Internationality is a matter of course in science. If you are planning to study abroad, you have a wide choice thanks to the many established university partnerships.
Foto: André Deco
Study semesters abroad are usually essential when studying a foreign language. However, due to globalisation, experience abroad is also a great advantage in other degree courses, e.g. in the fields of law, economics, natural sciences and engineering. There are many degree programmes with integrated stays abroad.
If you are planning a stay abroad as part of your studies, you should first find out about the relevant requirements, the organisational framework conditions, but also about funding programmes and issues relating to student financing and social security.
You should start planning your trip at least one year before the start of your stay abroad. If you would like to finance your stay abroad with the help of a scholarship, you should start even earlier.
Ideally, you can have the time you spent studying abroad recognised and have your coursework and examinations at your home university recognised. You should clarify in advance whether this is possible.
According to the German Rectors' Conference, German universities maintain around 37,000 international cooperation programmes with approximately 5,400 foreign universities in around 150 countries.
Good reasons
Whether it's a semester abroad, an internship, a language and specialised course or research work - study-related stays abroad can improve your academic qualifications in many ways. It also broadens your horizon of experience, which in turn promotes your personal development.
Note: Perhaps a degree programme with a double degree from a German and a foreign university is also an option for you?
Popular countries
According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 138,800 German students were enrolled at foreign universities in 2022. However, the three most popular destination countries were less exotic: Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. This is partly due to their proximity to Germany and partly because the entry requirements for popular degree programmes in Germany, such as medicine or psychology, are generally not quite as high in these countries.
The right time
After the first or second year of a Bachelor's degree programme, you will usually have gained enough university experience to be able to assess the advantages and disadvantages of different study programmes and universities. This is a good time to leave your home university for one or two semesters. If you are studying linguistics, it may be a good idea to spend time abroad in the first few semesters so that you can quickly expand your language skills and gain a deep insight into the country-specific linguistic and cultural characteristics.
Study semesters abroad also make sense at a later stage, especially if you are dealing with topics in major theses or dissertations that suggest contact with relevant foreign universities.
Studying abroad immediately after graduating from high school may be a good way to bridge the waiting time for a place at a German university. However, it is important to clarify to what extent the coursework completed at the foreign university will be recognised and whether the desired subject in Germany is not also subject to admission restrictions in higher semesters. Otherwise, it will not always be possible to transfer back to a German university without problems.
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It is important for the success of an academic stay abroad that you inform yourself early on and plan your stay well
