Studying abroad - everything you need to know

Informationen on the exchange programmes Erasmus+ and worldwide.

FB13 Go-Out-Präsentation 2022 (opens in new tab)

Erasmus+

This EU programme, existing since 1987, promotes student exchanges. However, EU citizenship is not required for participation. ERASMUS+ exchanges are well organised, so that ERASMUS studies do not usually have the effect of prolonging studies. The programme offers the following advantages:

• No tuition fees at the partner university
• A monthly financial allowance is granted from ERASMUS funds – the prerequisite is that the stay abroad is not financially supported in any other way (apart from BAföG).
• Many partner universities help with finding a room, some guarantee a place in a dormitory.
• Good support at the partner university by the respective ERASMUS coordinator
• ERASMUS students are free to choose their courses at the partner university and are not bound to the study plans there.
• Even if you take a semester off for the stay abroad, you can still take exams at the TU Darmstadt if you make a corresponding note on the application.

Worldwide: Exchange programmes outside Europe

The department also maintains numerous exchange partnerships with renowned partner universities in Asia, Canada, USA and South Amerika.

F

or exchanges outside and inside the Erasmus+ offer, the same application and deadlines apply. However, the administrative procedures outside Europe are more time-consuming. Therefore, early applications help the process to run smoothly. Please inform yourself in good time.
For applications to North America, additional documents are required early. Please inform yourself here.

There are a number of scholarship providers that focus on temporary study and research stays abroad. The most important institutions include

• the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• the Fulbright Commission which supports German citizens who wish to study, teach or conduct research in the USA.
• the scholarship programme PROMOS for one-semester study visits outside Europe
• the Tongji travel scholarship for students who study one semester at the partner university Tongji.

Additionally, the Hessian exchange programmes. You can find more information about them in the corresponding flap on this website.

Apply online via the central application platform of the TU Darmstadt for studies abroad. The application deadlines run from 15.10. – 30.11. or 01.05. – 31.05. (see info box above).

Exchange places Overseas (25.04.2024)

On the place list you will find all exchange places currently available for FB13. Usually all possible exchange places are listed in the application portal. Some might not be available this semester.

There are usually only a few exchange places available per university (often just one or two!), so that it is possible that some students cannot be nominated there, or only as latecomers. For this reason, you should (especially with a grade point average lower than 2.5) consider the many other partner universities of the department when applying. The department's goal is to make exchange places possible for as many students as possible.

On the application platform, the department is divided into

• Civil Engineering and Geodesy
• Environmental Engineering
• Traffic and Transport
• Geodesy and Geoinformation
• Study Area Mechanics (SB MEK)

Places of different subjects: For students of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, it is possible to apply for places in all sub-disciplines regardless of their own degree programme. However, in this case, you must expect limited options for course selection. After a nomination, it is therefore extremely important to inform yourself about the course selection at the partner university.

For an exchange place, please send your application documents together with a completed checklist (opens in new tab) in digital form only to international@bauing.tu-…

The application documents consist of:

• The online application form (opens in new tab) of the application platform, indicating a maximum of five desired universities (please use the stud.tu-darmstadt.de email address).
• A CV in tabular form
• The performance review (printout from TUCaN)
• For Master's students: The Bachelor's certificate
• A letter of motivation (max. 2 DIN A4 pages)
• A language certificate of the course language and, if applicable, a certificate of the language required by the desired partner university. (No language certificates older than 2 years).
  The DAAD language test can be taken at the Language Resource Centre. Please be sure to find out for yourself which language(s) are required. It may well be that not only proof of the course language is required. Please indicate in your application checklist where you can find the relevant information from the partner university about the required language certificates.

Criteria of the selection procedure

• Performance level (average grade, CP achieved per semester)
• Knowledge of the course language
• Sensible planning of the stay abroad with regard to its integration into the overall study programme
• Specific reasons for the selected partner university

Further procedure

Applicants for studying abroad will be contacted by the International Relations C & D Office at the end of June via their university e-mail address about the status of their application.
From this point on, the International Relations & Mobility Office is responsible for the further coordination of your study stay and the application modalities at the partner university. In the following weeks, the department will contact the nominees with information on the further procedure and the acceptance of places. No further information on the status of the application can be given until this time. You can find more information here.

Contacts.

Create a Learning Agreement (Erasmus or Overseas ) in which you agree with the TU Darmstadt and your partner university on which courses you will complete abroad. Please note the following:

• The modules to be credited do not significantly overlap with other examination content that must be completed at TU Darmstadt for the study programme (or its admission requirements).
• The selected courses must have the appropriate Bachelor's/Master's level for their credit in your degree programme.
• Modules that are to be credited must be graded.
• If an academic degree is obtained abroad, the achievements cannot be credited towards an equivalent academic degree at TU Darmstadt.
• Final theses must be registered at the study office prior to the start of work in accordance with the conditions of the respective degree programme and require a supervisor both at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and at the partner university.
• If a thesis is to be written abroad, it must be handed in when the Erasmus contract ends, regardless of the date of release.

You enter your chosen modules in your digital Learning Agreement and e-mail it tointernational@bauing.tu-….

The Learning Agreement can be amended within the first seven weeks after the start of your studies at the partner university. To do so, fill out the change form on the last page of the Learning Agreement and send it signed to international@bauing.tu-…

Master's Module International Research Project

Description (opens in new tab) (12 CP)

The International Research Project offers Master's students the opportunity to work largely independently on a given topic using engineering methods during a stay abroad. Both the partner university and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering must agree on the chosen topic.

The results are presented in written and oral form; interim results are coordinated with the supervisors in an appropriate form. Knowledge of the subject area of the project work is recommended.

When to go abroad?

Studying abroad usually takes place in the 3rd year of the Bachelor's programme or in the 2nd year of the Master's programme. It is recommended to spend an entire academic year abroad instead of just one semester in order to make the most of both the courses offered at the partner university and the time for personal experience.
The application procedure for a stay abroad starts two to three semesters before the programme abroad.

Possible criteria for selecting the partner university

• Knowledge of the course language
• Fitting modules at the partner university into your curriculum
• Main source of information: Website of the partner university
• Contact with fellow students
• Information from field reports
• Consultation with professors

Popularity of partner universities

There are usually only a few exchange places available per university (often only one or two!). Due to the popularity of some partner universities, it can happen that students cannot be nominated for the exchange places there at all or only as latecomers. For this reason, you should (especially with a grade point average lower than 2.5) consider the many other partner universities of the department when applying. The department's goal is to make an exchange place possible for as many students as possible.

Writing your final thesis abroad

• A professor of the department has to be consulted before beginning the thesis – this person approves the topic and the scope of the thesis and agrees to participate as a local supervisor.
• A supervisor must already be found at the partner university before the thesis is registered.
• The thesis has to be officially registered in the study office according to the requirements of the department.
• Since many foreign universities do not have final theses in the Bachelor's degree, theses that have been individually agreed with a foreign supervisor or projects that are suitable in scope with a final report can also be considered, as long as they comply with the guidelines for a final thesis in the respective degree programme at TU Darmstadt.

Writing TU Darmstadt exams abroad

• Written examinations of the TU Darmstadt can be taken abroad if they are written at the same time as the examination in Darmstadt.
• After the examiner at TU Darmstadt has given their consent, students have to look for a supervising teacher at the partner university to write the exam under supervision.

Language requirements

Understanding the language of instruction is an important prerequisite for a successful stay abroad. Many partner universities require proof of language skills in the language of instruction or the national language. Find out more under the Language requirements tab.

Leave of absence and insurance

You can take leave of absence from your studies at TU Darmstadt for the duration of your stay abroad. Semesters of leave do not count as semesters. However, you can still take exams during this time if this is noted accordingly on the application for leave of absence (opens in new tab) .

You must take out your own health, accident and liability insurance during a semester of leave. You will need proof of comprehensive health insurance for students abroad in order to enrol at a foreign university. The statutory health insurance funds cannot provide this insurance cover outside Europe.

Funding and scholarships

There are a number of scholarship providers that focus on temporary study and research stays abroad. Here is a summary of the most important ones:

Graduation Scholarship for international students

International students can apply for the performance-based scholarship if they are in the final phase of their studies.
Applications are possible twice a year, from 01 – 15 April and from 01 – 15 October.

More information: www.tu-darmstadt.de/financial-assistance

Next application period: The online application portal opens on 01 April 2023 and closes on 15 April 2023 at midnight (CET).

All documents must be submitted by 15. April 2023 at the latest.

BAföG

BAföG recipients who go abroad can apply for BAföG abroad. The time spent abroad is not counted towards the maximum funding period. Even those who do not receive BAföG in Germany should check whether BAföG abroad can be paid. Depending on the country, special BAföG offices are responsible. It takes 6 to 9 months to process the applications, so you should apply early. Benefits may include:

• A foreign allowance above the domestic BAföG
• A flat rate for travel expenses
• Tuition fees up to a certain amount

You can also find more information via the Studentenwerk.

Education loan

The Federal Government's education loan programme offers students a low-interest and customisable loan. The education loan does not replace BAföG funding and can even be used alongside BAföG. However, there is no legal entitlement to the education loan, as it is a programme with a predefined budget. If the annual sum is exceeded, it depends on the date on which the application is received by the Federal Office of Administration.

ERASMUS+

As an Erasmus+ scholarship holder, you pay no tuition fees abroad, acquired achievements are recognised, and you also receive a monthly grant. The amount of funding is based on three country groups (calculated according to the cost of living), which the EU Commission has set up.

More information here.

Erasmus+ scholarships can be combined with BAföG and the Deutschlandstipendium.

DAAD

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) maintains a database of all funding opportunities. The application deadlines for scholarships are quite early, sometimes even a whole year before the planned study abroad. It is therefore essential that you inform yourself in time!

PROMOS

The DAAD scholarship programme PROMOS supports the following projects at TU Darmstadt:

• One-semester study visits (no longer and no shorter!) at partner universities outside Europe (+ Russia).
• Writing a final thesis (Bachelor's/Master's thesis) at partner universities outside Europe (+ Russia).

PROMOS scholarships are awarded by the Technische Universität Darmstadt through a quality-oriented selection procedure.

More information here.

Country-specific support

The Fulbright Commission, which supports German citizens who wish to study, teach or conduct research in the USA.

The Tongji Travel Scholarship for students studying at the partner university Tongji for one semester.

Further scholarship overviews and funding opportunities

Leave of absence and insurance

You can take leave of absence from your studies at TU Darmstadt for the duration of your stay abroad. Semesters of leave do not count as semesters. However, you can still take exams during this time if this is noted accordingly on the application for leave of absence (opens in new tab) .

You must take out your own health, accident and liability insurance during a semester of leave. You will need proof of comprehensive health insurance for students abroad in order to enrol at a foreign university. The statutory health insurance funds cannot provide this insurance cover outside Europe.

Sprachanforderungen

Understanding the course language is an important prerequisite for a successful stay abroad. Many European partner universities require the language level B1 or B2 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) as proof. Universities in the USA, Canada and some Asian countries often require the TOEFL language test.

Please check the websites of the partner universities for information about the language requirements. For example, at universities in Barcelona, some courses may be held in Catalan.

The offers of the Language Centre of the TU Darmstadt should be used extensively. There is a number of interesting courses for students to prepare for a stay abroad.

One possibility of proof: The DAAD language test for various languages can be taken at the Language Centre of the TU Darmstadt. Please note that in the case of the English test, there is a standard test for each level, which then determines the level (A2/B1/B2/C1/C2). In the Romance languages there are different tests for each level. If the level is not reached in these tests, you will be given a lower level certificate – if this is evident in the test.

Please be sure to find out for yourself which language(s) are required. It may well be that not only a certificate for the course language is required.

Would you like to study in the USA or Australia for one semester? Then apply for an exchange place as part of the Hessen programmes that the Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts has set up with American or Australian states.

• Hessen-Wisconsin-Programme
• Hessen-Massachusetts-Programme
• Hessen-Queensland-Programme

All students of the TU Darmstadt can apply for the Hessen programmes. The entire application procedure is supervised by Department VIII C International Relations Overseas

There is NO application at the department. Please note the different application deadlines for these programmes and the required proof of passing the TOEFL or IELTS test.

Contacts

Double Degree

This programme offers qualified students the opportunity to obtain both the degree Master of Science at TU Darmstadt and the corresponding degree at the partner university. Double and dual degree programmes at FB13 only take place in the Master's programme. The application deadline depends on the respective university. An application should usually be made in the first semester of the Master's programme at the latest.

Advantages:

• Academic degrees from two universities (one of which abroad)
• Coordinated study programmes
• Minor to no extension of study time

Requirements:

• Good academic performance at the TU Darmstadt
• Good language skills
• Recommendation of the Internationalisation Coordinator, additional letter of recommendation may be required.
• The application deadline depends on the respective university. An application should usually be made in the first semester of the Master's programme at the latest.

Funding:

• Scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) or BAföG abroad
• Special programmes
  (Max Müller and Delphine Müller-Alewyn Foundation to support a stay in Finland, support programme of the German-French University (DFH))

Double degree programmes

• Usually, a 3-year course of study at two universities
• Stay of 2-3 semesters at the TU Darmstadt and 2-3 semesters at the partner university
• The appropriate degree certificate is awarded by each university

Partner

• École Centrale de Lyon, France
• École Centrale de Lille, France
  (possible after agreement)
• École Centrale de Marseille, France (possible after agreement)
• KTH Stockholm, Sweden
• Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil (in preparation)
• University of Rhode Island, USA

Students can apply independently outside the listed programmes to a foreign university of their choice. Even at universities that have never been visited by students of our department before, stays abroad can work smoothly: In this case, however, interested students should be able to rely on the recommendation of university teachers in the department who have connections to the desired university.

As a free mover, the entire organisational effort up to and including financial security is the responsibility of the student. Please inform the International Coordinator by e-mail of your name, matriculation number and the destination university.