Students at ASL can choose from a variety of options to study abroad, which we strongly encourage as part of your studies.

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Study Abroad in one of the many places offered by Leipzig University and ASL

Erasmus+

Study Abroad in Europe

The Erasmus+ program gives students the opportunity to study at a partner university in another European country for an exchange period of up to twelve months.

ASL currently has an Erasmus+ exchange agreement with a partner institution in Europe, for which students can apply:

In addition, students can apply for the Erasmus+ exchanges of other institutes at Leipzig University, as well as Erasmus+ exchanges not tied to a specific field, as offered via the Utrecht and Arqus networks. For a list of available exchanges, please consult the MoveOn-database.

As part of an Erasmus+ exchange, students will receive financial support during their studies abroad, including a tuition waver for the host institution and a monthly stipend, based on the duration of their stay and the rates for the destination country. Students can also apply for additional funding, if applicable. For more details on the application process, funding guidelines, and additional information, please see the International Centre’s website on Studying Abroad in Europe.

 


Bilateral University Agreements

Study Abroad in the US and Worldwide

To study outside of Europe, Leipzig University offers over 40 bilateral exchange agreements with partner universities worldwide. While the United States might be the most apparent choice as an exchange destination for students of American Studies, ASL understands America as more than just the USA and thus also recommends students to consider studying abroad at partner institutions in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America.

 

Partner universities in the United States:

 

Partner universities in Canada:

 

Partner universities in Mexico:

 

In addition to these, Leipzig University also has partner universities in Cuba, Chile, Peru, Brazil, and Argentina. For a list of available exchanges with partner universities, please consult the MoveOn database, using "UniPartner Studium" as the entry under "Program" during search.

Please note that some partner universities also have specific conditions for the exchanges they offer, like requiring a specific program level (BA or MA) or duration of stay (one or two terms). For a comprehensive list of partner universities worldwide and their specific conditions, please see the “Downloads”-section of the International Centre’s website on Studying Abroad Worldwide.

As part of such a bilateral exchange, students do not have to pay any tuition fees at the host institution and can also apply for additional funding, if applicable. For more details on the application process, deadlines, and funding opportunities, please see the International Centre’s website on Studying Abroad Worldwide.

 


MAUI & AEN

Study Abroad in the US and Australia

Through its membership in the Utrecht Network, Leipzig University offers students the opportunity to study abroad at partner universities in the USA, via MAUI (Mid American Universities International) and in Australia, via AEN (Australian European Network). MAUI comprises of 13 universities in the US, offering exchanges to 16 campuses, while AEN does so for five universities in Australia.

For a list of available exchanges with partner universities via MAUI and AEN, please consult the MoveOn database, using "Utrecht Network_MAUI/AEN/REAR" as the entry under "Program" during search.

As part of an exchange with partner universities via MAUI and AEN, students do not have to pay any tuition fees at the host institution and can also apply for additional funding, if applicable. For more details on the application process, deadlines, and funding opportunities, please see the International Centre’s website on Studying Abroad Worldwide.

 

Most exchange agreements at Leipzig University include tuition and other fees at the partner institution being waived in part or completely, and may sometimes also include accommodation, monthly stipends or other forms of support or benefits. In most cases, this makes studying abroad in the United States or other countries with high tuition fees affordable and feasible in the first place. However, even with these costs covered by an exchange agreement, studying abroad can often be more costly than studying in Leipzig, due to additional expenses and/or higher living costs, including for visa application fees, groceries, rent, health insurance, traveling, etc.

Thus, securing additional funding for a study abroad period might be advisable, which can come from a variety of sources and for which students can often apply simultaneously and in correlation with their application at the International Centre for an exchange place at a partner institution.

Both the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German-American Fulbright Commission offer a wide range of scholarships, from travel grants to one-year full scholarships. Another and quite common form of support is International BAföG (AuslandsBAföG), which has higher grant rates and is granted more widely than regular BaföG. There are also various foundations and education funds that support individual study abroad periods, as well as student loans offered at low interest rates, often with the help of government contributions.

All of these have separate and individual application processes, oftentimes with differing requirements and sometimes fixed annual deadlines. And similar to a student’s application for an exchange place, they also can last up to a year, depending on the type of funding applied for. And although application requirements will regularly overlap, thereby saving some preparation work and time, it is needless to say that starting early is strongly recommended, as many other elements remain that will require a lot attention and time to be completed.

While all this can seem a bit overwhelming at first, the International Centre fortunately has great additional resources that will help students approach their funding applications as a step-by-step process that gradually leads towards a successful submission – and to students regularly attaining the funding they pursued.

We thus strongly recommend taking the next steps towards applying for your own funding with the International Centre, in this context specifically the section “Scholarships and Funding Opportunities”, where you can find additional and more detailed information on available funding options, the individual application processes, their deadlines and specific requirements, as well as guidelines, overviews and other useful materials that are immensely helpful for orientation and structuring your individual application process.

Students can get credits they have earned during their exchange period recognized towards their study programs in Leipzig.

Before going abroad, ideally right after being accepted for an exchange, students who want to make sure that their credits will be recognized, should contact the Study Advisor for Studying Abroad to discuss their study plans and coordinate options for potential credit transfers. Students in teacher training programs (Lehramt) should instead contact a Study Advisor for Teacher Training.

While being abroad, students should keep records of the courses they take, including copies of syllabi, assignments and/or assignment sheets, exams, etc., allowing for a smooth recognition process upon their return.

After Returning from abroad, students should contact the Study Advisor for Credit Transfer to start the recognition process for the credits they have earned abroad. Students in teacher training programs (Lehramt) should instead contact a Study Advisor for Teacher Training.

Students have the option to get their study abroad period recognized as a key qualification (Schlüsselqualifikation) via modules specifically created for this purpose in both the BA- (Schlüsselqualifikationsmodul (SQM) Auslandsstudium (04-001-1015)) and MA-level (SQM Study Abroad (04-038-2015)). This can be done independently from, and in addition to a potential recognition of credits earned abroad. In order to receive full credit (10 LP) in these modules, students are required to write a Final Report and an Abstract on their study abroad term, following these guidelines.

To register for recognition of your study abroad period and for further information, please contact the Study Advisor for Studying Abroad. Given the relatively short deadlines for completion of the Final Report and Abstract, it is recommended to coordinate this prior to returning to Germany.

Please note that such a recognition is mutually exclusive to that of an internship as a key qualification within the same program level.


Related Information

Leipzig University International Center

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Doing an Internship

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ASL Study Advising

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