And what happens next?

What happens after the department has confirmed your acceptance

Congratulations!

You have been offered a place by the department and already accepted it by email.

The next steps after your application

You will be notified by email, if we can offer to nominate your to one of your preferred partner universities. Once you have replied that you still wish to study at that university, you will be nominated to the partner university, which usually accepts our nomination. From that point on, all communication generally takes place directly between you and your host university.

Of course we will notify you, too, if you cannot be allocated a place and then we can discuss other options, such as free places elsewhere.

The host university might ask for further documents (application for admission, hall of residence forms, proof of health insurance, language certificate) and has its own deadlines for incoming Erasmus students. Often the host university will send this information to you directly via e-mail. Nevertheless, you should always check the information on your chosen university’s website as well. This whole process is down to you. Please get in touch if you still haven’t had a reply from your host university after a reasonable period of time.

Check the website of your host university, if you have to submit proof of your language level and in which form. If needed, make sure to gather necessary confirmations or take necessary tests in a timely manner.

Learn more

You will then receive a letter of admission from your host university. Important: For Turkey, non-Turkish nationals must apply for a visa. If you stay in the United Kingdom for more than six months, you will also need to apply for a visa.

In April you will receive some last information regarding your stay abroad, the Erasmus scholarships and the course selection and learning agreement in two info sessions from the International Office and the internationalization coordinators at the Department of Economics.

Nomination to the host university

...is the department’s responsibility and usually takes place by the end of March at the latest for the winter semester (for full-year places and/or ones which begin in the winter semester) and by the end of October for the summer semester (for those only going abroad for the summer semester). You will be copied in when the nomination is sent to the host university or else receive other confirmation of your nomination.

A typical question: Is it now 100% certain that the host university will take me?

A typical answer: It is 98% certain.

If you are going abroad in the winter semester, you should receive confirmation from the host university in the coming weeks and/or else be asked to submit an application or enrol online. Please have a look at the host university’s website beforehand to see if you can find any information there.In most cases there are special websites for exchange students by the host university, which you can find by navigating the website of the host university. You can often also find them by entering the following terms "incoming exchange students uni X" into a search engine.

The following are normally requested by the host university in the application: Personal data, an up-to-date overview of your exam achievements, perhaps a language certificate, sometimes a letter of motivation, sometimes a Learning Agreement and very often a first overview of the courses in which you are interested.

Our University’s Erasmus code is D KONSTAN01. Our department’s Erasmus code is 0311 (ISCED).

Language certificates, language tests and language courses

Language certificates required when applying to a partner university:

You must usually produce evidence of your proficiency in the national language or the language in which most courses are held (usually English). The host university specifies which documents you need to submit. These could be:

  • “Abitur” certificate (certificate of German general higher education entrance qualification) (with proof that you have attended courses in the respective language) or
  • Language test of the SLI of the University of Konstanz or
  • A letter from the department confirming that you have already attended language courses in English

The EU’s compulsory online language test (OLS)

An online language test, in which your proficiency in the language of instruction of the target country is tested, is a compulsory part of the Erasmus+ programme. Duration about 1h - self-assessment. The International Office will inform you by email accordingly.

  • The test must be taken before AND after your exchange.
  • The test results are NOT forwarded to the partner university but they ARE checked by the International Office.
  • The results sheet is not suitable for applications or similar purposes (i.e. it is no substitute for official certificates).
  • The scholarship instalments are not paid until AFTER the OLS has been completed.

The EU offers online language courses.


Erasmus students can access a free-of-charge online language course in the respective language of instruction (at present: E, F, IT, ES, NL, PT).

The Erasmus Mobility Grant

All financial matters are taken care of by the International Office. The scholarship value varies depending on the target country. If more students than usual go on an Erasmus exchange, individual scholarships can be lower than is normally the case. If less students than usual go abroad, the scholarship value can increase.

The scholarship is paid in two instalments. 80 % of the scholarship is paid in September, 20 % plus any top-ups and adjustments will probably be paid in the following June (depending on whether you are abroad in the winter, summer or both semesters).

The International Office uses the web-based “Mobility Online” database to handle the Erasmus programme. The International Office will send you your access data by email before the start of your exchange.

Leave of absence - Yes or no?

  • You must pay the administrative and Seezeit fees in full.
  • It is irrelevant for those students in receipt of BaföG (a German studies grant).
  • Possible advantage: Counting stops for the subject-related semesters, but they do not appear on your exam certificate.
  • Taking written exams in economics: you can only sit them on the deferred assessment date if you take leave of absence. If you don’t take leave of absence, you can sit the exam on both dates.
  • Sitting written exams in other departments: it’s absolutely essential that you enquire in the respective department as they all have different rules and conditions!
  • Teaching degrees: Due to the splitting rule for state exams: Taking leave of absence is advisable.
  • What to do if you want to take leave of absence nevertheless: You must get the application form for leave of absence signed by your Coordinator and then hand it in to the Student Service Centre.
  • If you are going abroad for two semesters, you can apply for leave of absence for both semesters at the same time.
  • You can withdraw your application for leave of absence up until the end of the lecture period of the respective semester by sending an informal letter to the Student Service Centre in which you retract your application.

Number of courses / Course choice / Recognition

  • You should attend courses to the equivalent of about 30 ECTS.
  • Depending on your host university’s rules, you may also attend courses at other faculties or institutions (e.g. language courses).
  • That means you are free to decide whether you want to use your semester or year abroad to study a specific subject or rather to focus on language and culture.
  • Your host university will issue a transcript which you can use for applications later on. This allows you to document very nicely your special linguistic or academic achievements.

The Learning Agreement (LA)

The purpose of this document is to give the exchange student, the host university and the department binding confirmation of the student’s choice of courses. It is also needed to trigger scholarship payments. You will be able to download it as soon as you have registered on “Mobility Online”. You must please always fill out our University’s own LA. Sometimes the host university asks you to fill out theirs, in which case you should please do both.

It must be signed by the coordinators at the host and the home university, then scanned and sent back to Konstanz. In our department, these are Karin Czaja (Bachelor students), Hanna Schwarz (Bachelor and Master students), the two Erasmus student assistants or the two directors of departmental administration.

For the first LA, the following order applies

  • You fill out the LA and discuss it with your coordinator. You will both sign it during your meeting.
  • You scan it and send it to the host university with the request that they sign it, scan it and send it back.
  • You upload it in the “Mobility Online” database.

ATTENTION: In most cases, your choice of courses in the first LA will change after you arrive at your host university. You should then please note these changes in Part 2 of the LA, have it signed by the host university, scan it and send it back to the International Office.

After your stay abroad

Recognition of courses by the department

The transfer of foreign credits to Konstanz does not follow automatically, but must be requested by you. Find out how and when you need to submit this application on the page Recognition of studies abroad.

Final payment of your scholarship via the IO (“Mobility Online”)

Either upload or submit the following:

  • Your Experience Report
  • The second language test (“OLS”)
  • A copy of your transcript of records
  • Letter of Confirmation in the original!