With TUMexchange you can study at one of our 150 partner universities in 26 countries. Photo:Helena Steurer / TUM
Stays abroad let you experience unforgettable moments. Photo: Sebastian Weiß / TUM
India is not only colorful during the Holi Festival: The campus of IIT Bombay is adorned with lots of vibrant graffiti. Image: Layla Eberle / TUM
TUMexchange offers Bachelor's and Master's students of all disciplines the opportunity for a study-related stay abroad at selected partner universities in non-EU countries. Applications for stays abroad for both the summer and winter semesters are possible once a year: At the beginning of the winter semester, students apply directly to the TUM Global & Alumni Office in the first step. After successful nomination, the application is submitted to the desired partner university.
How it works
- Research countries and universities included in the TUMexchange program on our online database
- Submit the online application to the Global & Alumni Office through the online application portal within the application period
- Selection and place awarding by the Global & Alumni Office
- Students confirm the places offered
- Nomination process at the partner universities by the Global & Alumni Office
- The G&A Office nominates the students at the partner university
- The students apply to the partner university. After receiving the letter of admission the students have to organize their stay abroad
Countries & partner universities
Find out about possible destinations
You can find detailed information about partner universities for the TUMexchange program in our database. Specify your search here by using the different filter options such as Program, Country, Institution, Subject Area, and Study Level.
Get inspired by former participants
On the relevant university sites, you can also find some experience reports of fellow students, which may inspire your wish to go abroad even more. Happy browsing!
Prerequisites for TUMexchange
- Enrollment in a TUM degree program at the time of application and throughout the duration of your stay abroad
- The field of study is available. Please research through the online database
- Successful completion of at least four semesters of your bachelor's degree program or successful completion of your pre-diploma prior to the beginning of your stay at the host university
- Sufficient knowledge of the language of instruction in the host country
- Good to excellent grades
The average note is not defined for the entire program but may vary by TUM departments.
Please note that the semester periods at the individual partner universities may differ greatly from the semester periods at the TUM.
Important notice: If you are considering a position which requires a security check, residing in one of the countries included on the attached list could limit your career options. The list of countries considered dangerous can change. More information on this topic can be found (in German) in the Handbuch des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Energie.
The selection process is carried out via the TUM Global & Alumni Office. Eligibility criteria are based on:
- Grade point average (Bachelor study) Study performances for the master’s program are not considered
- Language proficiency in the teaching language
- Letter of motivation (academic plan)
In recent selection rounds, approximately half of all applicants have been offered an exchange nomination through TUMexchange. Your chances of being offered a place strongly depend on your preferred university. A particularly large number of applications are submitted for the universities in North America, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, the and some universities in China. Please bear in mind that we cannot answer questions about individual cases.
- Studies outside the EU for up to a maximum of two semesters. With particularly popular destinations (e.g. USA, Canada, Singapore or Australia), stays are usually limited to one semester.
- Exemption from student fees at the host university (Please check our online database to find out about exceptions for a few partner universities in the USA)
- Scholarships via Erasmus+ for selected partner universities
- Advice on the selection of a suitable partner university from the Global & Alumni Office
- Option to take a leave of absence during your stay at the host university
- Academic recognition of your grades from abroad by agreement with the relevant TUM school or department
- Inclusion of the stay abroad in the diploma supplement
Important: Successful application for the exchange program through TUMexchange does not automatically entitle you to a scholarship. Carefully think about how you can finance your stay in the host country before applying for the program!
The application deadline for stays during the academic year 2024/25 was on October 31st, 10am!
- Please register on the online application portal (link to the portal is actve only during the application period)
- In order to avoid system failure, please use the same logins as for other TUMonline services (Moodle, etc.) for your registration in the portal.
- Please make sure to keep your login data in a safe place. You will need it until you finished your semester abroad.
- Do not register several times in the online application portal and do not start several applications - otherwise your data will not be imported correctly and we cannot process them!
- Select the form Outgoing – Application for TUMexchange and complete your application form.
- Please select max. two desired universities. (Applications for two different countries is possible)
- By the end of December: Confirmation/Rejection of nomination to your e-mail address
- Note: Please regularly check the e-mail account you used for your TUMexchange application. Check all SPAM folders, too, as serial e-mails are often sorted there.
You will find the information on the application process and the fact sheets of the partner universities in our online database.
Note: Direct applications to partner universities will not be accepted.
The following documents must be uploaded through the online application portal:
Grade report
- Applicants without a bachelor's degree certificate: the current transcript of your bachelor studies with the average grade. If the transcript is without the average grade, then submit the transcript together with the grade sheet completed by yourself. (Template in the Downloads section)
- Applicants with a bachelor's degree certificate: Please submit the bachelor's degree certificate with the average grade
- The students of the Department of Medicine are automatically considered master students: please submit the Physikum (first state examination) with the average grade.
How to calculate the average grade
If the average grade is not listed in the transcript of your bachelor studies, the transcript together with the grade sheet is necessary. The grade sheet is required in order to calculate your average grade.
Important: Enter all your passed, graded, validated and ECTS-weighted grades from your bachelor's studies appearing on your transcript in the grade sheet. Please do not include any ungraded or failed modules or courses without ECTS. The grades from the master's degree will not be considered.
Enter the average grade from the grade sheet rounded to two decimal places after the comma (e.g. 1.75). Please only use a decimal comma to separate decimal points.
Note for applicants with a bachelor's degree from abroad
Please convert your average grade using the modified Bavarian formula. The instructions can be found under Downloads.
Please submit your bachelor's certificate along with a supplement containing the conversion to confirm your grades. Unfortunately, we cannot consider foreign bachelor's certificates for selection without this conversion.
CV
- English, tabular, single-page (please use only the templates in Downloads)
Motivational letter
- Please fill in the form provided in the download section
- Write one motivation letter, including your criteria for both universities
- English, maximum two pages
- Describe your academic goals
- Explain why you selected your desired university (especially range of courses)
Language certificates
- Proof of language knowledge is mandatory during the application period at the Global & Alumni Office and cannot be submitted later. A list with accepted certificates can be found in Downloads.
- To apply at universities with different instruction languages (e.g. Brazil and Mexico) two language certificates are mandatory.
- A certificate of language ability for the national language is optional if it is not the language of instruction. In this case, any certificate or evidence of language ability can be submitted.
Important tip
At this stage, your language skills do not need to be at the level of knowledge required for the application to the partner university. Read the fact sheets in our online portal to see which certificates are required by the partner university.
Please realistically estimate whether you can reach the language level required by the partner university (usually B1 or B2; for North American universities usually C1) by the time of the external application deadline at the host university (see the factsheet for the universities in the online portal).
For medical students: Please note that the language level in clinics is higher than at universities (at least B2).
Confirmation/cancellation by the student
- After receiving the offer of a place, you must make a binding acceptance or rejection.
Important: Once you have officially accepted the place at TUMexchange, the application for other exchange programs (e.g. Erasmus, School partnerships) are void for the corresponding period.
Preparation of application documents for the partner university
- Preparing application materials as of January for the winter semester and as of June for the spring semester
- Intensive research on the host country, the preferred partner universities and the course offering at these universities
- After receiving of a nomination confirmation from the Global & Alumni Office, the students themselves must hand in the application documents to the partner university on time according to the application procedure of the host university. Information on the application procedure can be found in the fact sheets of the partner university on our online datenbase.
After being admitted to the partner university
- Consult with the International Affairs Delegate of your department for a TUM study plan and possible recognition of credits earned abroad
- Apply with the Center for Study and Teaching (CST) for a semester's leave of absence, if necessary
- Apply for an external scholarship, if necessary
- Obtain the necessary visas, insurances, vaccination, and book flights yourself
Please note: We strongly recommend booking the flight after receiving the acceptance letter from the partner university.
During the stay abroad
- At the end of stay: Obtain a Confirmation of Stay issued by the partner university
- Represent TUM at a fair or similar event, if such an event takes place
After your stay abroad
- Submit Confirmation of Stay
- Submit experience report
Students, whose semester abroad startet in June 2024 or earlier: You received an email on how to upload your after mobility documents to our online application portal. Please follow the steps explained in this email (subject: TUMexchange After Mobility Documents).
Studierende, whose semester abroad startet in July 2024 or later: Please upload your after mobility documents using the link in our Moodle course TUMexchange Outgoing 2024/25: Information and things to do. In case you haven't enrolled in this Moodle course yet, please contact the TUMexchange team to receive access.
Please note
- Submission of these two documents is a prerequisite for recognizing your stay abroad in the diploma supplement.
- The data upload to TUMonline usually takes place monthly (ten times a year, except in August and December) based on the data from the previous month.
- Please request the registration of your stay as soon as possible after your return, in order to avoid any possible delay in receiveing you diploma once you conclude your course. Please keep the confirmation e-mail you will receive, for future reference.
- Please ask for your degree certificate only after you have uploaded your After Mobility documents and after you have been notified by e-mail that your data has been successfully transferred. This is the only way to ensure that your semester abroad is included in your degree certificate. Once the degree certificate has been prepared, no changes can be made to it.
Scholarships from external providers
Besides the programs coordinated by TUM, there is also the opportunity to receive grants for a stay abroad from external providers.
Downloads and Safety information
TUM-internal selection process:
Language of Instruction for TUMexchange Partner Countries (PDF, 71 KB)
Valid Language Certificates (PDF, 82 KB)
Motivation Letter Template (DOCX, 34 KB)
Bavarian Formula: Help for converting your average grade into the German grading system (PDF, 80 KB)
Grade sheet Bachelor of Science (XLS, 39 KB)
Grade sheet Diploma (XLS, 82 KB)
Grade sheet State examination (XLS, 49 KB)
After Mobility:
Confirmation of Stay (DOCX, 693 KB)
Experience Report Template (DOCX, 688 KB)
General information:
Safety first: Travel and safety information for your stay abroad (PDF, 133 KB)