Incoming
School of Design
Student exchange to Hochschule Mainz – Winter semester 2020-2021
Dear students, dear friends and colleagues,
Hochschule Mainz, University of Applied Sciences, is looking forward very much to welcoming exchange students in the winter semester 2020.
We know that a stay abroad during your studies is a "once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity" for you. Because of the curriculum it is often not possible to postpone it to the next semester. We believe that a foreign experience with "corona restrictions" is better than no experience abroad.
So far, the corona crisis in Germany has been managed very well and students who have been with us during the summer semester were and are safe. We assume that this will be also the case in the future.
However, due to the unpredictable development of the corona situation we have to be prepared for different scenarios. Concerning the upcoming winter semester, we are sure that it will certainly not be a pure attendance semester, as it was before Corona. The most likely scenario is a hybrid semester, i.e. a mixture of attendance and online courses. This may mean that
- lectures as well as workshops will start as online courses during the first few weeks in order to move on to classroom teaching as soon as the corona restrictions are further lifted.
- some courses will be offered completely online while others, especially courses with smaller groups, are offered completely face-to-face.
If the situation worsens and the infection rate rises again, there is also the possibility that the winter semester 2020 will be a pure online semester. Who knows…?
The winter semester starts on Monday 21st of September 2020 with the introduction week. We advise exchange students to arrive slightly earlier so that they can settle in before the start of studies. Please be prepared to self-isolate after arriving in Germany, if this is again recommended by the government at the time.
We recommend that you make financial commitments, such as booking flights, at the latest possible date. Please also choose flights that can be cancelled, if necessary. Please note that rooms in the student residence can only be rented for the entire semester, from September 2020 to February 2021.
Hochschule Mainz is monitoring the situation closely, and we continue to adhere to government guidelines and keep you informed:
https://www.hs-mainz.de/en/about-us/aktuelles/information-concerning-corona-virus/
Important and essential information for Germany are being provided by the Robert Koch-Institute as well as by the Ministries for Foreign Affairs and for Interior:
https://www.rki.de/DE/Home/homepage_node.html
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt
https://www.integrationsbeauftragte.de/ib-de/amt-und-person/informationen-zum-coronavirus#tar-6
The City of Mainz informs on:
https://www.mainz.de/en/service/protection-against-coronavirus-infections.php
Whatever the final scenario will be, in the end it is your decision whether you want to come to Mainz and study at the UAS Mainz in the winter semester 2020 under the given uncertain circumstances or postpone your stay to the summer semester 2021 or to the next academic year 2021 if your study plan allows it.
In any case, we will do everything in our power to support you. We want to keep our relationship creative and alive, and our friendship to endure.
WELCOME TO MAINZ
We are happy that you have decided to study at our School of Design as an exchange student. You are about to start your studies in a new country, and there is no doubt that you will have many questions regarding the preparations for your stay and your application. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please do not hesitate to contact us.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
- 15th of May for winter semester (semester 1) and full academic year
- 15th of November for spring semester (semester 2)
- Please see the handbook for more detailed information.
HOW TO APPLY
The online application for exchange students is a very simple procedure. First, your home university has to nominate you. Once the nomination has been confirmed, we will provide the latest information and you can start your application:
- complete our online application
- create a password and register
- upload all requested documents (the Learning Agreement is most important)
- receive an acceptance letter immediately after the deadline
- international students may now apply for their visa
- all exchange students should then apply for accommodations (see below)
- enroll
We accept applications for either one or two semesters.
ACADEMIC YEAR
Our academic year is divided into two semesters:
winter semester: September – February
summer semester: March – August
Study periods
Classes begin: beginning of October
Classes end: end of January
Orientation: mid-September
Christmas break: between Christmas and January 1st
An intensive German language course (beginners) may be offered at the beginning of September.
Classes begin: 3rd Monday in March
Classes end: mid-July (including examination period)
Orientation: mid-March
Easter break: from the Friday before Easter up to and including Easter Monday
Students studying the entire academic year from October to July will have a six-week break from the end of January to mid-March. Students studying the entire academic year from March to January will have a ten-week break from mid-July to the end of September.
*exact current dates can be found in the handbook
*exact current dates can be found in the handbook
ENROLMENT, SEMESTER SOCIAL SERVICE FEE AND HEALTH INSURANCE
There is a social service fee that every student has to pay in order to be enrolled. The fee allows you to use the dining halls and the Studierendenwerk facilities (Student Services), and includes a ticket for public transportation for the entire Rhine-Main region for the whole semester. This is not a tuition fee.
Proof of sufficient health insurance is a condition for enrollment, and it must meet the Schengener agreement requirements, and be valid for the entire duration of your stay (for details, please see to the handbook)
After you have received your acceptance letter, further information on the enrollment and the payment of the social service fee will be provided by email.
Once you have paid, provided proof of your health insurance and completed the enrollment form, we will prepare your student ID/student ticket to make sure that you can use public transportation and have access to our IT services starting on your very first day in Mainz.
COURSE SELECTION
The course selection procedure varies in the different degree programs.
COMMUNICATION DESIGN, INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE, TIME-BASED MEDIA
(B2 LEVEL ENGLISH REQUIRED)
There is no predetermined study program for incoming students of our School of Design. The lectures will be taught in German and we will tailor an individual program for you. Please check the module descriptions in the handbook and send us your subject nomination. According to your preselection, we will then prepare your Learning Agreement to have it confirmed by both your and your home university, prior to your arrival. Please note that your workload should not exceed 30 ECTS credits. If your home university agrees, German language courses may be part of your workload.
LANGUAGE MODULES - GERMAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
At present, we offer six different levels of the subject “German Language and Culture”. We recommend all students attend one of the language modules in order to at least acquire basic knowledge of the language. During the introduction week, there will be an assessment test to allocate students to different group levels.
STUDENT HOUSING IN MAINZ
In general, you may stay at any one of the residential units. Information about the different residences is available on page 20 of the handbook. Applications are only accepted online. You will received detailed information after nomination by your home university.
Student Services (Studierendenwerk) in Mainz is responsible for accommodations.
www.studierendenwerk-mainz.de/ab/wohnen/apply
Studierendenwerk Mainz
Wohnraumverwaltung
Staudinger Weg 21
55128 Mainz
Germany
E-Mail: international (at) studierendenwerk-mainz.de
Accommodation application deadline
• 15th of May (winter semester)
• 15th of December (spring semester)
NON-EU STUDENTS
Regulations for foreign students studying in Germany are subject to the laws for foreigners. Please inform yourself and contact the German Embassy in your home country about current regulations concerning entry and residence for Germany, and apply for any necessary visa/permit with the embassy. To enter the country, you will require at least a valid passport with visa or a residence permit for students. We will send you an acceptance letter to help you apply for this. A tourist or visitor’s visa is not sufficient, nor is a residence permit for another EU country. Information can be found on the homepages of the German Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees: »Auswärtiges Amt« and »BAMF«.
We strongly recommend you apply for a student visa in your home country for the entire duration of your stay.