Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - School of Business and Economics

Within 3 weeks upon the beginning of the lecture period at your host institution.

• OLS language test 1 (online via the OLS platform)
• OLA (you get your choice of courses validated online via the OLA platform and you will send the pdf-download as a proof to the Erasmus Office at HU)
• Confirmation of registration (email to the Erasmus Office at HU)

As soon as possible after you have completed your exchange semester.

• Confirmation of Stay (email to the Erasmus Office at HU)
• OLS Language test 2 (online via the OLS platform)
• EU Survey (online)
• Erfahrungsbericht (Alumni report) (upload into the Moodle-Group „Erasmus Outgoings WiWi“)
• Anerkennungsnachweis: the piece of document you need to submit to the Examination Office at WiWi in order to get your courses approved and transfer your credits

Latest in February the International Office will contact you via email and make an offer, which corresponds to your first/second/third choice (or possibly an alternative destination). Click on the link you have received in order to accept the offer within 7 days.

Presumably in March (in relation to the upcoming Fall Semester) and presumably in September (in relation to the upcoming Spring Semester) we will submit the nomination of all outgoing exchange students to their respective partner institutions. The nomination deadlines can very much vary from one partner institution to the next. By the time the nomination process is over, your partner institution will contact you in order to instruct you how to further proceed with your application or registration as an upcoming exchange student.

Nevertheless, we ask you to get familiar with the registration process at your host institution even before you have been contacted. Inform yourself about the various deadlines and administrative steps to undertake over the coming weeks or months. Some institutions may require additional application documents such as an evidence of your language proficiency in English or in the local language. You host institution may for example ask for a TOEFL test or analog, which implies that you will need to register for the test a few weeks in advance (and prepare it).

Since we will be done with the selection process by early March at the latest (1. round of application), this leaves you enough time to tackle any administrative tasks over the coming months.

If your host institution still hasn´t contacted you by the end of April, we strongly recommend you to reach out to the incoming team. Students planned for the Spring Semester might have to wait until as late as October before they can proceed with registration at their host institutions. Let the outgoing team at WiWi know if you are unable to reach your host institution, we will step in.

The so-called "Grant Agreement" is the key to your Erasmus scholarship. It is a binding contract. The Erasmus Office at HU will email it to you in May or June regardless of the time of your exchange period. Once you receive it, you will need to verify all information and data and inform the Erasmus Team at WiWi about any mistakes (ex: level of English, IBAN, exchange period...).

You will then print it out and sign it per hand before you return it to us

either per post to:

Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät – International Office
Spandauer Str. 1
Room 2/3
D-10178 Berlin

or personally:
during the consultation hours Mo/Tue/Wed 10am-12pm und Thu 3pm-5pm

or manually:

in the postbox number 26 in front of room 12 on the ground floor in Spadauer Straße 1

Before you start your exchange semester you will receive a link via email, which will lead you to an online language test. The test is linked to your OLS account. You will find detailed information about the Online Language Support system under the following link.

The OLS test is a mandatory requirement in relation to your Erasmus stipend. The test will take place in the language of instruction you will be following classes during your exchange semester. You will indicate the language in your Erasmus Grant Agreement. Please mind that the results are not shared with workers of the Erasmus Office at Humboldt and they have no incidence on your choice of courses or the ability to transfer credits.

Attention: the link very often lands in your spam order. If you haven´t received any invitation before you start your exchange semester, please contact Ms. Cornelia Marx of the Erasmus Office at: cornelia.marx@uv.hu-berlin.de

You are to remain enrolled as student at Humboldt during the entire duration of your exchange period. Hence you should make certain that you are enrolled at HU each semester until you have completed your exchange semester. Please adddress any questions or requests on this topic to the "Immatrikulationsbüro" (Enrollment Office).

You are free to opt for a so-called "Urlaubssemester" (leave of absence) while being on an exchange semester. You will still be enrolled as a student at HU but the "Urlaubssemester" does not count towards the overall amount of "Fachsemester" you took during your studies at Humboldt. While "on leave" you are still entitled to follow the courses of your own study program or register for exams at HU. Possibly you could also be exempted from paying (some) fees entailed by the Semesterticket. Mind the different academic schedules between Humboldt and your host institution though and you might want to stick to the Semesterticket after all. As already mentioned the "Urlaubssemester" is mostly about the number of "Fachsemesters" you will have spent at Humboldt during your studies. Therefore, you could maybe turn it to your advantage since some scholarship programs such as "Bafög" in Germany are directly linked to the number of "Fachsemesters". As an example: you could skip the Bafög stipend during your exchange semester while benefiting from the Erasmus scholarship and eventually extend the study time at HU. This way, you still can make use of your Bafög stipend on your last (Fach)semester(s) at HU.

Get yourself familiar with the advantages of taking a "leave of absence" and how to apply for it: leave of absence.

The Erasmus exchange program does not entail any health insurance coverage during your time abroad nor does it entail any other types of insurance´s scheme. Neither can Humboldt be held liable for any damages, health issues, body injuries, lost of items, accidents or death occuring during your exchange period. For thoses reasons we strongly encourage you to get this matter into your own hands as soon as possible. We suggest that you start inquiring whether you need an extension of services and coverage while studying abroad. German students who are under a public health provider in Germany ought to get a full health coverage while staying in the EU.

We strongly recommend you to actively inform yourself about the necessary visa application procedures even before your host institution has fully confirmed admission. Most application procedures are time consuming, sometimes the application process can stretch over several months. Therefore, we urge you to consult with the relevant ambassies or consulates of your country of destination. EU citizen do not require any type of visa or residence permits to travel within the EU and the Shengen area.

The "Online Learning Agreement" aims at facilitating the transfer of credits between Humboldt and your host institution. You will enter in your OLA all the courses you plan on following at your host institution. Nevertheless, you must realize that the OLA alone does not guarantee any automatic recognition of any of the courses you have done during your exchange semester. A board of examiners under the umbrella of the examination office at the School of Business and Economics will supervise the transfer of credits.

You need to obtain at least 24 ECTS in order to claim the Erasmus scholarship. However, you are free to decide which courses you wish to submit for approval after you have completed your exchange semester. Language courses or courses beyond the field of Business and Economics also count towards the minimum requirement of 24 ECTS.

The OLA must be validated within the deadline set by Humboldt and your host institution. The approval of both your home and host exchange coordinators is mandatory. In principle, we now can only accept the OLA, no more pdf documents or any other templates. Via the OLA website, you can keep track of the status of your request at any time, therefore you can follow which party still needs to review your selection of courses until all three parties have agreed and signed your course list. You can even download the app attached to the OLA system in order to keep an eye on the status of your OLA. On that note, both coordinators get notified once it is their turn to review and validate the OLA.

Once your OLA is finalized (all three parties have co-signed the OLA), please download the last (and final) version from your OLA account as a pdf document and email it to Ms. Cornelia Marx from the Erasmus Office:  cornelia.marx@uv.hu-berlin.de

You ought to set up your OLA account yourself. You will find detailed instructions about how to set up your account under the following weblink hier.

Should your host university not suport the OLA system, please use this form to submit your learning agreement.

Upon arrival at your host institution you need to have the Erasmus department or your exchange coordinator signed the document "confirmation of registration". We also accept digital signatures. Please the send the document to Ms. Cornelia Marx from the Erasmus Office as soon as possible once it is signed.

You can download the template here: Confirmation of Registration Erasmus

Contact person Cornelia Marx: cornelia.marx@uv.hu-berlin.de

Exchange period:

• Beginning of your exchange period: it is the first day you will spend at your host institution in relation to your studies as an exchange student there. We will also take into account any language courses (in the national or local language of your Erasmus destination), which will take place before the start of the lecture period. Please do send a proof of enrollment to the Erasmus Office at HU.
• End of the exchange period: last day spent at your host institution in relation to your studies as an exchange student there.

From our end we will accept any changes in your OLA within 3 weeks upon your arrival at your host institution. However, your host institution may very well ask you to finalize your OLA at the very beginning of the lecture period or even some time before that. Please inform yourself and contact the Erasmus department of your host institution on this matter.

Both your home and host institutions need to formally agree to any extension of your exchange period. It depends primarly on whether Humboldt has not already allocated all places for the given academic year you are conducting your exchange semester. Ultimately the decision lies with your host institution. Also you cannot take granted that the Erasmus Office at Humboldt will grant an extension of your Erasmus scholarship. It can only happen if the remaning ressources at our disposal allow for it. You will then need to undersign a new Erasmus Grant Agreement.

You will need to file a request for extension of your exchange period before December 15th. We can only extend your stay from the Fall Semeste to the Spring Semester within the same academic year. Please mind any other deadline set by your host institution.

Once your request has been approved, you will set up a new Learning Agreement for the Spring Semester.

 Please download the following form and send it the outgoing team at WiWI:

Download Verlängerungsantrag Erasmus

Key steps to follow while requesting an extension of your exchange period

1. Step: Consult with your host institution
2. Step: Download the form as above
3. Step: Fill out and sign the form your just downloaded
4. Step: Have the form signed by the outgoing team at WiWi
5. Step: Have Ms. Cornelia Marx from the Erasmus Office at Humboldt review and sign the form
6. Step: The Erasmus Office at HU will issue a new Erasmus Grant Agreement for you.
7. Stept: You need to send a separate "Confirmation of Registration" to the outgoing team at WIWI in relation to the Spring Semester
8. Step: You will generate a new OLA and enter a new set of course for the Spring Semester

Just before leaving your host insitutiton you will have the Erasmus department or your exchange coordinator there review and sign the document "Confirmation of Stay Abroad". Please do not oversee this administrative step as it is linked to your Eramus scholarship (second payment). Send the document to the central Erasmus Office at Humboldt.

Download Confirmation of Stay Abroad

Contact person to send the "Confirmation of Stay abroad" to: Cornelia Marx - cornelia.marx@uv.hu-berlin.de

You will recive an email notification once th online survey is available.

The relevant agency at the EU Commission will evaluate the results, which will help the coordinators of the Erasmus programms to gain a better insight into the experience of the Erasmus participants, it has no incidence on the Transfer of credits. However, it is part of the mandatory requirements in regards of your Erasmus scholarship.

Important: the notification emails quite often land in your spam inbox.

Please do upload your report into the Moodle group „Erasmus Outgoings WiWi“. Information and insights are very valuable to future Erasmus participants when it comes to choose between different destinations for an exchange Semester.

Please Download the following form and tell us about your experience!

Download Erfahrungsbericht

In order to request a Transfer of the credits (ECTS) you earned during your exchange Semester, you need to fill out the form "Anerkennungsnachweis" (as below) and forward it to the Examination Office ("Prüfungsamt") at the School of Business and Economics. You will enter in it all the courses you need to get approved, you are under no obligation to ask for credit transfer for all courses you did during your exchange Semester. The decision lies with you. You will also forward a copy of your transcript of records to the Examination Office. The transcript is the official document, which stipulates all the details about the courses you took at your host institution.

Please download and use the following form: Download Anerkennungsnachweis (nur für Erasmus-Studierende)

Ultimately the board of examiners under the umbrella of the Examination Office will reach a decision about for which courses you will get credits.

Please mind that the Examination Office will send you back the document "Anerkennungsnachweis" once it is processed. You will then need to forward a copy to Ms. Cornelia Marx of the Erasmus Office in order to close the "circle". It is the last requirement or administrative step in regards of the payment of your Erasmus scholarship.

The transcript of records displays the full list of courses you took during your exhange Semester. It also entails your grades and any other comments about the various courses and exams you took. It is an official document and it needs to be stamped by you host institution.

How do I obtain my transcript? There are three scenarios:

1/ You are able to generate your own transcript from your student´s Account.

2/ Your host institution will issue the document and send it to you (possibly you could also have to collect it in Person).

3/ Your host institution will issue the document and send it to Humboldt, which in return will forward it to you.

In either case please foward a copy to the Erasmus Office at Humboldt, it is part of the set of requirements in order to claim the Erasmus scholarship.

Important: you ought to achieve at least 24 ECTS. The transcript should therefore displays as much.

After you have returned from your exchange Semester, it will be up to you which courses you will request a Transfer of credtits for, you do not need to seek approval for 24 credits.

If, for valid reasons, you have achieved fewer than 24 ECTS points, it is possible to avoid having the entire Erasmus grant reclaimed by submitting a hardship application.   

To do this, you must download this form, fill it in and send it to the Head of Study and International Affairs Dr. Anja Schwerk.

Please note: if the reason falls under ‘other’, an explanation must be attached.