Frequently Asked Questions
Who can study abroad with the ERASMUS+ programme?
You can apply for the ERASMUS+ programme via the ZIB Jura if you
- are still enrolled as a regular student at the University of Cologne during your stay abroad and have not graduated,
- have completed at least the 1st year of studies at the start of the stay,
- you have the required language skills (see point "What language skills are required?")
Which partner universities can I study at?
What funding do I recieve through the ERASMUS+ programme?
The ERASMUS+ programme includes:
- the financial support of the study mobility
- support from the University of Cologne and the Faculty of Law through the ZIB Jura and the International Office
- support from the host university in terms of accommodation, language courses, cultural activities, etc.
- the opportunity to take part in a free language course at the partner university abroad
- exemption from tuition fees at the host university
- if applicable, recognition of academic achievements abroad
The amount of funding depends on the country in which the study abroad is spent.
Please find more information on funding on the website of the International Office: https://portal.uni-koeln.de/international/studium-im-ausland/erasmus/studium
At what point is studying abroad recommended for me?
In principle, you can study abroad at any point during your studies.
However, we would generally recommend that you:
- have completed the intermediate examination (Zwischenprüfung), as you will then have acquired a good basic knowledge of German law and it will be easier to look into another legal system
- do not plan a stay abroad during your state exam preparation
- do not start a stay abroad until after the oral part of the state examination if you plan to study the specialisation area after the state examinsation
Accordingly, we recommend a stay abroad directly after the completion of the intermediate examination (Zwischenprüfung) or in the specialisation area studies (Schwerpunktbereichsstudium).
Please note that the 1st year of study must be completed as a prerequisite for ERASMUS+ funding.
How do I apply for the semester abroad?
Please apply for a programme place by sending in the application documents by the application deadline of 8 January 2023.
The application is for the winter semester and/or the summer semester of the following academic year.
Further information on the application requirements can be found here.
Watch out for a possible postponement of the deadline, which will be announced in good time on the News page.
It is also regularly possible to obtain remaining places within the framework of a move-up procedure.
What language skills are required?
Sufficient to good knowledge of the national language (especially in the countries France, Italy and Spain) is required, taking into account whether these are languages usually offered in German schools.
In Leuven, Liège, Sofia, Tartu, Clermont-Auvergne, Thessaloniki, Komotini, Catania, Florence, Lecce, Milan, Rome, Verona, Siena, Akureyri, Zagreb, Vilnius, Skopje, Bergen, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Krakow, Lodz, Warsaw, Coimbra, Lisbon, Bucharest, Uppsala, Fribourg, Lausanne, Bratislava, Maribor, Barcelona, Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid (Carlos III), Ankara, Bursa, Istanbul, Izmir, Budapest and Pécs, knowledge of the national language is only desired and knowledge of English is required. At the partner universities in China, India and Russia, it is also possible to take courses exclusively in English.
For London, Amsterdam and Pittsburgh, proof of very good English language skills is required through special tests.
Further information on the required language certificates can be found here.
What is the selection procedure?
The selection procedure aims to select the most suitable candidates.
The main criteria for selection are academic performance and language skills. The selection is based on performance. All certificates of achievement are taken into account, including basic and seminar certificates (Grundlagen- und Seminarscheine).
In addition, other achievements, such as social, university and non-university commitment, language skills, the Abitur grade, previous stays abroad and the letter of motivation can be included in the selection.
How and when is contact established with the partner university?
- After the application has been received, the nomination at the partner university is made by ZIB Jura after the application deadline (it is not possible to make your own nomination).
- After the nomination, you will receive your acceptance for the study abroad programme.
- The partner university will then contact you directly by email and send you the necessary information material. Depending on the partner university and the start of your studies, it may take some time to make contact. Often, all students are only informed after the nomination deadline has passed (sometimes not until mid-June).
- Often you will also receive a registration form, which you should definitely process immediately and return to the university by the deadline.
What performance during the Erasmus+ study abroad is required?
- The scope of the planned study programme should be at least 30 ECTS per semester, of which at least 20 ECTS should be passed in order to receive funding via the Erasmus+ programme.
- In order for the semester abroad to be taken into account for the calculation of the number of semesters for the free attempt, students must also prove to the Judicial Examination Office in accordance with § 25 II No. 3 JAG-NRW that at least 8 hours per week of courses in foreign law were attended and at least one performance record in foreign law was achieved per semester.
Learning Agreement: What is it and when should it be drawn up?
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The Learning Agreement (LA/OLA) lists the courses you will attend at the partner university, it is a study contract between you, the partner university and your home university.
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Before the start of your stay abroad, the LA/OLA must be completed and signed by you, the Erasmus coordinator of the Faculty of Law (Dr. Jan Kruse) and the Erasmus coordinator at the partner university.
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If you are still working with the PDF template, please send us the Learning Agreement for signature to exchange-law(at)uni-koeln.de and only use the form sent to you.
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The Learning Agreement can be changed within six weeks after arrival. The changes must also be signed by both Erasmus coordinators within the following two weeks.
Please note: Due to its national orientation, the Law degree programme only offers very limited possibilities for crediting achievements made abroad (see point "Which achievements will be recognised for my law studies in Cologne?").
Which achievements will be recognised for my law studies in Cologne?
In principle, the decision on creditability is made on a case-by-case basis by the Examinations Office of the Faculty of Law on the basis of the documented courses and the applicable study and examination regulations of the University of Cologne.
As a rule, the following courses taken abroad can be credited towards the basic studies:
- Private International Law
- Fundamentals I:
- Roman Legal History
- German Legal History
- Introduction to Canon Law
- General political science (Allgemeine Staatslehre)
As a rule, credit can be given towards the main course of study:
- Key qualification
- Fundamentals II:
- Constitutional History
- Historical and methodological foundations of the German Civil Code
- Methods of law and philosophy of law
On the specialisation area studies:
- Attendance of courses that match your specialisation area can - regardless of whether you take an examination - be credited as part of the specialisation studies, which must comprise at least 16 semester hours per week. To do so, please register for the specialisation area in advance.
- The examinations (written examinations) in the specialisation area cannot be taken at the foreign partner university.
The stay abroad can also replace the foreign language certificate that is required for the state compulsory subject examination.
What should be considered at the beginning of the stay abroad?
Once you have arrived at the partner university, we recommend that you make the most of what the host university has to offer. In particular orientation events make it much easier to get started, both from an organisational point of view and to get to know other students directly. Most universities have buddy programmes and local Erasmus initiatives (ESN) that offer events and inexpensive excursions for visiting students.
What do I have to consider for ERASMUS+ funding during my stay abroad?
- Central documents
- 2022/23: Instructions for completing the Online Learning Agreement (OLA) (PDF) - from 2021/22 onwards, the Learning Agreement will generally be completed entirely digitally: Link to OLA
- Letter of Confirmation
- Changes to the Learning Agreement
- Most students make changes to their Learning Agreement at the beginning of their studies abroad because the courses they selected in advance are not offered after all, are fully booked or have different content than anticipated.
This is what the Learning Agreement Changes are for. As of the academic year 2021/22, these are usually made in the existing OLA.
If you are still working with the PDF template, the changes will be entered in the "During the Mobility" section on page 4 (also page 5 if you are changing the recognition).
Ideally, send us the changes as a PDF file (with all signatures) within six weeks after the start of lectures to exchange-law(at)uni-koeln.de.
- Most students make changes to their Learning Agreement at the beginning of their studies abroad because the courses they selected in advance are not offered after all, are fully booked or have different content than anticipated.
- Extension of the stay abroad
- An extension of the stay abroad is possible in principle, but must always be registered with the ZIB Jura in good time. The decision on the possibility of an extension is made on a case-by-case basis.
- The prerequisite is that the capacities for the academic year stipulated in the respective university contracts have not yet been completely exhausted. Further financial support through ERASMUS cannot be guaranteed.
- Requesting a Transcript of Records at the host university
- Before the end of the semester, clarify with the contact person at the host university how to apply for and obtain the Transcript of Records for your studies abroad. By clarifying this in advance, you will avoid having to ask the host university and, if necessary, the various offices of the University of Cologne afterwards whether your Transcript of Records has arrived there.
- Letter of Confirmation
- Have the form signed and stamped by the host university at the earliest 5 days before the certified end of studies (not earlier; however, issuing the form afterwards is no problem).