International exchange

The official exchange semester is an integral part of the curriculum in the 6th semester and replaces the work placement. During this period, you will spend a whole semester studying at a suitable partner university.

Entry requirements:

• you must have at least 90 credit points at the start of the exchange semester
• you must be a student duly enrolled at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences

From the third semester onwards, you can undertake an exchange semester at a suitable partner university at any time.

Prerequisite:

• you must be a student duly enrolled at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences

The application procedures for the official and unofficial semesters abroad are the same.

If you are planning a semester abroad, start the process at least a year in advance and make sure you meet the application deadlines. 

The Centre for Internationalisation and Languages will send out timely information via email regarding the application and selection process. The application deadlines are usually:

• mid/late December for the following winter semester
• mid/late April for the following summer semester

The application procedures are the same for both the official and the unofficial semester abroad.

The Centre for Internationalisation and Languages sends out an email every semester containing all the necessary information and deadlines. 

To apply, you will need:

• a personal statement explaining why you wish to spend a semester abroad and how this fits in with your degree programme
• your Transcript of Records
• a fully completed application on the application platform (you will receive the link to the application platform in the email mentioned above)

The following rules apply to the official semester abroad in the 6th semester:

• Before the semester abroad: You can find information about course selection on the partner university’s website. To successfully complete the semester abroad, you must achieve a minimum of 20 credit points. Your course selection is recorded in a Learning Agreement.
• Shortly before your stay abroad, you must submit your application for admission to the exchange semester and name a supervising lecturer
• After the semester abroad, you must submit your Transcript of Records electronically along with the application form.

The following rules apply to an unofficial semester abroad taken outside the 6th semester:

• Before the semester abroad: You can find information on course selection on the partner university’s website. To successfully complete the semester abroad, you must earn at least 20 credit points. Your course selection is recorded in a Learning Agreement.
• You may enrol in modules that are also offered as part of your degree programme at HSRW and which you have not yet taken. However, you may only take courses for which you have not yet sat an examination at HSRW; in other words, you cannot take a course abroad for which you have already failed at HSRW.
• Before the exchange semester, you must check with the relevant module coordinator whether the content of the course or module at the partner university is sufficiently similar to that of the corresponding module at HSRW. You must obtain confirmation of this by email.
• After the exchange semester, you must submit your Transcript of Records to the Examinations Office and have your results recognised and transferred.

All three bachelor’s degree programmes at the Faculty of Technology and Bionics are open to exchange students. In principle, students may choose modules from any of the three degree programmes; however, it should be noted that this may result in overlap within the degree programme.

Each module/course has an official description. This sets out the various learning outcomes and topics that lecturers are expected to cover as part of the module, as well as some helpful resources. These are intended to help students, their academic advisers and coordinators identify suitable modules and courses that can be recognised accordingly by their home university.

Your course selection is set out in the Learning Agreements, which are signed by you, your home university and the faculty coordinator. It is essential that you discuss the Learning Agreement with both universities and coordinators beforehand!

Even after you have started your studies at our faculty, you still have the option to amend your Learning Agreement if courses overlap or if you are struggling with a module. You must also make sure to agree any changes with both universities or coordinators.

Timetables are usually published a few weeks before the start of the semester.

All incoming students will receive them by email; after that, you’ll also find them here.
It may happen that two of the modules you’ve chosen overlap; in this case, you’ll need to adjust your study plan. Please discuss this with the faculty’s academic exchange coordinator; you’ll find their contact details at the bottom of the page.

Important: You cannot attend courses or modules where lectures, practicals and similar sessions overlap.

Incoming students must register for their exams on paper; you can obtain the exam registration form from our Centre for Internationalisation.

Please do not register via HIS!

Some modules at our university are not graded with marks, but are simply marked as ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. If this causes any problems at your home university, please inform the faculty’s exchange coordinator in good time (see below for contact details).