Gaining experience abroad, learning foreign languages and being able to fit in with a different culture is becoming increasingly important for students today. HfG would like to encourage you to find out about studying and spending time abroad.
The International Office at HfG can offer students advice on studying and internships abroad (outgoing students), as well as advising and looking after guest students (incoming students).

To make your stay abroad a success timely and comprehensive preparation is essential, and not only regarding the language. The following links provide you with specific information on the education and university systems of your destination, and offer general travel information and facts about the country itself.

DAAD Country Information worldwide 
Country and travel information Federal Foreign Office 

The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is a national agency responsible for implementing and executing the program in Germany.
In addition, BAföG aktuell also provides very extensive information on the Erasmus Plus Program on its Website.
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• Erasmus+ PIC number 946324629

If you are studying for a diplom you can take out a maximum of 24 months for an Erasmus program of your choice. Those studying towards a doctorate can spend twelve months abroad on the Erasmus Plus program. You can divide this time as you wish between study and internship. Moreover, it is possible to obtain funding first during diplom studies and subsequently during doctoral studies, making for a total of 36 months spent abroad through the Erasmus Plus program!
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• Studying abroad between three and 12 months (between July 1 of any year and  September 30 of the following year) at one of the HfG partner universities
• Internships abroad or Erasmus placements from two to 12 months
• Countries participating in Erasmus are the 28 EU member states plus Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Turkey, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
• Students pay no fees at their guest universities
• Students can attend a language course at their guest university 
• Before travelling abroad students must check with their department whether the academic achievements gained abroad will count as part of their studies
• Students will receive monthly financial support – including those receiving a BAföG grant 
• Special funds are available for students with special needs to cover the additional expenses incurred abroad

Until 2020 financial support will be provided for this exchange program by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for specific subjects placed on a strategic footing with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). A wide range of measures is planned, applicable to all departments. Click here for more information.

The Franco-German Youth Office (DFJW) offers several programs for students destined to strengthen cooperation between universities, promoting young people’s experience of mobility and consequently improving their linguistic, social, intercultural and professional skills.
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Students can currently apply for the following grants:
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• Franco-German university seminars
• Grants for study-related internships in France (students who have completed no more than six semesters)
• Grants for collecting material in France
• Grants for studying in France for students at universities for Music & Theater / Visual Art Academies / Art and Design universities
• Grants for intensive language courses in France​

The Fulbright Commission fosters academic and cultural exchange between students and between academics. Every year some 700 German students have the opportunity to study at a US university as a guest student.

Students participating in this DAAD program can receive partial monthly grants and/or travel allowances.

Grants are offered for the following visits of German students/foreign students studying in Germany

• Studying within the EU (1 month min. to 6 months max.)
• Internships outside the EU (6 weeks min. to 6 months max.)
• Stays abroad at universities or in firms to complete a dissertation project (1 month min. to 6 months max.)

A special grant commission selects students according to specific selection criteria.

The DAAD awards grants to highly qualified students of Music, the Visual Arts /Design/Film, the Performing Arts (Dance/Acting/Directing/Musical) for further artistic education abroad. The program is offered for all regions of the world. 

The Hessen-Queensland, Hessen-Massachusetts and Hessen-Wisconsin programs aim to promote the exchange of students and university staff between Hessen and Queensland, Australia, Massachusetts, USA and Wisconsin, USA.
They are based on agreements between universities in Hessen and universities in the state of Queensland, Australia and the states of Massachusetts and Wisconsin, United States. These national cooperations are instrumental in making Hessen universities more international.

Students can apply for a special BAFöG grant (Auslands-BAFöG) to finance their studies abroad. As with the grant for students studying in Germany the amount they receive is based primarily on their parents’ income or their own income should funding not be based the parents’ income.
However, unlike grants for home study those for study abroad also cover travel costs, the costs incurred for health insurance and any additional costs that might arise in non-EU countries. 

This may mean that even if you are not eligible for a domestic grant, you might receive BAFöG allowances during your study period abroad.

Are you interested in an internship abroad? We also recommend doing an internship in addition to your studies abroad.
We wish you every success in planning your internship abroad!

Internships in Europe for students
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The EU’s Erasmus Placements Program offers students diverse options for doing an internship within Europe. Funding is available for students who undertake an internship for at least three months in an EU member state, an EU candidate country (also Turkey) or in Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland. The Erasmus Placements Grant constitutes a monthly allowance of EUR 350 and should last at least three months and not exceed 12 months.

Internships in Europe for Graduates
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Graduates can receive funding for an internship in Europe (excluding Germany) with the Leonardo da Vinci Program. The Leonardo ad Vinci Program is ideally suited to bridge the period between completing studies and beginning work. Depending on the country in question allowances vary between EUR 700 and 1,000 per month. The duration for the placement abroad should be between two and six months.
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For either program students are obliged to participate in online training on intercultural skills. By accessing an alumni forum, students can get tips and information from former internees regarding flat-hunting, life in their selected country etc. Naturally, after completing the placement you will receive a certificate testifying to participation in the program.​

Where students already have an internship place they can arrange a consultation with a special advisor to determine whether the place can be funded via the Erasmus Placement or the Leonardo da Vinci Program, or whether other programs could be considered for this internship. Following consultation you need to submit your application documents to the International Office. Should your application be considered suitable a report is drawn up for you and you will be added in principle to the program.

Internships for Students outside of Europe ​
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Under the PROMOS Program of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) stays abroad either for study purposes or placements can be funded with partial monthly grants and/or allowances for travel expenses.

Reports by HfG students on their stays abroad.

Dear incoming students,
We are pleased that you are interested in spending an exchange semester/year at HfG! On this page we have assembled the most important information you will need to make your planning easier. If you have further questions on the application procedure, studying at HfG, life in Germany or anything else, you are welcome to contact the International Office at HfG.
The following information is for exchange students, who would like to study one or two semesters at HfG. If you would like to study more than two semesters at HfG please contact the Registrar’s Office.
Further information: Studying at HfG.

Here you will find a short film about university life in Germany. In the pocket guide for incomings you will find more helpful information.

Please fill out the Student Application Form. It has to be signed by you and your department coordinator or the university coordinator at your home university and then returned to HfG. Please also enclose a brief description of your motivation in German or English, a Learning Agreement , a curriculum vitae, evidence of your qualifications (in German or English!), and a portfolio giving an overview of your more recent work.

The Learning Agreement can also be drawn up at the start of the semester together with a professor in Offenbach. Please bear in mind that application documents will not be returned. For this reason do not send any valuable papers or originals. You can send all documents via download link to Dagmar Loris or we send you an upload link (do not send your application documents via email!).

The Buddy program is a collaborative initiative by HfG Offenbach’s international office and the AStA department for intercultural matters.

It aims to help international exchange students settle in to the country and university as pleasantly as possible. Here, current students play a crucial role as they function as cultural intermediaries and friends – buddies – before, during and after the international students’ arrival. They offer their time and knowledge in order to help with unexpected problems. All buddies work on a voluntary basis.