Prior to Your Application

Students interested in going abroad during their Mannheim bachelor's or master's program should first attend the “Introductory Study Abroad Session”. It is held by the International Office multiple times during the semester. The session will give you an overview of options for going abroad, the application process and funding programs. It is a good idea to attend the session right at the beginning of your studies at the University of Mannheim, in order not to miss any deadlines. Students in a master's program should attend in their first semester, students in a bachelor’s program during their first semester or at the beginning of their second semester.

After attending the introductory session, you are welcome to make an appointment at the International Office to ask any further questions.

Orientation sessions for students of Business Administration, Business Education and the “Bachelor 4” program:

There is a separate orientation session organized by the schools forstudents of Business Administration and Business Education as well as for students in the bachelor’s program Romance Languages, Literatures and Media (BA4). Your school will inform you about the dates for these sessions.

Dates „Introductory Study Abroad Session“

Duration: about 90 minutes. No registration necessary.

The introductory study abroad session is usually held in German. For English-speaking students, an English-language session is held at the beginning of every Fall semester. If you are not able to attend the English-language session, please make an individual appointment with the advisors at the International Office.

*There is a separate orientation session organized by the schools forstudents of Business Administration and Business Education as well as for students in the bachelor’s program Romance Languages, Literatures and Media (BA4). Your school will inform you about the dates for these sessions. Doctoral students will find information on stays abroad on the pages for researchers and teachers.

The slides (in German) are a summary of the information presented. Reading the slides does not replace attending the session.

The right time to spend one or two semesters abroad can differ from program to program and also heavily depends on the way you want to organize your studies. Some programs include a fixed period for stays abroad, others are a little more flexible.

Please note: For some exchange programs, you already have to apply during your first semester.
 

Bachelor’s programs

In bachelor’s programs, the fourth or fifth semester usually works best for a stay abroad. Depending on the region you would like to go to, the application deadlines might be a lot earlier: For some programs of study, the application deadline is at the end of the first semester.

You can find out which semesters are recommended for which program and when you need to apply in the overview of the usual application deadlines and the recommended periods for going abroad. If you are not sure what is right for you, consult with your department.

Programs with a mandatory stay abroad:
- For students in the bachelor's program Business Administration, the fifth semester is the mandatory semester abroad.
- Students in the four-year Bachelor's program Romance Languages, Literatures and Media (BA4) spend the third year of their program abroad.
For all other programs a stay abroad is optional – but highly recommended!

As an alternative, you may consider completing your bachelor's degree in Germany and then go abroad for your master’s. Please keep in mind that you often have to pay high tuition fees when completing a master’s degree abroad. This is why we recommend going abroad during your bachelor’s, so you can get a taste of living abroad. After that, you can still complete a master's program abroad.
 

Master’s programs

A master’s program is pretty short and you only have the option to go abroad during your third or fourth semester. Gather information on going abroad right at the start of your master’s program. For many programs you need to apply during your first semester. Further information can be found in the overview of the usual application deadlines and the recommended periods for going abroad. If you are not sure what is right for you, consult with your department.

Final theses and doctoral dissertations

Another good time to go abroad is the preparatory phase for final theses, such as the master's thesis and especially the doctoral dissertation. Your supervising professor will be able to help you get in contact with the right people abroad. Funding is available through the DAAD scholarship for doctoral candidates. 

Please note: Coursework and examinations completed abroad can be recognized for your program at the University of Mannheim in consultation with your department. That means, if you start planning early on and integrate your stay abroad into your program here, you will not take longer to complete your program. Start thinking about which universities work for you academically and offer courses that you are interested in taking. Talk to your departmental exchange coordinators about your plans and the options for recognition of credits .

Even if you need more time to complete your program because of a stay abroad - the time spent is definitely not lost! Regardless of how long you took to complete your degree, employers generally appreciate applicants who have spent some time abroad.