Incoming Exchange Students
If you are interested in studying a semester on exchange at the School Computation, Information and Technology in the Professional Profile Electrical and Computer Engineering, please find out about the programs you can study with us.
Please see here:
https://www.international.tum.de/en/global/exchangestudents/
1. Nomination by your home university
A nomination by your home university is required, which must have a partnership agreement with TUM.
2. Application at TUM
- Winter semester: March 15 - May 15
- Summer semester: September 15 - October 31
More information about the application process you can find here
Language Certificates
TUM requests a German or English certificate of level B1. If you plan to attend courses taught in German, good German skills are required.
Following tests are required:
English
TOEFL iBT – minimum score: 65
TOEFL ITP – minimum score: 500
TOEIC – minimum score: 650
IELTS – minimum score: 5
German
Goethe-Zertifikat B1 - minimum score: 60
TELC Deutsch B1 - minimum score: 180
ÖSD-Zertifikat B1 (ZB1) - minimum score: 180
Students must demonstrate proficiency in the chosen language of instruction at TUM (German/English):
- Proof from the home institution confirming the language level (B1 or higher)
- The certificcate are only valid for two years from the test date
Free-mover and Visiting Students without a Program
Please note that we are only able to accept students for exchange (non-degree) studies who are students at our partner universities and who have been nominated for exchange. Students who have received a DAAD scholarship to study in Germany or have been nominated via a DAAD program may also be eligible to study in our department.
Academic Conditions for an Exchange Stay
The Professional Profile Electical and Computer Engineering offers more than 400 courses per semester. Half of them are taught in English. Our English courses are mostly at a master's level. We don’t offer many bachelor courses in English. If Bachelor students want to take courses at master level, they need at least 2 years of prior studies in Electrical Engineering.
We expect all exchange students to take at least 60% of their workload (number of courses) at the Professional Profile Electrical and Computer Engineering. All our courses can be identified by the EI Module Code (e.g. EI0101 or EI0604). Please indicate the EI module code in your study plan or learning agreement.
Exchange students are allowed to take nearly any course of our department (except EI60xxx, modules from the elite master's program in Neuroengineering).
Also for labs and seminars registration is required, here we cannot guarantee places for exchange students.
Modules
TUMonline is the central service portal for TUM students. All modules of the departments can be found in the TUMonline module catalogue including their descriptions with ECTS credits. As all courses belong either to the summer or the winter turn, please take this into consideration when searching for modules.
You have to register for both in TUMonline: first, for the courses, later for the modules during exam registration.
Keep in mind that the courses at the Professional Profile Electrical and Computer Engineering are published in August for winter semester and in February for summer semester. The TUM application deadline for the exchange programs are earlier than the departmental course scheduling is finished. So you have to indicate a first choice of courses in your study program or learning agreement.
When you set up your study program or learning agreement at an early period before arriving here in Munich, you cannot be sure whether the courses are offered, do not overlap or the exam dates do collide in the semester.
We advise to choose more courses than you plan to do or your home university asks you to allocate.
That means that you have to revise your study program or learning agreement after the start of the semester.
Different Types of Courses
Lecture ("Vorlesung"):
- Registration compulsory, because only if you are registered you will get access to the e-learning program and the Professor will get your contact details
- Periodic (weekly) schedule
Exercise ("Übung"):
- Accompanying a lecture
- Usually held by a teaching assistant
Seminar ("Seminar"):
- Limited number of participants
- Registration compulsory, please refer to the website of the respective chair for details of the registration process, registration is taking place before the lecture period is starting.
- Each student prepares a paper and a presentation about a scientific topic
Lab ("Praktikum"):
- Limited number of participants
- Registration in TUMonline compulsory, seats are allocated on Friday before the lecture period is starting, more information here
- Always make sure to go to first meetings – places might be available if others cancelled
Credits
Credits represent points awarded for work completed successfully in a given module (credits are commonly referred to as credit points, ECTS points, CP or ECTS credit points). The greater the total student workload required to complete a module, the higher the number of credits the module is assigned. The rule is: 1 Credit ≙ 30 hours student workload.
Credits are not awarded for merely attending the module, but only after verification of successful completion of the module exam.
Final Thesis
To do the final thesis during your exchange stay here, you have to find a topic and then a supervisor who belongs to our professional profile Electrical and Computer Engineering. It is compulsory that the thesis is supervised by someone from our professional profile even it is done in a company. Also, there is no placement. Topics for the final project can be found in the web sites of the Chairs and Professorships as well as the persons who are responsible for the project.
Here we recommend students to arrange the thesis topics before the semester is starting.
A Bachelor’s Thesis has usually 12 ECTS (duration 9 weeks). A Master’s Thesis takes 6 months and has 30 ECTS. The thesis has to be registered in TUMonline. The registration is available via email.
Acceptance
After receipt of your application documents in time (winter semester: 15 May / summer semester: 31 October) and acceptance by TUM, we will send you a letter of admission by email from July (winter semester) or from December (summer semester) on.
Application for Visa
Students who need a visa to enter Germany, should apply as soon as they have received the acceptance letter of TUM in a Diplomatic Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany in their home country. Please take into account that visa issuing can last several weeks and the final receipt is not safe until you hold it in your hands.
Travel and Accommodation
After you‘ve received the letter of admission from TUM (and your visa for students from other than EU/EFTA states), you can start the travel issues and the search for accommodation in Munich.
First Access to the Service Portal of TUM
TUMonline is the central service portal for students to administer their TUM studies. Access data (username and password) for TUMonline and your TUM registration number (“Matrikelnummer”) will be sent to you via e-mail from August on! Then you can log into TUMonline. When you log in the first time, a new application form appears. Please DO NOT fill out this online application form! Please ignore or cancel this step! After you’ve received the access data, please upload a photo. You can only upload a photo once, a second time is not possible.
Formalities for Enrollment
After you’ve received your access data for TUMonline and your TUM registration number (“Matrikelnummer”), you should prepare your enrollment. For your enrollment two things are necessary:
1. The transfer of the student services fee plus the solidary fee for semester ticket: in total 152,30€
2. The subscription to a German health insurance.
Mandatory Health Insurance
All students in Germany are obligated to have a health insurance. All applicants therefore need to contact a German public health insurance provider (e.g. AOK, TK, Barmer, DAK etc.) before enrollment - regardless of your country of origin – and get an insurance.
Enrollment
After we have received the voucher of the payment and the proof of health insurance, enrollment will be executed by us from mid of September or mid of March! You will receive an automatic e-mail from TUM it-support as soon as you are enrolled. Following please set up your own TUM e-mail address.
MIX-Mentoring
For those who want personal help, we offer a service, called MIX-Mentoring. Before arriving in Munich, you can have contact with a regular student from our department who will answer your questions and help you to become accustomed to your new surroundings after your arrival. Just apply here.
Course Registration
Courses can be registered in TUMonline. You can register your courses also after your arrival in Munich.
Application for Lab Courses
The application for lab courses with a restricted number of participants is carried out in TUMonline with a particular placement procedure called "PRAKTIKA", which provides a reasonable allocation of places among the applicants.
You can only register on a waiting list for the lab course. The allocation of fixed places is then coordinated on the stated deadline (last Friday before the beginning of the lecture time). The time of the registration is irrelevant for the allocation of seats. Candidates are ranked according to the following criteria: Students are preferred, who (in this order)
- study for a Master's degree (in contrast to a Bachelor's degree),
- have studied longer, i.e. more semesters,
- have assigned a higher priority to this lab course (the first application for lab courses is given the highest priority, the second the next higher, etc.).
- In the case of a tie, the order is decided by drawing lots
Depending on the availability of seats, the organizer can re-open the registration for remaining places. Your position on the waiting list: As a matter of course, the displayed position on the waiting list can change at any time. Prioritization: When registering for several different lab courses, it is particularly important that you register in the order of the priority, which you assign to the lab course. When you cancel a registration, the lab courses originally registered thereafter are moved upwards in priority.
Exam Registration
Exam Registration is required at TUM.
You have to register for all types of courses, e.g. seminars and labs or lab projects.
Exams and Transcripts
At TUM, each school sets up its own examination period. At TUM EI, written examinations start with the last week of the lecture period and continue till the beginning of the next semester. An exam timetable will be published on the exams page before each exam period
Please remember that you must register for each of your exams in TUMonline in late November for winter semester exams and in June for summer semester exams.
TUM Transcript of Records (ToR)
You can print the transcript in your TUMonline account. If you need a stamp and a signature please contact the exchange coordinator (incomings).
You will likely need a transcript to bring to your home university upon completion of your studies at TUM.
De-registration at TUM
Exchange students do not have to deregister, this will automatically be done by TUM at the end of the semester, which you have applied for. However, if you require a certificate of de-registration, e.g. in order to terminate your health insurance in Germany, you have to deregister yourself in the student services center. Please also deregister your address from the Department of Public Order of the City of Munich.
De-registration of Health Insurance
All providers of health insurances request a dismissal of your health insurance before you leave the country. For the dismissal you will need to show your deregistration at TUM.
Please don’t forget to terminate your bank contract after completion of your studies at TUM!
Confirmation of your Stay at TUM
Please settle with your home university whether you need a signed certification of your stay. If you need it, ask your home university to give you the respective form
Issue of Transcripts of Records
Transcripts of Records will be issued after the examination periods in your departments:
- End of March or the beginning of April for grades of winter semester
- Mid of September or the beginning of October for grades of summer semester
Thank you for your understanding that Transcript of Records cannot be issued before the exams are set valid. Please take that into account. Check your TUMonline account whether all grades appear and are set valid. Otherwise they won't be indicated on your transcript of records (see grade report!).