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Technical University of Munich

Study abroad with TUMexchange

TUMexchange offers Bachelor's and Master's students of all disciplines the opportunity for a study-related stay abroad at selected partner universities in non-EU countries. Applications for stays abroad for both the summer and winter semesters are possible once a year in October.

Application period for winter 2027/28 and summer 2028

October 20, 2026 (10 am) to October 29, 2026 (10 am)

Please submit your application through our online portal. The application form will only be active within the application time frame.
Late submissions cannot be accepted.

You can review your submitted documents anytime. If you're offered a spot, you can confirm your acceptance directly through the portal.

Q&A sessions for winter 2027/28 and summer 2028 stays abroad

Are you planning an international exchange through TUMexchange in Winter 2027/28 or Summer 2028? Join our region-specific Q&A sessions between July 1 and October 23, where TUMexchange Program Managers will answer your questions.

Upcoming sessions

  • October 16, 11 a.m.: Oceania & North America

Last sessions

  • October 22, 10 a.m.: China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan (China)
  • October 22, 2 p.m.: Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia
  • October 23: 11 a.m. Oceania & North America

Join the meeting


Please note:

  • Please use your @tum / @mytum-account to log in to the meeting.
  • Sessions will be offered until October 23, 2026.
  • You can find the latest dates at any time on the TUMexchange website.
  • Please join the session on time.
  • Sessions end once all questions have been answered (no later than 60 minutes).
  • Questions that have already been addressed cannot be repeated for participants who join late.

Your TUMexchange application – step by step

A step-by-step walkthrough of the application process and online application: Download the presentation from the webinar on October 14 in the download section at the end of this website.

TUMexchange - How it works

  • Explore available destinations and partner universities. Get inspired by travel reports of former participants
  • Submit the online application to the Global & Alumni Office through the online application portal within the application period
  • Selection and place awarding by the Global & Alumni Office
  • Students confirm the places offered
  • Nomination process at the partner universities by the Global & Alumni Office
  • The G&A Office nominates the students at the partner university
  • The students apply to the partner university. After receiving the letter of admission the students have to organize their stay abroad
  • Credit recognition: submit your transcript to your TUM School after your stay
  • Diploma supplement: request a Confirmation of Stay from your partner university at the end of your stay and submit it along with an experience report in the TUMexchange application portal

Partner universities

Explore your selection of partner universities in the TUMexchange program using our database. Use the dropdown menus to filter by Program, Country, Institution, Subject Area, and Study Level.

Travel reports

In the database, you’ll also find experience reports from former participants – featuring valuable insider tips on studying, daily life, and travel. To access them, click on "More Details" and then open the "Travel Reports" tab.

Requirements for participation

To participate in the TUMexchange program, the following requirements must be met:

  • You must be enrolled at TUM at the time of application and throughout your stay abroad.
  • Your field of study and level (Bachelor or Master) must be listed as eligible for exchange via the TUMexchange program in our database.
  • You must have successfully completed two years of study or passed the intermediate examination (Vordiplom) by the start of your exchange.
  • You must have sufficient proficiency in the language of instruction at the chosen partner university.
  • You should have good to very good academic performance.
    The grade requirement (Numerus Clausus) depends on the popularity of the partner university and the TUM School or subject area, so a fixed requirement cannot be specified.

Please note that semester dates at partner universities may differ significantly from TUM’s academic calendar.

Important note on security clearance
If you are considering a career that requires a security clearance (e.g., in the public sector or in security-sensitive industries), spending time in certain countries may limit your future career opportunities. Please make sure to inform yourself in advance. 

Detailed information (in German) can be found in the Handbuch des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Energie (Handbook of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy).

Candidates are selected by the TUM Global & Alumni Office based on the following criteria:

  • Grade point average (GPA) from your bachelor's degree (Academic performance in a master's program is not considered)
  • Language proficiency in the language of instruction at the host university
  • Motivation letter with a focus on your academic goals

New for the October 2026 application round:

  • For master’s students, existing academic achievements from their master’s degree program will also be taken into consideration.
  • Students who, at the time of application, are enrolled in one of the following Schools, or who have obtained their bachelor’s degree from one of these Schools, must submit an additional ranking certificate: TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, TUM School of Engineering and Design, TUM School of Life Sciences, TUM School of Natural Sciences
  • Please note: There is currently no ranking system for the TUM School of Management, the TUM School of Medicine and Health, the TUM School of Social Sciences, or the Straubing Campus. Students from these Schools are therefore not required to submit a ranking certificate. This does not result in either an advantage or a disadvantage during the selection process.

In recent selection rounds, approximately 50% of applicants were offered an exchange placement through TUMexchange. However, placement chances vary significantly depending on the popularity and availability of spots at each partner university. Please understand that we are unable to provide individual assessments regarding your chances of selection.

If you participate in TUMexchange to study outside the EU, you benefit from the following advantages:

  • Study abroad outside the EU for one to a maximum of two semesters
  • Exemption from tuition fees at the partner university
    (Exceptions apply for some US partner universities – see database for details)
  • Individual advising on selecting a suitable partner university by the TUM Global & Alumni Office
  • Possibility to take a leave of absence from your home university during your stay abroad
  • Academic recognition of courses completed abroad
    (subject to approval by the academic advisors in your department)
  • Inclusion of your study abroad period in your Diploma Supplement
     

Important note on financing

A TUMexchange placement does not include a scholarship from TUM.
Please ensure that you have secured financial means to cover your stay abroad before applying.

Application

1. Registration

  • Please register in our application portal (active only during the application period)

  • Make sure to note down your login details and keep them in a safe place – you will need them until the end of your study abroad period.

    Important: Do not create multiple registrations in the portal and do not start parallel applications. Duplicate entries can lead to technical errors during data import and may result in disqualification from the application process.
     

2. Application form

  • In the portal, select the form “Application Form for the TUMexchange Program 2027/28.”
  • You may list up to two preferred partner universities in your application. These universities can be located in different countries.
  • You will receive your admission decision (acceptance or rejection) by the end of December.
  • Detailed application guidelines and the fact sheets of partner universities are available in our database.

Note: Direct applications to partner universities are not possible.
 

3. Required documents for your application

The following documents must be uploaded in the application portal:

Academic Documents
  • Bachelor Students:
    • Current transcript from TUMonline, including your German grade average.
    • Students in their third semester of B.Sc. Electrical and Computer Engineering should indicate the grade average of their GOPs. Students in higher semesters of B.Sc. Electrical and Computer Engineering should indicate the grade average shown on their TUM transcript, not the grade average of their GOPs.
    • Students from TUM Schools CIT, ED, LS and NAT: additionally submit your most recent semester ranking. You can download this ranking yourself via the Digital School Services. At TUM-ED (Engineering and Design), semester rankings are only issued after the completion of the second semester of study. However, these rankings are not available until mid-November, which is after the application deadline. If you are in your third semester of study at the time of application, you may submit your application without a semester ranking. In this case, please upload a blank page instead. In all other cases, please include the most recent semester ranking available to you. If, for any other reason, you are unable to generate your ranking via the link above, please contact your TUM School.
  • Master-Studierende:
    • Bachelor's diploma, including the final German grade average. If not available yet, the most recent transcript from the Bachelor's program, including the German grade average.
    • Additionally, if available, the current Master's transcript from TUMonline, including the German grade average.
    • Students from TUM Schools CIT, ED, LS and NAT: additionally submit your ranking of your Bachelor's studies (the grading table, generally included in the TUM Bachelor’s degree certificate), and, if available, the most recent semester ranking of your Master studies. You can download this ranking yourself via the Digital School Services. At TUM-ED (Engineering and Design), semester rankings are only issued after the completion of the second semester of study. However, these rankings are not available until mid-November, which is after the application deadline. If you are in your third semester of study at the time of application, you may submit your application without a semester ranking. In this case, please upload a blank page instead. In all other cases, please include the most recent semester ranking available to you. If, for any other reason, you are unable to generate your ranking via the link above, please contact your TUM School
  • Students from the School of Medicine:
    • Physikum certificate (First Medical State Examination / Pre-Clinical Examination), including the German grade average. You will be considered Master's students.
Note for applicants who obtained their bachelor's degree abroad

If you obtained your bachelor's degree from a university outside of Germany, you are required to convert your final grade using the modified Bavarian formula.
You can find detailed instructions for the grade conversion in the Downloads section.

Please submit a separate document with the converted grade in addition to your bachelor's transcript.
Unfortunately, we cannot consider your application without this document.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Please prepare a tabular CV in English, limited to one page.
  • There is no template provided – you are expected to create your CV independently.
  • Please address, in particular, your academic background, any previous international experience, your language skills, your professional experience, and your extracurricular or voluntary engagement.
Motivation letter
  • Please use only the official TUMexchange template, available in the Downloads & Safety information section.
  • Your motivation letter must be written in English.
Language requirements

TUM Internal Selection Process

  • You do not need to submit a language certificate as part of your application to the TUM Global & Alumni Office.
  • As part of the application form, you must confirm through a mandatory declaration that you either already meet the language requirements of your preferred host university or will be able to provide the required proof of language proficiency in time.

Application to the Partner University

  • If you are successfully selected by the TUMexchange team, you will be required to apply directly to the partner university in a second step.
  • Partner universities generally require proof of language proficiency.
  • Information on accepted language certificates and the required language level can be found in the factsheets in our database.
  • You are solely responsible for submitting the required language certificate by the partner university’s application deadline.
  • Application deadlines can also be found in the factsheets in our database.
  • Please make sure to check the requirements early and obtain a suitable language certificate well in advance.

Important: Please realistically assess whether you can achieve the required language level in time.
If you do not meet the language requirements by the application deadline at the partner university, your application will be rejected and your exchange placement will be forfeited.

Second round of applications

  • If you were rejected in the first application round despite submitting a qualified application, you have the opportunity to participate in a second round.
  • You can apply for the remaining unfilled spots for the same exchange year.
  • We will send  an email at the end of November, outlining all necessary steps and providing information about the available partner institutions.
  • You do not need to start a new application. Instead, you can select up to three new preferred host universities and update your motivation letter accordingly in the application portal.
  • Those of you, who received and rejected an offer in the first round, will not be eligible to participate in the second round.

Scholarships

Erasmus+ Scholarships for non-European partner universities

Through the Erasmus+ program, TUM students have the opportunity to receive a scholarship for a study stay at one of the eligible TUMexchange partner universities.

Scholarship for educational equity­

This scholarship supports students from diverse cultural or social backgrounds, as well as those who face exceptional family, mental health, or physical challenges.

External scholarship opportunities­

Three people hold a Canadian flag on a path beside a stream in a forested landscape.

Besides the programs coordinated by TUM, there is also the opportunity to receive grants for a stay abroad from external providers.

Downloads and Safety information

TUM-internal selection process:

Step by Step Webinar 14.10.2026

Selection chances 2027/28 - overview

Language of Instruction for TUMexchange Partner Countries (PDF, 71 KB)

Motivation Letter Template (Word, 49 KB)

Bavarian Formula: Help for converting your average grade into the German grading system (PDF, 80 KB)

General information:

Confirmation of Stay (PDF, 92 KB)

Safety first: Travel and safety information for your stay abroad (PDF, 133 KB)

Consent to transfer data (PDF, 480 KB)

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