International

For many years the Faculty of Design has maintained close ties and lively cooperation with partner universities around the world. There are regular project weeks for student and teacher exchange. Many students spend a semester at a university abroad, and the Design Faculty welcomes guest students from all over the world. In other words: open-mindedness, interdisciplinarity and intercultural aspects are essential to our faculty.


Incoming

Study Design in Würzburg

Students from our partner universities have the opportunity to apply to study abroad at our faculty for one semester or a maximum of one academic year. We are also happy to receive applications from students from the universities of the Cumulus and Elias networks, as well as applications as freemovers.

Every semester we offer courses and project courses bilingually (German/English) or in English. Basic knowledge of German is generally recommended. English at level B2 must be proven if German language skills are not available (does not apply to native speakers of English).

A partnership agreement between home and host institution is no guarantee for admission! Admission depends on the portfolio and available places in our project courses.

The entire application process is managed by our “THWS International Team” in Würzburg! All further details about the application process as well as information about dates and deadlines for incoming students can be found here:

General
https://international.thws.de/thws-international/wege-an-die-thws/https://international.thws.de/fhws-international/wege-an-die-fhws/

Design degree programs
https://fg.thws.de/downloads/bereiche/information-for-incoming-students/

 

 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICER

Contact for your semester abroad:

Marcus Kaiser
Room I.0.13
Tuesdays, 6–7 p.m., appointment by email
(incoming students)

Christina Hackenschuh
Room I.1.41
Tuesdays, 1–2 p.m., appointment by email.
(outgoing students)

 

Information for incoming students

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICER

Contact for your semester abroad:

Marcus Kaiser
Room I.0.13
Tuesdays, 6–7 p.m., appointment by email
(incoming students)

Christina Hackenschuh
Room I.1.41
Tuesdays, 1–2 p.m., appointment by email.
(outgoing students)

 

Information for incoming students

Semester Abroad

General

During your studies at the Würzburg Design Faculty you have the opportunity to study abroad for one semester. The faculty has partner universities around the world where you can spend a semester abroad. You can also use your internship for a stay abroad.

 

Reasons for a semester abroad

Increasing globalisation demands the ability to be able to operate successfully in an international environment. Periods spent abroad increase your chances on the job market.

Apart from the immediate professional connections and enhanced opportunities offered by a semester abroad, your personal experience shouldn’t be underestimated: getting to know another culture, intercultural stimuli and challenges, different ways of studying and working in other countries, different cultural emphases and ways of life, and increased confidence on your own abroad.

Spending time in a foreign country brings you additional qualifications, such as knowledge of languages and regions, and can ideally supplement your professional competence and extend your (creative) horizon.

Of course a semester abroad can’t correspond in all things with the ‘plan’ at the Design Faculty. There will be language barriers, different ways of doing things, bureaucratic delays in the first weeks. So plan early and carefully.

To be sure of fulfilling your expectations of a semester abroad, be sure to follow important information ahead of time: become active; choose your university carefully; meet deadlines and preconditions; make approaches. Individual initiative is required.

 

Information, procedure & planning, tips

At least three months of continuous study at a foreign university must be recognised by the examining board to count as a semester abroad.

Study is usually undertaken at one of our partner institutions. At some of them, guest students are only admitted from the fifth semester onwards.

 

Good advice

Before you apply, look at the reports of your fellow students who have already studied abroad; speak to other students and listen to their evaluations and information; think about advantages and disadvantages; alter or improve your plans.

You can obtain student reports from the international affairs officer Christina Hackenschuh

Procedure

Formal registration – first step

Please apply internally to the international coordinator with the completed declaration and a portfolio (PDF, no larger than 20 MB)

for the following winter semester before 8 January and for the following summer semester before 18 June!

Selection criteria: Places at our partner universities are allocated according to the following selection criteria, which are also used for in the case of Erasmus+ funding:

1. Subject-specific competence in regard to the emphases and profile of the chosen university: attested by a portfolio of your design work.
2. Academic achievement: attested by your current grades.
3. Personal motivation: other areas of competence and personal commitment in the university and society: attested by your personal statement and by further verification if necessary (particularly of language skills).

Your signed declaration will be countersigned by us and returned to you by email when you have been nominated by the faculty.

The remaining application procedure then takes place via the FHWS International service:
https://international.fhws.de/de/fhws-international/outgoing-austauschstudierende/auslandsstudium/bewerbung/

You should then apply with your declaration via MoveON:
https://fhws.moveon4.de/locallogin/57176b2a84fb967a62e6d94e/de

Keep all deadlines!

 

Information on requirements, possibilities and partners

Information on application requirements, funding possibilities and contacts for a semester or internship abroad can be found on the FHWS International website:

https://international.fhws.de/

If you are interested in universities that aren’t partners of the Design Faculty, you need to contact them yourself – with a ‘cc’ to the international coordinators, who can then support your application process.

 

Keep in mind

Once a semester abroad has been arranged, it can’t be turned retrospectively into leave of absence!

Recognition of your accomplishments abroad occurs in the following semester only, which means that you must complete your report and application for recognition immediately on your return.

 

Recognition of the semester abroad

You have to bring back at least 15 ECTS (converting from the FHWS semester maximum of 30 ECTS per semester), otherwise recognition is not possible.

Up to 30 ECTS (converting from the FHWS semester maximum of 30 ECTS per semester) can be recognised, with a maximum of 18 ECTS from project courses – minus points already gained from later FHWS courses taken in advance.

Students must apply to the examining board of the Design Faculty for recognition of the desired courses in writing, signed in person and with all the necessary foreign documents and grades.

A further precondition for recognition is the submission of a written report about your semester abroad, with photographs and considered reflection, covering at least three DIN A4 pages, to the examining board and the international coordinators (PDF). The report will be made available to all fellow students on the intranet.

 

Partnerhochschulen