Partner Universities

Achieve international double qualification

Study Around the World

Your Compulsory Semester Abroad

At ISM, we believe in the importance of an international education. That's why foreign semesters at one of around 190 partner universities are an integral part of all our study programs. The choice of universities at which students can spend their integrated foreign semester depends on their course of study (see below).

To guarantee the quality of the international tuition provided, this network of partner institutions is continuously maintained and extended. The number of partner universities offering high quality study programs has been increasing from year to year. Students are not the only ones who take part in exchanges - lecturers also change places. International guest lecturers contribute with intercultural and international perspectives to the study programs we offer, while ISM lecturers share their expertise and experience with the partner universities.

See here the list of ISM's partner universities (PDF).

Counseling Sessions - We make you fit for your study abroad experience

The International Office is always available to answer any questions students might have about the foreign semester which is for most full-time study programs an integral part of their studies. This dedicated service point assists students throughout their course of study in preparing and following up on the time they spend abroad. This ensures that all the study credits (ECTS) earned abroad are recognized in Germany.

When deciding on the partner universities, the International Office (IO) offers students a wide range of assistance tools to provide infos on the options for their stay abroad:

Individual counseling sessions
Presentations by representatives of the partner universities abroad
Presentations by ISM students who talk about their experiences abroad.

The IO also helps students organize and coordinate the process of applying to the partner universities and recommends contacts for any issues that students might have while they are abroad.

The IO gives a presentation to new students in their very first semester at the ISM to explain the different ways in which they can spend time abroad. New students also have the possibility of discussing individual experiences and exchanging views with students who have returned from their stay abroad. This gives new students a better idea of ISM's international profile and its global network of partner universities.

In the second semester, the IO advises students on both academic and extracurricular matters in specialized briefings on the foreign semester. These events are a forum for international exchange students to share their own experiences, for example, and are thus a valuable source of first-hand advice for ISM students. Representatives of partner universities also often visit the ISM to present their institutions to students.

Furthermore, the IO helps students to find and obtain grants for their foreign semesters. Grants may be available from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) or through the Erasmus+ program, for example (see more information here). Last but not least, our global track students are prepared early on - during their fifth and sixth semesters - for their compulsory second foreign semester in the final seventh Bachelor semester.

Organisation of the study abroad

Recognition of the semester abroad

An integral part of the program is the stay at a foreign partner university of ISM, which takes place within the framework of the module "Study Abroad" in the 4th or 7th semester (optional semester/Global Track) for Bachelor's programs and in the 3rd semester for Master's programs.

Students are admitted to study abroad at a foreign partner university of ISM based on defined admission requirements. Details are regulated by the current guideline "Admission Requirements for Study Abroad". The International Office decides on admission. Admission will be denied if the requirements are not met.

The courses offered at ISM's foreign partner universities in terms of number, type, subject areas and scope are determined in accordance with the module handbook as well as by the program management and the International Office together with the foreign partner universities.
Prior to their stay abroad, each student must arrange a learning agreement with the International Office on the basis of the courses offered.

The regulations (e.g. study and examination regulations) of the respective university apply to periods of study completed as part of the Bachelor's and Master's program at a foreign partner university. The form, content and evaluation of the examinations to be taken are determined in detail by the examination regulations of the partner university in the currently valid version.

In case of differences in the grading system, a grade conversion is to be made on the basis of these examination regulations. The conversion of the examination results from the foreign grading system is carried out using the so-called "Bavarian formula".
Only examination achievements that can be assigned to the modules listed in the Learning Agreement can be credited in the "Study Abroad" module. Credit points that are assigned to a module can only be credited as a whole, i.e. not in parts.

For the module "Study Abroad", the student can be credited with a maximum of the credit points assigned to the module. If the credit points earned abroad exceed the credit points of the "Study Abroad" module, only complete modules beyond this can be credited as extra-curricular examination work (modules). The student must then indicate to the International Office which examination achievements (modules) are to be credited for the module "Study abroad" or as extra-curricular examination achievements.

The module "Study Abroad" is considered passed if:

- all credit points according to the study plan at a foreign partner university of ISM have been successfully achieved or at least 50% of the required credit points according to the study plan at a foreign partner university of ISM and failed credit points have been successfully achieved by substitute performances.

The type, subject areas, scope and examinations of the substitute performances are determined by the examination board together with the head of the study program and the International Office. If a substitute performance is assessed as "failed" (5.0), it can be repeated once. If the repetition is also assessed with "failed" (5.0), the module "Study Abroad" is considered as "failed" (5.0).

If less than 50% of the required credit points according to the study plan have been earned at the foreign partner university, the "Study Abroad" module is considered "failed" (5.0).
If a "study abroad" module is assessed as "failed", it can be repeated once.

Our International Partner Universities

The choice of universities at which bachelor's and master's students can spend their integrated foreign semester depends on their course of study. The number of international universities they can choose from varies according to their particular field of specialization.

Bachelor students can study at partner universities around the world.
Master students meanwhile, can choose from a selected range of high quality international programs that offer the right area of specialization in Europe and further afield.

To find out which partner universities you can visit for your integrated foreign semester in the individual bachelor's and consecutive master's programs, please visit the semster abroad pages of the individual study programs:

Bachelor's programs

Master's programs

Your next steps

International Office Financing your stay abroad Student Life in Germany ISM Blog - all about studying