Joint Study Programme

In addition to the Erasmus+ partnerships, the University of Innsbruck also maintains numerous relationships with  international universities outside Europe.

Some of these partnerships were concluded at the institute level or at so-called “all-university” level. “All-university” means that there is a partnership with the entire foreign university - i.e. students from all fields of study can complete a semester abroad there, provided that the respective field of study is offered at the host university. 

The maximum length of stay in the Joint Study Programme is two semesters per study cycle (Bachelor, Master, Diploma, PhD).

In principle, you are exempt from the regular tuition fees at all Joint Study partner universities, but at a few partner universities you will have to pay a reduced part of the tuition fees. Furthermore, in addition to living costs etc., you may also incur administrative costs such as library cards, books, photocopying costs etc. 

IMPORTANT: Please make sure, that your passport is still valid - at least 6 months after the end of your exchange semester!

The choice of university and host country should be well considered. Therefore, please inform yourself in advance on the website of the respective host university whether it would actually suit you, whether your field of study is offered etc. Furthermore, certain conditions of a country should be considered in advance (cost of living, housing, entry regulations, climate, etc.).

Therefore, please have look on the website of the respective host university whether it would actually suit you, whether your field of study is offered, etc.

Once you have decided on one or more partner universities, please contact the respective partnership officer(s). You can find these contact persons in our  . 

You also need to pay attention to the courses offered by the respective host university, because after all, progress in your studies should be guaranteed. Find out about the courses offered by the respective host university and consider courses that can be credited at the University of Innsbruck.

Make a list of courses that fit your studies at the UIBK and interest you. This list should include the course title, course content, effort (giving presentations, writing papers, ...) and credits of the respective courses. As soon as the list has been compiled, you will make an appointment with the Dean of Studies/Associate Dean of Studies to clarify whether the selected courses can be credited and how many ECTS-Credits you will receive for them.

You can use our advance notification  for this purpose.

 IMPORTANT: A comprehensive course selection is recommended, as it is quite possible that individual courses are no longer offered, you cannot/are not allowed to take a course or similar.

The requirements for applying for a study place vary from partner university to partner university. The study success, the letter of motivation, the language skills or the list of creditable courses can play a major role. Please contact the respective partnership officer and enquire about the conditions for an application.

You can now apply for an exchange spot at one of our partner universities via LFU:online. Please use our Student-Guide to apply for an exchange spot. 

Furthermore, it is mandatory to upload the Preference Form when applying via LFU:online.

After the application deadline, all timely and complete application documents will be reviewed and a selection of students will be made.

Application periods:

IMPORTANT: Due to various factors (time shift, different semester dates, etc.) there are different application deadlines in the frame of the Joint Study Program. 

WS and/or SS 2024/ 2025
Start: 15.11.2023
End: varies from the beginning of January 2024 to the end of February 2024

Remaining places in SS 2025
Start: 15.05.2024
End: varies between 01.07.2024 and 15.10.2024

IMPORTANT: Please note that we only have a certain number of places to offer at our non-European partner universities. For this reason, a plan B would certainly be advantageous.

After the partnership officer has made a selection, the respective students are informed about it. Subsequently, all selected students are nominated to the host university - usually a list with information is sent to the partner university.

After the official nomination, students are either contacted directly by the partner university and informed about the application process, or this is done by the partnership officer.

Again, the requirements vary from partner university to partner university - some require an official English test, others require a bank confirmation of available funds, etc.

The application process is basically a formality, but the partner university has the final say and can also reject a nomination.

Some partner universities require proof of language skills. Below you will find information on the most popular language tests:

TOEFL test

If the partner university requires a "Test of English as a Foreign Language" (TOEFL test), please check the website  in good time to find out when the next test will take place.

IELTS test

The International English Language Testing System is a globally recognised language test by the   British Council. However, this test is also offered at the UIBK Language Centre .

Language proficiency test

A  Language Proficiency Test is offered at the UIBK Language Centre and is also accepted by some of our partner universities.

The language proficiency examinations are issued for English (level B2), French (level B1) and for Spanish (level B1). The examination consists of an oral and a written part and can be taken four times a year.

The costs for a regular degree student at the University of Innsbruck amount to EUR 70. If you have been officially nominated and actually start the semester abroad, EUR 35 of this amount will be refunded by the International Relations Office. For this purpose the following documents have to be submitted:

• Copy of the language proficiency test
• Original invoice
• Confirmation of payment (credit card payment, transfer confirmation)
• Form Reimbursement of Expenses (original document - either send by post or bring it in person to the International Relations Office)

(upon presentation of the proof of language competence, the original invoice and the confirmation of payment).

Please note that finding accommodation in some countries can prove to be very difficult - especially in the winter semester. Some partner universities have their own student residences and a certain number of places reserved for international exchange students. If this is the case, the partner university will contact you. In any case, you should find out about the accommodation options, student halls of residence and prices early enough.

Many of our Joint Study - Incomings are looking for a flat/room here in Innsbruck. If you are interested in renting out your room to an international student during your stay abroad, you can find all the information on our page Organisation of your Stay Abroad .

You should inform yourself in good time about the entry requirements of the host country. Information on the various visa applications (student visa, etc.) can be found on the website of the respective embassy or consulate.

When applying for a visa, you must expect a longer processing time, so you should find out as early as possible which documents are required, how the application must be submitted (in person, by post, ...), etc.

Furthermore, applying for a visa usually involves additional costs.

Via the LFU:online under "My Mobilities" you can apply for a place at a Joint Study Partner University as well as for a grant from the University of Innsbruck.

JOINT STUDY SCHOLARSHIP

Successful application during the first application period: June/July
Successful application duringthe second application period: November/December

In the  guidelines  you will find other important aspects that need to be taken into account.

If you have to cancel the semester/year abroad (for whatever reason), please first inform Christina Plattner and the respective partnership officer(s).

The International Relations Office will withdraw your nomination at the host university and thus cancel your stay abroad.

Cancellation of the stay abroad is possible at any time!

After completing your stay abroad, it is very important that you have the examinations taken abroad recognised at the University of Innsbruck.

As soon as you have received your transcript from the host university, please have the recognition of the examinations taken abroad confirmed by the competent body as soon as possible:  Dean of Studies/Associate Dean of Studies

Furthermore, the following documents must be uploaded via LFU:online after completing your exchange semester: 

• experience report (at least 1 page): impressions, organisation of the stay abroad, interesting facts, tips, etc
• confirmation of your stay: must show the exact start and end dates of your stay abroad and be signed by the host university. The confirmation may be issued max. 2 weeks before the end of your exchange semester!
• copy of the Transcript of Records (certificate of the host university)
• copy of the recognition of examinations (incl. supplementary sheet)