Informations for Students

Exchange programmes have the advantage that many organisational matters will have been dealt with for you already. In general, you do not need to pay any tuition fees and it is easier to gain recognition for the credits that you earn whilst abroad. In addition, some programmes offer partial or full scholarships.

At Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences there are exchange programmes with over 80 Erasmus+ partner universities plus countless partner institutions in other non-EU countries.

You can find more information on the available exchange programmes here:

Erasmus+ – Studying in Europe

Studiying at Partner Institutions – Worldwide

You can undertake a study trip abroad individually or as part of an exchange programme run by Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. If you have a particular country, university or study project in mind, you can apply individually to the university of your choice. As a free mover you have almost unlimited possibilities for shaping your stay abroad to precisely meet your expectations.

You should gather information on the following aspects when preparing and planning your stay:

Higher education system in the host country

• What types of higher education institutions are there?
• Which study programmes and opportunities to specialise are available?
• Are there admission restrictions for certain subjects?
• How is the study programme structured? (academic year, semester, terms, tiered studies/cycles, examinations)
• Generally, the academic year abroad differs from the semester dates in Germany!

Admission requirements

• Which documents are required for an application? (e.g. translation of certificates, notarisations, expert assessments)
• Do you need to complete a language test before commencing your studies? (if so: dates, test venue, requirements, validity period)
• What are the deadlines? (e.g. application deadlines, date of language test)
• For first-semester students: Is the German university entrance qualification (general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification, higher education entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences) recognised?
• For existing students continuing their studies: How are existing credits and completed examinations recognised? (Placing in the programme at the foreign university)
• Is it necessary to complete a (subject-related) entrance examination before commencing your studies? 

Financing your stay abroad

• Are tuition fees payable at the foreign university? If so, how much?
• How high is the cost of living in the host country?
• What are the possibilities for obtaining financial support to study abroad? (e.g. BAföG, scholarships – not for new students!)

Recognition of examinations completed and credits awarded during your stay abroad

• What can be recognised? (This question is crucial for planning your study project. It is essential to clarify this before departure in order to avoid losing time as a result of your study visit abroad!)
• Which body is responsible for accreditation and recognition matters?
• What form must the proof of credits awarded and examinations completed take? 

Administrative preparation

• What are the rules concerning entry into and staying in country? (e.g. visa, possibility of getting a job alongside your studies)
• What accommodation is available?
• When do I need to apply for a semester's leave?
• Do I need additional health insurance?

Depending on the destination country and host university, there will be different sources of financial support available for study visits abroad, e.g.:

• Erasmus+ mobility for studies for study visits at a partner university in another EU country 
• PROMOS Scholarship for study visits to a non-EU country 
• BAföG funding for studies abroad (Auslandsbafög)
  Applications to the relevant central international offices in Germany
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship database for further research

In addition to the Erasmus+, PROMOS etc. mobility programmes, there are other financial support options. You can find an overview here:

Other financial support options

It is possible to have credits and examination results attained at a foreign university recognised as credits towards your degree by the relevant ECTS Coordinator at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. To do this, you will need to meet certain requirements.

Recognition of study credits attained abroad

ECTS Coordinators of Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences

We have collated a few tips regarding how best to find an internship:

• useful information about finding an internship is available on the DAAD website and in the Wege ins Auslandspraktikum (Routes to an Internship) brochure.
• You can obtain a list with internship positions in EU countries from the Erasmus Traineeships Office.
• Speak to your lecturers and explain your plans to them. There may be contacts abroad who could assist you to find a position.
• The internship reports from previous years are usually available from the departmental internship officers. These will also contain information about internship positions abroad.
• Use first-hand reports as a way of researching institutions offering internships. You can find a few examples here.
• Look out for notices concerning international internships, e.g. from the internship officers or offices in the departments as well as the International Office.
• It is possible to make direct contact with many international companies at international trade fairs such as CEBIT and Hanover Messe.
• International Media Help can facilitate internships abroad for students on the programme in Journalism/Media Management for a small contribution towards expenses.
• IAESTE facilitates short-duration internships for students of Engineering and Business Administration during the summer holidays.
• Every year the RISE worldwide programme, which is funded by the DAAD, offers students of technical subjects attractive research internships during the summer months. Interested students can apply directly for the internship positions advertised via the RISE worldwide online portal.
• AIESEC offers students the opportunity, by means of its worldwide database, of finding a suitable internship abroad (usually of between six and twelve months’ duration), and provides them with support before, during and after their stay. Information is available here or you can contact AIESEC Magdeburg directly via email.
• If you have already worked in German companies as part of your studies, you could ask them for international contacts. You could use the German company as a reference when making your application, which should significantly increase your chances compared with a completely untried applicant.
• Speak to fellow students who have already been abroad. One option for making contact is our hashtag #h2ferndurst.

The International Office has comprehensive advice on internships abroad, the application process and possible sources of financial support. However, it does not facilitate internship positions.

• The Career Center offers support in writing and optimizing your application documents.
• You can also make use of workshops on the subject of applications offered as part of the Studium Generale programme. 
• The online language training site, Jobline LMU, makes information and tools available on all important aspects of the application process in English free of charge on the internet.
• The Wege ins Auslandspraktium (Routes to an Internship) brochure offers tips on compiling application documents.
• You can create a curriculum vitae in all European languages using Europass.
• More literature tips (e.g. application advice for other countries) can be found on the internet pages of the DAAD.

Depending on the destination country and internship institution, there are different sources of financial support for foreign internships, e.g.:

• Erasmus+ Traineeship funding for internships in the Erasmus area
• PROMOS Scholarship for internships outside of the Erasmus area
• BAföG funding for studies abroad (Auslandsbafög)
  Applications to the relevant central international offices in Germany

The DAAD scholarship database and the Wege ins Auslandspraktium (Routes to an Internship) brochure both also provide an overview.

In addition to the Erasmus+, PROMOS etc. mobility programmes, there are other financial support options. You can find an overview here:

Other financial support options

A database with Europe-wide programmes is available here: Summer Schools Europe

Programmes offered by our partner universities are published regularly in our news feed. International Office news feed

Please also look out for notices in your departments or speak to your ECTS Coordinator!

Information about language trips, language schools and summer schools can be found in the "die auslandsreise” (the trip abroad) publication.

Among others, you can find language courses at language schools here:

Database of Fachverband Deutscher Sprachschulen und Sprachreise-Veranstalter

You can also find information on the following on the DAAD web pages:

Languages and language tests

Advice on language study trips abroad (providers, guidelines, checklist, recognition as educational leave) can be obtained from the following:

PROMOS Scholarship

Financial support for language courses is available as part of the PROMOS mobility programme.

DAAD scholarship database

Foreign cultural and language institutes offer funding for several weeks. The DAAD awards language course scholarships for Arabic and some Asian languages. Information on this can be found in the scholarship database. DAAD one-year scholarship holders have the opportunity to receive funding for language courses at their university abroad.

You will usually need a visa to study or undertake an internship in a non-EU foreign country.

• Information on applying for a visa for destination countries worldwide is available on the country-specific information pages of the DAAD – after selecting the country on the map of the world – under the Country, Education and Research tab or in "Life in...".

• You can find travel and safety information on every country on the website of the Federal Foreign Office. You will also find information there about entry requirements including visa requirements and necessary preventative medications (malaria, yellow fever etc.).

Visas for the USA

If studying in the United States, particular visa requirements apply. EducationUSA provides concise information about these.

An overview of providers that offer assistance in applying for a US visa can be found here:

Visa Procurement Providers - USA (errors and omissions excepted)

Health insurance in other EU member states

Students travelling to other EU member states, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland for their studies, an internship or other study-related visit abroad must obtain the European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC.

All you need to do to gain access to medical treatment in the event of an accident or acute illness in another European Union country (or the other countries listed above) is to present the card. The card entitles you to services that are deemed medically necessary during your stay in the territory of another EU member state.

As the statutory German health insurance does not cover flight or transport costs for returning to the Federal Republic of Germany, for example after an accident or serious illness, it is recommended that you take out a private foreign travel insurance policy.

Before commencing your studies in a country in which you are entitled to receive services covered by the statutory health insurance, you should seek advice from your health insurance provider about the implementation of your protection. Your health insurance provider will then issue you with the required “entitlement document” and a corresponding fact sheet.

Health insurance in non-EU member states

If you are travelling to countries where there is no entitlement to services via the European Health Insurance Card, it will be necessary for you to take out a private health insurance policy. During your stay you will still need to make contributions to your German health insurance fund.

DAAD Group Insurance

For ERASMUS internees, as well as for internees completing a compulsory internship, it is also possible to participate in the DAAD's group insurance policy at your own cost.

Students who receive financial support from the DAAD (e.g. PROMOS, Erasmus+ studies, integrated international study programmes with a dual degree) or who are undertaking a study visit abroad as part of bilateral university agreements, may join the DAAD’s group insurance policy. The policy includes sickness, accident and liability insurance.

More information on the terms and conditions of insurance can be found here.

Accident and liability insurance

During their education and training at universities in Germany, students are insured by the statutory accident insurance fund. This accident insurance protection is valid during a degree programme within Germany, but if studying abroad, the student is only covered if the course or programme is supervised by the German university. If you are not insured against accidents in a foreign country, then it is recommended that you take out a private insurance policy.

You should also check if it is necessary to take out a liability insurance policy.

If you choose to spend a semester studying abroad but this semester is not a requirement of your programme’s examination regulations, you may apply for a semester’s leave of absence which will not be counted as part of the standard study duration.

In the case of a voluntary internship abroad, i.e. an internship that is not required by the study and examination regulations, you may apply for a semester’s leave of absence which will not be counted as part of the standard study duration.

Important note: recipients of the domestic BAFöG grant will not receive any payments during this semester’s leave of absence.

Fact sheet: leave of absence from the German home university

You can find an application form on the website of the Department of Student Affairs.

It is possible to complete a study trip or internship abroad with a child. For example, the Erasmus+ programme offers the possibility of additional financial support in case of special need.

Some useful links and information can be found in the following:

Project Studying Abroad with a Child

Financial support with a child (DAAD)

Information on special financial support within Erasmus+

It is also possible to complete a study trip or internship abroad with a disability. For example, the Erasmus+ programme and the PROMOS scholarship offer the possibility of additional financial support in case of particular need.

Some useful links and information can be found in the following:

Studying worldwide – with a disability

Information on special financial support within the Erasmus+ programme

Information from the German National Association for Student Affairs (Deutsches Studentenwerk) - "Studying with a disability"