Applying for a Study Place Abroad

The application deadlines for the university's exchange programs differ depending on your program of study and host country. Deadlines are always scheduled a number of months before the beginning of the actual stay abroad. In some cases, you even have to apply more than one year in advance.

We recommend visiting the Introductory Study Abroad Meetings to learn about the different exchange programs right at the beginning of your studies, in order to ensure that you don’t miss any deadlines.

Not all semesters are suited for going abroad. In some programs, the semesters during which a stay abroad is possible are even predetermined.

The different application deadlines and potential periods for a stay abroad according to the regular program structure for your program are listed below:

•     School of Humanities
•     School of Social Sciences
•    School of Business Informatics and Mathematics
•     Business School
•     Department of Economics
•     Department of Law

For a general overview, please refer to the general overview of application deadlines.

The application deadlines for individual programs are also listed in the database of partner universities.

Please read the respective application instructions to find out which documents are required for your program of study and which application deadlines must be met.

We do not require application documents in paper format – please upload the documents in the Mobility-Online application platform.

Before starting your application, carefully read the relevant application instructions to avoid a rejection of your application due to formal errors.

Please also read the Data Protection Information regarding the Software Mobility-Online.

Access to the Mobility-Online application portal to start a new application:  Start Online Application

If you have applied for an exchange before and would like to create a new application, as a first step you need to access the application form again via the link above, fill it in and send it.

After you have sent off your online application form, you will receive an email with a registration link to the Mobility-Online-Portal. After this registration, you can reach the Mobility-Online-Portal for all further steps: Mobility-Online-Portal

Formal check

In a first step, all applications are checked for formal errors. Incomplete applications or applications that were not submitted on time will be excluded from the further application process. You will receive notice of the result of the formal check via e-mail within one to two weeks.

Selection process and selection criteria

Those applications that fulfill all formal criteria are then forwarded to the respective department for the further selection process. A special selection committee decides which applicants will be admitted to the respective exchange program. In the case of interdisciplinary programs, the International Office also forms part of the committee. As interdisciplinary programs are exchange programs open to students from different departments, the decision on who will be awarded a study place abroad has to be made jointly by the schools and/or departments concerned. 

Generally, decisions are only made based on the application documents submitted. Yet, depending on the number of qualified applicants, you might be invited to a personal interview for some programs. This mostly concerns overseas destinations.

Study places are awarded depending on the number of places available for the respective period.

The following selection criteria are generally used to evaluate an application:

• academic performance and course of study
• academic and personal motivation for studying abroad
• foreign language skills
• documented social commitment, internships, special activities, etc.
• formal correctness of the application

• personal impression (if an interview was conducted)

Criteria my differ depending on the respective department and exchange program. For details, please refer to your department or, in case of an interdisciplinary exchange program, to the International Office.

First round of allocation

For every application, you can indicate one or more preferred partner universities, so called “priorities”. Every selection committee will try to award students a study place at the partner university listed as their first priority. If this is not possible, the selection committee will assess your application with regard to your other priorities.

Following the first round of allocation, it is ascertained whether there are still any empty places at some of the partner universities. If this is the case, applicants who have not received a place so far, will be informed via e-mail. If interested, they can quickly apply for these spots via e-mail and a second round of allocation will be initiated.

If your application for a study place abroad is not successful, you are welcome to inquire about the reasons at your department or (in case of an interdisciplinary exchange program) at the International Office. Provided that it is compatible with your program structure, you can apply again at a later date.

But there are also other ways to spend time abroad. Internships abroad are a great alternative to studying abroad because you gain valuable practical experience, and even in an intercultural environment. Employers therefore appreciate it very much if you have an internship abroad included in your CV. Or you can organise a semester abroad by yourself as a free mover, outside of the University's exchange programs. A free mover semester can be credited towards the Mannheim degree in the same way as a stay abroad via the University's exchange programs.

The International Office will inform you about the results of the application process via e-mail. If you have been awarded a study place, you have to accept the place within four days via the Mobility-Online application platform. Afterwards, a cancellation is only possible in exceptional cases and with valid reasons.

Students who have been awarded a study place by way of the internal application process will be registered at their future host institution by the University of Mannheim in due time. Afterwards, the nominated students have to again submit a number of documents for admission to the partner university. The final decision on their admission will be made by the host institution. However, provided that you submit all required documents in due time, there should not be any problems at all. We will inform you about the necessary steps.

In order to plan your semester abroad, you should discuss your selection of courses abroad with your department as soon as possible.

Even after having received your confirmation of placement there are some scholarship programs you can still apply for – do some research! For stays within Europe, students usually receive the Erasmus grant. The International Office will provide information on the amount of funding and the application to all eligible students in due time.

If you have any questions regarding your stay abroad, here you can find the respective competent contact person at your school. They will advise you on any study-related aspects of your stay abroad, including the question of when a stay abroad can be best integrated in your degree program.