All students have the option to integrate a stay abroad into their program of study. Applying for an exchange program with one of the partner universities is the easiest way to go abroad. The important thing is that you have the necessary language skills and start planning early on. The International Office and the departmental exchange coordinators are there to support you. Apart from the exchange programs, you can alternatively go abroad as a free mover, for a short summer or spring program or do an internship abroad.
Things to do: Take part in one of the mandatory Introductory Study Abroad Sessions right at the beginning of your studies.
Read up on the exchange programs at the University of Mannheim and browse the experience reports by former exchange students. Roughly figure out, where you want to go and find out what you need to do to get there. The following pages guide you through this process step by step.
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 about the application procedure 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 as soon as possible. We offer separate information sessions about financing options and scholarships as listed below. You are invited to join them.
This semester we offer a three-part virtual information session, dealing with the application procedure, financial support options and the language requirements.
Please watch the video recordings of these sessions held at the beginning of the fall semester 2020 within the Portal2. You will find the links in the section “General Information on studying at the University of Mannheim” if you scroll completely down. For each session, both a German and an English version is available. If you have any questions after watching the videos, please attend our Live Q&A sessions at the dates mentionned below or contact us, we will be glad to help.
Web-Seminar I: Application for Exchange Programs of the University of Mannheim (slides – for recording please see Portal2)
(for all students, except for Business and BA4*)
Web-Seminar II: Scholarships and Financial Aid Opportunities for Studying Abroad (slides – for recording please see Portal2)
(for all students)
Web-Seminar III: Language Proficiency Tests for Exchange Programs of the University of Mannheim (slides – for recording please see Portal2)
(for all students)
| Date | Time | Room | Topic | Target Group | Language |
| 17 November 2020 | 6–7 p.m. | Zoom event (link available via Portal2) | Q&A Session about all three Web-Seminar | all students | German and English |
| 12 January 2021 | 6–7 p.m. | Zoom event (link available via Portal2) | Q&A Session about all three Web-Seminar | all students | German and English |
| 24 February 2021 | 6–7 p.m. | Zoom event (link available via Portal2) | Q&A Session about all three Web-Seminar | all students | German and English |
*There is a separate orientation session about the application procedure 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
If you already started your application and want to modify it, please find here the link to the Mobility-Online portal.
Access to the Mobility-Online portal
Studying abroad at a partner university does not work for all students. There are, however, other ways to integrate a stay abroad into your studies:
During my semester abroad in Montreal, Canada, I experienced many new things, forged many international friendships and gained a new home. Small cafés, endless national parks, modern skyscrapers and the historic old harbor, hikes in the sunshine and in the snow... Both the city and its surroundings are very diverse, as are Montreal’s inhabitants. This diversity is also reflected in the language. As a student in the master’s program in Language and Communication, I found the situations of language contact to be very interesting and enjoyed learning from everyday life and not only from books. Thanks to my stay abroad, I grew both academically and personally. This is my advice: If you have the opportunity to go abroad: Do it!
During my bachelor's degree, I spent a semester abroad in Bangkok. Chulalongkorn University is a very modern university and it was interesting to see how teaching is done there. Bangkok is the perfect starting point for traveling all around Asia and immersing yourself in different cultures. The semester abroad was also an admission requirement for my current master’s program.
I spent my Erasmus semester in the north of Italy. It was the most amazing and exciting experience I ever had. Besides discovering a wide variety of people, cultures and languages from all over the world, you also develop yourself personally during this time. At the beginning it is, of course, very unusual to be in a foreign environment, but once you get used to the situation and have settled in, you do not want to leave anymore. The great thing about a semester abroad with Erasmus is that you get to know the host country, its traditions, its culture and the local way of life intensively and expand your own horizons.
I have found a second home and friends for life. This experience was a wonderful enrichment. I can only recommend to everyone who has the chance to study abroad for a semester or two.
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.
