International degree programmes and cross-border cooperation
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.
Foto: Axel Jusseit
International degree programmes include one or two semesters at the respective partner university abroad. It is often possible to obtain a double degree (one German and one foreign). A good knowledge of the respective national language is a prerequisite for such a degree programme.
The Erasmus+ European Universities are transnational alliances that aim, among other things, to establish an inter-university campus and promote student mobility at all levels between the participating universities. European University Alliances therefore offer optimal conditions for gaining study experience abroad.
Following the Erasmus+ 2024 call for proposals, there are now 64 European Universities, involving over 560 higher education institutions from all EU Member States as well as Iceland, the Republic of North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. An overview of the selected alliances and an explanatory video in which students explain what European universities are can be found here: https://education.ec.europa.eu/de/education-levels/higher-education/european-universities-initiative
Cooperations close to the border
The journey to a foreign university is often shorter than you think. A special opportunity to gain study experience abroad are study programmes offered by universities close to the border. In this case, you are enrolled at a German university, but due to the special design of the degree programme, you complete large parts of your studies in the neighbouring country.
Below you will find some examples of cross-border programmes.
West:
The five universities in Basel, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mulhouse/Colmar and Strasbourg have joined forces to form the European Confederation of Upper Rhine Universities (EUCOR). EUCOR thus enables cross-border research and study. (www.eucor.unibas.ch).
The Franco-German University (DFH) offers its degree programmes in cooperation with numerous member and partner universities in Germany and France. There are currently integrated study programmes in almost all subject areas. The binational degree programmes are characterised by the fact that German and French students complete part of their studies in joint groups in both Germany and France. The duration of the programme is divided equally between the two partner universities according to examination regulations determined in advance by both universities. At the end of the programme, students receive diplomas from both universities, giving them a double degree. The DFH also maintains cooperation projects with universities in third countries worldwide and also offers tri-national study programmes with Switzerland. (https://www.dfh-ufa.org)
The Franco-German University Institute for Technology and Business is a joint institute of the Saarland University of Applied Sciences and the Université de Lorraine in Nancy and Metz. The study programme comprises seven Franco-German Bachelor's and five Master's degree courses. Students alternate between Saarbrücken and Metz and also study in Luxembourg on the tri-national European Construction Management programme (www.dfhi-isfates.eu/de).
Various universities in Germany, Luxembourg, France and Belgium have established a cross-border university network, the so-called ‘University of the Greater Region’ (UGR). Teaching and research is carried out in the three national languages of the Greater Region (German, French, Luxembourgish) as well as in English (www.uni-gr.eu/).
East:
In the Neisse Euroregion (Germany, Poland, Czech Republic), the International University Institute Zittau offers study opportunities that prepare students for cross-border professional activities. Master's programmes are offered in the fields of biodiversity, biotechnology, ecosystem services and international management (tu-dresden.de/ihi-zittau).
The European University Viadrina in Frankfurt/Oder is characterised by its close cooperation with Polish universities (www.europa-uni.de). It offers Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes, such as Cultural Studies, Law and Politics, Polish Studies and Digital Entrepreneurship.
North:
As part of the German-Dutch joint project European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen (EMS), the University of Oldenburg and the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen offer a cross-border, jointly managed model degree programme in human medicine in Germany. This programme leads to either a state examination at the University of Oldenburg or a Bachelor's/Master's degree at the University of Groningen (https://uol.de/fk6-k-o-g).
Official Study Guide for Germany
