Studying in Dortmund as an exchange student

The enrollment documents are provided by the International Office. You will be informed about the enrollment process by e-mail once the application process has been completed.

Please bring the following documents with you so that enrollment can proceed smoothly:

• Your valid passport or identity card (EU)
• Proof that you have paid the semester fee for the current semester
• Proof of health insurance  for enrollment /European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or exemption from compulsory health insurance (the latter if you have private health insurance in Germany or possibly have one from your home country)
• Signed tenancy agreement if you have rented a room in a hall of residence of the Studierendenwerk Dortmund

Once you have enrolled, a student ID will be generated which will give you access to the Online Services for Students (ODS) and the study portal. In line with the motto "We focus on students.", Fachhochschule Dortmund offers its students selected student administration processes online. You can also print out the NRW semester ticket via the Online Services for Students (ODS) or the study portal. The semester ticket is initially valid for one semester after enrolment.

ODS or the study portal will remain open for you for 6 months after you have completed your stay at Fachhochschule Dortmund. This means you can easily print out your transcript of records in your home country.

All Fachhochschule Dortmund students must pay a semester fee of approximately €320 for each semester.

The first fee must be paid before enrolment and proof of payment must be brought to enrolment.

After that, you must pay the semester fee each semester and will be informed of this by the Office for Student Affairs by e-mail to your FH e-mail address - this process is called "re-registration".

Payment of the "semester fee" must be made before enrolment - you must bring confirmation of payment with you to enrolment!

We recommend that you pay the fee in advance from your home country! Please note that additional costs may be incurred for bank transfers from abroad! Make sure that the full amount is received by our university, otherwise you will not be enrolled until the missing amount has been paid.

Cash deposits can only be made at the banks/savings banks - and not at the International Office or the Office of Student Affairs.

After your stay at Fachhochschule Dortmund, you will need proof that you have passed your examinations and completed your coursework. This refers to your Transcript of Records. Depending on your study program, you can simply create the automatically generated document yourself via ODS (online services for students) or the study portal as soon as all your ECTS points have been entered and the document is valid without a signature.

ODS or the study portal will remain open for 6 months after your stay. This means you can easily print out the Transcript of Records in your home country.

We are pleased that you would like to stay longer at Fachhochschule Dortmund than agreed. Please note that exchange students are only enrolled at our university for a limited period of time. The duration of your stay depends on your chosen study program and is determined when you apply. For this reason, the extension of your stay is not automatic.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to extend your stay abroad at our university. There are only a limited number of places for exchange students - depending on the home university and the academic year.

If you would like to stay longer than agreed at the beginning of your stay, there are important steps you need to take.

• Contact the International Office well in advance - at least one month before the end of your stay and before the official re-registration period begins.
• Ask your home university whether it agrees to the extension. In this case, the person responsible at your home university must approve the extension to the International Office of Fachhochschule Dortmund.
• Contact the International Affairs Officer of your faculty and discuss your courses, as he/she will have to sign your Learning Agreement again.
• If necessary, contact the Studierendenwerk Dortmund to extend the contract for your room in a hall of residence. It may happen that there is no more space available and you have to look for new accommodation. In this case, please contact the International Office.
• If the extension of your stay is approved, you will have to pay the semester fee during re-registration.

The Studierendenwerk Dortmund offers room reservations for program students. If you would like to make use of this option, please inform us of this in your application.

Please note: Recently, the demand for rooms has exceeded the available supply. For this reason, and despite our best efforts, we may not be able to reserve a room for you. Therefore, please wait until the official confirmation (or rejection) of a room by the Studierendenwerk Dortmund. In the event of a rejection, your deposit will of course be refunded. There is no legal entitlement to a room reservation.

We support our students in their independent search for a room via the following website.

Almost all courses are taught in German, so you should also prepare yourself well for your stay abroad in terms of language skills. German courses are certainly also offered in your home country by the Goethe Institute or other service providers. Make sure you take advantage of such offers. To apply for a German-language study program, you must provide proof of German language proficiency at a level of at least B 1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The certificate must be submitted with the application documents.

Even if you are studying in English, you should learn German in order to be able to cope with everyday life in Dortmund. Studying in English is currently possible in the following degree programs.

It is often not possible to compile a list of all desired seminars in advance, as most lecturers only publish and present their seminars at the beginning of the semester.

A coordinator in your faculty will be able to answer your questions about seminars, projects and semester hours. The contact details of your contact person can be found at the top of this page.

Please make sure that all the examinations you have selected are offered during your period of study. At Fachhochschule Dortmund, examinations are offered in two examination sections. As a rule, the second examination period always extends into the following semester. This examination period is often outside your period of stay, requires you to re-register at Fachhochschule Dortmund and pay the semester fee and overlaps with the start of your studies at your home university.

If you wish to add or remove a seminar in the "Learning Agreement", please use the form provided for changes and remember to obtain all signatures.