Application

Enrollment at KIT

Any student who is regularly enrolled at KIT in a degree program leading to a university degree (BA, MA) and who is completing their entire degree program here is generally eligible to participate in the program. Students must remain enrolled at KIT for the entire duration of their stay abroad. Students studying at KIT for a limited period as part of exchange programs are not eligible to participate in the program.

Academic Prerequisites

A successful academic study abroad experience is based on having as comprehensive a foundation as possible in your study area at your home institution. Therefore, at the time of your application, you should be successfully completing at least your second semester of your bachelor’s program. Master’s students may study abroad starting in their first semester of the Master’s program. In this case, you must apply while still enrolled in your Bachelor’s program; you will receive an acceptance letter only subject to enrollment at KIT for the Master’s program.

Sufficient proficiency in the language of instruction and the local language

Studying abroad requires a solid command of the language of instruction. Therefore, at the time of your application, you should be able to demonstrate such proficiency in the language of instruction at your host university. If the language of instruction differs from the local language, knowledge of the local language is also desirable and, depending on the host university, may be required.

Depending on the destination region, English proficiency can be demonstrated either through a DAAD language certificate, the DUOLINGO English Test (DET), or a TOEFL certificate. As a general rule, partner universities expect a minimum score of approximately 79–100 (out of a maximum of 120) on the TOEFL iBT or a DAAD B2 level. Most of our partner universities in South America expect a B1/B2 level in Spanish or Portuguese. If you are interested in studying in a non-English-speaking region and plan to take only English-language courses there, a minimum proficiency level in the local language is usually not required. The exact requirements of your host university are listed in the overview of partner universities. Click through to your preferred partner university. There you’ll find, among other things, information on the required language proficiency level.

It’s best to take one or more language courses before you apply. At the Language Center, you can also earn a DAAD language certificate. In addition, you can directly apply, refresh, or improve your language skills by participating in the Teletandem project. Please keep in mind that slots for the language test for study abroad programs or internships abroad fill up very quickly. For this reason, the IStO recommends that you find out more and register well in advance.

Once a year per region, specifically:

No remaining spots will be allocated.

We have compiled detailed information and helpful tips regarding the application materials for you on the application materials page.

Access to the Application Portal

• Click here for the application form for a stay in the Übersee Nord region.
• The application portal for the South Region will open around April. You’ll find the link here then.

 

Log in to the application portal using your KIT login.

Prospective KIT students who are not yet enrolled at KIT and do not yet have a KIT login should contact mobon-support∂intl.kit.edu as soon as possible—and no later than one month before the application deadline—to have an account set up. Please provide your name, email address, and date of birth. Setting up the account may take approximately 10–14 days. We will then receive your login credentials in a letter, which will be held for you in our secretary’s office for pickup by default. Alternatively (in cases such as long-distance travel or limited mobility), we can of course also mail this letter to you; we would then need your mailing address. Afterward, the system administrator will assist you with your first login using your new account.

First Steps in the Application Portal

Please complete the following steps in sequence via the application portal:

1. Fill out and submit the online form (register with your personal information and your preferred host universities, desired duration of stay, and department)
   1. The application platform is interactive. Indicate on the application form that you have language credentials and provide the relevant details for each credential. You can then upload the corresponding language credentials later in the application process.
   2. Feel free to use the “General Comments” field if necessary. Here you also have the opportunity to highlight any special circumstances in your resume, such as chronic illnesses, disabilities, periods spent caring for family members or raising children, which may have influenced the course of your studies or can help in better assessing your accomplishments to date.
2. After submitting the application form, you will receive a link to the application portal, where you can
   1. review your personal information
   2. upload your application documents
   3. answer any questions regarding letters of recommendation, if applicable, and
   4. if necessary, make further adjustments to the information or preferences you previously provided
3. Finally, confirm that you have completed your application and submit it to us.

You can pause the application at any time and resume it later. You can change the details regarding your preferred universities, duration of stay, and department at any time during the process, as long as you haven’t completed Step 3 yet.

Selecting Your Target University(ies)

In your application, you can select up to five preferred universities from the direct cooperation agreements or Baden-Württemberg programs. When applying to a Baden-Württemberg program, it is sufficient to select the desired program once in your application, as you will first be selected for the program, and the campus/location assignment within that program will take place later. Submitting multiple applications for the same Baden-Württemberg program therefore offers you no advantage. For each of your up to 5 preferred destinations, select the department or college where you would like to study. At some universities, the department or college must approve your admission, so it is important that you demonstrate the necessary prior knowledge. This applies in particular to graduate divisions.

Selecting Your Desired Stay Period

For each of your target universities, specify your desired period of stay. If you wish to indicate an alternative period, you can use the “Comments” field at the end of the application form, specifying the target university and the alternative period. 

*WS here refers to

• in the Overseas North region to the 1st semester of the academic year (starting between July and October, depending on the host university)
• in the Overseas South region, the 2nd semester of the academic year (starting around July/August, depending on the host university)

*SS refers here

• in the Overseas North region, the second semester of the academic year (starting between January and May, depending on the host university) 
• in the Overseas South region, the first semester of the academic year (starting between January and March, depending on the host university)

Receipt of Letters of Recommendation

Once you have registered on the application portal, created your application, and completed steps 1 through 4, you can track the receipt status of letters of recommendation via the application portal. We update the system twice a week by logging the receipt of letters into your account (currently scheduled for Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings). Contact: overseas ∂does-not-exist.intl kit edu.

Questions?

If you have any questions, we’re available on Tuesdays and Fridays via overseas ∂does-not-exist.intl kit edu or by phone at 0721 608 44913. We expect a higher volume of emails leading up to the application deadlines, so processing times may be slightly longer. However, we will respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible. Please refrain from contacting the secretary’s office directly with follow-up questions.

After the application materials have been sorted and reviewed, the selection process takes place at KIT. Starting around July/August (for Overseas South) or November (for Overseas North), the results will be sent via email to the successful applicants. The selection process already takes into account the priorities specified in the application. You will receive at most one offer for your highest priority.

Relevant selection criteria: academic performance, study plans and motivation, language proficiency

After receiving an offer from KIT, you will have another opportunity to make a final, binding commitment and accept the nomination for the study spot.

We offer a preparatory meeting for all program participants (in August/September for Overseas South, and in December for Overseas North). At this meeting, we’ll provide guidance on the next steps and introduce you to the contact persons available to assist you.

The final decision regarding admission to a university (and thus to the program) is always made by the host university.