Study abroad in a non-EU country – application process and documents

The International Office at HM is responsible for allocating non-EU places at our partner universities; please submit the relevant documents by email .

Your department is the point of contact for provisional course selection and course recognition, but the organisation is handled directly by the International Office.

If you are applying for a placement through the non-EU programme, you must submit your application to us around 8–9 months before the start of your semester abroad:

For a stay during the first half of a calendar year or the summer term, the application period is 1 May to 1 July.

For a stay during the second half of a calendar year or the winter semester, the application period is 1 October to 1 December.

The selection and allocation of exchange places will only take place after the deadline has passed. It does not matter whether you submit your application at the start or the end of the application period.

You simply need to email the signed printout of your online application to the International Office. All other documents can be uploaded via the portal.

STEP 1

Once all applications have been reviewed, a selection process will take place. This usually involves additional interviews.

STEP 2

Once you have been selected, we will nominate you to the partner university.

STEP 3

You will receive information about the next steps in the application process by email from the International Office or directly from the partner university.

STEP 4

If necessary, please check with the examination board or the relevant person within your department regarding the recognition of courses. Students in Department 10 should contact the International Relations office within their own department. Students in Department 14 should contact the International Office within their own department; students from other faculties may use Appendix H.

STEP 5

You should complete the application form provided by the partner university and submit any additional documents that may be required (e.g. proof of financial support, letters of recommendation, etc.).

STEP 6

You will receive a letter of acceptance from the partner university. It may take some time to receive a response. Please be patient.
If the placement has to be cancelled by the partner university or by HM due to force majeure, there is no automatic right to postpone the placement to a subsequent semester. It will be cancelled accordingly and a new application must be submitted.

STEP 7

Before departure (by 1 August or 1 December) and upon your return (no later than 30 days after the end of your stay) from your semester abroad, you must complete the compulsory intercultural preparation and debriefing courses on Moodle. You will also receive a certificate of attendance for your records. There is no need to send this to us.

STEP 8

Upon your return from your semester abroad, you must write a report on your experiences (available in German) within 30 days and send it to us by email .

• You need to be properly enroled in a degree programme at Hochschule München. In case of deregistration, your entitlement to the exchange place (which you may already have selected) will lapse. So please do not forget to re-register!
• You must be studying at one of our partner universities. The partner university must offer suitable courses within the relevant degree programme or subject area.
• Students must have completed at least two semesters (BA) or one semester (MA); in other words, an exchange is possible from the fourth semester (BA) or the third semester (MA) onwards.
• Applications can only be made for the academic cycle in which the study period is to take place (e.g. bachelor’s students cannot apply for a semester abroad whilst they are still on a master’s programme).
• Of course, to ensure your semester abroad is a success, you should have a good command of the teaching language. You can find more information on language proficiency and proof of language proficiency under Languages.
• During your semester abroad, you must complete courses and examinations equivalent to at least half a semester’s workload (equivalent to 15 ECTS). This includes not only subject-specific courses, but also courses outside your field of study or language courses. You are, of course, also free to take additional subjects and courses.
• You must be able to arrive at the partner university in good time for the start of the semester or for the preceding orientation days. Please note: the partner universities’ semesters often do not coincide with those at HM, and a stay is only possible during the summer or winter semester, unless you are able to arrive in good time, for example, due to a practical semester.

Hochschule München is looking to nominate interested and open-minded students for exchange programmes at its partner universities, who will represent Hochschule München and Germany in an appropriate manner.

If the requirements (see above) are met, exchange places at partner universities will be allocated in accordance with the criteria set out below:

• acting independently and keeping informed
• submission of the application documents in full and by the deadline.
• academic achievements and progress throughout the student's study time
• sufficient language skills
• motivation
• involvement in (non-)university activities