After the acceptance for a study abroad
You have been accepted for an exchange program?
Congratulations! Before you can start abroad, the next step is the application process at your host university. Here you can learn everything about the next steps.
Please check early if your identification documents are still valid, as they are often required for nomination and registration at non-European universities.
You have already received an exchange spot at a partner university. In order to be able to take up this exchange place, you still need the official admission of the host university.
In order to receive this final admission, two steps are necessary:
1) First, Pforzheim University will officially register you at your host university or, as it is also called, "nomination".
2) Afterwards, you will normally have to prepare and submit some more documents. This application process for admission to the host university is usually just a formality. If you submit the application documents on time, the probability is very high that you will receive the final admission from your host university for the exchange. Only in very rare cases are there such serious problems with this process that you will not be able to start your stay abroad. If problems arise, please contact the Outgoing Coordinator at the International Office.
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If you would like your application documents for the partner university to be checked by the International Office, please send them to us by e-mail or visit us during our office hours. The International Office will then review the documents.
Some partner universities require students to submit a so-called "Transcript of Records" in English. You can create this transcript on your own via the Student Online Systems - please make sure to change the page to English.
If the partner university requires a nomination or selection letter, we will issue this for you. You can also visit the International Office to sign your application forms.
Letters of recommendation, on the other hand, will be written by your professors unless your partner university specifically requests a letter of recommendation from the International Office.
In the next few weeks, you should inform yourself about the courses offered at the host universities. Because some host universities already ask which courses you would like to take when you apply for admission. This also includes the question of which courses you can have recognized.
Therefore, start preparing your Learning Agreement with your faculty and the university coordinator as soon as possible. As soon as your faculty has signed it, send it for signature also by e-mail to the International Office: aaaout(at)hs-pforzheim.de.
The recommended workload for a semester abroad is between 24 and 30 credits. Please note that in the case of Erasmus funding, at least 24 ECTS must be successfully completed. In the case of studies outside the EU, at least 22 ECTS must be successfully completed.
For more information on the formal and content equivalence of courses in the faculties, please refer to the following pages:
Business School
School of Engineering
Important note IB: According to the SPO, a stay abroad is obligatory for students of the study program International Business. For the registration there is an examination achievement "foreign module". In order for this to be entered, the "module abroad" must also be entered in the form "Learning Agreement/Transfer of Credits and Grades" for students of these study programs and recognized by the Dean of Studies.
Important note CFR: Students of the study program Controlling also have to complete a foreign module according to the SPO, this can (but does not have to) be a semester abroad. For the recognition of the foreign module, a form must be filled out in any case BEFORE the start of the semester abroad. You can find more detailed information here.
If you have received an acceptance for a European partner university, you will automatically receive information about Erasmus funding. No additional application is necessary for this purpose. Please note that in case of Erasmus funding, at least 24 ECTS must be successfully completed.
As of the winter semester 19/20, Erasmus funding will no longer be managed by the International Office. Please inform yourself here about the exact procedure.
PROMOS: Check whether your partner university is eligible for PROMOS funding. If you are interested in this scholarship, you have to apply for it within the deadline.
Baden-Würtemberg Scholarship: The selection for the Baden-Württemberg Scholarship is made automatically based on your grades, you cannot apply for this. If you are eligible for a Baden-Württemberg Scholarship (relevant is the grade as well as the partner university), you will be informed by the International Office.
Travel Grant: Students who are not funded under the programs already mentioned can apply for a travel grant.
Further information can be found here.
Please make sure that you can show a valid passport and, if required, a valid visa when leaving for an exchange program outside Europe. Do not forget to apply for your passport in time if you have been selected for an exchange program outside of Europe, because it is sometimes already required when applying at the partner university.
While you are waiting for the final acceptance from the partner university, you should already start to take care of visas, accommodation and insurance. For visas, see e.g. Visum.de or College Contact. For international insurance, you can use for example www.covomo.de to compare the different insurance offers. Additional information can be found for example here.
Before your departure, please inform yourself about the current travel and safety information on the website of the German Federal Foreign Office as well as about possible health risks that may result from a stay abroad. Current travel medicine messages and advice can be found at the Center for Travel Medicine.
Please inform the International Office (aaaout@hs-pforzheim.de) immediately if you are unable to start your semester abroad. We will take care of the cancellation at your host university.
Before you leave, inform the StudiCenter of a change of address if necessary; you will find the corresponding form in e-campus.
If you need a signature for your Bafög documents, please send it as a scan to aaaout@hs-pforzheim.de. We will then return the signed document to you by e-mail as soon as possible.
Before your departure, have your Learning Agreement signed by the partner university and send your fully signed Learning Agreement to aaaout@hs-pforzheim.de.
Even if you do not spend the semester in Pforzheim, you must pay the semester fees to remain enrolled.
After your stay, the transcript (list of all grades) is usually sent to the International Office. After receiving the transcript, the International Office will inform you about the receipt by e-mail. This may take some time.
Please hand in your final report to the International Office (aaaout@hs-pforzheim.de).
If you are studying abroad and would like to extend your stay by another semester, this is possible in consultation with the partner university and Pforzheim University. If you are interested, please contact the International Office (aaaout@hs-pforzheim.de).
To have your grades recognized, please contact your university supervisor and bring the transcript and the fully signed Learning Agreement to this appointment. Please follow these steps immediately after you have received your transcript and returned to Pforzheim.
After the grades have been recognized, please forward the Learning Agreement to the examination office. Only then can your grades be added to StudiCockpit.
The conversion of foreign grades associated with the recognition of study and examination achievements is valid, reliable and transparent thanks to the country-specific conversion tables. The conversion tables are available for all important target countries; if necessary, they are continuously supplemented or updated for other countries. The conversion of grades reflects the many years of experience of Pforzheim University.
Further information on the recognition of courses in the faculties can be found on the following pages:
