General questions about a semester abroad
Q: I would like to go abroad and don't really know where to start looking for information. What information is primarily relevant for me in the planning phase?
A: The problem is usually not that there is too little info on the subject, but on the contrary almost too much, which can be confusing at the beginning. But don't worry - it's not that hard. If you read this FAQ, you have already found the websites with the relevant information for business students!
It is very important that you distinguish the different ways to go abroad, because depending on the organization of the stay abroad, different contacts/application formalities/deadlines may apply. If we disregard self-organized stays, there remain the partner universities of the faculty and such partner universities at LMU level, where inter-faculty exchange places are also open to BWL students.
At the faculty, there are European partner universities (usually followed by "Erasmus") and non-European partner universities (automatically followed by a type of contract called "LMU-Exchange"). Your contact person here is the IRC (our International Office at faculty level). Relevant for the application to partner universities of the faculty is only the information on the IRC websites.
In principle, there are no inter-faculty Erasmus exchanges, but there are further inter-faculty non-European places. Some of these are also open to BWL students. The contact person for an application for such places is the "big" Int. Office at university level and relevant is only the information provided by the colleagues for the application.
Q: Can I apply at the International Office of the LMU for inter-faculty places or privately at other universities at the same time as applying to the IRC?
A: Of course! All we ask is that you openly state the "dual application" in each of your applications and include an overall list of your priorities. Only then can we see where your overall priorities really lie and take this into account as much as possible when allocating places. In the end, each person will only receive one study place and this should be the best possible one.
Q: Can I additionally apply to the LMU International Office for inter-faculty places even if there is a faculty exchange with the corresponding university?
A: No, if there are faculty places, there are no additional inter-faculty places available.
Q: Can I also go abroad in the summer semester?
A: In principle, yes. However, semester times are so different around the world that it is difficult to find something that corresponds to our summer semester! It is usually easier to organize a study abroad program in the fall/winter. That's why the faculty only has one application deadline per year for exchange places.
Q: Can I also go abroad in the 7th semester of the bachelor's degree or in the 5th semester of the master's degree?
In principle, yes. However, the more advanced you are in your studies, the more difficult it becomes to transfer credits (and thus an integrative stay abroad). For this reason, such applications can only be given secondary consideration in the allocation of exchange places by the faculty.
Q: When and with which documents do I have to apply if I want to organize a semester abroad privately?
A: Unfortunately, there is no general answer to this question. Please refer to the websites of the respective universities to find out whether a university accepts such applications at all, what the procedure may be and what tuition fees you have to expect.
Q: When do I have to take a leave of absence for a semester abroad
A: A leave of absence is only an option, but it is by no means mandatory. Keep in mind that if you take a leave of absence, you will not be allowed to obtain any credits at LMU except for repeat exams. However, this can be quite useful in view of the shifted semester times. If necessary, you can apply for a leave of absence at the Student Office. Please refer to the information provided by the LMU Student Office for deadlines and procedures.
Q: Can I do the Bachelor's or Master's thesis abroad?
A: The bachelor or master thesis must be supervised at LMU.
Specific questions about applying to faculty exchange places
Q: On what criteria is the selection for faculty exchange places made?
A: Academic performance (grades and credits earned) and letter of motivation.
Q: Do I need a letter of recommendation to apply for exchange places at IRC?
A: No, a letter of recommendation is only part of an application with LMU's International Office for inter-faculty exchange places.
Q: How and when will I know if I have been accepted for an exchange place?
A: Normally, it takes about 8 weeks to process applications. The results of the selection process are communicated by e-mail.
Q: What happens if I do not get a place at any of my 4 priorities?
A: If you are in principle eligible for a faculty exchange place, experience has shown that in this situation you will receive a remainder offer (places that were not requested in the regular allocation round). If you are not eligible for or interested in any of the remaining places, we are unfortunately not able to offer you an exchange semester at one of our partner universities.
Q: What are my chances of getting a place at university xyz if my average grade is x.xx?
A: As the demand for places varies from year to year I am afraid I cannot predict this. In general, there is more demand for places at renowned universities in larger and well-known cities where the language of instruction is English than there is for places at lesser-known institutions in smaller cities where you need to know a language other than English. This should give you an idea of which universities are more competitive than others.
Q: I did not achieve 45 ECTS during my first two bachelor semesters, can I still apply to the faculty?
A: In principle, yes, but you must assume that your application can then unfortunately only be considered with lower priority.
Q: Can I submit the language certificate later?
A: Unfortunately this is not possible, but a simple copy/screenprint of the (unofficial) score is sufficient to meet the deadline.
Q: I have an old TOEFL that has officially expired. Can I still use it for the semester abroad?
A: For the application for the exchange places such an "old" TOEFL is absolutely okay initially. In the worst case (rarely happens) your future host university will not accept this TOEFL anymore, but then you would have enough time to take a new test.
Q: I have a CAE (or CPE). Can I use this language certificate to apply for the semester abroad?
A: For the application to the exchange places it is absolutely okay initially. In the worst case (rarely happens) your future host university will not accept a CAE (CPE), but then you would still have enough time to take an IELTS or TOEFL.
Q: Is the TOEFL essentials recognized as a language certificate?
A: No, please take the TOEFL iBT.
Q: If a university specifies two languages of instruction, do I need proof in both languages?
A: Not necessarily - if you want to take courses in only one of the two languages, one language certificate is sufficient. However, if you speak both languages, it is of course nice if this is also evident from your application.