Staying Abroad

WHAT? Studying at a host university abroad

WHO FOR? A semester abroad holds many opportunities, particularly when it comes to teacher training degree courses. Studying your own subject in a foreign language is a rewarding challenge in many respects. In addition to improving your foreign language skills, you will get to know other subject cultures and teaching/learning methods, expand your communicative and intercultural competencies, immerse yourself in another country, and improve your career opportunities. Also, it will rarely be again so easy to organize living abroad for half a year as it is when you are studying.

WHEN? For one to two semesters, from the 3rd semester onwards

STUDY CREDIT OPTIONS? Study and examination achievements in subjects/fields and/or educational sciences or additional areas of study, stay abroad as admission requirement for taking the First State Examination

PROGRAMS? ERASMUS+, ERASMUS worldwide, TUDworldwide, subject-specific university collaborations

FINANCING? ERASMUS+, PROMOS, DAAD annual scholarship, International BAföG, numerous other subject or destination-specific scholarships

FURTHER INFORMATION? See Semester abroad and the EU platform Study in Europe

WHAT? Practice placement at a school abroad in the form of observation and/or doing your own teaching units or lending foreign language assistance, usually supplemented by lesson planning/preparation and the design of extracurricular activities

WHO FOR? For all teacher training students! A school internship abroad is an excellent way to test yourself as a teacher, to gain professional experience, to deepen your language skills and at the same time to learn more about the (teaching and learning) culture in other countries.

WHEN? For at least 4 weeks, from the 3rd semester onwards

STUDY CREDIT OPTIONS? Block internship A, block internship B, stay abroad as admission requirement for taking the First State Examination (at least 3 months)

PROGRAMS/FINANCING? See School internships abroad

WHAT? Internship in companies, organizations or institutions abroad

WHO FOR? For students doing teacher training degree courses for teaching at vocational schools and in the subject “WTH/S” (Economics, Technology, Household/Social Affairs), as well as for all those who would like to gain professional experience outside of school.

WHEN? From the 3rd semester onwards, for at least 2 months (vocational internship: at least 12 months or pro rata).

STUDY CREDIT OPTIONS? Vocational internship in teacher training degree courses for teaching at vocational schools, relevant internships in the subject “WTH/S” (Economics, Technology, Household/Social Affairs), stay abroad as admission requirement for taking the First State Examination (at least 3 months)

PROGRAMS/FINANCING? ERASMUS+, PROMOS, International BaFöG, kulturweit, weltwärts, AIESEC, further scholarships

FURTHER INFORMATION? Leonardo Office Saxony

WHAT? Language course or language study trip to learn a foreign language, usually in a country where this is the official language

WHO FOR? For teacher training students who study a foreign language (English, French, Italian, Russian, Latin) or would like to learn one independently of their subject and appreciate being immersed in a language

WHEN? From the 2nd semester onwards

STUDY CREDIT OPTIONS? Study and examination credits in the additional areas of study, study and examination credits for practical language modules, proof of foreign language skills as admission requirement for the First State Examination, stay abroad as an admission requirement for the First State Examination

PROGRAMS/FINANCING?

• PROMOS for language courses (3 weeks to 6 months)
• Language study trips offered by the Studentenwerk Dresden
• GFPS scholarship for intensive Polish language courses for one semester at the University of Lublin
• DAAD Program Language and Practice in the People’s Republic of China
• DAAD Program Language and Practice in Japan
• DAAD Program Semester scholarships for Arabic in Jordan
• Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) for language studies in Taiwan

WHAT?  Shorter subject-related stay abroad in the form of summer schools, winter schools, specialist field trips

WHO FOR? For all teacher training students who would like to deepen their subject knowledge during the semester break and get to know new people and a foreign country in international groups.

WHEN? From the 2nd semester onwards; summer schools usually last one to ten weeks and take place during the vacations at universities abroad

STUDY CREDIT OPTIONS? Study and examination achievements in subjects/fields or educational sciences and additional areas of study, stay abroad as admission requirement for taking the First State Examination (at least 3 months)

PROGRAMS/FINANCING?

• PROMOS
• Go East Summer and Winter schools
• Short study visit program  at Belmont University Nashville, TN, USA
• Summer Program “Let's go” in Taiwan (2 to 5 weeks as teacher in rural schools)

FURTHER INFORMATION? Available from your faculty representative and under Short-term programs worldwide

WHAT? A research stay abroad to write the final thesis

WHO FOR? For all State Examination candidates who are researching a topic and for teacher training students who prefer a shorter study stay abroad

WHEN? In the last or penultimate semester of the degree program

STUDY CREDIT OPTIONS? Stay abroad as admission requirement for taking the First State Examination (at least 3 months), binational supervision of the final thesis

PROGRAMS/FINANCING?

• ERASMUS+
• PROMOS
• International BAföG
• Minerva Short-Term Research Grant (for stays in Israel)
• Alberta-Saxony Intercultural Internship Alliance (for stays in Canada)

It can be particularly worthwhile to combine different options for a stay abroad and, for example, to round off a semester abroad with a school internship in the destination country. In this way, you can also kill several birds with one stone in terms of study and examination credits and, during a two-semester study period abroad, for example

• gain subject-related study and examination credits in your subjects/fields and in the additional areas of study;
• verify your compulsory stay abroad when studying a modern foreign language (as admission requirement for the First State Examination) as well as
• demonstrate the acquisition of foreign language skills (as admission requirement for the First State Examination);
• complete a block internship at a school abroad.

Please feel free to ask for advice on the individual aspects of your case at the Academic Affairs Office for Teacher Training.

Particularly for internships abroad, it is important to ensure that you have sufficient insurance cover. Check before your stay with your health insurance provider whether it also offers coverage for the country of your internship. In certain circumstances, it may be advisable to take out supplementary international health insurance.

Neither the university nor the state accident insurance fund provide international accident insurance for school internships abroad. This is recommended (Please note: This is not international travel insurance!). In addition, private international third-party liability insurance could be considered.

The DAAD offers a Package solution for studying or doing an internship abroad.

For studying abroad, language skills in the language of the destination country at Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference are recommended. You can acquire these as part of your language budget at TU Dresden. You can find more information about this at TU Dresden’s language training facility. Language courses for incoming students are offered at most partner universities.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, stays abroad are possible! When planning your trip, please be sure to take into account the currently valid regulations for

• exiting Germany and possible restrictions on air travel: Information from the Federal Foreign Office
• entering the destination country regarding visa, quarantine and testing regulations in that country: Country Pages of the Federal Foreign Office, Re-open EU, current travel warnings, information on entry conditions at the country representations, digital proof of vaccination
• the stay in the destination country with possible local curfews and restricted university and school operations: Country pages of the Federal Foreign Office, Re-open EU, country representations
• the return: Entry restrictions, mandatory testing and quarantine in Germany, digital entry declaration

Our recommendations:

• Inform yourself in detail about the entry and residence conditions in the destination country on the above-mentioned websites, the Corona-FAQs of TU Dresden and the Erasmus+ Mobility checker for students.
• Check with the funding body which requirements currently apply for stays abroad and scholarships.
• Get advice from the International Office of TU Dresden.
• Plan for alternative options in terms of destination country and/or time period.
• Check options for virtual or hybrid mobility.