Studying abroad Studying abroad

Application requirements:

HAW Hamburg Bachelor's students who will be in at least their fourth semester at the time of the exchange can apply for a study semester in the USA.

You need to have good grades at the time you apply (and afterwards):
- Average grade of at least 2.3
- Average grade of at least 2.7 for engineering students
- Average grade of at least 2.5 for ISAP programmes with CSULB (Media Technology) and Virginia Tech (Aeronautical Engineering)
- Average grade of at least 2.0 for double degree programme at the University of Rhode Island  Additional criteria (in German only)

Where possible, you should study during the standard study period. If you still need to complete one or two exams, this is not necessarily a problem. Explain the reasons in your application. You also need to have very strong English skills.

A high degree of personal engagement at the university is also desirable – for example, in the WeBuddy programme, or as a tutor during an orientation unit.

You can download the information page (in German only) for more details.
You can download the language certificate here.

* Students with a US passport or who have dual German and US citizenship are unfortunately not eligible to apply.

Requirements during your stay:

You will need to successfully complete at least four courses (12 US credits). This does not include 'leisure courses' such as surfing, yoga, etc. The latter can be completed in addition to the for-credit courses.

A study semester in the USA always takes place in the winter semester. In the USA the semester runs from September to mid-December.

The exchanges with the partner universities are reciprocal, which means that student exchanges take place on a one-to-one basis. Exchanges as part of the Global E3 programme depend on the capacities of the 37 member universities. The decision about how many places will be offered and which departments will be included in the next round is made in early November.

The call for applications is announced at the beginning of November each year. The places are announced here, through posters around the university campus, and via email. The application deadline is 6 January. Selection interviews take place between mid-January and early February.

The information form (in German only) about the application process lists the documents you need to submit and what we look for in applicants. We definitely recommend that you organise an advising session with the student exchange coordinator (SEC) in your faculty.

The paper-free application submission process takes place via the Mobility Online application portal.

The demand is high, so you need to pick one US university and tailor your application to this university. However, you are welcome to list a second choice so that we know if you would consider another university if you aren't selected for your first choice.

IMPORTANT: You must also decide whether you want to go to a US university with which we have a bilateral agreement or whether you want to go to a US university under Global E3. It is not possible to apply for both programmes at the same time.

Yes. You can only apply for those US universities for which your department, your faculty or your degree course is listed.

The following opportunities are open to Master's students:

1. Master's students in Social Work can complete a semester at CSULB. However, they cannot attend Master's courses. Instead, they can participate in senior level-4 Bachelor's courses. Please check whether the selected courses will be recognised by HAW Hamburg. You can also apply for the spring semester (January–May) in Long Beach (application deadline: 15 June).

2. Global E3 network: Master students can complete a study abroad semester at one of the following Global E3 partner universities in the US: Clemson, Embry-Riddle, Mississippi State, Missouri UST, New Jersey IT, Texas Tech, University of Florida, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, University of Minnesota, University of Tulsa, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Please be advised that these places are awarded in competition with other Global E3 students. You are not guaranteed a place. Information about the US partners.

3. Master's students in Aeronautical Engineering can complete their Master's thesis at Virginia Tech as part of a J1 research scholar visa.

4. Master's students in International Business can complete their Master's thesis as part of the J1 Research Scholar Visa at the University of Rhode Island. The prerequisite is the successful participation in the interdisciplinary workshop on quantitative data analysis by Prof. Katenka, which is offered as a component of the course "Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy" by Prof. Dr Natalia Ribberink.

Students from other departments in the Faculties TI, LS and W&S can check whether it would be possible to complete their Master's thesis at a US partner university. This is decided on a case-by-case basis and has to be discussed with the partner university. The contact person is always the student exchange coordinator in your faculty.

Applicants for the USA must have very good English skills. Please use the DAAD language certificate as proof of your language skills for the internal application process. You should have a rating of at least **** in each area. English native speakers do not have to submit a language certificate (just a letter explaining the situation). It is possible that the partner university will request a language certificate as part of the registration process. Note: Students with US nationality cannot participate in the 'HAW goes USA' programme.

Who can complete the DAAD language certificate:

You can complete a language test at the Hamburg School of English in Eppendorf. The test costs approximately €40 and can be completed at short notice (tel.: 040 480 2116). The language school then completes the DAAD certificate.

If your internal application is successful, a number of partners will accept the DAAD certificate. The following US partner universities require a TOEFL test in place of the DAAD certificate. You don't need to complete the TOEFL test until you have been accepted:

• Drexel University (79 points)
• University of Pittsburgh (80 points)
• SUNY - State University of New York (79 points)

Unfortunately not. The places are in high demand, and we want to give as many students as possible the chance to participate in the programme.

The only possibility to study for two semesters is through the double degree programme with the University of Rhode Island (International Business).

In order to complete the requirements for the exchange programme and the J1 visa you need to complete a minimum of 4 academic courses (12 US credits). You can complete a maximum of 15 US credits.

If you are receiving an ISAP scholarship you need to complete as many US courses as necessary to get credit transfer for 30 ECTS at HAW Hamburg.

Unfortunately, a semester abroad in the USA is not cheap. The cost of accommodation in particular is very high relative to Hamburg. Living expenses are also higher. It is not unusual that students need to plan to have €10,000–€15,000 for one semester. Please read the reports from other students who have spent a semester abroad to get a better picture of what's involved, and apply well ahead of time for scholarships and BAföG for study abroad:

Scholarships and funding:

• DAAD HAW.International scholarship
• Fulbright travel scholarship
• BAföG for study abroad
• PROMOS scholarship (HAW Hamburg)

ISAP scholarships:

The CSULB-HAW Hamburg cooperation with the Department of Media Technology is funded by the DAAD ISAP programme. Scholarships of €6,365 are available (until winter semester 2025/24).

The cooperation between Virginia Tech and HAW Hamburg in the field of aeronautical engineering is funded by the DAAD ISAP programme. Scholarships of €6,015 are available (until winter semester 2025/26).