Your language skills

All partner universities outside Europe require proof of language proficiency. For further details, please contact your point of contact at the International Office.

If European partner universities require proof of language proficiency, they may determine the required level themselves. For English, a minimum of level B2 is often expected; for other languages (e.g. Spanish and French), a minimum of A2 or B1. These levels are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (A1–C2).

You can find the entry requirements for partner universities on their websites. If you do not meet the required standard, the partner university may reject your application.

Knowledge of the teaching language is always required.

However, the teaching language is not necessarily the same as the national language.

Particularly in countries with less widely spoken languages (e.g. Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Estonia, Lithuania, Asia, etc.), a great many lectures are held in English. There is often a special range of courses in English for exchange students.

In countries where the local language is widely spoken (e.g. France, Italy, Spain), in most cases the teaching language is the local language. Only some partner universities offer lectures in English. If you are planning to study at one of these partner universities, you should improve your knowledge of the local language in advance.

The type of confirmation required from you always depends on the partner university. Please check the website of your future host university for information on the language requirements.

Erasmus+ and Switzerland

• If the OLS+ test result or a document from the host university is required as proof of language proficiency, please contact your coordinator at the International Office first for further information.
• In some cases, official test results are required.
• In many cases, certificates from language courses you have completed or 'Abitur' certificate may also be submitted.
• Information on the European Commission’s language tests and language courses (OLS) can be found further down this page.

Stays outside the EU

• In most cases, you will need a TOEFL certificate to submit an application to partner universities outside Europe. The TOEFL is taken online (iBT) at a test centre. In Germany, the test is held on fixed dates 1–4 times a month at around 25 locations. It is very important to book your test slot well in advance, as some test centres are fully booked a long time in advance. The test covers listening, speaking, reading and writing. The test lasts approximately 4 hours and is scored on a scale of 0–120. Your test result can be viewed on your personal profile on the ETS website after approximately 2–3 weeks and will then be sent to you by post. Further information on taking the TOEFL and the costs involved is available at www.etsglobal.org.
• Alternatively, most non-European partner universities also accept the IELTS.

If you need to provide evidence of an official language test, but TOEFL or IELTS are not specifically required, you can register for the free DAAD language certificate offered by Department 13 in English and Spanish. Please note that there are specific dates for the English certificate and these may be fully booked shortly before the application deadlines. You should therefore register for a test well in advance.

Internal (at HM)

• Courses in English
• International Engineering Certificate
• International Management Certificate
• Language courses offered by Department 13
• Language courses for students in Department 09
• Language courses for students in Department 14
• Library resources for language learning

External

• Language schools in Munich (a selection which is neither exhaustive nor ranked, and does not constitute a recommendation)
  • Inlingua
  • Aktiv Language School
  • iQ Lingua
  • Münchner Volkshochschule (Munich adult education centre)
• Online language learning providers (random selection)
  • Babbel
  • Rosetta Stone
  • Busuu
  • Duolingo