seminar allocation
Psychology used to operate its own seminar allocation system, now seminar places will be allocated using PORTA starting from WS 2024/25, as is common in other subjects at Trier University. This is the allocation procedure:
- First allocation phase: Approximately in the fourth week before the start of the lecture period (in WS 24/25 from September 25th to October 1st) you can enter your seminar preferences in PORTA. An automated allocation will take place in the days following, with higher semesters being prioritized (to ensure a smooth completion of studies), and an automatic waiting list will be created. Your allocated seminar places will be displayed in PORTA. If you are assigned courses that do not fit your schedule, please cancel the places in PORTA as soon as possible! Someone from the waiting list will automatically be moved up, without you needing to email a secretary or lecturer.
- Second allocation phase: In some seminars, there may still be places available after the first allocation phase. For this reason, a second allocation phase takes place approximately in the second week before the start of the lecture period (in WS 24/25 from October 10th to October 16th), which works in the same way as the first.
- Subsequent allocation: If you still need seminar places afterwards and there are still available spots in a suitable seminar, you can email the respective department secretariy to be manually added and entered in PORTA.
- After the second allocation phase, we will carry out a Unipark survey to identify the seminar places you still urgently need for this semester. In some cases, it is still possible to offer some of the required courses spontaneously. You will generally be informed of these by mass email or in the relevant lectures.
You can find the university's instructions for allocating seminar places in PORTA here.
The system does not provide for the exchange of seminar places. If you give up your place, someone from the waiting list will automatically take your place.
In cases of hardship (especially students with chronic illnesses, caring for relatives, etc., who are significantly restricted in their studies as a result) you can contact lecturers of courses that would be practical for you directly, describe your situation and ask whether you can be accepted individually and entered manually as participants in PORTA. As we are a full-time attendance course, living in another city or working do not count as cases of hardship.
In many seminars, work plans are discussed in the first week, groups are formed, topics are assigned, etc.. Your presence is therefore necessary. If you miss the seminar session in the first week of the lecture period, it is at the discretion of the respective lecturer whether you lose your seminar place or not.
Please note that we offer most seminars in WS and SS, but only for 50% of a student cohort (instead of for 100% of a cohort only in WS or only in SS). This gives you the opportunity to organize your studies flexibly, make it easier to postpone seminars, go abroad for a semester, etc.. However, the procedure also means that not all of you will be able to follow the module plan perfectly. Minor deviations from this plan are a normal part of the system and result from the freedom you have with us.
If you have any questions about seminar allocation, please contact the academic advisor for your degree program.