Studying aborad in the EU with the Erasmus+ Program

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1 International Office Technische Hochschule Nuernberg Georg Simon Ohm Kesslerplatz 12 (Building KX; 2nd floor) Office hours: Mon and Wed: am Tue and Thu.: pm Guidelines Studying aborad in the EU with the Erasmus+ Program Are you interested in studying abroad at one of our European partner universities? These guidelines will provide you with important basic information and advice for your application to study abroad at an Erasmus partner university. We will gladly answer your questions during our office hours (no appointment needed). Please read these guidelines thoroughly before coming to our office. Basic Information Please review the list of partner universities which you will find on our homepage ( It contains valuable and useful information on partner university homepages as well as various personal accounts (Feedback Reports) of former outgoings (semester dates, subjects and courses, travel tips, etc.). DokID: IO_4611_HR_Erasmus_SMS_Leitfaden_E_public Vers. 1, , S. Colak (4.IO) 1 / 6

2 There are many advantages to studying abroad at an Erasmus partner university, particularly in comparison to an independently arranged semester abroad: - Advising, placement, and support from the International Office - Waiving of tuition fees at Erasmus partner universities - The Erasmus+ grant ( Euros, depending on the destination country) - Transfer of academic credits for courses completed abroad - Access to allocated spaces in residence halls or assistance in securing private accommodation - If necessary, assistance by the partner university s International Office in securing a visa You can also apply to universities with which we do not have an established partnership on your own initiative (as a so-called Free Mover). In such instances, you will organize essentially all aspects of your semester abroad yourself. Please bear in mind that you will be responsible for the clarification and resolution of many questions concerning the academic and the administrative aspects of your semester abroad. Language Requirements On the IO homepage, you can find an overview of the international partner universities which includes information about their respective language of instruction. Many partner universities in the EU offer courses in English. Within the framework of the Erasmus program, you must provide evidence of at least B2 proficiency for each language of instruction. This evidence includes internal language courses at Nuremberg Tech (e.g. Business English or English for Engineers). Please be sure to obtain Confirmation(s) of Participation for language courses (in English) from the Language Center. If you have evidence of language proficiency with a higher level (TOEFL, IELTS, DAAD Language Certificate, etc.), it is naturally also valid for the purposes of your application. If you have no explicit evidence of language proficiency, you can take a placement test in the Language Center and their staff will certify your current language proficiency level. Please take note: your application is not complete without valid evidence of language proficiency. DokID: IO_4611_HR_Erasmus_SMS_Leitfaden_E_public Vers. 1, , S. Colak (4.IO) 2 / 6

3 Application Process The complete application process consists of three consecutive parts: 1) Internal application 2) External application 3) Erasmus formalities 1. Internal Application Erasmus partnerships are based on cooperation agreements that limit the number of Erasmus grants and, respectively, placement slots per academic year. Students are accepted for semester abroad programs based on internal selection processes. If there are a large number of applicants for a particular university, a selection must be made, as not all applicants can be put forward for this highly-desired partner university. Therefore, it is required that you name at least two additional alternative partner universities (they may also be located outside the EU) in your application. You cannot submit more than one application to the International Office. There are two deadlines each year for applications for a semester abroad at one of Nuremberg Tech s partner universities. Applications for EU and overseas countries are subject to the following International Office deadlines: For the subsequent Winter Semester: 31 January For the subsequent Summer Semester: 31 July Applications submitted after these deadlines will not be considered. You may submit your application at any time before the deadline, but you will gain no advantage by submitting your application early. DokID: IO_4611_HR_Erasmus_SMS_Leitfaden_E_public Vers. 1, , S. Colak (4.IO) 3 / 6

4 Your application for a semester abroad at one of our partner universities has to go through the International Office (internal application); you are not allowed to apply directly at the partner university. You will find the application form on the IO-website. The following documents have to be part of your application (always referring to your first choice): IO application (one form) Motivational letter (one page max.) in the language of instruction of your first choice CV in the language of instruction, with photograph (a scanned picture is acceptable) Language proof (a minimum of B1 is required at the time of application. You can hand in the certificate for B2 at a later date, but at the latest BEFORE the start of your semester abroad. Current Transcript of Records (issued by the student services) Current proof of enrolment or copy of your valid student card There is an academic coordinator within each Faculty for each partner university. Before you submit your application to the International Office, you must obtain the signature of the academic coordinator as evidence of her/his positive recommendation for your semester abroad plan(signature on page 2 of the application form). Your application will only move forward, if the academic coordinator has signed the forms. Please acquire this signature in time, i.e. before the start of the semester break. After the application deadline, all correctly submitted applications will be processed. Within 4-6 weeks, you will receive an from the IO that will inform you whether your application to one of your selected partner universities can be considered (so-called nomination). If none of your selected partner universities can be considered, the IO will contact you in order to find alternative partner universities. If your application is successful and you would like to accept the Erasmus placement, you must submit a declaration of commitment to the IO within 3 weeks (the form to make this declaration will be included in your nomination ). Only after the IO has received your declaration of commitment, will you be allocated a slot at the partner university. DokID: IO_4611_HR_Erasmus_SMS_Leitfaden_E_public Vers. 1, , S. Colak (4.IO) 4 / 6

5 2. External Application Only after the IO has allocated you a placement, the coordinator can request the external application forms of the partner university. You are not allowed to apply directly at the partner university without a successful internal application in the framework of the Erasmus+ placement. You will receive all relevant information and documents via . Please bear in mind that each partner university has different application procedures (deadlines, required documents, etc.). 3. Erasmus+ Formalities Every nominated Erasmus-student will receive all further information and all necessary documents in time from the IO of THN via . You will find general information on the Erasmus+ Program here: Course Selection and Recognition of Coursework Done Abroad The courses that you intend to take at the partner university may be recognized by your Faculty. Please contact the Examination Board of your Faculty to learn which courses have been accepted for transfer in the past and/or which courses may be transferred. In order to assess your course list or to pre-approve transfer courses, the Examination Board will require detailed module/course descriptions for each course as offered at the partner university. It is likely that you will have access to such detailed descriptions only after you have been accepted by the partner university (after the external application and receipt of the Admission Letter/ Letter of Acceptance ). We recommend visiting the website of your prospective partner university to determine what courses are currently open to exchange students. In many cases, course catalogues for upcoming semesters will not be available. Please refer to the general course catalogue or the current semester catalogue in that case. DokID: IO_4611_HR_Erasmus_SMS_Leitfaden_E_public Vers. 1, , S. Colak (4.IO) 5 / 6

6 To ensure that the coursework you undertake abroad will be recognized towards your degree, be sure to meet with your Faculty s Examination Board and clarify together which credits can be transferred after your return. Learning Agreement The Learning Agreement (LA) is a document required for all students who study abroad within the framework of the Erasmus+ program. The EU-Commission requires each student participating in the Erasmus program to establish a LA (before the start of the semester abroad). The LA identifies which courses you intend to take at the partner university and which credits will be accepted for transfer back to Nuremberg Tech after consultation with the Examination Board of your Faculty. The LA is required, in order to participate in and receive funding from Erasmus+. You will receive a template for the LA in English from the IO. Accommodation Usually, exchange students will live in their partner university s residence halls, provided there are enough rooms available. In many cases, especially when there are no spaces available or if the exchange student prefers not to live in the residence halls, the partner university s international office will provide assistance in securing private accommodation. Contact Person and Information The staff of the International Office is at your disposal for all information concerning the topic study abroad. Your contact person for the EU-countries/Erasmus+ Program is: Ms Semsi Colak Phone: semsi.colak@th-nuernberg.de DokID: IO_4611_HR_Erasmus_SMS_Leitfaden_E_public Vers. 1, , S. Colak (4.IO) 6 / 6