Information on the Coronavirus

Yes, they are. 

All Student Services can be reached on-site during regular opening hours. Please do not hesitate to contact gethelp@cbs.de in case of questions about the service facilities. 

During the Winter Term 22, the lecture halls and seminar rooms may be used individually again. However, this will depend on recent legal requirements regarding hygiene, tracking and distance Rules. 

• Wear a medical or FFP mask,

• Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly,

• Cover nose/ mouth when coughing or sneezing with a bent arm or tissue,

• Do not shake hands,

• Keep your distance to unwell persons

A medical or ffp mask must be worn when entering the campus and the facilities. It is important to avoid the formation of groups on campus. As far as possible, distances of at least 1.5 m from other people must be maintained. The obligation to wear a mouth / nose protector also applies during the lectures. Symptomatic ill persons are not allowed to participate in events.

Within the lectures, registration by name and by seat is carried out in order to enable a possible follow-up questioning or contact tracing. This data is kept for four weeks and then destroyed.

Yes, you must wear a medical or FFP mask when entering the campus and the facilities.

The obligation to wear a mouth / nose protector also applies during the lectures. So-called “Face shields” are not allowed as an alternative, and can only be worn in addition to to medical or FFP masks.

In the coming semester, we will return to a daily routine of face-to-face meetings, while observing all precautionary measures. This means that the timetable will be planned as face-to-face study within the communicated semester dates. If, due to legal requirements, continuous face-to-face study is not possible, this planning allows us, in principle, to resume on-site lectures in a reduced form.  

Regardless of the arrangement, it is always possible to complete the entire course of study online. If you prefer not to come to campus (for personal reasons) or if travel restrictions/visa issues prevent you from arriving in time for the start of lectures, it will also be possible to attend courses online throughout the coming semester. All lectures will be mapped via the communication platform "Microsoft Teams" and will be available to you as a stream and for review.

Your lecturers can be reached via email, MS teams or by phone.

Appointments with the lecturers are arranged individually and are independent of the onsite phases.

The “TEAMS” software from Microsoft is used for the digital courses. You can access this software via your Office365 software package.

You need a terminal (laptop, PC) and your student@cbs-mail.de or student@mz.cbs-mail.de email address with your access data. If these are not available, please contact the IT immediately: support@cbs.de.

Please participate in the lectures via the invitation link and deactivate sound and video, otherwise the system will be overloaded at the beginning. Because of the transmission quality, please log in via your laptop / PC and not via your smartphone / tablet.

All lectures are recorded. Access is only possible for the respective student group. 

Lectures are recorded so that you can use the content after the lecture, in case of connection problems or due to time differences.

Please use the chat function during the lectures to ask questions (selectable via the menu bar in the middle of the screen).

You will find the lectures in your “Team” afterwards and as a hyperlink in mycbs.de.

All service facilities can be reached on site during opening hours. For further questions, please contact the Examination Office at examination.office@cbs.de.

Campus Cologne

The library is open during the following working hours:

Monday 08:30 - 17:00

Tuesday 08:30 - 17:00

Wednesday 08:30 - 17:00

Thursday 09:30 - 20:00

Friday 08:30 - 17:00

Saturday 08:30 - 15:00

Campus Mainz

Unfortunately, the library at Mainz is not accessible to students due to the corona situation.

The library premises may only be entered with medical or FFP mask. Furthermore, a minimum distance of 1.5 metres to other persons must be maintained. The library visitors are registered by name. It is important to avoid the formation of groups in all library rooms.

If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to library@cbs.de.

Campus Cologne

Books can only be borrowed by pre-ordering via the Web-OPAC (biblio.cbs.de). Open access use of the book collection is not permitted. Library users will be notified by e-mail as soon as the pre-ordered books are ready for collection. The books can be picked up and returned at the information desk.

Campus Mainz

Books can only be borrowed by pre-order via e-mail to library@cbs.de. Please use the Web-OPAC (biblio.cbs.de) to view the holdings. Open access to the book collection is not permitted. Library users will be notified by e-mail as soon as the pre-ordered books are ready for collection. The books can be picked up and returned from the Students Office.

Campus Cologne:

Yes, the library's study rooms can be used. 

Campus Cologne

The computer rooms are currently not available.

You get access to the library’s online media via the library section in MyCBS.

Don’t worry! We understand that the situation for international students is extremely uncertain at the moment, and that you face many problems and challenges while preparing your studies at CBS. We’re here to help! Please do not hesitate to contact us, if you are looking for assistance. 

If you have secured a placement for 2022/2023 and are registered for one of our study programmes, you will get access to our online learning platform and to all study material and scheduled teaching sessions. We will also offer all information sessions that take place during the Introduction Week online. 

As soon as you can travel to one of the CBS campuses, you can join on-campus lessons and activities without any disadvantages compared to your fellow students. 

Examinations will be held online at the end of the Fall semester 2021, at least for those international students who cannot travel to campus for visa or travel restrictions. Please refer to the Examination Office at examination.office@cbs.de in case of questions or concerns.  

Coming to university is about more than completing your course. At CBS, we aim to provide plenty of opportunities for you to form life-long friendships, have new experiences and develop and learn new skills that exceed the curriculum. We are working very hard to provide our students an online solution that offers high-quality standards and ensures individual mentoring and support. However, you surely want to get the full experience of your stay in Germany. Therefore, we strongly advise you to travel to Germany and join us on campus as soon as possible.

If you have secured a placement for 2021/2022 and are registered for one of our study programmes, but the restrictions related to Covid-19 in your place of residence continue longer than expected, you can postpone your course start to the next possible intake. 

Please contact our Admissions Office as soon as possible about a change in your study plans! 

In case your visa application has not been successful, our regular terms and conditions apply. 

If you have completed the application process successfully and have secured a placement for the fall semester, but the German embassy in your home country remains closed due to the Covid-19 crisis, please get in touch with us. We will make sure that you can access the online learning platform, receive all study material and participate in all scheduled teaching sessions before the semester begins. We will also offer all information sessions that take place during the Introduction Week online.

You can process your visa application as soon as the embassy reopens.

Please note that it is absolutely necessary that you get in touch with us in order to receive all necessary information for accessing the online learning platform.

We will issue on official letter confirming your admission and the confirmation that you can start your studies online and join the campus once you receive the visa.

If you come from a country that has been classified as a “risk area”, for example, we suggest that you make sure that you can travel to Germany without any restrictions, or whether you have to take special precautions.

A risk area is an area where various quantitative and qualitative criteria (most importantly, more than 50 new infections per 100,000 residents and government-ordered protective measures) indicate that a higher risk of infection with the Coronavirus exists at the time you would like to enter the Federal Republic of Germany. The countries considered risk areas are published on the website of the Robert Koch-Institut and here. Please note that these regulations can change be adjusted on a regular basis.

Should you experience any of the typical symptoms that might indicate a Covid-19 infection within 14 days of your arrival, please inform us. We will assist you in finding appropriate medical support and advice.

CBS has developed very high sanitary standards and protective measures to minimize the risk to contract with the Coronavirus on campus. The crisis management in Germany during the Covid-19 outbreak has been successful in flattening the curve and condemning the spread of the Coronavirus. Furthermore, it was clear to see that the health care system hasn’t been overwhelmed at any time. This gives us reason to recommend our international students to stay in Cologne, even if a second Coronavirus outbreak occurs. COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. We cannot anticipate what happens in the future, but we can assure you that we do everything possible at CBS to keep our students safe.

We will keep you informed about all developments related to the Coronavirus situation in Germany and Cologne. Stay informed! Read your emails. Get in touch with us. Ask us if you have any questions! Contact us if you have particular personal or study support needs! Where possible, you should continue with your studies as best as you can and join all scheduled (online) teaching sessions.

Germany provides socialized health care. All international students are bound to sign up with a student health insurance in order to enrol at CBS. The German health care system is internationally renowned. With a German student health insurance, you have full access to the German health care system. Your insurance will assist you in finding appropriate treatment and health care if needed.

A corona infection manifests itself through flu-like symptoms:

• dry cough

• Fever

• Runny nose

• Fatigue

• Respiratory problems

• Sore throat

• Headaches and aching limbs

• Nausea

• Diarrhoea

• Chills

(Source: Federal Ministry of Health)

The coronavirus is transmitted from person to person, mainly via droplet infection. The transmission can be:

• Directly from person to person via the mucous membranes or

• Indirectly via hands, which then come into contact with the mucous membrane of the mouth or nose or the conjunctiva of the eyes

(Source: Federal Ministry of Health)

The behaviours are identical to those for protection against flu viruses:

• Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly,

• cover mouth / nose when coughing / sneezing with bent arm or tissue

• keep your distance to unwell persons

• Do not shake hands.

If possible, you should also

• has decided not to travel,

• Avoid public transport,

• stay away from events with lots of people,

• any contacts are reduced.

(Source: Federal Ministry of Health)

A well-founded suspicion can be assumed if

• you were in an international risk area up to 14 days before your illness

• You have had or have had contact with a person who is or has been proven to be infected with coronavirus

The case is confirmed if

• a laboratory test showed evidence of coronavirus infection.

The Robert Koch Institute offers a constantly updated overview of all risk areas: https://bit.ly/39Qg5kz

How do I act if I think I’ve been infected

• please check whether your symptoms are due to a reasonable suspicion

• if there is a well-founded suspicion, call your family doctor or the responsible health office (you can find a research tool here: https://tools.rki.de/PLZTool/de-DE). The attending doctor will perform a quick test by nasopharyngeal swab.

Please contact the CBS and inform the CBS team about your illness at gethelp@cbs.de. The team will get in touch with you.

• with a coronavirus infection you should follow the instructions of your treating physician and observe home quarantine for the duration of the incubation period (14 days). During this time you are not allowed to enter the CBS (ban on entering and visiting).

• please keep in touch with the CBS team by email and inform them regularly about your state of health.

• Please check whether you have a reason to suspect infection.

• In case of reason to suspect infection, please call your GP or the responsible health department (Gesundheitsamt). You may find one via: https://tools.rki.de/PLZTool/de-DE).

• Your GP will use a quick smear test.

• In case you are confirmed to have coronavirus, you are required to follow the advice of your GP. Also, you need to stay in domestic quarantine for an incubation period of 5 days. During this time you are not allowed on CBS premises (ban on entering the premises).

• Please keep in touch via E-Mail to our CBS team and regularly update them on your state of health.

Since 9 June 2020, it has been possible to test people for the corona virus even if they do not show any symptoms. Backdated to the 14th May, all tests for members of a statutory health insurance scheme in Germany will be paid for by that same scheme.

Home quarantine is a protective measure which largely excludes the affected or potentially ill persons from participating in social life.

The following measures must be observed:

• Do not leave your home without the explicit permission of the health department. For the period of domestic quarantine you are subject to observation by the public health department in accordance with § 29 of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG).

• Do not receive visits from persons who do not belong to your household.

During the time of the domestic quarantine, representatives of the health authority will carry out examinations and withdrawals of your body in order to ensure a quick recovery. This concerns above all swabs of skin and mucous membranes, blood samples and X-ray examinations.

(Source: Robert Koch Institute)