Study Abroad

Quelle: Pixabay
Quelle: Pixabay

First orientation

You are interested in studying abroad but are not sure when, where or how? This page will guide you step by step to organize your stay abroad.

Please read this presentation about studying abroad as a Medical Engineering student first. Once you have gained a general overview about the subject, you can proceed to ‘Preparation and procedures’.

The most frequently asked questions about studying abroad are answered below:

You should start planning early, ideally one to one and a half year(s) in advance. For the Erasmus+ program, there may be remaining places available at a later date (see the “Erasmus+” section).

Here you can get first information: First steps towards spending time abroad. As an introduction, it is also worth visiting the information events of the FAU Central International Office. Here you will find an overview of the events offered in the current semester (in German!).

If you want to take a look at the possible destinations for your study abroad, you can check out the Mobility-Online Portal with an intro on our website. With this tool you can view a map of the world and customize your search according to your preferences.

 

You can study abroad for a maximum of 12 months in both the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. In the Bachelor’s program, a stay abroad is recommended from the 5th semester on, in the Master’s program from the 2nd semester on (if any requirements have already been passed).

In order for you to be able to study at a university abroad, there must usually be a cooperation agreement between a program/department of the home university and the target university. This regulates, among other things, that you are exempt from any tuition fees at the host university. As a student of Medical Engineering, you will have the opportunity for an exchange at the level of study programs, departments (in German!), faculties or universities. Exchange opportunities within the framework of the Erasmus+ program are to be distinguished from the so-called direct exchange (see below for more information).

If you are a Non-EU citizen please inquire about the visa requirements of the host country before you apply for the exchange at FAU.  After successful nomination for the exchange by FAU, please make sure that you apply for your study visa in due time.

It is usually advisable to apply for a semester of academic leave from the student administration for a stay abroad, as your semester abroad will thus not be counted as a semester of study. While being on academic leave, academic credit may be given at FAU (exception: repeat exams!), but credits  can be achieved at the university abroad during the semester of leave and can be recognized in the scope of your studies after your return. Please also refer to the information on the accreditation of academic achievements. If you miss part of your exams at FAU due to different semester times abroad, it is possible to make up for them after returning from abroad during the current semester of leave.

Regardless of how you organize your stay abroad, the following always applies: If you would like to have achievements from abroad recognized and accredited for your Medical Engineering studies, your contact is the Student Advisory Service/Recognition Officer for Medical Engineering. It is strongly recommended to conclude a learning agreement for the recognition in medical engineering BEFORE the stay abroad (see ‘Preparation and procedure’).

 

Depending on the destination university, you apply to different coordinators at FAU, either at program, department, faculty or university level. The respective application requirements may vary from case to case. Therefore, please check the websites of the relevant office to find out exactly which application requirements you have to fulfill and how the application process works.

With regard to language certificates, the following generally applies: high school diplomas or documents stating that your university degree was taught in English cannot be accepted as language certificates for the application for an exchange place. If necessary, please have your language level determined in good time at the FAU Language Center by taking the very inexpensive mobility test if you do not have another official certificate (TOEFL, IELTS, DELE, etc.). However, the Language Center urges you not to take the mobility test shortly before the application deadlines (usually in January).

When should I start planning a stay abroad?
You should start planning early, ideally one to one and a half year(s) in advance. For the Erasmus+ program, there may be remaining places available at a later date (see the “Erasmus+” section).
How can I get general information about studying abroad?
Here you can get first information: First steps towards spending time abroad. As an introduction, it is also worth visiting the information events of the FAU Central International Office. Here you will find an overview of the events offered in the current semester (in German!). If you want to take a look at the possible destinations for your study abroad, you can check out the Mobility-Online Portal with an intro on our website. With this tool you can view a map of the world and customize your search according to your preferences.  
When and for how long can I study abroad?
You can study abroad for a maximum of 12 months in both the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. In the Bachelor’s program, a stay abroad is recommended from the 5th semester on, in the Master’s program from the 2nd semester on (if any requirements have already been passed).
Where can I study abroad?
In order for you to be able to study at a university abroad, there must usually be a cooperation agreement between a program/department of the home university and the target university. This regulates, among other things, that you are exempt from any tuition fees at the host university. As a student of Medical Engineering, you will have the opportunity for an exchange at the level of study programs, departments (in German!), faculties or universities. Exchange opportunities within the framework of the Erasmus+ program are to be distinguished from the so-called direct exchange (see below for more information).
What else do I have to consider in terms of organization?
If you are a Non-EU citizen please inquire about the visa requirements of the host country before you apply for the exchange at FAU.  After successful nomination for the exchange by FAU, please make sure that you apply for your study visa in due time. It is usually advisable to apply for a semester of academic leave from the student administration for a stay abroad, as your semester abroad will thus not be counted as a semester of study. While being on academic leave, academic credit may be given at FAU (exception: repeat exams!), but credits  can be achieved at the university abroad during the semester of leave and can be recognized in the scope of your studies after your return. Please also refer to the information on the accreditation of academic achievements. If you miss part of your exams at FAU due to different semester times abroad, it is possible to make up for them after returning from abroad during the current semester of leave. Regardless of how you organize your stay abroad, the following always applies: If you would like to have achievements from abroad recognized and accredited for your Medical Engineering studies, your contact is the Student Advisory Service/Recognition Officer for Medical Engineering. It is strongly recommended to conclude a learning agreement for the recognition in medical engineering BEFORE the stay abroad (see ‘Preparation and procedure’).  
What do I need to apply for an exchange position?
Depending on the destination university, you apply to different coordinators at FAU, either at program, department, faculty or university level. The respective application requirements may vary from case to case. Therefore, please check the websites of the relevant office to find out exactly which application requirements you have to fulfill and how the application process works. With regard to language certificates, the following generally applies: high school diplomas or documents stating that your university degree was taught in English cannot be accepted as language certificates for the application for an exchange place. If necessary, please have your language level determined in good time at the FAU Language Center by taking the very inexpensive mobility test if you do not have another official certificate (TOEFL, IELTS, DELE, etc.). However, the Language Center urges you not to take the mobility test shortly before the application deadlines (usually in January).

ERASMUS+ is part of the Lifelong Learning Program of the European Union and offers scholarships for student mobility between the participating universities in Europe and some other, Non-European countries. The Erasmus+ cooperation agreements are supervised at FAU by the program representative of a department or study program. In addition to the exchange place, you will also receive a (partial) scholarship. Attention: The Erasmus scholarship does not cover your complete living expenses abroad! You can calculate the estimated amount of your Erasmus scholarship with the Erasmus Grant Simulator.

The Erasmus+ cooperation agreements are supervised by different program officers at FAU. The application for an Erasmus exchange is therefore always made for a specific university and should be addressed directly to the respective Erasmus coordinator at FAU. On the one hand, Medical Engineering has its own Erasmus exchange agreements, on the other hand, Medical Engineering students have the possibility to participate in the Erasmus programs of the departments involved in the study program (Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Chemical and Bioengineering – depending on the chosen field of study). An overview of all cooperations on department level incl. contact persons can be found here. Please note that application deadlines and place allocation modalities may differ from those of Medical Engineering.

You are free to apply for several exchange destinations and to several Erasmus coordinators at the same time. If you receive more than one exchange offer by our FAU coordinators, please be so fair as to inform them as soon as possible which offer you want to accept and which ones you want to decline. This way, another fellow student will get the chance to go abroad, too. Thank you!

Please note that application documents for the Erasmus partners of the Department of Computer Science should be prepared as indicated on the Computer Science website.

Erasmus+ Program Representative for Medical Engineering

Claudia Barnickel

Phone: +49 9131 85-67337
studienberatung-medizintechnik@fau.de
Room 02.158
Martensstr. 3
91058 Erlangen

The Erasmus cooperations for Medical Engineering are constantly in progress. At the moment an exchange is possible at the following universities:

The application deadline is the 15th of January for the winter semester of the current year and the summer of the following year! If there remain unassigned slots, students can apply for the summer semester of the following year until 1st of September. Exchange slots assigned in the second round do not necessarily come with a scholarship, so the official deadline in January is preferable!

If you do not have a certificate for the required language skills, please contact our Language Center. The earlier you get in touch with them, the higher are your chances to get your language certificate in time.

The Study Service Center for Medical Engineering collects all incoming complete applications until the application deadline. After the deadline, all applications which meet the language and subject specific requirements, participate in an unbiased random selection (lot drawing).

Medical Engineering students can also participate in the Erasmus+ exchange programs of the departments involved in the study program (Electrical Engineering, Computer Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Material Sciences and Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering depending on your branch of study). You can find an overview of all cooperating departments and their contacts here.

Please take note that the application deadlines of the other departments can differ from those of Medical Engineering!

You can also apply for the exchange programs managed by the Faculty of Engineering. Please contact the International Office of the Faculty of Engineering for a first consultation regarding these options.

If you are interested in internships abroad (industrial internship, research internship, practical part of your thesis paper – after consultation with your responsible academic supervisor at FAU) you can also seek financial and administrative support at FAU’s Central International Office, please find more information here: FAU – going abroad

If you want to study at a university that is not a cooperation partner of FAU you can also study abroad as a so-called free mover. Please find further information here.

Our exchange programs are open to all students regardless of their country of origin, but if you don’t have an EU citizenship you need to be aware of the following:

  • You will need to apply for a study visa in the country of your host university and for the extension of your study visa in Germany if it expires during your stay abroad. If your German visa expires during your stay abroad you cannot re-enter the country. Please seek information about both visa processes in due time so that you know what you need to do and don’t miss any important deadlines.
  • Applying for two study visas also means that you have to submit proof of your financial means in both countries. The Erasmus scholarship is only a partial scholarship and won’t be enough to confirm that you have the required financial resources. You definitely need own savings. Please inform yourself early on at the respective embassies which amount you have to prove.
  • For stays in the United Kingdom, you will need a British health insurance (your German health insurance will not be accepted), which can be very costly.
Erasmus +
ERASMUS+ is part of the Lifelong Learning Program of the European Union and offers scholarships for student mobility between the participating universities in Europe and some other, Non-European countries. The Erasmus+ cooperation agreements are supervised at FAU by the program representative of a department or study program. In addition to the exchange place, you will also receive a (partial) scholarship. Attention: The Erasmus scholarship does not cover your complete living expenses abroad! You can calculate the estimated amount of your Erasmus scholarship with the Erasmus Grant Simulator. The Erasmus+ cooperation agreements are supervised by different program officers at FAU. The application for an Erasmus exchange is therefore always made for a specific university and should be addressed directly to the respective Erasmus coordinator at FAU. On the one hand, Medical Engineering has its own Erasmus exchange agreements, on the other hand, Medical Engineering students have the possibility to participate in the Erasmus programs of the departments involved in the study program (Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Chemical and Bioengineering – depending on the chosen field of study). An overview of all cooperations on department level incl. contact persons can be found here. Please note that application deadlines and place allocation modalities may differ from those of Medical Engineering. You are free to apply for several exchange destinations and to several Erasmus coordinators at the same time. If you receive more than one exchange offer by our FAU coordinators, please be so fair as to inform them as soon as possible which offer you want to accept and which ones you want to decline. This way, another fellow student will get the chance to go abroad, too. Thank you! Please note that application documents for the Erasmus partners of the Department of Computer Science should be prepared as indicated on the Computer Science website. Erasmus+ Program Representative for Medical Engineering Claudia Barnickel Phone: +49 9131 85-67337 studienberatung-medizintechnik@fau.de Room 02.158 Martensstr. 3 91058 Erlangen
Erasmus cooperations for Medical Engineering
The Erasmus cooperations for Medical Engineering are constantly in progress. At the moment an exchange is possible at the following universities: Universitatea Transilvania din Brasov, Romania – required language skills: English level B2, additional Romanian skills necessary! Universidad Politénica de Madrid, Spain – required language skills: English level B2 or Spanish level A2 – University of Oulu, Finland – only Master’s students; required language skills: English level B2 Université Grenoble-Alpes, France – exchange agreement with the department for Pharmacy, only Master’s students, exchange only possible in winter semester; required language skills: French and English B2 Silesian University of Technology, Poland – required language skills: English level B1 for Bachelor’s studies, B2 for Master’s studies University of Groningen, Netherlands – only Master’s students; required language skills: English level B2 Coimbra Institute of Engineering, Portugal – required language skills: English level B2 and good Portuguese skills (ALL lectures in Portuguese) Universidade de Lisboa (Técnico Lisboa), Portugal; course content mainly computer science; required language skills: English level B2, Portuguese skills will be helpful University of Southern Denmark, Denmark – required language skills: English level C1 Technion: Israel Institute of Technology, Israel – required language skills: English level B2 (currently not active) Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Isreal – required language skills: English level C1 (currently not active) Tel Aviv University, Isreal – required language skills: English level B2 (currently not active) Università di Siena, Italy – required language skills: English level B1, Italian skills will be helpful The application deadline is the 15th of January for the winter semester of the current year and the summer of the following year! If there remain unassigned slots, students can apply for the summer semester of the following year until 1st of September. Exchange slots assigned in the second round do not necessarily come with a scholarship, so the official deadline in January is preferable! If you do not have a certificate for the required language skills, please contact our Language Center. The earlier you get in touch with them, the higher are your chances to get your language certificate in time. The Study Service Center for Medical Engineering collects all incoming complete applications until the application deadline. After the deadline, all applications which meet the language and subject specific requirements, participate in an unbiased random selection (lot drawing).
Other exchange offers suitable for Medical Engineering
Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Argentina (contact: mobility[at]fau.de; Spanish skills required) Unisinos, Brazil (contact: Claudia Barnickel; Portuguese skills required) Universidad de Brasília, Brazil (contact: mobility[at]fau.de; Portuguese skills required) Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil (contact: Claudia Barnickel; only for the branches Medical Image and Data Processing or HMDA, Portuguese skills on A2 level required; some lectures available in English) Peking University, China (contact: Siming Bayer; doctorate, possibly Research Internship) Riga Technical University, Latvia (contact: mobility[at]fau.de; English skills required) Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico (contact: mobility[at]fau.de; Spanish skills required) Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia (contact: Christine Mohr; most suitable for the branches Medical Image and Data Processing or HMDA, others possible; Spanish skills required) Medical Engineering students can also participate in the Erasmus+ exchange programs of the departments involved in the study program (Electrical Engineering, Computer Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Material Sciences and Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering depending on your branch of study). You can find an overview of all cooperating departments and their contacts here. Please take note that the application deadlines of the other departments can differ from those of Medical Engineering!
Other exchange possibilities
You can also apply for the exchange programs managed by the Faculty of Engineering. Please contact the International Office of the Faculty of Engineering for a first consultation regarding these options. If you are interested in internships abroad (industrial internship, research internship, practical part of your thesis paper – after consultation with your responsible academic supervisor at FAU) you can also seek financial and administrative support at FAU’s Central International Office, please find more information here: FAU – going abroad If you want to study at a university that is not a cooperation partner of FAU you can also study abroad as a so-called free mover. Please find further information here.
What do I need to know as a Non-EU-Citizen when planning a stay abroad?
Our exchange programs are open to all students regardless of their country of origin, but if you don’t have an EU citizenship you need to be aware of the following: You will need to apply for a study visa in the country of your host university and for the extension of your study visa in Germany if it expires during your stay abroad. If your German visa expires during your stay abroad you cannot re-enter the country. Please seek information about both visa processes in due time so that you know what you need to do and don’t miss any important deadlines. Applying for two study visas also means that you have to submit proof of your financial means in both countries. The Erasmus scholarship is only a partial scholarship and won’t be enough to confirm that you have the required financial resources. You definitely need own savings. Please inform yourself early on at the respective embassies which amount you have to prove. For stays in the United Kingdom, you will need a British health insurance (your German health insurance will not be accepted), which can be very costly.

Preparation and procedures

  • Research the websites of the host university to decide on your preferred country and city. Inform yourself especially on the lecture offer of the host university.
  • Contact the responsible exchange program representative at FAU and submit all required documents as indicated on the website of the department/program. Please note that the application requirements vary between the different departments/programs.
  • For applicants for cooperations of the Medical Engineering program: Please send your application per email to studienberatung-medizintechnik@fau.de, including your CV, all required language certificates, current transcript of records and a one page motivation letter (all in German or English). You can apply for several partner universities of the Medical Engineering program with one set of application documents. Please state your prioritization in your motivation letter in this case. It is also possible to apply in parallel to different  exchange program coordinators, but please be so fair as to cancel the offers you don’t want to accept as early as possible so that other students on the waiting list get a chance.
  • Only for the Erasmus+ program: After successful nomination by the program representative, you will be contacted by FAU’s Central Office for International Affairs and receive further information on formalities concerning the Erasmus scholarship you are entitled to (an additional application for the Erasmus scholarship is not needed, it is assigned to you automatically with the Erasmus nomination) and the organization of your stay abroad. This includes filling in a Digital Learning Agreement via the online mobility portal.
  • Regarding the Digital Learning Agreement: The Erasmus code of FAU is D ERLANGE01. If you are using an exchange offer by our Medical Engineering program your “subject area code ” is Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Technology. If you are using the exchange offers of our Departments of Computer Science or Electrical Engineering, please ask the responsible Erasmus coordinator for the correct “subject area code”. Important: Do not confuse the Online Erasmus Learning Agreement with the separate Learning Agreement for accreditation in your Medical Engineering program (see below).
  • You will receive information on registering (process, deadlines) at your host university from FAU’s Central International Office via email. Make sure to check your spam folder regularly and read those emails thoroughly. It is crucial that you register at the host university in due time and don’t miss any deadlines.
  • Please ask your contacts at the host university about housing options. It may be necessary to apply for a dorm room early on.

  • Please consult your accreditation representative (Claudia Barnickel) as soon as possible, but no later than 6 weeks before departing to create the Learning Agreement for the concrete accreditation of academic achievements in the Medical Engineering program (not the ERASMUS Learning Agreement!). Please fill out this excel sheet with the required information (see examples) and forward it to studienberatung-medizintechnik@fau.de. General information on the accreditation of academic achievements can be found here. The more detailed your description of the foreign lecture is, the higher the chance of accreditation!
  • Your accreditation representative uses your excel sheet as the basis to communicate with the module´s responsible professor and determine whether the achievement from the foreign university can be accredited. Be prepared to potentially provide additional information or documents on the lecture from your host university if required.
  • The module´s responsible professor decides on the accreditation possibility. If  they reject the accreditation, the accreditation representative will receive an explanation for the decision.
  • The accreditation representative issues a Learning Agreement for the accreditation of academic achievements. All achievements that were granted an accreditation are included; for Non-European host universities a conversion into the ECTS credit system is made.
  • The accreditation representative will send the completed Learning Agreement to the student and simultaneously archive the document at the Study Service Center. This serves as a guarantee for students that their achievement is accredited after their return.

  • During your stay you can direct study related inquiries to your program representative and organizational inquiries to the Central International Office.
  • For questions concerning the accreditation (e.g. changing the Learning Agreement for the accreditation of academic achievements), please contact your accreditation representative!

  • After your stay, please complete the form for accreditation and submit it -including your transcript of records from your host university- to the accreditation representative (Claudia Barnickel: studienberatung-medizintechnik@fau.de). At this point, you still have the possibility to apply for the accreditation of achievements not mentioned in the Learning Agreement.
  • The accreditation representative conducts the accreditation. The credits and grades will be transferred into the German system.
  • The accreditation documents are sent to the Examinations Office and registered in Campo.
  • We are excited to receive your feedback and your report!