Application for an exchange place with the Global Exchange Programme

All regularly enrolled students of the University of Göttingen.

For the upcoming summer semester: June 1

For the upcoming winter semester: December 1

Note: You can only apply to the following colleges in the winter semester:

• Amherst College (USA)
• McMaster University (Canada)
• University of Colorado Boulder (USA)

Submit the application online via the Mobility portal. The form will be online from May 1 and November 1 respectively.

Please only use your @stud.uni-goettingen.de address to register in the application portal.

The following application documents must be submitted in PDF format with the online form:

• Motivational letter (English.)
• Curriculum Vitae (English)
• University entrance qualification
• University degree certificate, if applicable
• Performance overview (English, e.g. FlexNow excerpt with percentile rank)
• Language certificate/s
• Proof(s) of professional experience, student jobs and/or volunteer work, internships, etc. (if shown in resume)
• Proof(s) of teaching experience (only for applications to the following universities: Amherst College (USA), University of Colorado Boulder (USA))
• Passport photo (optional)

The motivational letter should be written in English, one to two pages long and should explain why you are a suitable candidate for the tuition-free exchange place. You should answer the following questions:

• What interests you most about your university of choice?
• How does the curriculum or courses at the desired university fit with your Göttingen curriculum or how does it offer supplemental subject areas that cannot be studied in Göttingen?
• Are there certain courses that you absolutely want to take?
• Which university, language and country are you already familiar with?
• What are your professional goals and personal aspirations with respect to the semester abroad?
• Do you have a requirement to complete a stay abroad (compulsory semester abroad) for your study programme?
• What interests you most about the destination country?
• What infrastructure or special attention do you need to ensure your academic success and safety?

If you are applying to several universities, we advise you to focus primarily on your first choice. If you indicate other universities of your choice, we recommend that you also briefly introduce them.

You do not have to address the letter to a specific person.

You can select up to three universities in your application. This increases your chances of getting an exchange place. We cannot guarantee that all successful applicants will be nominated for their first choice.

As a rule, the Global Exchange Programme involves one-semester stays, but two-semester stays are also possible under certain circumstances. At universities that offer language assistant positions, only one-year stays are possible.

Before applying, find out how long you can or would like to participate in the exchange programme and what the minimum and maximum durations are for your desired universities.

You should find out about the academic courses and academic calendar of your chosen university at an early stage. Initial information can be found at Gö Abroad. We also strongly recommend that you research the websites of the partner universities.

It is not unusual for universities to have not yet published binding dates for the following academic year or semester at the time of application to the University of Göttingen. When applying, please base your application on the dates for the current academic year or semester and allow for a buffer period of approximately two weeks in case your application is successful.

At the time of application, it must be clear to the selection committee that you already have the required language level to be successful in your studies at the partner university and that you will be able to provide evidence of it by the appropriate deadline.

University entrance qualifications (not older than 2 years), evidence of passed language courses or the "Sprachnachweis für Auslandsaufenthalte" (“Language Certificate for Study Abroad”) from ZESS e. g. are sufficient for the initial selection.
If recognised by the university of your choice, you can also submit a certificate of the Duolingo online test with your application for universities with English as the language of instruction. This also aplies for Spanish through SIELE (International Assessment Service for the Spanish Language), for example.

Further information on the required language level can be found under partner universities.

If you do not have a language certificate yet, the Zentrale Einrichtung für Sprachen und Schlüsselqualifikationen (ZESS - Central Institute for Languages and Key Qualifications) can support you.

Knowledge of the local language (if different) is desirable, but does not need to be demonstrated in the application.

All applications will be assessed according to the following criteria: professional and personal motivation, academic achievements, foreign language skills and intercultural preparation, as well as social engagement and personal circumstances.

For your application to be evaluated positively, your statement of professional and personal motivation and your academic achievements will be taken into account (35% each). Please note that some partner universities require good academic performance.

Formal criteria such as language skills (usually B1-B2) and information about your intercultural preparation will also be taken into account (20%).

Exceptional life circumstances and social and/or socio-political engagement or part-time jobs are also evaluated positively: e.g. voluntary work in student representatives (e.g. student council), school and leisure activities, care for the elderly, work with refugees, memorial work, but also care for relatives or individual special needs (10%).

Your application documents will be evaluated internally by the faculty (see ‘What is particularly important in the selection process?’). In addition, the Faculty of Economics invites students from its faculty to a selection interview in June or December. Students who are interested in a stay in the USA will be invited to a (usually virtual) interview by the Global Exchange Programme team in December or January.

The selection committee will then meet at the beginning of July or mid-January. After this date, all applicants will receive feedback promptly.

If you are nominated by the selection committee, you will receive an offer of a place by email. You must confirm this promptly by acknowledging, signing and submitting a declaration of acceptance within the specified period.

You then prepare your application to your destination university. Further information on this can be obtained from the Go Abroad Office contact person responsible for your intended destination.

The departmental coordinator or recognition officer at your home faculty will be available to help you plan your stay and draw up your learning agreement.

You must now also submit further applications for scholarships or funding. Further information on this can be found under Funding opportunities.