International incomings: degree-seeking and exchange students
Aalen University extends a warm welcome to all prospective students, whether you have lived in Aalen before or come from halfway across the globe.
You will find information about our English taught courses (Aalen International Program), the application procedures, etc. Depending on your status, go to degree-seeking students or exchange students section.
Aalen International Program
Come to Aalen as an exchange student. Study in Germany – it’s your time.
Increase your social & intercultural competencies by studying in Aalen for one or more semesters. We are happy to host you for a semester exchange to gain Credit Points abroad by attending English taught lectures. You have the opportunity to make the most of your stay and gain practical insight into German Industries by interning at any of the regional technology hotspots to increase your job opportunities. In addition, we encourage you to extend your stay to write your thesis with us in our state-of-the-art labs.
The Aalen International Program Brochure contains practical information related to your planned stay at Aalen University.
Eglish taught lectures catalogue
Find our course catalogue of English taught lectures here.
Set up your learning Agreement based on our course catalogue in our Mobility Online portal. Please keep in mind that a learning agreement is not a contractual document and that due to unforeseen circumstances, changes in the course offerings might have to be made at the beginning of a semester.
Starting 4 weeks before the semester begins; you can configure your own personal timetable and see possible time overlaps.
If you would like to attend German taught lectures as well, please refer to our study programs.
Admission procedures and entry requirements outlined underneath concern exchange students associated with one of Aalen University's partner institutions only. Degree-seeking students, please consult the section for degree-seeking students. Free movers wishing to spend one or two semesters at Aalen University should address the International Relations Office of Aalen University directly.
Most exchanges within Europe take place under the umbrella of the Erasmus+ program which applies the European Credit Transfer System called ECTS. But also exchange students coming from Non-European partner universities will be admitted under the European Credit Transfer System allowing them to transfer credits obtained at Aalen University. Coursework will be defined in a learning agreement and credits achieved and exams passed will be validated by the home university according to ECTS on the basis of the transcript of records that students will receive at the end of their stay in Aalen.
1) First step: Nomination
The international relations offices of our partner universities can nominate their students for one or more exchange semester at Aalen University by entering their students' data into our nomination form. The link to which is sent out to all partner university a few months before the deadline. If you have not received the link, please send an e-mail to aaa@hs-aalen.de. Please do not pass the link onto your students.
For the nomination form, we will need the following information from your students:
- Family Name
- First Name
- Gender
- Birthdate
- E-Mail Address
- Study Level
- Study Program at Home
2) Second Step: Application
Students please submit the application documents electronically via our online application portal for incoming students. The link for registration will be sent out after nomination by home university.
A complete application will contain:
- The application form (to be signed by your institution before sending)
- The so-called "Antrag auf eingeschränkte Zulassung" (necessary for formal enrolment)
- The application form for an Email account
- The learning agreement (please check the section courses of the website)
- Proofs of language proficiency in German and/or English
- A final project request form (in case you wish to carry out your final project / degree dissertation at Aalen University only)
- Recent photo (passport format)
- A transcript of records including all your study results so far
- A full curriculum vitae
All relevant application documents will be acquired from the application portal.
The deadlines for submitting a full application are April 30 for the winter semester and November 30 for the summer semester. All exchange students have to be selected and nominated by the partner university for their study abroad period at Aalen University to be re-confirmed via signature from the international relations office of the partner institution in the application form.
Exchange students from Non-European countries will need a visa for Germany and should consider that getting the visa may take quite some time. Therefore, we advise you to apply for Aalen University as soon as possible. After we have received your application, we will send you a letter of admission ("eingeschränkte Zulassung"), along with an invitation confirming your status. Only then can you apply for your visa at the German embassy or a German Consulate.
When enrolling at Aalen University you need the following additional items (normally after arrival): adequate health insurance (can also be taken in Aalen), the payment of a semester contribution to the German Student Association, and a residence permit (Aufenthaltsgenehmigung). As soon as you will have fulfilled the enrolment requirements (normally a couple of days after your arrival) you will get your student card.
There are many academic and organizational decisions to be made when you want to study in a foreign country. Your home university has coordinators as well as an international relations office to assist you in obtaining information about the program you are interested in and to help you handle the technicalities involved in studying at Aalen University.
We look forward to welcoming you here in Aalen!
Students wishing to follow lectures taught in English should possess a B2 level according to the Common European Framework (CEF).
Students wishing to follow German taught lectures should possess at least a B1 level upon arrival (so that they can reach B2 level during the intensive course in Aalen). Only international standardised tests can be accepted (e.g. TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, Cambridge, etc. for English; TestDaF, Goethe for German).
- In order to apply for a German taught study program as an exchange student coming from one of our partner universities, you must provide proof of German language “threshold or B1” by submitting an accredited German language certificate (approved B1 level or for instance the “Zertifikat Deutsch B1” from the Goethe Institute. The minimum required hours that you should put in for a level is approximately *B1 ≈ 420 h according to the Common European Framework (CEF). A further German intensive course in order to raise your level to B2 (and C1) so that you can follow successfully German taught lectures will be offered before the start of the lectures.
There is a new scholarship opportunity for students of our US partner university for spring semester 2023.
Apply at international@hs-aalen.de by November 20th 2022 at the latest.
Please provide the following information in your mail (10 sentences maximum):
- Your motivation for studies abroad (description of the intention to study abroad, the professional benefits as well as the state of preparation for the stay abroad and the justification for the choice of Aalen University)
- Example of social and intercultural competencies in one sentence
Also note, that until then you should have submitted documents such as your transcript of records and a short CV to the Mobility Online Platform.
Four months of studies at Aalen University in Germany will be sponsored (funding period March to June 2023). The total amount of the DAAD scholarship is EURO 4907.
The scholarship is funded by the DAAD via the program UAS.International in the project INTENSE. Students can only apply once for this scholarship and the candidates will be chosen by a board.
Admission procedures and entry requirements outlined underneath concern degree-seeking students only, intending to study a full study program at Aalen University. The study opportunities to join the academic community of Aalen University can be found in the section courses.
If you want to apply for a German taught study program as a degree seeking student, you must submit proof of German language proficiency on at least C1 level within the application period (accoding to the The Common European Framework CEF). Examinations proving the proficiency are for example DSH2 or Test-DaF (with an average score of 4) or ZOP from the Goethe Institute.
Below there is information about the application for Master and Bachelor programs. For more detailed information about the application process, please refer to the pages of the students department.
Have you already acquired your first degree and are now seeking a program which will impart more specific knowledge in your field? Are you interested in studying in Germany because of its excellent reputation in the high-tech industry, and you feel comfortable being instructed in the English language?
If your background fits this description, then you should take a moment to inform yourself about Aalen University's graduate degree programs, each of which is designed to be completed within 1.5 to 2 years.
As a benchmark when applying, you may keep in mind that you will need a successfully completed university degree of three or four years of duration, depending on the country you come from. Your total education, meaning school and university, should consequently have lasted up to a minimum of 15 years. Information about entrance requirements are included with each course description. We look forward to receiving your application!
- The Master of Science in Photonics is designed especially for candidates with a university degree in optoelectronics, electronics, physics, optics etc. (intake in September only, application deadline 15th of June).
- The Master of Science in Polymer Technology is ideal for graduate students with a background in mechanical engineering, materials science, chemistry, production engineering etc. (intake in March only, application deadline 15th of December).
- The Master of Science in Vision Science & Business is catered toward candidates who have already earned a degree in optometry and would like to combine their knowledge with business expertise (intake every 2 years in September only, application deadline July 15th).
- The Master of Arts in International Marketing and Sales is designed for graduate students with a background in business or management studies (intake in September only, application deadline 15th of July).
If you seek to attend an undergraduate course of Aalen University and have a foreign school-leaving certificate, you need to first send your documents to the ASK (Institute for International Students located in Konstanz) that is in charge of validation of previous studies when applying at universities of applied sciences in the German state Baden-Württemberg.
The ASK is in charge of validating your school-leaving certificate and, in some cases, your previous studies to insure they conform with federal guidelines. Moreover a German language proficiency exam needs to be passed. Certified photocopies of the results of the evaluation and the German proficiency exam must then be passed on to Aalen University before a candidate can be admitted.
Depending on your home country and your educational background, you may be required to pass in addition the "Feststellungsprüfung" at the ASK or simply the DSH German-language examination. Applicants in need of the German proficiency exam only may take the DSH-exam at ASK in Konstanz or, alternatively, the Test-DaF-exam at Aalen University.
Once you have had your foreign credentials examined by the ASK and have successfully passed the German-language examination and (if needed) the Feststellungsprüfung, you will receive respective certificates, which will allow you to be admitted to Aalen University if you have been selected by our admissions office.
Please consult the ASK website to check what documents you will need to send to them and to download their application form. To apply afterwards for a course of study at Aalen University, please click here.
All required application documents must have been received by Aalen University at the application deadlines. The postmarked date is not enough! Applicants who have missed the deadline or improperly supplied documents according to the regulations will not be considered for selection. This includes missing or late documents. The application deadlines are 15 July for the winter semester and 15 January for the summer semester.
| Winter (Fall) Semester | Summer (Spring) Semester | |
| Nomination Deadline | 01 April | 01 November |
| Application Deadline | 30 April | 30 November |
| Semester Begins / Arrival & Orientation Start | 01 September | 01 March |
| Lectures Period | October - January | March - June |
| Exam Period | February | July |
| Semester Ends / Departure | 28 February | 31 August |
Study Abroad at Aalen University - YouTube (if you have marketing cookies disabled, you can see the video on YouTube)
Ten percent of the overall student population at Aalen University of Applied Sciences consists of international students coming from more than 60 different countries. Aalen University of Applied Sciences is a modern university where academic excellence in both teaching and research is a standard not to be compromised. This fact is confirmed by the numerous technology transfer centers at the institution, the library, and the scientific facilities, which are modernly equipped with cutting-edge technology.
A variety of opportunities are available for you to choose from. Founded in 1963, Aalen University of Applied Sciences currently hosts 6,000 students studying in the university's five academic schools, which are:
- Chemistry
- Electronics & Computing Science
- Management & Business Sciences
- Mechanical Engineering & Materials Technologies
- Optics & Mechatronics.
With our service portfolio we will do our best to make your studies as productive, rewarding and as enjoyable as possible. Aalen University's motivation for internationalization is firmly rooted in its mission and educational policy. The curricula contains international aspects and a good number of courses is taught in English. Aalen University firmly believes that contact between people from different nations promotes mutual understanding, cultural and business relationships, and friendship.
The main characteristic of universities of applied sciences ("Hochschulen") like Aalen University is that they relate theoretical knowledge to practical experience outside of the academic environment. Professors at universities of applied sciences have a strong industrial background and are thus in a position to provide students with excellent links to companies. Universities of applied sciences give students numerous opportunities to combine their studies with practical experience in the real world of business. All laboratory research projects emphasize applying theoretical knowledge to specific problems. The transition from the academic to the working world is much smoother, as students are immediately operational.
Students work in small groups and take examinations throughout the semesters. A study course at Aalen University of Applied Sciences for the Bachelor's degree requires seven semesters. Three to four semesters are required for a Master's degree.
The Black Forest, Heidelberg, the Stuttgart Ballet, Porsche, Bosch, DaimlerChrysler, Carl Zeiss Optik and SAP are all names of global significance. However, not only global players but also many small and medium-sized international engineering companies positively influence the state's economy.
Situated at the heart of the European economic market, Baden-Württemberg has a truly cosmopolitan character, a large cultural diversity and beautiful landscapes, all contributing to an excellent quality of life. Being one of the most economically competitive German states, it is no surprise that almost one quarter of Germany's research and development capacity is concentrated in Baden-Württemberg. It is among the German states with the largest number of universities with many internationally renowned ones.
Aalen in Southern Germany
You will find information about the life in Germany here.
Tips for International Students - How do I finance my studies in German? - YouTube
Please feel free to contact us: aaa@hs-aalen.de
Here you can find more information about our team International Relations.
