Study abroad

You can also complete your studies abroad at universities that are not partner universities. This may be necessary, for example, if your applications for a study place at a partner university were not successful. However, there must be sufficient business and social science courses available at this university to complete the Learning Agreement. In this case, you will have to organize your stay and finance yourself. It is essential that you consult with the International Office in advance.

As a student, you take care of the course selection at the respective foreign university on your own responsibility. In terms of content, the following criteria should be met:

• The course contents should be appropriate to the study progress in order to achieve the meaningful interlocking of the foreign study achievements with your Bamberg studies. This means, in particular, that the courses must be master courses and not equivalent to modules, especially from the basic program in Bamberg (module group MAEES1).
• The learning agreement should support a career-qualifying focus. It is, therefore, worthwhile to start thinking about the time after the master's degree before the semester abroad.
• Courses with a total of up to 24 ECTS credits can be included in the Learning Agreement. The same options exist as in the module group MAEES11 in Bamberg (see module handbook EES).

To check whether the courses are suitable, a course description with details of the ECTS points or SWS must be attached to the Learning Agreement application. This can be an outline, a syllabus, a printout from the course catalog or similar. Self-written or handwritten course summaries and lists are not sufficient. In particular, it should be clear from the descriptions that the modules are master's modules.

In your Master's program, 24 ECTS credits are usually allocated for study abroad. Depending on the region where you do your study abroad, the calculation is different.

Europe
Within Europe, ECTS points are awarded for successful participation in courses. These can be directly credited to the required 48 ECTS points.
Example: You attend a course at an English university for which 5 ECTS points are awarded. These points are directly credited to this extent.

Outside Europe
Non-European universities do not use an ECTS point system. Therefore, a conversion must be made using the semester hours per week (SWS). 12 SWS result in 24 ECTS points.

Conversion SWS - ECTS points
The following information is required in the Learning Agreement for the conversion:

• Lecture hours per week
• Minutes of a lecture hour (e.g. 45 or 60 minutes)
• Number of lecture weeks per semester

The calculation of the SWS is done automatically in the Learning Agreement EES (see above under "Credit transfer"). The calculated value is then multiplied by 2 to give the ECTS points.
If there is an official conversion of the foreign achievements into ECTS points at the foreign university, you can also submit this.

Please note that crediting of SWS is not possible if information on ECTS credits is possible.

You can also attend block seminars, language courses or complete internships during your stay abroad and have them count towards the 24 ECTS credits. Please note the following information:

Block seminars
Crediting is done in the same way as for normal courses. The calculation is done by dividing the total duration of the seminar by 45 (duration of one SWS in Bamberg) and by 14 (number of semester weeks).
Example: A two-day block seminar has 8 hours each.
8 hours x 2 days = 960 minutes
960 minutes : 45 : 14 = 1.52 SWS
1.52 SWS x 2 = 3.04 ECTS points

Language courses
Language courses can also be included in the Learning Agreement up to a maximum of 12 ECTS, as provided for in the examination regulations in the module group "Interdisciplinary Specialization". A language that has already been completed at the same level in a Bachelor's or Master's program cannot be included. The same language as in module group MAEES2 cannot be included.

Internships

The study abroad is intended to support a professionally qualifying focus. Therefore, up to one-third of the 24 ECTS credits to be earned abroad (i.e. a maximum of 8 ECTS or 4 SWS) can be replaced by a professionally qualifying internship abroad. Internships in Germany, on the other hand, are not included in the Bachelor EES and, therefore, cannot be credited. Also, an internship abroad can only be credited in combination with a study period abroad!

For this purpose, the internship abroad must be suitable in terms of content (companies, banks, insurance companies, ministries, etc.) and last at least one month full-time. In this case, the professional internship is part of the LA and must be agreed upon with the LA coordinator.

The internship abroad must be or have been completed during the time of your Master's program, i.e. not necessarily during, but alternatively also before or after the study semester abroad. Furthermore, the internship abroad does not necessarily have to be completed in the same country as the study semester abroad.

Regarding the initiation and funding of internships abroad, see also the page of the International Office.

In principle, a Learning Agreement is binding on both sides. You should therefore plan your course selection carefully in advance. Nevertheless, it may happen that changes in the learning agreement become necessary.

Since usually only individual courses are exchanged, it is sufficient in a first step to inform the subject advisor by mail about the planned changes, including all relevant evidence and descriptions for the newly included courses. You will then receive his or her approval.

Once the final course selection for both semesters has been made, you will need to complete an amended Learning Agreement. This can be a signed scan if you wish.

After your semester abroad, please submit the official grade transcript of your achievements to the Student Advisory Service (preferably as a scan by mail).

In addition to the grade transcript is required for conversion and credit:

• A Learning Agreement for the Master's program EES with content identical to the grade transcript. In case of changes in course selection, please submit a new and appropriately revised Learning Agreement EES (see above under "Credit Transfer").
• The data sheet(88.7 KB, 1 page)(88.7 KB) for the recognition of foreign study achievements
• If applicable, proof of your internship abroad

You can also send the grade transcript by mail to the Student Advisory Service. No liability will be assumed in the event of loss or damage to the mailing. It is therefore recommended that you submit the documents in person or send them by mail.

A faculty-wide policy on grade conversion of foreign coursework can be found on the EES Examination Committee pages.

You can take a leave of absence for the semester abroad. Leave of absence semesters must be applied for at the Student Office, stating and proving a reason (e.g. study abroad). The fees for the Studentenwerk and the semester ticket still apply. The current amount can be found on the re-registration page.
Please note that an initial registration for exams and for the master thesis is not possible during a leave of absence!

Information on upgrading: If you take a leave of absence for the semester abroad, this semester will not be included in the calculation of the subject semesters. This may become relevant, as the number of completed semesters is used to determine the maximum duration of studies (six semesters).

The information on your degree certificate regarding the duration of your studies is not affected by a semester of leave. Your certificate will show the date of the last examination and not the number of semesters completed.

A compulsory registration for exams in Bamberg, which were not passed or missed before the start of the stay abroad, for the following semester (= semester abroad) is not provided. However, a repetition is also possible during your study abroad.

You can take a repeat examination in Bamberg during a semester abroad even if you are on leave of absence , provided that you have submitted a corresponding application to the Examination Office in advance and by the end of the regular registration period at the latest.

Please note that initial registration for exams is not possible during a leave of absence.

• Normally, only the best grades (up to) 24 ECTS points are converted and credited in the module group "MAEES11 Interdisciplinary Specialization". Thus, by earning more ECTS points, poorer performances may not need to be credited.
• Alternatively, you can use additional ECTS points to replace outstanding achievements, e.g. in the module groups MAEES3-10. In this case, contact the Bamberg subject representatives already before your stay abroad and clarify whether the desired subject abroad can be credited for a Bamberg subject. You will have to conclude additional learning agreements with the subject representatives.

• In order to compare the subjects in terms of content, a description of the foreign course is required from the subject representative.
• Credit can be given as soon as you submit the transcript of records (foreign transcript) and the credit form to the academic advisor.

A combination of both variants 1. and 2. is possible.

Courses can of course only be credited either as part of the 24 ECTS points (MAEES11 Interdisciplinary Specialization) or as an individual agreement!