Study / internship abroad

It is advisable to attend a consultation before submitting a concrete application in order to find out about procedures, funding opportunities and deadlines. In addition, the application documents should be reviewed at least once in a personal interview (if possible six months in advance) before an appointment to sign the nomination application.

The first step in the application process is the nomination. To apply for a stay abroad at an Erasmus partner university, please first register on the Erasmus Mobility Online Portal.

There you can download the nomination application. You must have this signed by the international representative of the Department of Design by March 1 of each year and submit it to the International Office (Sonnenstr. 96). Please make sure to arrange an appointment before the semester break (beginning of February).

Please note: The application deadline applies to stays abroad in the following summer and winter semester.

Both the Faculty of Design and the foreign partner university would like to learn something about your person, motivation and creative work through your application. Please prepare the following application documents:

• Curriculum vitae in the relevant national language or language of instruction and in English
• Letter of motivation in the relevant national or teaching language or in English
• Proof of language proficiency in the respective language of instruction at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
• If applicable, proof of attendance of a corresponding language course that has been completed by the start date is sufficient
• portfolio
• if required by the host university; can be submitted later up to the university's application deadline
• Printout of the completed nomination application (registration via Mobility Online required)

In the case of study visits, you must agree before your stay by means of a Learning Agreement whether and how the credits earned abroad can be recognized in your study program. When researching the study programs and courses offered at the host university, you should make sure that the course content is a good fit. For stays via Erasmus+, complete the Learning Agreement in the Mobility online portal; for all other study visits (non-European partner universities and non-Erasmus), you will find the form on this page. Please make an appointment to discuss and sign the Learning Agreement with the international representative of the Faculty of Design in good time before the deadline. Beforehand, the selection of courses and planned billing should be discussed in the international office hours.

If these documents have been submitted to Fachhochschule Dortmund and the foreign university by the deadline (please note that the application deadlines at the foreign university may differ), you must wait for confirmation from the foreign university.

Any changes to the curriculum or imprecise module descriptions from the foreign university may lead to changes to the Learning Agreement (during the study abroad program) - the so-called Change of Learning Agreement. A corresponding form is attached to the Learning Agreement.

The credits earned during your studies abroad are checked by the international representative of the Department of Design using the transcript of records. You must then apply to the Office for Student Affairs for recognition of examination achievements.

Summer schools (also known as spring/winter schools) are international study programs lasting a few weeks that focus on specific subjects and are offered by some universities during the lecture-free periods. This allows students to integrate a shorter stay abroad into their studies. Participation is often subject to a fee.

There is a special DAAD funding program for summer schools in Eastern Europe: www.go-east.de. You can find summer schools in Europe, for example, at www.summerschoolsineurope.eu or at the AEGEE Summer University Project: www.aegee.org/su.