On this page you find the answers to many frequent questions and a first explanation of the most important terms and scholarship programs. Of course there can’t be any liability for the information stated here to be correct and up-to-date. The last update of this information was done in January 2013, the links were updated January 2019. We are always happy for comments and additions, just contact us.
1. General information:
Which exchange programs are there?
- Europa: Erasmus, FreeMover, Eucor (European confederation of universities of the upper rhine region), Double degree programs (with France, Italy and Poland)
- USA, Canada, Australia (some southern regions): Baden-Württemberg-Programm (not to be confused with BaWü-Stipendium)
- USA: Fulbright
- Worldwide:
- Direct cooperation of KIT and foreign universities (Southern and Northern America, Asia, …)
- DAAD-scholarships
Where do I get information regarding the exchange programs? Who is responsible for which program?
- Erasmus: ESN Karlsruhe, IStO (Fr. Morlock-Scherm), faculty coordinators
- Free Mover, DAAD, Fulbright, BaWü-Programm: IStO, ESN Karlsruhe
- Direct cooperations: Websites of the regarding institutes, IStO
- All: General consulting dates every two weeks at the IstO
Are there experience reports and where can I find them?
Where do I get information about my desired university?
- The newest and most complete information you will find on the regarding internet presences.
- If you have some idea which courses to visit during your exchange, talking to your Professors here in Karlsruhe who study on the same field could be helpful, because they are often well connected internationally.
Which financial support is there for studies in a foreign country?
- Maybe “Auslands-BAföG” (easier to get than the standard BAföG)
- Many programs mostly take over the (sometimes extremely high) student fees and may add some small support.
- Erasmus-scholarship: Right now between 150-250€ a month.
What can I do if my question is not answered here?
2. Erasmus-Program:
Who can apply for Erasmus?
- Everybody, who finished their first year of studies, not participated in the ERASMUS-program before (in their current major), is written in in a major that leads to an university degree, is citizen of the EU (or of a country participating in the ERASMUS-program, e.g. turkey, Norway, …) and has the necessary knowledge of the language of the host country.
How does the application process work?
- Generally: You should inform yourself about partner universities, your faculty is cooperating with (IStO: “international cooperations”). Then the responsible coordinator of your faculty has to be contacted regarding the deadlines of the application. You can find a list of the faculty coordinators on the IStO-Homepage. As soon as the applicant is selected by the responsible faculty coordinator, he can sen in his application at the “Akademisches Auslandsamt”.
- Please consider the deadlines of the application are determined by your faculty and therefore can vary depending on your fields of study!
How do I have to apply? What should go in my application?
- Each faculty requires at least:
- “Mobilitätsbeihilfeantrag” meaning: mobility support request (to get online at IStO)
- Student Application form
- Learning Agreement
- You should look up, if your faculty requires further documents with your faculty coordinator, at least the faculties WiWi and informatics do so.
What is the learning agreement for and how do I get my courses approved?
- The learning agreement is mostly there so you engage with your host university and its lectures.
- It is not legally binding and frequently changed.
- Nevertheless for the approval of your courses it is definitely helpful to speak with your professors about the classes you plan to attend before you leave.
How are my chances of getting a spot in the Erasmus-program? What can I do to better my chances?
- Chances heavily depend on the demand at your faculty and on spots on your selected university in general.
- Therefore you should look for alternatives to the universities everybody wants to go (usually well-known and/or English speaking universities).
- There is no guaranty for a successful application, but planning in advance (e.g. with language courses) and handing in a good application will help you.
What can I do to improve my chances?
- There is no general solution or guarantee for a succesful application. For sure it is advisable to plan and start the application in advance (for example start your language courses early enough) and hand in a good application.
What can I do if I didn’t get a spot?
- You can try getting an unused left-over spot from a different faculty. This should be done directly at IStO and not before march. Also, these spots do not grant mobility support.
What can I do if m faculty doesn’t have a cooperation with my desired host university?
- You can find another faculty of the KIT to have a cooperation with your desired host university and can apply at the IStO for a spot at that faculty.
- You can always go as a Free-Mover. This requires organizing everything yourself though and can also require paying student fees.
How will I be living during my Erasmus stay?
- The living conditions depend heavily on the host country and university. At some places you get a guaranteed spot in a students home, in others you have to look for everything yourself.
- For the first days you can usually stay at a hostel or do couchsurfing while looking for an own room. There is now reported case of anyone ending living on the streets.
3. Baden-Württemberg-Program:
Where do I find information about the Baden-Württemberg-Programm?
Where can I go with the Baden-Württemberg-Programm?
- At the Moment: Massachusetts, California, Conneticut, North Carolina (all USA), Ontario (Canada), South Australia and Mexico.
How are my Chances of a spot in the Baden-Württemberg-Programm?
- Depending on your choice of host university you might get an easier spot due to social commitment and a gut application with the Baden-Württemberg-Programm than with a DAAD- or Fulbright-scholarship.
What is the recommendation letter (“Empfehlungsschreiben”)?
- The recommendation letter should help to evaluate your performance and commitment not just based on your grades
- For meaningful recommendations of professors that know you, you can coordinate your seminars, internships, and HiWi-Jobs egarding to that goal.
4. Direct-cooperations:
Where can I find a list of direct cooperations?
- At the ISTO
- There might also be special cooperations at specific institutes, you should also look out for that.
5. DAAD-scholarships:
Where can I find information regarding DAAD-supported programs?
- There are a lot of different scholarships offered by the DAAD (for a year, a semester or special research scholarships). They are all listed in the DAAD-Stipendiendatenbank.
How are my chances for a DAAD-scholarship?
- The selection criteria of DAAD are very individual, you shouldn’t count on a general limit on grades.
- If you start planning early and show your motivation and preparation with a good application, you can have a good chance even if your grades are 2,0 or lower.
- You can only find out, if you are admitted by trying.
What is the recommendation letter (“Empfehlungsschreiben”)?
- The recommendation letter should help to evaluate your performance and commitment not just based on your grades.
- For meaningful recommendations of professors that know you, you can coordinate your seminars, internships, and HiWi-Jobs egarding to that goal.
6. Fulbright-scholarships:
Where can I find information about the Fulbright scholarship?
How are my chances for a Fulbright Scholarship?
- For a good chance on the Fulbright Scholarship you should have good grades as well as a personal, well-stated interest in the USA and engage with topics regarding this country.
What is the recommendation letter (“Empfehlungsschreiben”)?
- The recommendation letter should help to evaluate your performance and commitment not just based on your grades.
- For meaningful recommendations of professors that know you, you can coordinate your seminars, internships, and HiWi-Jobs egarding to that goal.
7. Scientific thesis in other countries:
Can I also write my final thesis in another country?
- To do that you should first find a research group and a supervisor (local) who offers the topic. You should ask him if you can do the thesis in another country. Once you find a supervisor in your host country, the two of them should talk to each other and are both responsible for your thesis.
- Once this is done, accreditation is safe. This might be an advantage to regular classes and exams. On the other hand you might not be included in student activities as well as with other exchange programs.
8. Information for specific faculties:
Economic sciences (Wiwi)
Computer Sciences
- Who is the coordinator for this faculty?
- When does the application process close?
- Chance to get an Erasmus spot:
- As the faculty most often has more spots available than the amount of candidates you have a good chance to get a spot with a complete application.
- But this might not apply to the universities you selected. You should definitely take a look at the general information concerning your chances to get an Erasmus spot.
- Information of the faculty:
Electronical Engineering
- Where do I get information from?
- When does the application process close?
Social studies
- Who is the Erasmus coordinator of this faculty?
- When does the application process close?
- March 15th for winter term
- October 15th for summer term
- Are there already any universities with an Erasmus cooperation?
- When should you go abroad (advice of the faculty)?
- BA: 5th or 6th semester
- MA: always
- How long should you do your Erasmus (advice of the faculty)?
- Chance to get an Erasmus spot:
- As the faculty most often has more spots available than the amount of candidates you have a good chance to get a spot with a complete application.
- But this might not apply to the universities you selected. You should definitely take a look at the general information concerning your chances to get an Erasmus spot.
Mechanical Engineering
- Who is the Erasmus coordinator of this faculty?
- When does the application process close?
- February 28th
- for summer term also stick to the application deadline of the winter term as in summer term they just offer left over spots
- Are there already any universities with an Erasmus cooperation?
- When should you go abroad (advice of the faculty)?
- BA: not before the 5th semester
- MA: always
- Diploma: after finishing the fundamental studies
- How long should you do your Erasmus (advice of the faculty)?
- 1 or 2 semesters
- almost only elective courses can be recognised
- in the 2nd semester abroad you can do a scientific thesis for example
- Chance to get an Erasmus spot:
- As the faculty most often has more spots available than the amount of candidates you have a good chance to get a spot with a complete application.
- But this might not apply to the universities you selected. You should definitely take a look at the general information concerning your chances to get an Erasmus spot.
Physics
- Who is the Erasmus coordinator of this faculty?
- When does the application process close?
- mid of february for scandinavia and western europe
- 3rd week of march for rest of europe
- Are there already any universities with an Erasmus cooperation?
- When should you go abroad (advice of the faculty)?
- Diplom: 7th or 8th semester
- BA/MA: during your masters
- How long should you do your Erasmus (advice of the faculty)?
- Chance to get an Erasmus spot:
- As the faculty most often has more spots available than the amount of candidates you have a good chance to get a spot with a complete application.
- But this might not apply to the universities you selected. You should definitely take a look at the general information concerning your chances to get an Erasmus spot.
Other studies
- Who are the Erasmus coordinators?
