Other Options to Go Abroad

What is a freemover?

‘Freemovers’ are people who organise a stay abroad outside of an exchange programme.

Main differences to exchange programmes of the University of Göttingen:

• Selection of foreign universities: Because you are not limited to the selection of partner universities of the University of Göttingen, you have more options as a freemover.
• Tuition fees: With the University of Göttingen exchange programme, your stay abroad will be free of tuition fees. As a freemover, you will typically pay tuition fees to the host university. The amount of tuition depends upon the host university, but is usually anywhere from 4000€ to 9000€ per semester.
• The role of Göttingen International: Since the stay abroad as a freemover would not be organised by Göttingen International, we can only limited support such as advice on funding options, intercultural preparation options and country information. Questions regarding leave of absence and recognition of modules completed abroad should be answered by your home faculty (at the University of Göttingen). See also A – Z of planning a stay abroad.

How do you find a suitable host university as a freemover?

You should invest some time in researching your options. If you have a specific university in mind, you can ask the international office of the university whether visiting students are admitted outside of exchange partnerships. An online search can also help you find a host university.
Note: The term ‘freemover’ is common in Europe and occasionally found outside of Europe. Other common terms (which may help with your internet research) are: visiting student, non-degree student, short term international student.

Organisations and agencies:

There are some organisations and agencies that offer freemover programmes. They provide advice and support with the application process and also offer their own scholarship programmes. Here are a few examples:

• Asia Exchange: This organisation offers information on studying abroad (semesters abroad, summer schools or regular studies) with a focus on Asia.
• GOstralia-GOmerica: This organisation has a large network of partner universities in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and the US.
• Institut Ranke-Heinemann: This institute has many partner universities in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
• International Education Centre: IEC has a large network of universities in North and South America, Africa, Oceania, Asia, and Europe.
• Schwarzman Scholarships: Bachelor graduates between 18 and 28 with good English skills can apply for a one-year, fully-funded master's program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
• Silk Road School: The scholarship for a Master of Contemporary Chinese Studies at Renmin University of China, Suzhou covers tuition and dormitory for two years.
• World of Students: The organisation has partner universities in Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and Oceania and offers support for planning a stay abroad.

Research and thesis writing stays abroad

Research stays require a lot of planning time, as they are often arranged individually with academics at the host university.
Note: Ask your faculty or advisor if they have a contact abroad through whom you might be able to arrange a research stay.

• Lincoln University (New Zealand)
• California State University Monterey Bay (USA)
• Universidad de Costa Rica
• Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
• Tohoku University (Japan)

For further information on these study abroad programmes, please contact Martin Jagonak (New Zealand, Japan and USA) or Maren Büttner (Costa Rica and South Africa).

• Fulbright Programmes: The German-American Fulbright Commission (Fulbright Germany) awards approximately 700 scholarships annually for study, research, teaching and further education stays in the USA and Germany. Through Fulbright, you can apply for a short-term programme, a stay as a foreign language assistant (teaching students!) or a one-year stay in the master’s programme at an American university.
• DAAD Language Assistant Programmes: The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers helpful information on studying abroad, scholarships and the foreign language assistant programme.

Many universities abroad offer short-term programmes such as summer or winter schools. Short-term programs usually last 3 to 8 weeks and focus on specific academic topics. Some universities currently also offer digital programmes (see "Virtual Exchange").
The following platforms facilitate comprehensive research:

• Short Courses Portal
• Educations.com
• “Go East“ – DAAD-funded short-term programmes

Current offers from our partner universities:

International Summer Session at the Fudan University. Apply until 31.05.2025.
Further information and application here .

Have you considered a virtual programme? A Virtual Exchange Programme can be a great way to enhance your studies with an international experience that you can complete from right here in Göttingen!