[Translate to English:] Uluru in Australien – Foto: Ina Priss

Organising Your Own Study Abroad Semester: Studying Abroad as a Free Mover

If you weren't able to find a suitable partner university for your study abroad semester, you can apply as a ‘free mover’ to study for one or two semesters at a university of your choice. The following information has been provided to help you plan your next steps:

 

1. Finding and Applying for a Place to Study

The first step is to find a university that offers a suitable academic programme to supplement your degree studies at the University of Greifswald. You might want to make use of an agency that is specialised in finding appropriate study placements. Important note: Don’t miss the application deadlines stipulated by the host university.

 

2. Study-Related Advice and Credit Transfer Arrangements

Ideally, a study abroad semester should not mean that it takes you longer to graduate. Find out early on about the courses on offer at potential host universities and discuss with your subject coordinator which courses or modules you should take. The subject coordinators for your degree course or for the exchange programme would be pleased to advise you on course-related questions regarding your proposed study abroad period.

You should clarify the arrangements for the recognition of academic credits earned during a study abroad period [de] with the subject coordinator and with the relevant Examination Office before you begin studying abroad. If you fail to sort out the relevant credit transfer arrangements before you travel abroad, recognition of study abroad credits after you return will be much harder or in some cases no longer possible. We strongly recommend that you organise a meeting early on with the relevant coordinators and administrators in order to discuss your proposal and the credit transfer procedures.

After you have returned, please submit the Transcript of Records from the host university together with the form Request for Recognition of Student Assessments and Examinations [de] to the Examination Office.

3. Finding the Right Funding

You will need to pay your tuition fees at the host university or you can apply to have them covered by a BAföG student loan. Advice on other funding options is available from the International Office.

 

Funding Options [de]

There are numerous funding sources to help you discover the world. Don’t let a current lack of funds stop you from studying abroad. Begin early and look into all the various funding options available. Whatever your situation, there is nearly always a solution for you amongst the broad range of funding sources on offer. A number of these funding options are presented in more detail here.

Student Reports [de]

Students from the University of Greifswald are studying right now at locations all around the world, where they are using the opportunity to broaden their horizons and learn about new cultures. Take a look at the following blog and see for yourself who’s currently studying where and what their study abroad experience has meant to them.

International Office
Roberta Wirminghaus
Domstraße 58a, Ground Floor
17489 Greifswald
Tel.: +49 3834 420 1112
promosuni-greifswaldde

Testimonial Luka Henkel

"I would like to use my semester abroad to further my language skills, get to know new cultures and ways of life and expand my specialist knowledge in the field of psychology in another country. Through my choice of course, I can gain deeper insights into the subject areas of cognitive psychology and social psychology and at the same time discover the land of the Kiwis for six months."
(Luka, freemover at the University of Auckland in New Zealand )

He and other outgoers talk about their experiences abroad in our blog Greifswald goes International [de] and in our Podcast [de].