By taking part in the Erasmus program, law students at the University of Mannheim can get to know the legal system of another country while simultaneously improving their foreign language skills and getting immersed in a different culture. The Department of Law cooperates with 88 other European universities in 19 countries, offering its students a wide range of options to choose from. But organizing a period of study in another country requires thorough preparation. The following bullet points will tell students enrolled in the first phase of the integrated program in Law (LL.B.) what they need to keep in mind when planning a stay abroad.
The ERASMUS program offers a “mobility grant” to help students cover the costs of staying abroad. The mobility grant is country-specific and adapted to the respective country’s costs of living. Please see the International Office’s website for additional information. There, you can also find more details on financing your stay abroad. You should make sure that you can cover the basic costs of studying abroad before you leave Germany!
The Department of Law currently has partner universities in 19 EU member states. You can find out which university suits your expectations using the International Office’s database of partner universities. Just apply the filter by entering the relevant search criteria. The database provides you with information on the partner universities in general and on the language of instruction. In addition, you can view reports of previous exchange students describing their experience.
You must apply via the International Office. Please check the International Office’s website for information on the current application process and the required documents as early as possible. The International Office regularly organizes the Introductory Study Abroad Meetings where you can also obtain critical information on how to plan your stay abroad. Alternatively, you can use the application instructions which summarize the most important facts and figures of the application process. In case you still have questions, you can contact the International Office directly.
In general, you must apply by 31 January if you want to go abroad with Erasmus the next academic year. This deadline applies to both the fall and the spring semester as we recommend you to go abroad for one year in accordance with the regulations issued by the LJPA (state examination office of Baden-Württemberg responsible for the state examinations in law). You can find the exact dates on the International Office’s website.
To be able to follow your courses from the beginning and without any major problems, you should have a good command of the country’s official language and, more importantly, of the language of instruction. You do not know what your level of proficiency is in your foreign languages? You can use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for self-assessment.
To be able to successfully complete your period of study abroad and pass exams, the International Office recommends a proficiency level of B2 or C according to the CEFR. However, your host university’s formal requirements might deviate from this recommendation. You may have to meet stricter requirements if you want to go to a country whose official language is English, such as having at least a C1 level or having passed specific language tests (TOEFL, IELTS, etc.). You should therefore check the database of partner universities for the required proof of language proficiency.
The language of instruction at a lot of partner universities in regions such as Scandinavia or Eastern and Western Europe is English. Usually, these institutions only require you to be proficient in the language of instruction. In most cases, you do not have to prove that you have basic knowledge of the country’s official language, even though it is highly recommended.
You must prove your language proficiency by providing a certificate, which must not be older than two years. Please make arrangements to obtain your certificate well before applying as language courses organized by the Studium Generale of the University of Mannheim are often already fully booked just before the application deadline ends.
When selecting the courses you plan to take at your host university, you must document them in a Learning Agreement (LA), which must be confirmed by the International Coordinators’ Office. If you go abroad with ERASMUS, the LA (containing the ECTS credits you are going to obtain) is a mandatory document.
After you have received your letter of acceptance, you should look up the courses offered by the partner university and make your choice while adhering to the regulations issued by the LJPA. As each university has its individual set of courses, which may also deviate from the previous semester, we do not have any information on the courses available at your host university. Please follow your host university’s instructions on course selection.
We recommend you select courses worth 30 ECTS credits in total per semester. By doing so, you can prove your academic achievements more easily than by counting credit hours.
It is possible that you cannot finalize your course selection before leaving Germany because the partner university has not yet decided on the courses it will teach the next semester. If so, please use the courses offered in the current semester for reference since they often remain largely the same in the following semesters. For guidance and orientation you can also read the reports of previous exchange students, which you can find in the International Office’s database of partner universities.
Fill in the LA prior to your stay abroad and have it signed by the international coordinators. Please observe the deadlines applicable at your host university. You may already be requested to provide the corresponding information upon registration (the online application process, that you have to undergo at your host university after you have received your letter of acceptance and after you have been nominated by your home university). Have the LA signed by your host university and then submit it to the International Office.
Should it become necessary to change your courses when you are already abroad, please let us know no later than four weeks after the semester at your host university has begun. If you wish to change your courses, you must complete, sign, and submit the “Changes to the Original Learning Agreement” form.
When going abroad, students who wish to retain the possibility of Abschichtung (taking the first state examination in stages) must apply for an academic leave of absence according to the regulations issued by the LJPA. For the duration of their leave of absence, they are not allowed to take any exams at the University of Mannheim. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact our competent international coordinators. Student Services can provide you with more information on the academic leave of absence and the request form.
