Before the WORLDWIDE Mobility
All applicants will receive a notification of the outcome and, if applicable, a placement offer by (approx.) December 20th. After the successful WORLDWIDE candidates have accepted their offer, we proceed by nominating them to the relevant partner university. Following thereto, please focus on the following issues:
Wait for an e-mail from our partner university in which you receive further information regarding your stay abroad. Make sure to read and follow their instructions diligently; do not miss the indicated deadlines. In order to later enrol at the partner institution and fix courses, you will be asked to send in more documents and certificates, such as copy of valid passport, vaccination or health certificates, financial guarantees (especially for the U.S.), updated grade overviews etc. Nominated students will also receive e-mails with further information from our International Office.
For your orientation, an Outgoer Seminar will be offered. WORLDWIDE candidates for the fall semester will be invitated in March, and WORLDWIDE candidates for the next spring semester will be invitated in November. The seminar provides plenty of information and hints on the duties to be accomplished before the mobility abroad is to start.
Spend some time for intercultural preparation before starting your mobility by reading country-specific information of the DAAD.
Exchange students are obliged to attend courses abroad at the partner university to the usual extent of 25 - 30 ECTS credits per semester. These courses may also include local language or local culture courses, which many partner universities offer their international guest students.
The question, whether it is possible to transfer credit points from studying abroad to your study programme at OVGU and which courses will be applicable for transfer, should be discussed with your designated departmental coordinators or examination offices in due time before your departure. You can pre-confirm the recognition of the courses you select by completing a WORLDWIDE Learning Agreement. Usually, the retroactive recognition of courses and subsequent credit transfer without prearrangements after you have finished your stay abroad is not possible.
Grade recognition and transfer
The recognition of credits and grades and their transfer into the German grading system is the responsibility of the individual faculties, i.e. of the examination offices and committees.
Since you can apply for Auslands-BAföG in addition to your Erasmus+ grant you should check out this option early enough before your study abroad. Those entitled to BAföG in Germany are very likely eligible for benefitting from Auslands-BAföG. Those not receiving BAföG payments in Germany may still be eligible for Auslands-BAföG. Due to higher costs of living in foreign countries, your eligibility to receive payments for staying abroad can be determined. Applying is often worth your while! Different, centralized International Offices in Germany are responsible for assessing your application depending on your host country.
A possible BAföG support is especially important, since WORLDWIDE students, unlike in the ERASMUS program, do not receive automatic scholarships or grants and must therefore basically finance their WORLDWIDE mobility individually.
Find out early enough whether your insurance policies cover your stay abroad. Does your home health insurance apply? Do you need an accident or a liability insurance and would your current insurance policy cover you while living abroad?
Do not forget to re-register at OVGU for the time you spend abroad. Students participating in an exchange programme, whether taking a study leave or not, must remain enrolled and must heed the respective deadlines. This ensures continuous enrolment at OVGU and enables potential transfers of credit points assembled abroad.
You may also want to check out whether a study leave might be of interest for you. §11 of the OVGU enrolment regulation ('Immatrikulationsordnung') sees to the topic of study leaves. Since a study leave temporarily releases students from their duty of proving examinations, principally no credit points accumulated while studying abroad can be transferred to your home institution. Some faculties will transfer credit points under certain conditions. Please clarify all of these questions with the examination office responsible for you. More information can be found here.
The ISIC (International Student Identity Card) is the only ID that is recognized worldwide with which you can identify yourself almost everywhere as a school pupil or student and thus benefit from discounts that are also available to pupils and students living in the respective country. The helpline number from which information on health regulations or visa rules can be obtained for free can be found on every ISIC card. Equally, in case of emergency, advice is available round the clock.
You can apply for the ISIC at the Student Union in Magdeburg during the opening hours of the Info Point in the Mensa on the main campus. For more information on ISIC, read here or visit the official ISIC website.