FAQ for international students

If you are enrolled at the Hochschule Mittweida and

• complete an internship in another location in Germany
• or take a semester off
• or write a thesis in another place than Mittweida,

these steps must be followed:

1. Register for the new semester by transferring the semester fee within the specified deadline.
2. Deregistration at the registration office in Mittweida (townhall) and registration at the registration office at the new place of residence. This new registration certificate is required in the Student Service to stay matriculated.
3. Extend or terminate the dormitory contract. Because: The dormitory contract continues as long as you do not terminate it within the deadline or have found a subtenant. Talk to the Studentenwerk Freiberg about this in time!
4. Continue the health insurance contract. Without proof of health insurance, you can’t be matriculated. Health insurance contributions must therefore be paid even if you spend the semester abroad. The obligation to pay contributions ends with the removal from the register of students or with a FINAL cancellation of a residence in Germany for the period of study. This is only an option if you are able to complete your further studies online until the end.
5. Communicate the new address to the German health insurance company. The health insurance company also accepts an address abroad if you spend the semester abroad.
6. Keep the German bank account for the purpose of booking the health insurance contributions.
7. You must pay the GEZ fee as long as you have a registration address in Germany. The registration address must be given by the registration office to the GEZ. If you complete this semester abroad, the GEZ fee is not applicable if you have registered with the resident registration office.

It means Hochschule Mittweida – university of applied sciences. It is a abbreviation for its German name: Hochschule Mittweida.

As an exchange student, you will need a proof of your German language skills the level B1/B2 at least. In case, you like to attend only English modules as exchnage student, you will need English language skills of B1/B2. All other study applicants need language skills as described here.

Please inform yourself about exchange places.

Inform your International Office and your faculty at home, that you like to attend an exchange programme in Mittweida and ask them about the further procedure. For example: How can it be organised and recognised after your return?

You will need to apply to Hochschule Mittweida – university of applied sciences. Prepare all your papers for your application and submit them online.

Please wait some days. We will answer you as soon as possible and inform you about further details.

 To ask further questions please contact the International Office for additional help.

There are no fees during the application process.

To enrol in our university, you will need to transfer 95 Euro, as an administrative fee. Each student is compelled to pay it once per semester. (10/2020)

Furthermore, you will need proof of a valid health insurance. (Costs will vary, dependent on your insurance.)

Hochschule Mittweida is a state university without tuition fees. There are tuition fees only for some very special cases and the students will be informed about it before.

Here, you can find more details about the living costs.

We recommend to stay in one of our modern dormitories close to the university. This implicates various advantages, such as an easier organisation and a faster integration. To find private accommodation is not easy, especially not during the winter semester.

In the winter term the lectures start at the beginning of October. In the summer term they start in middle of March. In our invitation letter we will inform you about the exact dates and your necessary arrival date.

To enrol in the winter term, you can apply from 1st September to 28th February. To enrol in the summer term, you can apply from 1st march to 31st august.

You have to choose your courses before you arrive in Mittweida.

Mostly, you will have to submit a Learning Agreement if you participate in the ERASMUS+ programme.

Nevertheless, you need to bear in mind: changes in your course schedule will be possible at any time, even after your arrival. 

This depends on your study programme. Mostly, all study programmes are in German language only. There won´t be any compensation in English.

Nevertheless, there are some study programmes offered in English language as well. There are 3 study programmes completely in English:

Applied Mathematics (B.Sc.)

Applied Mathematics for Networks and Data Sciences (M.Sc.)

Industrial Management - Innovation and Business Expansion (M.A.)
In this programme we offer exchange students participation in the second semester.

Each term we offer some courses in English especially for exchange students: winter semester  / summer semester

The International Office informs all exchange students about existing language courses and will help them with the application process. All other study applicants become automatically invited to the Studienkolleg of Hochschule Mittweida with the conditional admission letter in the case, that they do not fulfil the German language requirements in the moment of the study application.

You should arrive at least one week before the term starts. With the result that you have sufficient time to conduct all formalities, to get familiar with the campus and the town and to be well prepared to start your studies in Mittweida.

Please inform the International Office about your exact arrival day and time at least one week before you plan to travel to Mittweida. We will try to pick you up from train station Mittweida and to accompany you to the dormitory.

In case of a very early/late time of arrival, the dormitory will put your key in a safe and send a code of numbers to you. Therefore, you will need to talk about those circumstances with the provider of your accommodation beforehand. Please remember, to keep the code accessible, ready to open the safe.

Nevertheless, it will be an advantage to arrive during the week, because we will be able to welcome you and support you during your arrival. This won´t be possible during weekends and holidays.

We offer the participation in our buddy programme. You will be contacted by a student of our university. They will support you during your arrival at Mittweida. Additionally, they will help you to settle down and provide you with information about your life as a student.

The buddy programme is organised by the International Office. Students of our university will support you, as an international student during your stay in Mittweida. They can provide necessary information and help you to get settled in student life in Mittweida. Once you applied at our university, we will ask you if you wish to participate in the buddy programme.

You will need to collect all necessary document at the International Office. You will receive your login data for the university network and the internet. We will help you to enrol in all courses.

We offer different tours of the campus and welcome events for new students. We will inform you about all upcoming events, once you arrive at the International Office. Furthermore, we will tell you which steps you will need to take next. You can find more information here.

A “Learning Agreement” is a document for exchange students, which contains all your courses at Hochschule Mittweida. You will need to research it well. Afterwards, the responsible person in your home faculty will consider if your choice of courses fits into your learning schedule at your home university and resembles your courses at home. He/ She will agree to your choice of courses by signature. 

After your stay at Hochschule Mittweida it is mandatory to submit a Transcript of Records from The Study Affairs Office. Only with this, it is possible to process the recognition of your courses abroad.

You will need to submit a “Learning Agreement” to participate in ERASMUS+ programme.

If you would like to stay another semester at Hochschule Mittweida as part of your double degree, you must follow these steps:

• Submit the following documents to the International Office in Mittweida by the end of the current semester:
  • the current transcript of records
  • the information about the planned extension of the stay
• Submit to the home university
  • the current transcript of records from Mittweida
  • the report on the study visit in Mittweida
  • an application for a “business trip” or “extension of the stay abroad”

Yes, you do have to sign up to take exams. This can be done with your login at our website or via the HSMW App. Your buddy will explain all essential information about this and other processes once you arrive at Mittweida. For more information you can contact the International Office.

Wählen Sie hier den gewünschten study programmes. Select Gehen Sie auf "Continue to the detailed information of the course of study". On the right hand side you find the module handbook. There you find for each module the number of ECTS points.

ECTS means European Credit Transfer (and Accumulation) System. This credit system has been introduced to all European Universities, to provide a consistent and easy recognition of your academic performance. ECTS is not a grading system. It only compares the time invested in a study course. This way, you can proof a formal equivalence. Normally you can earn up to 30 ECTS per term at universities which work with the ECTS system. This matches a particular time investment, which can also be called “Workload”. You have to bear in mind, that non-European countries use different credit-systems, which cannot be compared directly with ECTS.

If you are enrolled at the Hochschule Mittweida and

• complete an internship in another location in Germany
• or take a semester off
• or write a thesis in another place than Mittweida,

these steps must be followed:

1. Register for the new semester by transferring the semester fee within the specified deadline.
2. Deregistration at the registration office in Mittweida (townhall) and registration at the registration office at the new place of residence. This new registration certificate is required in the Student Service to stay matriculated.
3. Extend or terminate the dormitory contract. Because: The dormitory contract continues as long as you do not terminate it within the deadline or have found a subtenant. Talk to the Studentenwerk Freiberg about this in time!
4. Continue the health insurance contract. Without proof of health insurance, you can’t be matriculated. Health insurance contributions must therefore be paid even if you spend the semester abroad. The obligation to pay contributions ends with the removal from the register of students or with a FINAL cancellation of a residence in Germany for the period of study. This is only an option if you are able to complete your further studies online until the end.
5. Communicate the new address to the German health insurance company. The health insurance company also accepts an address abroad if you spend the semester abroad.
6. Keep the German bank account for the purpose of booking the health insurance contributions.
7. You must pay the GEZ fee as long as you have a registration address in Germany. The registration address must be given by the registration office to the GEZ. If you complete this semester abroad, the GEZ fee is not applicable if you have registered with the resident registration office.

The so called “GEZ-Abgabe” is a mandatory in Germany. During your time in Germany, you will sooner or later receive a letter from the "ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice" after you have registered at the Residents Registration Office. You will be informed about the obligatory payment, that must be made in regular intervals by each independent household. The fee is intended to provide independent, free and freely accessible media for everyone residing in Germany. It does not matter whether you actually use them or not.

Basically every household in Germany is obliged to pay 17,50€ per month (update 12/2020) in a predefined interval. If you live alone, you are obliged to pay the full amount. If you live in a shared apartment, only one person in the household has to pay the licence fee. The other residents of the shared apartment will then pay the person their monthly contribution. If one of your flatmates already pays the licence fee, you still have to reply to the letter. Please write the contribution number (Beitragsnummer) that you will find on every letter from the contribution service after registration (alternatively you can find the number on your bank statement).

On your arrival in Mittweida you received instructions on how to answer the letter. Use these instructions or contact the "ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice" directly.

This document provides instructions on several topics:

• How do I register in the student portal?
• How do I login to it?
• How do I enroll in courses / exams?
• How do I open my time schedule?
• How do I change my adress?
• How do I view / print certificates?
• How do I view my grades?

There is a fixed processing period for the final thesis: Once you have registered for example for the Master's thesis, you have for example 22 weeks to write it and must hand it in at the end of this period. With submitting the application the deadline is fixed.There is no possibility to extend this period. Also not, if you are already working in a job and have less time. 

To de-register from our University, you will need to get in contact with the "Studierendenservice".

Find further information here.

You need to fill out this document which needs to be signed by our Hochschulbibliothek (library of university)as well.

Afterwards you will need to return the document to the Studierendenservice.