diff --git a/backend/main.go b/backend/main.go
index 9d67b7d..caf1ce3 100644
--- a/backend/main.go
+++ b/backend/main.go
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ func main() {
 		// (the isGoRun check is to enable it only during development)
 		Automigrate: isGoRun,
 	})
-
 	service.AddRoutes(app)
-
 	service.AddSchedules(app)
 
 	if err := app.Start(); err != nil {
diff --git a/backend/service/addRoute.go b/backend/service/addRoute.go
index a9fa997..6a2bd28 100644
--- a/backend/service/addRoute.go
+++ b/backend/service/addRoute.go
@@ -294,8 +294,14 @@ func AddRoutes(app *pocketbase.PocketBase) {
 			Method: http.MethodGet,
 			Path:   "/api/courses",
 			Handler: func(c echo.Context) error {
-				courses := events.GetAllCourses(app)
-				return c.JSON(200, courses)
+				semester := c.QueryParam("semester")
+				if semester == "" {
+					courses := events.GetAllCourses(app)
+					return c.JSON(200, courses)
+				} else {
+					courses := events.GetAllCoursesForSemester(app, semester)
+					return c.JSON(200, courses)
+				}
 			},
 			Middlewares: []echo.MiddlewareFunc{
 				apis.ActivityLogger(app),
@@ -307,14 +313,21 @@ func AddRoutes(app *pocketbase.PocketBase) {
 		return nil
 	})
 
+	// api end point to get all courses for a specific semester with courses that have events
 	app.OnBeforeServe().Add(func(e *core.ServeEvent) error {
 		_, err := e.Router.AddRoute(echo.Route{
 			Method: http.MethodGet,
-			Path:   "/api/courses",
+			Path:   "/api/courses/events",
 			Handler: func(c echo.Context) error {
 				semester := c.QueryParam("semester")
-				courses := events.GetAllCoursesForSemester(app, semester)
-				return c.JSON(200, courses)
+				courses, err := events.GetAllCoursesForSemesterWithEvents(app, semester)
+
+				if err != nil {
+					slog.Error("Failed to get courses for semester with events: %v", err)
+					return c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, "Failed to get courses for semester with events")
+				} else {
+					return c.JSON(200, courses)
+				}
 			},
 			Middlewares: []echo.MiddlewareFunc{
 				apis.ActivityLogger(app),
diff --git a/backend/service/db/dbGroups.go b/backend/service/db/dbGroups.go
index 545b071..81af46b 100644
--- a/backend/service/db/dbGroups.go
+++ b/backend/service/db/dbGroups.go
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ func GetAllCourses(app *pocketbase.PocketBase) []string {
 	return courseArray
 }
 
-func GetAllCoursesForSemester(app *pocketbase.PocketBase, semester string) interface{} {
+func GetAllCoursesForSemester(app *pocketbase.PocketBase, semester string) []string {
 
 	var courses []struct {
 		CourseShortcut string `db:"course" json:"course"`
 	}
 
-	// get all rooms from event records in the events collection
+	// get all courses for a specific semester
 	err := app.Dao().DB().Select("course").From("groups").Where(dbx.NewExp("semester = {:semester}", dbx.Params{"semester": semester})).All(&courses)
 	if err != nil {
 		slog.Error("Error while getting groups from database: ", err)
@@ -104,3 +104,25 @@ func GetAllCoursesForSemester(app *pocketbase.PocketBase, semester string) inter
 	return courseArray
 
 }
+
+func GetAllCoursesForSemesterWithEvents(app *pocketbase.PocketBase, semester string) ([]string, error) {
+
+	var courses []struct {
+		CourseShortcut string `db:"course" json:"course"`
+	}
+
+	// get all courses from events distinct for a specific semester
+	err := app.Dao().DB().Select("course").From("events").Where(dbx.NewExp("semester = {:semester}", dbx.Params{"semester": semester})).Distinct(true).All(&courses)
+	if err != nil {
+		slog.Error("Error while getting groups from database: ", err)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var courseArray []string
+
+	for _, course := range courses {
+		courseArray = append(courseArray, course.CourseShortcut)
+	}
+
+	return courseArray, nil
+}
diff --git a/backend/service/events/courseService.go b/backend/service/events/courseService.go
index 3f9e99c..c20134e 100644
--- a/backend/service/events/courseService.go
+++ b/backend/service/events/courseService.go
@@ -3,12 +3,35 @@ package events
 import (
 	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase"
 	"htwkalender/service/db"
+	"htwkalender/service/functions"
 )
 
 func GetAllCourses(app *pocketbase.PocketBase) []string {
 	return db.GetAllCourses(app)
 }
 
-func GetAllCoursesForSemester(app *pocketbase.PocketBase, semester string) interface{} {
+func GetAllCoursesForSemester(app *pocketbase.PocketBase, semester string) []string {
 	return db.GetAllCoursesForSemester(app, semester)
 }
+
+func GetAllCoursesForSemesterWithEvents(app *pocketbase.PocketBase, semester string) ([]string, error) {
+	courses, err := db.GetAllCoursesForSemesterWithEvents(app, semester)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	} else {
+		// remove empty courses
+		courses = removeEmptyCourses(courses)
+		return courses, nil
+	}
+}
+
+func removeEmptyCourses(courses []string) []string {
+	var filteredCourses []string
+
+	for index, course := range courses {
+		if functions.OnlyWhitespace(course) || len(course) == 0 {
+			filteredCourses = append(courses[:index], courses[index+1:]...)
+		}
+	}
+	return filteredCourses
+}