Proseminars Main Studies
Current Notice - Application:
If you would like to participate in a proseminar during the winter semester of 2026–27, you must apply electronically via BASIS within the application period.
You can find instructions for registration here.
Click here to view the proseminar announcements for the upcoming semester:
What is a Proseminar?
The proseminar in the main study programme serves as an introduction to academic work. It is supposed to prepare students for the specialisation seminar in later semesters. The proseminars teaches the skills required to write a seminar paper and to present it in the form of a lecture. The topic of the paper is based on the proseminar topic and can be taken from a dogmatic subject or a basic subject.
As part of the proseminar, students must complete a term paper (usually a abstract paper on a legal topic) and give a presentation followed by a discussion related to the proseminar topic. The proseminar paper is a so-called “preliminary paper,” which is usually written during the lecture-free period before the start of the proseminar.
Participation is successful if both the term paper and the entire proseminar performance, including the presentation, are graded at least satisfactory (4 points); oral and written performance are each weighted 50% in the overall assessment. If the presentation is not given as part of the proseminar, the entire examination is considered not completed. A certificate is issued after the successful completion of the proseminar, which also includes the grade. Successful completion of the proseminar is part of the admission requirements for the state compulsory subject examination.
Application/admission to the proseminar requires the successful completion of the basic studies with a fully passed intermediate examination! If more students apply for a proseminar than there are places available, the places will be allocated on the basis of a ranking list, taking into account § 59 (2) HG, giving priority to those who have achieved the better average grade in the intermediate examination (in accordance with § 7 (4) sentence 7 of the 2023 study regulations).
General information on the proseminar can be found in the information on the main studies.
Frequently asked questions and answers (FAQ)
Confirmation of a place in a (pro-)seminar and information on the further procedure will be sent out by the (pro-)seminar providers or the office of the respective chair separately. This means that there may be differences in timing of the respective chair.
You can change your application at any time until the application deadline but be sure to save it again.
No, it is not possible to enroll in a proseminar provisionally, pending the result of an intermediate examination. Successful completion of the intermediate examination is a mandatory requirement for participating in the proseminar.
Please indicate “do not enroll” ("nicht belegen") in BASIS for all proseminars to which this applies.
After the application period has ended places will be allocated according to the criteria specified in § 7 Abs. 3 Studienordnung (2023). It is therefore not possible to make any statements about the likelihood of obtaining a "preferred specification".
No. Places will not be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis; only after the application period has ended will places be allocated in accordance with the criteria specified in § 7 Abs. 3 Studienordnung (2023). It does not matter when in the application period students apply for a proseminar.
Contact:
If you have any questions regarding the content of the seminars, please contact the respective seminar providers directly.
If you have any further questions regarding the allocation of places or technical problems with seminar registration, please contact the study coordination team.