Here is a brief overview of the process of studying abroad—from the first information session hosted by the International Office through to your return from abroad
. Overview of the Study Abroad Process (PDF)
Information Sessions:
Attend information sessions hosted by the International Office
Remember to obtain the required proof of foreign language proficiency well in advance!
Application Documents:
Prepare all necessary application documents
well in advance Application to htw saar: (Step 1)
Submit your application by the deadline—January 15 of each year—to the International Office at htw saar
Selection Process at htw saar:
Wait for the selection committee’s decision
Application to the partner university: (Stage 2)
Submit your application to the respective partner university
by the deadline Learning Agreement:
The Learning Agreement is an integral part of your study abroad experience and, if applicable, is already part of your application to the partner university.
With this document, you define your study plan and the modules you will take at the partner university. This ensures both your participation in and the recognition of the courses. Please coordinate the contents of your Learning Agreement directly with your faculty at the appropriate time.
You will finalize the Learning Agreement with the International Coordinator for your degree program or faculty. The International Office at htw saar will inform you who that person is when the time comes.
DFHI students must ALWAYS contact the respective program director regarding the Learning Agreement!
As a general rule: In Table A, list the courses you wish to take at the partner university, and in Table B, list the courses you would take at htw saar if you were not going abroad.
A semester of study abroad comprises 30 ECTS credits:
The International Office (as well as the partner university) will inform you in due course.
The Learning Agreement signed by you and htw saar must be submitted to the htw saar MoveOn Portal BEFORE you depart.
The Learning Agreement signed by you, htw saar, and the partner university must also be uploaded to htw saar’s MoveOn Portal no later than 4–6 weeks after your arrival at the partner university.
Insurance:
Students must have adequate insurance coverage. The insurance coverage must include, at a minimum, mandatory health insurance, as well as optional liability insurance and optional accident insurance.
Learning Agreement:
The Learning Agreement is an integral part of your study abroad program. This document outlines your study plan at the partner university. It ensures both your enrollment in and the academic recognition of the courses. The contents of your Learning Agreement should be finalized 4–6 weeks after the start of your study abroad program and uploaded to htw saar’s MoveOn system, signed by all three parties—you, htw saar, and the partner university.
Experience Report for Future Students:
During their study abroad period, students will receive an email from the International Office requesting the htw saar study abroad experience report for future students. This report must be submitted via the htw saar MoveOn portal before returning from abroad. During their stay abroad, the student will receive an email from the International Office requesting the htw saar study abroad experience report for future students. This report must be submitted via the htw saar MoveON portal before returning from abroad.
Certificate of Attendance:
The Certificate of Attendance is an integral part of your study abroad program and must be completed by your partner university and uploaded by you to the htw saar MoveOn portal shortly after your return.
Here you will find the htw saar
template for the Certificate of AttendanceTranscript of Records from the partner university:
The Transcript of Records (ToR) documents the academic achievements completed abroad (courses and modules taken, ECTS credits, and grades) and is issued by the partner university after the results have been announced to the students. The Transcript of Records is an integral part of your study abroad experience and must be uploaded by you to the htw saar MoveOn portal upon your return.
Recognition at htw saar upon return:
After successfully earning the agreed-upon ECTS credits, as documented by the Learning Agreement and the Transcript of Records, the following applies:
The recognition of academic achievements from abroad is handled by the International Office, which forwards them to the respective faculty and then to the Registrar’s Office.
Some partner universities send the Transcript of Records (ToR) only to the students, only to the International Office, or to both simultaneously.
Immediately upon receiving the Transcript of Records from the partner university, students must upload it to the htw saar MoveOn Portal.
Only then can the process for their recognition be initiated by the International Office through your faculty.
Basis: Resolution of the Senate Committee on Teaching, 18th meeting on November 27, 2013, Agenda Item 13 (excerpt follows)
—the modules from the partner university are included in the htw saar transcript only with the designation “BE,” along with the ECTS credits from the partner university
—the grades from the partner university are not included in the htw saar overall grade
- The htw saar overall grade is calculated based on the weighting of the academic achievements
obtained at htw saar. As of December 2021, the following applies to the documentation of recognition in the htw saar grade summary prepared by the Registrar’s Office:
The total number of ECTS credits successfully earned during the semester abroad is recorded in the htw saar grade summary as “passed” with an indication of the partner university. The individual course results are documented in the partner university’s Transcript of Records, which students may include with their academic records.
Exception: Dual-degree programs
. In these cases, grades are converted and factored into the htw saar overall grade. Students who have received ERASMUS+ funding must complete an EU online survey upon their return as part of the ERASMUS+ program.
EU Survey (online survey):
The student must complete and submit the online survey regarding his or her mobility experience (via the online tool: EU Survey) within 30 calendar days of receiving the request to complete the report. The student will automatically receive a request via email directly from the EU portal (please also check your spam folder). htw saar may require students who do not complete and submit the online survey to repay some or all of the financial support they received.