Going Abroad

The following information and special features apply to the ED degree programs, additional to the international programs:
 

International Co-Education Programs

The following degree programs offer joint study programs in collaboration with selected partner universities (double degree programs, 1:1 programs, and Erasmus Mundus programs). For more detailed information, please visit the website for the respective ED degree program.

• Civil Engineering B. Sc.
• Civil Engineering M. Sc.
• Aerospace M. Sc.
• Automotive Engineering M. Sc.
• Civil Engineering M. Sc.
• Energy and Process Engineering M. Sc.
• Development, Production and Management in Mechanical Engineering M. Sc.
• Environmental Engineering M. Sc.
• Earth Oriented Space Science and Technology M. Sc.
• Mechatronics, Robotics and Biomechanical Engineering M. Sc.
• Medical Engineering M. Sc.
   

Erasmus+ SMS/SEMP

For information on the best time for a stay abroad, please refer to the Timing section.

For selecting suitable destinations, please see the Partner Institutions section. Limit your search to the program ‘Erasmus Studies / Studium (SMS)’ or ‘Swiss European Mobility Programme Study’, and to the ED subject area (ED-XX) assigned to your degree program. During the application process, you may list up to four preferred locations in hierarchical order.

Applications are submitted online via the Online Application Portal (exception: ED subject area Architecture). If your degree program is assigned to the subject area Mechanical Engineering (ISCED 0715) the signed online application from moveon must be sent as a pdf-file to me.international@ed.tum.de.
 

Internships

If you plan to work on a student research project or Bachelor's/Master's thesis at an external institution, you must not apply for the Erasmus+ (SMS) program. Please refer to the Internship section. 

Completing your project or thesis at an external institution is usually only possible in consultation and cooperation with a TUM professor who is an examiner for your degree program. This professor then acts as the official supervisor and grades your thesis. Please find a suitable official TUM supervisor or chair yourself in good time and contact them. 

For any further questions regarding the formal procedures or recognition of your thesis, please contact the academic advisor for your program (see the degree program’s website).

Whereas internationalization activities that do not involve a long-term stay abroad can generally be smoothly integrated into the regular course of a degree program, long-term study stays abroad require careful planning. 

You can choose the timing of your stay abroad yourself, within certain limits, taking into account your individual course of study. In general, a stay abroad is only recommended after successfully completing any mandatory courses. In addition, many partner universities require a minimum of 120 ECTS credits before the start of the stay. 

As a rule, a stay abroad is therefore possible from the 4th semester at the earliest and reasonable from the 5th semester onwards. The duration of the stay abroad is usually one semester.

An overview of all TUM partner universities an be found in the Global Experiences database. The database is organized according to international academic programs and the subject areas of the TUM Schools. Only the partner institutions of the TUM School of Engineering and Design (ED) in the subject area relevant to your degree program are available to you. 

In addition to the Global Experience database, please study the information of the partner university in depth. Furthermore, the TUM ED provides an overview of the partner universities within the frame of the exchange programs Erasmus+ and SEMP of the subject area Civil, Environmental and Geo Engineering (ISCED Code 0732) and of the subject area Mechanical Engineering (ISCED Code 0715).

Before submitting your application, please check the following questions in particular:

• Are the semester, lecture, and examination times at the partner university compatible with your TUM degree program (pay special attention to the much earlier start of the winter semester especially in Scandinavia)?
• Does the available range of courses meet your needs?
• Are your language skills (local language and language of instruction) sufficient, and do they meet the requirements of the partner university?
• Does your study progress meet the requirements of the partner university (minimum number of credits, bachelor's/master's degree requirements)?

TUM ED degree programs are categorized into subject areas, which in turn are linked to International Standard
Classification of Education (ISCED) codes ().

Architecture
ISCED Codes: 0731 Architecture and town planning, 0739 Architecture and construction, not elsewhere classified
B.A. Architektur, M.A. Architektur, M.A. Landschaftsarchitektur, M.Sc. Urbanistik - Landschaft und Stadt
Contact: out.ad.international@ed.tum.de

Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geo Engineering
ISCED Code: 0732 Building and civil engineering
B.Sc. Bauingenieurwesen, B.Sc. Geowissenschaften, B.Sc. Umweltingenieurwesen, M.Sc. Bauingenieurwesen, M.Sc. Computational Mechanics, M.Sc. Environmental Engineering, M.Sc. Information Technologies for the Built Environment, M.Sc. Ingenieur- und Hydrogeologie, M.Sc. Ressourceneffizientes und Nachhaltiges Bauen, M.Sc. Risk and Safety, M.Sc. Transportation Systems
Contact: cege.international@ed.tum.de

Geodesy
ISCED Code: 0532 Earth science
B.Sc. Bodenordnung und Landentwicklung, B.Sc. Geodesy and Earth Observation, M.Sc. Geodäsie und Geoinformation, M.Sc. Land Management and Geospatial Science 
Contact: gd.international@ed.tum.de

Interdisciplinary Engineering (Engineering Science)
ISCED Codes: 0719 Engineering and engineering trades, not elsewhere classified, 0713 Electricity and Energy, 1022 Occupational health and safety
B.Sc. Engineering Science, M.Sc. Industrielle Biotechnologie, M.Sc. Materials Science and Engineering, M.Sc. Power Engineering
Contact: ie.international@ed.tum.de

Mechanical Engineering
ISCED Codes: 0715 Mechanics and metal trades, 0914 Medical diagnostic and treatment technology
B.Sc. Ingenieur- und Werkstoffwissenschaften, B.Sc. Maschinenwesen, M.Sc. Automotive Engineering, M.Sc. Energie- und Prozesstechnik, M.Sc. Entwicklung, Produktion und Management im Maschinenwesen, M.Sc. Human Factors Engineering, M.Sc. Maschinenwesen, M.Sc. Mechatronics, Robotics and Biomedical Engineering, M.Sc. Medizintechnik, M.Sc. Science and Technology of Materials
Contact: me.international@ed.tum.de (for signatures, documents, OLAs)
erasmusbewerbung.me@ed.tum.de (for ERASMUS applications)
saskia.ammon@tum.de (all other requests)

A study plan is required for numerous international programmes, which is a in principle non-binding indication of the subjects you would like to take abroad.

When choosing modules, please pay particular attention to the information provided by the partner university on its information channels. This also applies to the question of whether you, as a Bachelor's student, can also take Master's modules and vice versa (this is generally not relevant for the creditability for your TUM degree program), or whether you can also take courses from other faculties at the partner university. Furthermore, please note the languages in which the modules are taught and ensure that these correspond to your language skills. 

Experience reports can be helpful information source. 

It is your responsibility to check whether the semester and examination periods at the partner university, which often differ from those at TUM, are compatible with your individual study and examination schedule at TUM. Please understand that ED International Office is unable to coordinate this with the partner university or TUM departments. Please discuss with the ED International Office, your departmental academic advisor and/or the examination administration office for your degree program whether a leave of absence is advisable or even necessary. 

Term papers and final theses can also be written during a stay abroad. However, they must be co-supervised and assessed by a TUM examiner who is approved to provide topics for your degree program. Please make sure you arrange this supervision in good time. In this case, you will also have to organize your stay largely independently.

After your acceptance from the partner university, you must sign an Online Learning Agreement (OLA). 

In "Table A – Study Program at the Receiving Institution" list the courses you expect to attend at the host university. When compiling your study plan, please refer to the host university's guidelines regarding the number of ECTS credits, course catalogue and options.
In "Table B – Recognition at the Sending institution" enter the module areas or courses from your TUM degree program for which the modules completed at the host university are to be recognised (please also note the information on recognition options) or enter the regulations for recognition that apply to your subject area. Table B must not be left blank.

The details regarding the handling of learning agreements and the recognition of academic achievements vary between subject areas:

For the subject areas Aerospace, Geodesy, Interdisciplinary Engineering (Engineering Science), and Mechancial Engineering, the following applies: Please note that the Examination Boards are in charge of the recognition of courses. As no binding approval can be given before your stay, please insert the following statement in Table B - Recognition at the Sending Institution in the field Component title at the Sending Institution (other statements in the standard Learning Agreement are not valid): The courses listed in Table A can be recognized upon request and after the verification by the Examination Board in accordance with the FPSO upon return.

For the subject area Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Geo Engineering, please see the info sheet and use the preliminary approval form (Laufzettel). For further information, please refer also to 'Credit Transfer' section above. tbc

The OLA is confirmed with a (digital) signature by the responsible TUM ED international coordinator and the partner university before the beginning of studies abroad.

You can make changes to your course selection within the first 5 weeks after the semester begins. You must document the changes in the OLA. The amended OLA must then be confirmed again by both universities.

Most degree programs have module areas with a high degree of freedom of choice, e.g. interdisciplinary modules, free electives, supplementary courses, engineering flexibility, partner university elective modules, mobility window. Often, the responsible examination board has decided to recognize credits (ECTS) from modules of other universities within defined limits generally for these areas. The further recognition procedures may vary between the different degree programs. Therefore, please note the recognition guidelines on the webpage of your degree program. 

If you still have questions after carefully reading all the information, please contact the person responsible for recognition in your degree program. There is no database with information about which modules have been successfully recognized in the past.

Entry in the Diploma Supplement

Study periods abroad organized through TUM - TUMexchange, Erasmus+ - are automatically included in the Diploma Supplement.
Self-organised stays abroad - Freemovers - can be added to the Diploma Supplement upon request.