course has been cancelled, what happens now?

If a course is cancelled by decision of the university sports department, the participants will be informed by email. Course fees already paid will be refunded in full without deduction of a processing fee

  • if the cancellation is announced before the start of the course,
  • or refunded on a pro rata basis if the cancellation is announced during the course programme.

Can I withdraw from a course?

Withdrawal from sports courses is possible up to 7 days after the start of the course at the latest without stating reasons. In this case, the course fee will be refunded, minus a processing fee of 20%.

Withdrawal is possible up to 7 days before the event at the latest for events in the category “university sports - extras”. Here, too, the course fee will be refunded minus a processing fee of 20%.

Online sports courses are exempt from this rule. No withdrawals are possible here!

I would like a refund, what should I do?

The refund will only be processed if a written request is submitted to the sports office within 14 days of notification of the course cancellation or after notification of the desire to withdraw. After expiry of this period, the only option is to change to another sports course if space allows.

Refund requests exceeding these regulations as well as refunds pertaining to multiple semesters will not be considered.

Please fill in the refund request form [PDF], sign and send it.

My skills are not up to the level of the course.

To ensure that courses are run in a targeted manner, classification into different categories (beginners, advanced etc.) is necessary in some instances, but requires a self-assessment that is as accurate as possible. The course leaders are therefore entitled to suggest a change of course in case of misjudgement on the part of the participants. If the individual is unwilling or unable to accept the change of course, or if the running of the course suffers significant disruption, they may be excluded from the sports course. A pro rata refund of the course fee is then subject to individual assessment.

Do courses take place during the semester break?

Yes, but not in the form of a holiday course programme, as is the case with the other university sports facilities in Berlin.

Our sports programmes are always offered on a per-semester basis and can be booked throughout the semester. Furthermore, individual sports courses may only be offered during the lecture period. Look at the course dates when booking the course.

You can also stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter.

Do courses take place on public holidays?

As a rule, no university sports courses take place on public holidays.

How am I insured in case of accidents?

In order for the insurance to be valid, those affected must have officially registered for the course with the university sports department and have attended on a regular basis.

  • Students at Berlin’s universities are insured for sporting accidents at events organised as part of university sports in accordance with the regulations issued by the Unfallkasse Berlin (Berlin Accident Insurance Fund). The legal basis for insurance cover is the Federal Social Security Code VII. You are obliged to submit an accident report.
  • Employees of Berlin universities are insured in accordance with the provisions for insurance cover applying to corporate sporting activities. You are obliged to submit an accident report. Civil servants are excluded from this requirement because, in their case, an accident in the context of university sports (§ 31 para. 1 of the Civil Service Benefits Act (BeamtVG)) does not constitute an occupational accident.
  • All other participants in university sports are not included in this insurance cover. It is advisable to take out private accident insurance in this instance.

Any further liability for damages on the part of the university sports department and its employees is excluded. All sports participants are therefore advised to take out personal liability insurance in order to be covered against liability claims arising from personal injury or property damage to third parties that may occur in the course of sporting activities.

Am I insured in the event of theft?

In the event of theft or damage to private property in the sports facilities used by the university sports department, both the organisers and the owners (e.g. the responsible district authorities) exclude any liability.
We therefore advise you:

  • not to leave valuables unattended in the sports facilities.
  • to use the short-term lockers for the duration of the course, if necessary. If lockers are not emptied by the time the sports hall closes each day, the university sports department is entitled to take charge of the contents and only return them after payment of a processing fee of 20 EUR. If a key is lost, the cost of replacing and installing a new cylinder lock will be charged, amounting to 40 EUR.

What can I do if a course in my preferred sport is not offered?

You can obtain information from and register at one of the other university sports facilities in Berlin:

How can I participate in competitions?

Information and dates for regional, national and international university competitions are listed in the section competitive sports.