Your semester abroad

Start thinking about whether you want to study abroad at least one year in advance, i.e. at the start of your M.A. program. Have a look at possible partner universities you might want to go to.

After you have decided on your three favourite universities, fill out the application and hand it in before the end of the application deadline, which is usually in December.

In order to apply, you are required to fill out the following forms, comprise them into one single PDF file, and send them to outgoings.anglistik@uni-bonn.de before the end of the deadline:

• The application form
• A letter of motivation (including your motivation to study abroad, why you chose these 3 specific universities, your academic and non-academic qualifications, your previous experiences with foreign cultures and languages, etc.), preferably in English, should be about two to three pages long
• Your CV
• A recommendation letter (by any of your lecturers)
• Your transcript of records

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact one of our contact partners:

• Coordinator: Dr. Imke Lichterfeld, erasmus.anglistik[at]uni-bonn.de
• Learning Agreements: Dr. Nicole Meier, kustodin.anglistik[at]uni-bonn.de
• Contact (Outgoing students & applicants): Johanna Thürigen, outgoings.anglistik@uni-bonn.de

• Students can apply for a direct exchange for one or two semesters at partner universities in:
  • Northamerica: Canada, USA
  • Africa: Ghana
  • Asia: China/ Hongkong, Israel, Japan, Singapur, South Korea, Taiwan
  • Latinamerica: Brasilien, Chile, Mexiko
  • Australia
  • Find an overview of our partner universities here

• Students will receive a partial Scholarship, i.e. an exemption from tuition fees.
• Usually, students receive a one-time grant funded by the means of the University. The sum of this grant is dependent on the means of the university which are available at the time (normally around 750€).
• Please note that you should inform yourself about other ways of financing even before applying for a direct exchange, since many deadlines are set even before the application deadline for the direct exchange.
• Some partner universities offer lodging in halls of residence.
• Contact: Laura Cornesse - globalexchange-outgoing@uni-bonn.de

Deadlines vary depending on whether you want to study in Asia, Australia, Canada/USA, or in South America/ Israel. Those for the USA/Canada and those for Asia usually end around November. Therefore, it is crucial that you start thinking about whether you want to study abroad already in the beginning of the M.A. program. Have a look at the exact deadlines here.

First of all, you need to apply in the Mobility-Online portal during the application period (Find a guide for the registration here).

Documents you will need to hand in include: (Important downloads can be found here)

1. A letter of motivation

A text which should be no longer than two pages in total, written in English (except if you apply for a scholarship in Latin America, this needs to be written in German). Write about your motivation to study abroad explain why you chose this specific country and specify your study intentions abroad (try not to generalise and lay down your motivations concerning your studies). The letter of motivation is one of the most important documents, next to the reports and the Transcript of records. (Download the form here)

2. Your CV

There is no fixed form for your CV, however, it should be written in a table form. It should not be longer than two pages, written in English, and the most recent event should be mentioned first.

3. Your transcript of records

This needs to include your grade average. If you are a first-semester master's student, a list of registered modules suffices. However, please do not try to convert your grades, keep them in the previous format of your transcript of records.

4. Proof of your language skills

Language requirements differ depending on the chosen partner university. They are specified by the partner universities in their portraits which you can find here. In any case, you will need to prove your language skills in the language instruction of your chosen partner university.

For some partner universities, you will need to submit a TOEFL- Test (especially for partner universities in the USA, Canada and Asia. Expectations regarding the score vary among the partner universities). The results should be present at the time of the application. If they are not, you must prove that you have registered for the test at the time of application. However, the results need to be presented at least one week before the selection interviews. Therefore, make sure you register for the test in time!

If no TOEFL Test is required by your partner university, you will still need to hand in the DAAD Nachweis, which you can get in the IAAK.

5. A certificate of enrollment (you can get this via Basis)

6. Your Bachelor's certificate

7. Two reports by your lecturers

You are required to hand in two reports written by two of your lecturers who are required to hold at least a PhD. Reports by language lecturers only are not permitted. If you have only recently started to study at the University of Bonn for your Master's program, you are allowed to hand in one report by a lecturer of your old university, however, the second one should be written by a lecturer of the University of Bonn. The reports need to be written in English. A special form (which can be found here) should be used, please remind your lecturer to use it. Reports by former lecturers of the University of Bonn are also permitted. The reports are allowed to be handed in until one week after the application deadline. In case of longer delays please contact the responsible person.
The reports should either be given to you in a closed envelope that you hand in at the international office or your lecturer may send it to the international office himself.

You should be informed about the range of courses, the entry requirements and potential restrictions concerning your study area. You can find all this in the portraits of the corresponding partner universities.

You are applying for a specific region, not a specific university. However, you are strongly encouraged to choose three priorities in terms of partner universities. If you apply only for one single university and do not name any alternatives, this will limit your chances for a successful application.

Most of the scholarships only include a partial scholarship, which exempts students from paying tuition fees.

A PROMOS scholarship: 

The level of funding available varies from host country to host country and amounts to one and a half monthly installments (partial grant for stay abroad) for the summer semester 2024 and the winter semester 2024/25. The installments for the summer semester 2025 will not be announced until late summer of 2024.

Other financial aid (Information in German only):

• Scholarships by the DAAD
• BAfög for studies abroad
• Scholarships by the Fulbright commission for your studies in the USA
• More funding options can be found here