Prerequisites & Planning
Time management
You must be enrolled at Viadrina and have already completed part of your degree programme. The application process begins approximately one to one and a half years before your stay abroad.
Bachelor’s students
- Prerequisite: ideally 1.5–2 years of study completed.
- Recommended time for a period abroad: 5th and/or 6th semester.
- Application: usually in the 3rd semester if you started your degree in the winter semester, or in the 2nd semester if you started in the summer semester.
Students in dual study programmes: Please check the appropriate timing with your study programme co-ordinator. The available time window is usually short. Consequently, only partner universities with semesters running from September to December are often suitable for you.
Master’s students
- Prerequisite: at least one completed semester.
- Recommended time for a period abroad: 3rd and/or 4th semester.
- Application: if applicable, at the same time as applying for a study place at Viadrina or during your 1st semester.
Rechtswissenschaft (Law) (1st state examination):
We recommend that you do not undertake the semester abroad until after you have passed your intermediate examination (Zwischenprüfung).
ECTS requirement WiWi Bachelor
This rule applies only to Bachelor’s students at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
Prerequisite: To apply to a partner university, you should have earned at least 24 ECTS credits.
If you have not yet earned 24 ECTS credits:
- You can apply in the second or third application round for remaining places, provided you have earned the required ECTS credits by then.
- Alternatively, you can postpone your study abroad period by one year.
Partner university requirements
Some partner universities require a minimum grade point average (GPA) or a specific number of ECTS credits at the time of application to the respective partner university. You can find all the relevant details in our lists of partner universities and also directly on the websites of the respective partner universities.
Language skills
Required language proficiency level
Some partner universities require language proficiency at B2 level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, CEFR) or proof of proficiency such as TOEFL or IELTS. You can find details on this in the lists of partner universities and also directly on the partner universities’ websites.
English-taught courses
Many partner universities offer these, not only in the USA, Australia or the United Kingdom, but also in many countries across Europe and Asia.
When do you need proof of language proficiency?
- Internal application at Viadrina: A language certificate at the required level is not yet necessary. However, we do require proof of your current language level, e.g. through a placement test, language courses you have completed or examinations at the Viadrina Language Centre. If your language skills are insufficient, we can only offer you a place abroad subject to the condition that you will meeth this requirement.
- Applying to a partner university: It is usually only at this stage that you must submit a language certificate at the required level, such as B2, TOEFL or IELTS. Which form of proof is accepted depends on the respective partner university.
Taking language tests
Have your language level assessed at the Viadrina Language Centre right at the start of your studies and attend language courses there. Placement tests are available at the start of each semester. Tests such as TOEFL or IELTS are not offered on a daily basis. You should therefore allow sufficient time for preparation and registration with the relevant testing organisation.
Funding & Costs
Travelling abroad with a disability
We strive to enable students with disabilities to study abroad at one of our partner universities. We are happy to advise you on choosing a study destination and support you with your preparations, as unfortunately not all of our partner universities offer facilities suitable for people with disabilities.
Additional financial support is generally easier to arrange when studying in another European country. Here, you will receive an Erasmus+ mobility grant, which can be supplemented to cover special needs, e.g. in the form of accessible accommodation, carers, etc. You must apply for this grant at least three months before your stay abroad – just get in touch with us!
Please note that, as a general rule, you should allow more time to prepare for a semester abroad if you have a disability.
Further information on studying abroad with a disability can also be found on the Deutsches Studentenwerk’s pages on studying and disability.
If a long-term mobility programme is therefore not possible for you, you can still enquire about our short-term stay programmes.
If you have any questions, please contact Ms Klück.
Equal opportunities are a key priority of the Erasmus+ programme.
Lump-sum funding
From the 2021 project year onwards, the DAAD will provide funding to students with a GdB of at least 20 or a chronic illness who have received confirmation from their home university that they have been accepted for an Erasmus+-funded study or placement abroad. A separate application is not required, but we do need to be informed. So please do get in touch with us directly! The monthly grant is a flat rate of €250.
Application for actual costs
There is also the option to submit an application for actual costs, again for students with a GdB of at least 20 or a chronic illness who have received confirmation from their home university that they have been accepted for an Erasmus+ funded study or placement abroad. A separate application must be submitted for this; the maximum grant amount is €15,000 per semester and per mobility period. The amount awarded is calculated according to your needs and paid in addition to the regular Erasmus+ grant.
Only additional costs that
- are not covered by national authorities (integration offices, health insurance funds, regional associations, social welfare offices, student services) can be taken into account.
- are incurred by you as a result of your stay abroad. These include, for example, flight costs and accommodation costs for accompanying assistants or for accessible accommodation.
As you must provide evidence of the difference between costs at home and abroad, please allow sufficient time for the application and be sure to inform us personally!
The application should be submitted to the DAAD by your home university at least two months before your departure. Unfortunately, any application submitted after you have started your studies or placement abroad cannot be considered. The DAAD will review the application and reserves the right to reduce the grant amount accordingly.
Travelling abroad with a child
Of course, as parents, you can also study abroad for one or two semesters. The Division of International Affairs will support you in this and advise you on choosing a study destination to help you find a university with suitable facilities. Not all of our partner universities are equally well-equipped to cater for students with children. In principle, however, it is possible to spend a semester abroad with children at any of them. It is easier at some universities than others, and we recommend that you make use of the office hours offered by the Division of International Affairs to find a suitable partner university.
In this student report, you can find out more about one of our students’ experiences.
If a long-term mobility programme is therefore not possible for you, you can still enquire about our short-term stay programmes.
If you have any questions, please contact Ms Klück.
It is easier to obtain financial support for an exchange semester within Europe. Under our EU exchange programmes, you will receive a grant. This can be increased to cover additional family members, but you must apply for it at least three months before your stay abroad.
You can contact the division for International Affairs for this and also seek advice from the Viadrina’s Commissioner for Families.
Please note that you generally need to allow more time to prepare for a semester abroad than your fellow students without children. As the selection process for studying abroad takes place only once a year during the winter semester, a planning period of one to one and a half years would be helpful.
Anyone undertaking a semester abroad with a child as part of the Erasmus+ programme may also apply for additional funding.
Since the 2014/15 academic year, the DAAD (Erasmus+ Guide, as at 22 July 2014) has stipulated the following:
“Project organisers pay grant recipients the fixed monthly ‘regular’ Erasmus+ grant per country group (…), and in addition, the target group described above may be granted a monthly lump sum (capped at the maximum rate for the country group) as follows”:
200 euros, regardless of the number of children.
To improve the conditions for successfully studying whilst raising a child, all newborn children of students at the European University Viadrina will receive a one-off welcome gift of 100 euros from the 2010/11 winter semester onwards. Half of the payment will be made by the Studentenwerk Frankfurt (Oder) and half by the AStA at Viadrina.
As well as ERASMUS+ funding, there are other opportunities to apply for scholarships:
- MAWISTA Scholarship – Studying abroad with a child
LGBTQIA+ students
For queer and LGBTQIA+ students, there are a number of specific factors that should be taken into account when planning a period abroad:
- Legal and social situation: Find out about the situation in your destination country. In some countries, there are restrictions or even criminal prosecution relating to LGBTQIA+ identities. You can find up-to-date information on the website of the Federal Foreign Office and in their FAQ with specific guidance (only in German).
- Local support services: Check which partner universities are considered particularly inclusive and which queer networks, groups or organisations exist locally.
- Gender identity and enrolment: Some universities only offer binary gender options during enrolment. Find out at an early stage what solutions may be available.
- Accommodation and halls of residence: Some halls of residence are segregated by binary gender. Enquire with the partner university at an early stage about gender-neutral accommodation options or single rooms, and look into alternatives such as private accommodation.
Further information:
- Support and advice: If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Division of International Affairs or seek advice from colleagues in the Equal Opportunity Division.
- Experience reports: Tips and personal stories from the LGBTQIA+ community can be found at studieren-weltweit.de/queercommunity (only in German)
- DAAD information sheet: Tips for queer students (LGBTIQA+) studying abroad (only in German)
- ILGA Europe Rainbow Map: Interactive map covering topics such as ‘Equality & non-discrimination’ and ‘Legal gender recognition’ in Europe
- ILGA World Map: World maps covering, amongst other things, the legal recognition of gender identity and same-sex partnerships
First-time academics
Being the first in your family to go to university is a big step. And now a period studying abroad as well? It might feel like a lot to take on at first, but it’s worth it: you’ll exceed your own expectations and gain new perspectives. If you have any questions or concerns, we’re happy to advise and support you.
Support and inspiration:
- Social Top-Up from the Erasmus+ programme: In addition to the monthly grant, first-year university students on Erasmus+ receive a Social Top-Up of €250 per month. This makes it easier to manage your finances.
- ArbeiterKind.de: Personal advice and information for first-year university students. Here you can meet people who have overcome similar challenges and are sharing their experiences. There is also a group in Frankfurt (Oder).
- Studying Abroad: Experience reports from first-year university students who have taken the plunge and moved abroad.