If you would like to come to FAU via an exchange or scholarship program, you must submit your application for admission to FAU’s International Affairs team in good time prior to the intended start of your studies.
Applications are submitted online. You will be sent a link to the application via e-mail after we have received the nomination from your home university or your scholarship organization. Nomination by the home university does not automatically qualify students for a place at FAU. Admission is only granted after the FAU subject coordinators have assessed the application documents.
Deadlines for applications at FAU:
- for the following winter semester: April 15 (students from non-EU countries, including KA 171 partner countries) or May 15 (students (students from EU countries / EEA states / Switzerland)
- for the following summer semester: October 15 (students from non-EU countries, including KA 171 partner countries) or November 15 (students from EU countries / EEA states / Switzerland)
The following documents must be submitted along with the application for admission:
- Evidence of one or two years studying a degree program in your home country (transcript of records). A translation in German or English must be submitted if the certificate is not in German or English.
- For Master’s students: Bachelor’s degree certificate (if available)
- Certificate of enrollment from your home university
- Proof of proficiency in German or English, for example issued by a language teacher (see below for a template you can download). Please ask your home university for the level of language you require.
- Letter of nomination from your home university
Students who are coming to FAU to finish a final thesis and will not be attending seminars or lectures must submit confirmation of supervision from an FAU professor to the International Affairs team along with their application. Please use the template we provide for confirmation from a supervisor (“Betreuungszusage”).
| Applications and admissions | File size |
|---|---|
| Nachweis der Deutschkentnisse.pdf | 120 KB |
| Evidence of English Language.pdf | 121 KB |
| Betreuungszusage-Supervisors Confirmation.pdf | 104 KB |
The official teaching language at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg is German, and English in some areas. The availability of courses taught in English varies depending on the faculty. Students can check the teaching language for the classes in their degree program by referring to the FAU course catalog in campo.
The table below states recommended language skills for incoming exchange students in the various subjects. Please also check which language requirements are stipulated in the partnership agreements between the universities. You can check this at your home university.
Generally speaking, if the degree program you are looking for is not listed in the table below, it is recommended that you have at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in the relevant teaching language.
Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology
| Department | Institute/area of study | Language requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Classical World and Asian Cultures | Ancient Languages | German A2 |
| Classical World and Asian Cultures | Classical Archaeology; Prehistory and Protohistory | German B1 |
| Classical World and Asian Cultures | Japanese Studies | See partnership agreement |
| Classical World and Asian Cultures | Middle Eastern and East Asian Languages and Civilizations – Sinology | Bachelor’s: German B1 Master’s English B2 Please note: If you would like to study at FAU in the summer semester, you must have a basic knowledge of mandarin. |
| English, American and Romance Studies | English Studies and American Studies | German A2 or English B2 |
| English, American and Romance Studies | Romance Studies | German B1 |
| Subject-specific education research | German B1 | |
| German and Comparative Studies | German Language and Literature | German B1 |
| German and Comparative Studies | Scandinavian Studies | German A2 or English B2 |
| History | German A2 and English A2 | |
| Islamic Religious Studies | German B1 or English B1 | |
| Media Studies and Art History | German B1 | |
| Education | Primary Education Research; Education Science (Nuremberg) | German B1 or English B1 |
| Education | Education (Erlangen) | German B1 and English B1 |
| Psychology | German B2 | |
| Social Sciences and Philosophy | Business and Economics (Erlangen) | Bachelor’s: German B1 Master’s: English B2 |
| Social Sciences and Philosophy | Philosophy | German B2 or English B2 |
| Social Sciences and Philosophy | Political Science | German B1 and English B1 |
| Social Sciences and Philosophy | Sociology | German B2 or English B2 |
| Sport Science and Sports | Teaching degree/State Examination: German B2 Master’s: English B2 | |
| Theology | English A2 |
Faculty of Business, Economics, and Law
| School | Language requirements |
|---|---|
| School of Business, Economics and Society (WiSo Nürnberg) | German B1 or English B1 |
| School of Law (Erlangen) | German B1 |
Faculty of Medicine
| Area of study | Language requirements |
|---|---|
| Dentistry | German B2 |
| Logopedics | German C1 |
| Medicine | German B1 |
| Molecular Medicine | German B1 |
Faculty of Sciences
| Department | Area of study | Language requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | Bachelor’s: German B2 Master’s: German B2 or English B2 | |
| Chemistry and Pharmacy | Chemistry and Molecular Science | Bachelor’s: German B2 Master’s: English B2 |
| Chemistry and Pharmacy | Pharmacy | German B1 (English B1 also possible, but only for final theses) |
| Geography and Geosciences | Geography | German B1 and English B1 |
| Geography and Geosciences | GeoZentrum Nordbayern | English B2 |
| Mathematics | German A2 or English A2 | |
| Physics | Bachelor’s: German B1 Master’s: English B1 |
Faculty of Engineering
| Department/area of study | Language requirements |
|---|---|
| Chemical and Biological Engineering | German B2 or English B2 |
| Electrical Engineering, Electronic and Communication Engineering | German B1 or English B2 |
| Computer Science | German B1 or English B1 |
| Mechanical Engineering | German B1 or English B1 |
| Medical engineering | German B1 or English B1 |
| Materials Science and Engineering | Bachelor’s: German B1 and English B2 Master’s English B2 |
FAU Language Centre
| Institution | Language requirements |
|---|---|
| FAU Language Centre | German B1 and English B1 |
Applicants are notified in writing whether their application to FAU was successful as soon as possible after the end of the application period. The admissions letter contains information on the enrollment process. The admissions letter must be kept safely, as it is essential for applying for a visa and must be presented at enrollment. Exchange students or students participating in an exchange program may only be admitted to the University for one or two semesters.
Applicants may only be admitted in subjects included in the agreement between FAU and their home universities. However, exchange students are usually able to attend courses in other subjects and receive credits for them.
