Erasmus FAQ EN
Are there any requirements for an Erasmus+ exchange?
A complete application.
Before going abroad you have to submit a B2 proof of your language skills for the main course language (if it is not your mother tongue).
During the exchange you should accomplish 30 ECTS.
Do I need good grades to be accepted for Erasmus?
The Erasmus grant is not a merit-based scholarship. However, you should be able to receive 30 ECTS in one Erasmus semester. If there are several students applying for the same Erasmus partner university, academic achievements but also the quality of the motivation letter play a role.
The Erasmus scholarship comes automatically with the Erasmus placement. If we offer you an exchange spot, you will receive the scholarship too.
Which proof of language skills is sufficient?
HU Berlin demands a B2 language level for the Erasmus application but some partner universities may require a higher one. Especially at the Master level some universities require a C1 language level and some only accept the international certificates TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge. The necessary information is usually available on the website of the partner university. Please check out the respective websites and acquire all necessary information there.
For the HU Erasmus application you can submit any international certificate such as TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge or UNICERT. If the main course language is your mother tongue, you don’t need any certificate. The HU language center also offers language tests as well as language classes.
How does the recognition of classes at HU work?
Before you go abroad you will discuss your chosen classes with the Erasmus coordinator of your department and the partner university. The Learning Agreement is the suitable document for this process. In this document you list your classes from abroad and how you want to get them recognized at HU. Your department coordinator can tell you if that is possible and the partner university will tell you if you can take all the chosen classes.
After your semester abroad you submit your passed classes and grades (Transcript of Records) together with your Learning Agreement to your examiniation board ("Prüfungsauschuss") and they will recognise the classes as discussed in the Learning Agreement.
For which period of time can I go abroad with Erasmus+?
In every study period (Bachelor, Master, PhD) Erasmus can support you for up to 12 months.
One semester usually lasts between three and six months, two between seven and ten months.
My department at HU has no Erasmus contract with my preferred partner university. Is there a possibility to go anyway?
The contract with a partner university is the prerequisite to be able to go abroad. We cannot arrange new contracts for one student alone. If another department already has a contract with the preferred partner university, you can apply for this slot. Before applying please contact us as there are more points to consider.
Will my Erasmus stay prolongate my overall study period?
As you have to attend classes corresponding 30 ECTS, which is the same amount as you would do at home, your overall study period should not be extended. With the Learning Agreement beforehand you can make sure that all classes get recognized by your examination board. Of course you can also attend classses abroad which interest you but cannot be recognized here at HU. In this case the Erasmus stay might prolongate your overall study time.
Is it possible to apply for a leave of absence from the university ("Urlaubssemester") for my Erasmus stay?
Yes, this is possible.
I missed the application deadline. Can I still apply?
After the application deadline there are usually remaining slots ("Restplätze") available. You can contact us if you are interested.
Can I extend my study period from one to two semesters when I am already abroad?
Yes. If you want to extent your stay and add the summer term as second semester, this is easily possible. Adding the winter term as second semester is more difficult.
What is the semester in Ireland and UK like?
This means that the year is divided into three trimesters. Often the first trimester takes place from September to December, the second from January to April and the third trimester starts from May. The exact dates can be found on the website of the respective universities. The third trimester is often scheduled exclusively for exams and lectures won't take place during this trimester. If you apply for a semester abroad for the summer semester, this includes the second and third trimester and for the winter semester the first trimester. It is important to note that you must clarify in advance with the respective host university when the exams will take place and whether you can also participate in them if you only want to attend the first trimester.