You are interested in spending a period of study abroad in Asia, Australia, North or South America? What are you waiting for? Apply for a placement at one of the partner universities of the Department of Law or for an exchange program that is open to all students of the University of Mannheim! The International Office will be happy to advise you on how to choose your host university and how to apply. However, if you are a law student, there are some program-specific aspects to keep in mind so please read the following information carefully:
Please see the International Office’s website for information on financing your stay abroad.
The Department of Law maintains excellent partnerships with many universities outside the EU. 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.
The application deadline for a study visit at one of our overseas partner universities depends on the country you choose. For Overseas North (USA, Canada, Mexico, Asia (excl. Japan)), you must usually apply by September 30 if you plan to go abroad the following academic year. For Overseas South (Australia, New Zealand, South America, Japan), you must usually apply by April 30 if you plan to go abroad the following 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.
Each partner university has its own specific linguistic requirements, so they may vary from institution to institution. 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.
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 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 international coordinators. Student Services can provide you with more information on the academic leave of absence and the request form.
