Study abroad as a Free Mover
Information on what you need to do if you want to study at a university that is not one of HM's partner universities
As a 'Free mover', you can submit an application directly to the university of your choice, even if Hochschule München does not have a partnership with it.
Studying abroad as a Free Mover requires a high degree of initiative, as you will need to organise your studies at the university abroad entirely on your own.
TIP: It is advisable to start planning well in advance, at least a year ahead of time.
| Steps | What you need to do and to bear in mind |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Choose universities abroad where you would like to spend your semester abroad and contact them directly to ask whether they will accept you as a free-mover student. Not all universities accept free movers. |
| Step 2 | Check with your preferred universities that accept free-mover students to find out which application documents you need, and put them together. |
| Step 3 | As a free mover, you will often be required to provide proof of language proficiency (e.g. TOEFL). You should therefore find out about this early on so that you can book a language test in good time. |
| Step 4 | Please check with the international academic coordinator of your department or the examination board to find out whether and, if so, which courses taken at the foreign university can be recognised at Hochschule München. |
| Step 5 | Once you have been successfully admitted to a university abroad, you should register your semester abroad with the International Office via the online portal. |
| Step 6 | You are required to cover the tuition fees at the host university. |
| Step 7 | Find out about any Funding options on the Student Advice Centre website. |
| Step 8 | Please write a report on your experience within four weeks of your return and send it to the International Office . |
Find country-specific information
Before you decide on a university or a country where you would like to spend your semester abroad as a free mover, you should try to find out more about what living and studying there is really like. Testimonials, rankings and information about the country and its culture can be helpful. Below you will find some links to websites that can help you in your search for a suitable university abroad.
Please note that this list provides links to external websites and that Hochschule München has no control over their content and accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.
Please also note that some of the websites listed below are only available in German.
anabin: the information portal on the recognition of foreign qualifications
Anabin websiteStudieren weltweit: student information and student testimonials
Studieren weltweit websiteInformation on studying abroad for various countries
Studis Online websiteDAAD country information
DAAD websiteFederal Foreign Office: country information
Federal Foreign Office websiteCountryReports: country information
CountryReports websiteWENR: World Education News + Reviews
WENR websiteThe Times Higher Education Ranking
The Times websiteCHE University Ranking
WebsiteInternational Office
The IO supports international mobility and collaboration in learning, teaching and research.
Info sessions
Date and time information and links for the different info sessions by the International Office
Student experiences
