• Completion of the first academic year (except Master's students)
• Enrolment at HTW Dresden for a (complete) course of study leading to a recognised qualification
• Study project at a university worldwide with which there is currently no contractually regulated exchange programme
• the study project must be organised by the students themselves
• professional supervision at HTW Dresden must be guaranteed

You can apply to any university worldwide that explicitly accepts visiting students and fulfils the following requirements:

•     The university must be accredited (www.anabin.kmk.org or through other international accreditations),
•    The modules offered by the university should match the modules offered by the respective course of studies at the HTW Dresden,
•    the conversion of notes should be clear and transparent.

In contrast to a contractually regulated exchange programme, tuition fees are incurred at the foreign university. An overview of the tuition fees in the individual countries can be found in the Länder­datenbank des Deutschen Akademischen Austauschdiensts (DAAD). Please enquire about the exact fees at the individual university.

For an initial contact, please contact the International Office of the respective university. If the international university already has partner universities in Germany and is mentioned in reports or recommendations of this university, you can also use them to gain information.

Students of HTW Dresden submit their application to the International Office for the following academic year (winter and summer semester) by 15 February at the latest.

Applications may be submitted to the office (Z-232), by post or by e-mail (international(at)htw-dresden.de).

If you are a freemover, you must also apply to HTW Dresden for a stay abroad.

Please submit the following documents:

•     Application for a stay abroad (please save on your computer first and then fill in, DO NOT fill in on your mobile or browser).
•    Transcript of records (from the QIS portal)
•    Proof of your language skills (self-disclosure)
•    Letter of motivation (maximum one A4 page, in English or German)
•    Detailed justification for the above-mentioned application with the following information/documents:

1.    Is the desired university sufficiently accredited? (anabin.kmk.org or other international accreditations)
2.    Does this university already have partner universities in Germany with experience reports or recommendations from the academic staff of this university?
3.    Does the module offer fit my study programme? (Please enclose module descriptions.)
4.    How is the grading and the conversion of grades carried out at the university? How are credits awarded and converted into ECTS? How many ECTS does the conversion of the local credits result in?
5.    Who takes over the supervision at the HTW and the foreign university? (An advisory agency may be able to establish contact: www.college-contact.com; www.ieconline.de)

The international coordinator or the International Office will inform you about the selection decision of the faculty.

Selection criteria of HTW Dresden

Academic achievements - Language skills - Study projects - Motivation - Crediting of academic achievements after return to the HTW Dresden - Extra-curricular activities - Additional internal faculty selection criteria may exist.

Possible study contents during the stay

// Courses
// Project work (study projects/research projects)
// Theses (diploma thesis or bachelor thesis or master thesis)

Organizational expenditure

As a freemover, you go abroad if you would like to organise your studies abroad as a visiting student independently of contracts with our university. Please note that the organisational effort is considerably higher than for a study visit to a partner university. A stay abroad requires thorough preparation. This should start at least one year in advance. For certain countries and scholarship applications, a longer lead time is required. Please inform yourself in good time about your country of study, the foreign university, the necessary subject and language requirements (e.g. GMAT, GRE, TOEFL) for enrolment as well as the entry and residence regulations.

Please inform yourself independently about the study conditions and enrollment formalities at your chosen host university.

Free English language test (listening and reading comprehension only): https://www.efset.org/  

Language certificates from the Center for Interdisciplinary Education: "We are happy to support you with applications for a semester abroad with the relevant evidence of your acquired language skills.

• DAAD form for semesters abroad (the same applies to comparable evidence): After successful course participation at the appropriate level, please contact us, stating all the necessary information (full name, matriculation, contact options and grading overview) and the pre-filled DAAD form to our secretariat. As a rule, the evidence can then be collected from the secretariat within two working weeks during office hours or will be emailed.
• Standard certificates after successful course participation: Please note that proof by means of your official statement is typically sufficient. Should you nevertheless wish to receive a standard certificate, please report to the secretariat
• Other certificates without any course participation: Thank you for your understanding that we are unfortunately unable to issue such certificates."

In order to ensure that your academic achievements abroad are recognised at HTW Dresden, you must conclude a Learning Agreement before your stay. This is often requested by the host university together with your application documents.

In the Learning Agreement, you determine together with your dean of studies which modules you want to study abroad and which modules of HTW Dresden you want to replace.

• Avoid significant differences between the modules you have chosen and those you actually want to take.
• Check the curriculum of your degree program for the relevant semester.
• Do not choose modules that duplicate content that you have already taken at HTW Dresden.

You can supplement your module plan with :

• a language module in the language of instruction of the host university
• modules in the soft skills area

As in a semester at HTW Dresden, you should complete courses amounting to 20-30 ECTS credits at the host university.

EXAMINATION AND CONFIRMATION OF THE LEARNING AGREEMENT

After your dean of studies has confirmed your Learning Agreement, you present the document to the examination board together with the corresponding module descriptions. The examination board checks your Learning Agreement according to the criteria level, learning outcomes, scope of work and profile of your degree programme to ensure that the competences acquired abroad do not differ significantly from the learning objectives at HTW Dresden.

SIGNATURE BY THE HOST UNIVERSITY

If the examination board has confirmed your Learning Agreement, send it to the host university for signature. The Learning Agreement signed by three parties - you, HTW Dresden and the host university - is intended to guarantee you recognition upon your return from abroad. The Learning Agreement can be sent by post or by e-mail.

In the internal area you will find detailed information about the process.

If you have chosen a country outside the EU as the host country for your stay abroad, in many cases you will need a study visa to enter the country. Please enquire about visa requirements in good time at the relevant consulate general or embassy. You may need documents that have to be confirmed by our university or the host university.

If you spend part of your studies abroad, you must remain enrolled at HTW Dresden and re-register for the semester within the re-registration deadline. During this time you will retain your student status and the student health insurance. Depending on the course of study, it might be that you have to take a holiday semester. Please inform yourself at your Dean of Studies or in the Student Secretariat. However, a holiday semester may also be an advantage if it is not required.

Please note that you have to deregister from exams running during your semester abroad in time to avoid a '5ue'. The '5ue' is then considered as the 1st attempt. According to the examination regulations §23 Abs.9 you cannot have a module from the semester abroad credited for a module where a 1st attempt has already taken place. Inform yourself on the homepage of the examination office.

You can request an exemption from the semester ticket at the student council while you are abroad.

The application for foreign BAföG should be submitted to the responsible BAföG office (depending on the target region) at least 6 months before a planned stay abroad, separately from the application for domestic BAföG. Even if you do not receive a domestic BAföG during your studies at the HTW Dresden, you should still inform yourself about the Auslands-BAföG, since the monthly foreign grant, the grant for tuition fees (up to 4,600 EUR), the grant for travel expenses or the foreign health insurance grant often amount to several thousand euros.
More information can be found at www.auslandsbafoeg.de.

The International Office is not authorised to fill in or confirm BAföG forms. Nevertheless, we would like to give you a little help at this point:

Form 2

Form 2 is generally not confirmed by the HTW. According to an agreement with the BAföG offices, the certificate of matriculation, that you can print by yourself in the Qis-Portal, is simply attached to this form. This certificate contains the additional note "(also as a template at the Office for Educational Assistance according to § 9 BAföG)". Should problems nevertheless arise, please contact the student office.

Form 5 (Confirmation of previous performance)

If you have any questions about Form 5, please contact the examination office.

Form 6 (Confirmation of mandatory internship)

This form will be confirmed by the responsible internship officer of the faculty.
The confirmation is only given for compulsory internships, not for additional or voluntary internships.
The expert opinion on the visit of the foreign educational institution only takes place after special request of the Bafög office in the faculty.

For whom is the HAW.International worldwide scholarship suitable and what is supported?

Students of all disciplines in bachelor's, master's and diploma programs at German HAW/FH are eligible to apply. Under certain conditions, persons with foreign citizenship can also be included in the funding measures. Funding is provided for study stays and stays abroad as part of a final thesis. Double funding via Erasmus or PROMOS and HAW.International is not possible!

Application: The application documents have to be submitted completely and in due time directly to the DAAD according to the official DAAD call for applications.

Application deadline:
-26.02.2025 for scholarships starting between July 2025 and January 2026 (selection date May 2025)
-29.08.2025 for scholarships starting between February and July 2026 (selection date December 2025)

The application deadlines are updated at least once a year. In most cases, they are in the same period as the previous year.

For whom is the PROMOS scholarship suitable and what is supported?

Students enrolled at the HTW Dresden can apply for the PROMOS scholarship with the intention of graduating. Stays in the country of origin cannot be funded.

On the website PROMOS bewegt you will find the report of the same name, in the course of which you can accompany the (fictitious) student Lea, who sets out to get to know PROMOS.

As part of the DAAD PROMOS programme, the HTWD supports the realisation of

•  Study visits (1 to 6 months/monthly partial scholarship rate)/Theses (university/monthly partial scholarship rate or company/travel allowance) ,
•  Internships (6 weeks to 6 months/travel allowance),
•  Study and group trips abroad under the direction of a university teacher (package) to non-European countries.

APPLICATION

Please submit the following application documents for the current calendar year to the International Office of HTWD by 15 February of the calendar year (by e-mail as a PDF file to international(at)htw-dresden.de):

•  Application form PROMOS (please save on your computer first and then fill in, DO NOT fill in on your mobile or browser)
•  Proof of examination results (e.g. Transcript of Records)
•  Proof of language proficiency (HTW/DAAD language certificate as language certificate after successful course participation or as module mark on certificate, in the case of lower semesters also language certificate on Abitur certificate counts, note: To acquire the HTWD/DAAD language certificate without prior course participation, please contact the language centre. The exhibition can take up to 4 weeks. A self-assessment of language skills will not be accepted as proof of language proficiency).
• Study project / letter of motivation
• Learning Agreement (if available)
• Confirmation from the university (if available)
•  Internship agreement (if available)
•  Confirmation of the company (if available)

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection procedure is carried out according to the subject, language and personal requirements of the students on the basis of the application documents. The selection of scholarship holders and the order of students (including reserve or replacement candidates) are made according to the award and selection criteria of the PROMOS Selection Commission of the HTW Dresden.
Each faculty determines an order for the applicants of its own faculty. For better comparability of students from different faculties, a point system is used.
The selection committee determines a cross-faculty order.

The decision is based on a number of factors:

•  Academic achievements
•  knowledge of languages
•  study project
•  motivation
•  Extra-curricular activities (committee activities, StuRa, faculty council, faranto e.V., IAESTE - local committee, AIESEC - local committee, involvement in the supervision of international exchange  students of the HTW Dresden)

Priorities/sub-priorities are defined in the light of the project abroad, regions/countries/universities, degree programmes, study progress and multiple funding.

•  Partner universities have priority
•  Stays in CEE countries have priority over other countries
•  Engineering courses of studies before economic science courses of studies
•  Students of international degree programmes (IB, IMES) before other degree programmes, as they have to complete compulsory semesters abroad.
•  Students who have already been supported in another program by the HTW Dresden will be treated as subordinated students.

For candidates who want to move up, it may also be possible for the scholarship award to be confirmed at a later date with a new notification.

For the Vulcanus Japan program, which begins in August 2025 and ends in March 2026, can apply

• Citizens of EU member states or COSME* partner countries,
• Students of an EU / COSME* partner university enrolled at the time of application between the 4th official academic year and the penultimate year of the doctorate**,
• and present an enrolment certificate which is valid until at least 1 month before the start of the course of study.

(*) You are not an EU citizen? If your home country has joined the COSME and the contract has come into force, then you can apply. (You can check the status of your home country and your university here.)
(**) Computer science, mechanical engineering, chemical, electronics, biotechnology, electrical engineering, physics, telecommunication, nuclear engineering, civil engineering, metal, materials, ceramics, production system, GNSS, etc. (this programme does not cover non-scientific studies)

The programme consists of industrial placements for EU/COSME* students in Japan. The students complete:

• a seminar on Japan,
• a two-month intensive Japanese course,
• an six-month internship in a Japanese company

PROGRAM GOALS

• Gain insight into the full range of advanced technologies used by a leading Japanese company;
• Learn Japanese, the Japanese culture within the enriching,
• With a view to a future career, acquire the ability to interact with Japan in human and economic respects.

APPLICATION

The application documents must be submitted by post in accordance with the application procedure by the deadline 20.01.2025 for the program from 01 August 2025 to 31 March 2026.

Please also inform yourself on the following websites:

•     Scholarship database of the DAAD: https://www.daad.de/ausland/studieren/stipendium/de/70-stipendien-finden-und-bewerben/
•     LEONARDO Office Saxony: www.leo.tu-dresden.de
•     Educational loan:  www.bildungskredit.de
•     BAföG:  www.bafög.de, www.auslandsbafoeg.de
•     Index of German Foundations: www.Stiftungsindex.de
•     Fulbright Commission: www.fulbright.de
•     myStipendium scholarship database: www.mystipendium.de

If there are changes at the host university, e.g. because courses overlap or are not offered, you can change your Learning Agreement. The changes must be confirmed by the examination board of HTW Dresden and the host university no later than four weeks after your arrival at the host university. Please also send the amended Learning Agreement to the International Office. You can send the document either by post or by e-mail. Now you can take the selected modules abroad and take the corresponding examinations.

We are very happy about postcards. They will receive a place of honour on our pinboard.

Address: HTW Dresden - International Office, Friedrich-List Platz 1, 01069 Dresden

At the end of your stay, your host university will send you a Transcript of Records of the modules you have taken and the examination results you have achieved. You submit this together with the first and possibly second amended Learning Agreement to the responsible examination board. If, contrary to the learning agreement, examination results are not to be recognised or modules are to be recognised as additional achievements, inform the examination board informally. The examination board enters the previously approved, recognised achievements with the corresponding grade in the last part of the Learning Agreement (after mobility) and confirms these.

The conversion of grades takes place in the faculty. For this purpose, you submit the necessary information about the foreign grading system to the examination board. In the case of incomparable grading systems, the note "passed" is included (and the examination results are not included in the further grading calculation). This is done in such a way that the ECTS points of this module are also included in the total amount of ECTS points.

Your results from abroad are then transferred to the HIS POS. On the certificate, examinations taken and recognised abroad are marked in a suitable manner. Please note that the process description P U15 - Recognition of examination performances is binding for the procedure.

The home university guarantees that ECTS credits earned abroad will be credited towards the credits/time required to obtain a degree at the home university. The academic achievements can only be recognised if a clearly defined study programme has been agreed with you in writing in a Learning Agreement. Academic recognition takes place after successful completion of the mobility stay on the basis of the proof of achievement issued to you by the host university. You may be refused credit or recognition for your academic achievements if you have not achieved the academic level required by the host university or have otherwise failed to meet the conditions required by the participating institutions for recognition.

If you would like further information on recognition procedures and guidelines for a good recognition process, we recommend the following addresses:

•  The nexus project of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) promotes study visits abroad and has therefore made it one of its tasks to create quality standards for the recognition of academic achievements. In this context, the project publishes important information and practical examples on the recognition of study and examination achievements on its website and also provides basic publications.
•  The brochure "Promoting Mobility by Facilitating Recognition" from the International Office of the University of Leipzig also deals with good recognition practice for study and examination achievements. The HTW Dresden supported the project together with other institutions.

We would like to ask you to send us a report (with photos if possible) of your experiences abroad so that as many future students as possible can benefit from your experiences. With your consent, the experience report will be uploaded to the HTW website under "Experience Reports". Please send us your experience report as a PDF file with a short confirmation about the approval of the publication.