[Here you could insert a short subject-specific text encouraging students from abroad to come to your institute/faculty]
General Information and Applying
You can find all general information about applying and studying at our university over on the International Centre pages. Familiarise yourself with the first steps you will need to take to attend Leipzig University as an exchange student.
The International Centre is responsible for the general organisation of your stay in Leipzig, including application, admission and enrolment. If you have any administrative questions, please email the International Centre.
Your contact person within [the institute/faculty] is [the Erasmus departmental coordinator *name*]. They are responsible for academic guidance. If you have any questions about our degree programme and your studies at [our institute/faculty], please send them an email [insert EMAIL].
You meet the requirements to study as an exchange student if you have been nominated by your home university and have sufficient language skills. You can now begin the application process. The application deadline is 30 June for the winter semester and 15 January for the summer semester.
At Leipzig University, the academic year is divided into two semesters.
Winter semester: 1 October–31 March
The lecture period ends in January/February. This is followed by an examination period of about four weeks, and then the semester break, which ends on 31 March.
Summer semester: 1 April–30 September
The lecture period ends in mid/late July. This is followed by an examination period of about four weeks, and then the semester break, which ends on 30 September.
Range of Courses
All of the faculties’ and institutes’ course catalogues are published on AlmaWeb. The full range of courses offered by [name of institute/faculty] can be found under the information about studying [name and link to the page on the institute/faculty website].
Since there are no mandatory courses for exchange students, you are free to choose all your courses.
Please contact [the Erasmus departmental coordinator *name*] for information about modules and courses suitable for Erasmus students. You are not required to take entire modules. Please consider any requirements of your home university when choosing your courses:
- How many courses do you need to take?
- How many ECTS credits do you need to earn?
- Do you need grades?
Erasmus students do not register online for courses. You will discuss your chosen courses or timetable with your Erasmus departmental coordinator and explain which courses you would like to attend.
Before attending a course, lecture, or seminar, please email the lecturer and briefly introduce yourself. This email should contain the following:
- Name, home country, home university
- Degree programme and semester
- What have you studied so far and what is your focus?
Please go to the first session and introduce yourself to the lecturer. Please be sure to discuss the exam format, as you will need a certificate for each course you take.
[Here you can provide specific information, e.g.:]
What you can choose:
- Lecture(s) from the bachelor’s programme. The examination here will take the form of a written exam or an oral exam (rarely coursework).
- Seminar(s) from the bachelor’s programme. The examination here will take the form of coursework or a presentation.
- Possibly a course from the master’s programme. In this case, you will have to discuss with the lecturer which form of exam you have to take for your ECTS credits.
Different rules may apply to students on master’s programmes.
[Please adapt the texts based on the English-language courses you offer.]
[At the institute/faculty name], courses are primarily held in German. No courses are taught in English at this time.
Sufficient knowledge of German is recommended.
Where can you find courses to improve your German? You can find more information about German language courses at our university over on the International Centre pages.
[If you cannot offer the following content, you should point out here that the language of instruction is German only and that exchange students are required to speak German at least at B2 level.]
In addition, [the institute/faculty name] offers a programme in English and English-friendly courses:
- English courses: The courses are held in English. All materials and literature are available in English.
- English-friendly courses: Courses are offered mainly in German, but include topics delivered in English (about 1/3 of the course). All materials and literature are available in English.
ECTS Credits and Grades
The regular workload for one semester is a total of 30 ECTS credits. Please check with your home university how many credits you need to earn during your stay abroad.
[Here you can provide specific information, e.g.:]
There are several ways to obtain ECTS credits:
If you take an entire module from a bachelor’s or master’s programme and pass all the exams, you will receive 10 ECTS credits. For some modules, 20 ECTS credits are available: Basic Module I and Basic Module II on the bachelor’s programme.
Should you wish to attend individual courses, ECTS credits are available for these as follows:
- 3 courses from one module (lecture/seminar): 3 ECTS credits per course + 1 ECTS credit per passed exam
- 2 courses from one module (lecture/seminar): 4 ECTS credits per course + 1 ECTS credit per passed exam.
Since there are no set exams for individual courses, you should discuss your individual exam arrangements with your Erasmus departmental coordinator.
“Attendance points” (Teilnahmepunkte) may only be awarded for a discussion of approximately ten minutes with the lecturer at the end of the course. The lecturer will then sign your attendance certificate (Teilnahmeschein).
In the courses you have chosen, you will need to briefly introduce yourself to the lecturers at the beginning and discuss the examination requirements. To receive ECTS credits for a course, you will have to attend it regularly and complete an examination or another form of assessed work. You will receive a certificate (Leistungsschein) at the end of the semester, which includes your name, the ECTS credits awarded and the German grade.
The German term Semesterwochenstunde, or SWS, refers to the number of teaching hours per week. For example, if a lecture takes up 2 teaching hours per week (SWS), then you add those 2 hours per week to your timetable for the entire lecture period of the current semester. The number of SWS for each course is listed in the course catalogue.
Learning Agreement and Transcript of Records
Your Learning Agreement is your individual course plan and the basis for your Erasmus studies. It is concluded between you, your home university and [our institute/faculty]. Your Erasmus departmental coordinator at our university will sign your Learning Agreement. Your home university needs the Learning Agreement to know whether and what exactly you are studying at our university and whether these courses can count towards your degree.
When preparing your Learning Agreement, please refer to the course catalogues from previous semesters, since the course catalogue for the winter semester is not published until September and the course catalogue for the summer semester is not published until March. Once you have selected your courses from those actually on offer, add them to the Learning Agreement.
There may still be some changes to your course plan. For example, your preferences or the course catalogue may change. This is normal and not a problem. If you need to submit your Learning Agreement to your home university very early, you can simply enter courses from the most recent course catalogue. You can still adjust your Learning Agreement later (after arriving in Leipzig) according to your wishes. You should therefore wait as long as possible – as long as your home university allows – before submitting your Learning Agreement to your Erasmus departmental coordinator in Leipzig.
[Adapt specific information]
Your Transcript of Records is a summary of credits earned at our university, certifying all the courses you have taken here. In order to receive your Transcript of Records, you will need to have all your certificates (Leistungsscheine) signed by the relevant lecturers before you leave Leipzig.
[In the following please check whether this procedure applies to your institute/faculty.]
You then send copies of all the certificates to the examination office, either by post or email.
If you have provided all the necessary documents, you will be able to pick up your Transcript of Records within a short time or have it posted to you. If you leave before you have received all your grades, please make absolutely sure that your certificates are forwarded to the examination office.
Student Services and Initiatives
Our university supports international students in Leipzig in a variety of ways.
The International Centre has developed an app to help students get started in Leipzig. Download our app to help you make the most of your studies. During your time at university, certain questions and concerns will likely come up again and again. Our app can help you to find the right answers and services.
The Academic Lab is a helpful source of support for academic work and writing. It offers excellent workshops on research, writing, and text analysis. For more information please visit the Academic Lab website.
At the End of the Placement
Before you leave Leipzig, your home for the last few months, there will still be a few things to take care of. The International Centre pages provide more detailed information.
If you have planned another semester at our university, you will need to re-enrol. You do this by logging into your AlmaWeb account and paying the semester fee.
Sometimes exchange students would like to extend their stay and spend another semester studying in Leipzig. In principle, this is not a problem. We are pleased that you enjoy being at [our institute/faculty] and in Leipzig. In order for you to stay here, we will need approval from your home university. Please email confirmation to your Erasmus departmental coordinator in Leipzig and to the International Centre at incoming-exchange(at)zv.uni-leipzig.de. Then re-enrol by logging into your AlmaWeb account and paying the semester fee.