Getting Started with Exchange

Find help to where and when you can go on exchange

FAQ – frequently asked questions

Before you Apply for Exchange

Can I apply for exchange?

To apply for exchange you must fulfill certain general requirements:

  • You must be enrolled as a full time student at the time of applying for exchange and at the end of your study abroad
  • You must be a active student
  • Your exchange semester must not prolong your period of studies
  • You must be able to credit transfer 20-30 ECTS from your study abroad to your AU study programme

Can I take a break from my studies the semester before going on exchange?

You cannot apply for exchange at your master's programme, during your bachelor's programme, if your are planning on taking a break from your studies after completing your bachelor's programme and before starting your master's programme.

If you have been allocated and exchange position and afterwards decides to take a break from your studies between your bachelor's and master's studies, you will loose your exchange position.

When can I go on exchange?

Your academic regulations states when you can go on exchange. On your study portal under Study Abroad > Getting Started with Exchange you can see when you can go on exchange

Here you can find out when you can go on exchange.

Where can I go on exchange?

Aarhus University has exchange agreements all over the world, which you can apply for. On your study portal under Study Abroad > Where do you want to go? > Available Exchange Positions you can find a list of exchange positions you can apply for. Be aware that current lists will not be available until shortly before the application portal opens (i.e. approximately late October and late April). Lists of exchange positions from previous application round are only for guidance as the available positions may change from year to year.

You can read more about each university in the: MoveON Database AU.

Here you can find out where you can go on exchange.

When should I apply?

  • The application deadline to apply for one of AU’s exchange positions depends on when you are going on exchange. There are two application deadlines per year.
  • 1 December: application round for the following academic year – i.e. apply 1 December 2024 for exchange positions in Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026.
  • 1 May: application round with remaining exchange positions for students who can go on exchange the following Spring – i.e. apply 1 May 2025 for remaining positions in Spring 2026.
  • On your study portal under Study Abroad > Getting Started with Exchange you can see when you can go on exchange.

Application for Exchange

How do I fill in my application for exchange?

  • To apply for one of AU’s exchange positions, you must apply through the online MoveOn application portal. Here you can list the universities you wish to apply for and upload any requested documents. The application portal opens approximately one month before the application deadlines 1 December and 1 May. Here you can find a step-by-step guideline (pdf) on how to complete your online application form for exchange.
  • If you did not complete a bachelor’s degree from AU, you must upload your complete bachelor’s diploma (Transcript of Records) from your degree programme. If you completed your bachelor’s degree at a foreign university, you must also upload an explanation of the foreign grading scale.
  • Some universities require students to have a minimum GPA (grade point average) to apply for exchange with them. This means your GPA at AU at the time of applying (1 December or 1 May) must meet the GPA requirement listed in the MoveON Database. If there is no GPA requirement in the MoveON database, it means that there is no GPA requirement for the university in question. Be aware that the GPA requirement is only a requirement from the partner university and not a requirement from AU in order for you to apply for exchange. You must be able to meet the same GPA requirement at the time of applying for admission to the partner university. It is your responsibility to meet the GPA requirement at the time of admission.

How do I select the courses to be included in my application for exchange?

  • It is not a requirement that the courses you take at the partner university is the same as the courses you include in your application for exchange. The courses in the application are only to ensure that you are applying for exchange at universities with a sufficient number of relevant courses in a language you understand.
  • If you cannot find the course catalogue for the semester in which you are applying for exchange, you may select courses from the course catalogue for the same semester but the year before (i.e. if you are applying for exchange in Spring 2025, you may select courses from the course catalogue for Spring 2024).
  • Here you can find a step-by-step guideline (pdf) on how to complete your online application form for exchange.
  • You can find inspiration and read evaluations in the MoveON Database to learn about the courses taken by former BSS exchange students during their exchange.
  • On your study portal under Counselling > Preapproval and credit transfer > Preapproval, you can find a list of pre-assessed courses at partner universities which you can use as inspiration. The list does not cover all courses at the listed universities. The list is only for inspiration and for you to get an idea about the course offer at the universities, and which courses may be approved by your AU study board. Be aware that your application for pre-approval of courses is an individual assessment by your study board.
  • You apply for pre-approval of courses after being allocated an exchange position. On your study portal under Counselling > Preapproval and credit transfer > Preapproval you can read about the requirements to your application for pre-approval of courses and the pre-approval process. 

Can I apply for exchange together with a fellow student (Joint application)?

  • You can choose to apply for exchange together with one (or more) fellow student (only students from the same study programme). If you and a fellow student wish to apply together, you must both select Joint application in your application for exchange.
  • You must both submit a personal application for exchange in MoveON and have the exact same list of priorities.
  • Here you can find a link to a step-by-step guideline (pdf) on how to complete your online application form for exchange.

How many priorities should I add in my application to be guaranteed an exchange position?

  • The more priorities you add to your application for exchange, the better the chances that you will be allocated an exchange positions. Whether you get your first priority depends on whether a fellow student with a higher GPA than you have applied for the same exchange position.
  • Due to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), we cannot inform about GPA of former exchange students, just as we do not inform about GPA requirement for a specific exchange position in previous year, as this may change a lot from year to year.
  • Apply for the exchange positions you are interested in without thinking about what you fellow students are applying for, but only apply for exchange positions you would really like to go to. If you do not accept the exchange position offered to you, it cannot be offered to another student.

How is the available exchange positions allocated?

  • Exchange positions are allocated according to highest grade point average (GPA) shortly after the application deadline. If two (or more) students have the same GPA and compete for the same exchange position, the position is allocated by drawing lots.

How is my grade point average calculated / GPA?

  • Your GPA is calculated shortly after the application deadline and is a weighted average of all grades from both your current and completed degree programmes at AU. If you wish to calculate your own GPA you can use Snittet.dk.
  • If you are a master student and you do not yet have any grades from AU, your GPA is calculated based on your complete bachelor’s diploma (Transcript of Records) from your foreign university or another Danish university. Remember to upload your bachelor's diploma. If your bachelor's degree is from a foreign university, you must also include an explanation of the foreign grading scale. 

When you have Applied for Exchange

When will I receive a reply to my application for exchange?

  • You will receive a reply to your application for exchange within 6-8 weeks after the application deadline. You will receive the reply on your AU student email. We will contact you on your AU student email, if we need you to send additional information or documents.
  • When you have been offered an exchange position, you have approximately one week to accept or reject the offer. Log on to the MoveON application portal and accept or reject the offered exchange postions. If you reject the offered exchange position, you will not be offered another exchange position, just as you are not able to apply again in the 2nd application round. If you do not accept or reject the offered exchange position within the given deadline you will loose the exchagne position and you will not be able to apply again in the 2nd application round. You may cancel your exchange position at any time. 

Am I guaranteed admission at the partner university, when I have been allocated an exchange position through AU?

  • When you are allocated an exchange position though AU, we ensure that you fulfill the requirements for admission at the partner university when it comes to GPA, and possible number of passed ECTS.
  • It is your responsibility to meet any language test requirements at the time of applying to the partner university.
  • AU cannot guarantee admission to the partner university, if the university e.g. changes its admission criteria or if you do not meet the specific requirements for admission to courses. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet all admission criteria which you can find in the MoveON Database
  • Your application for admission is assessed on an individual basis by the partner university. 

What is the Erasmus code for Aarhus University?

  • The Erasmus code is DKARHUS01 

Where can I get a verified and signed Transcript of Records from AU?

  • If the partner university asks for your updated Transcript of Records from AU, you can write to BSS Student Services at studentservices.bss@au.dk and ask for an English Transcript of Records.
  • You can also print an updated Transcript of Records from the AU Self-service systems: mitstudie.au.dk. 

Can I get in contact with students going to the same exchange destination as me?

  • When you are invited to a predeparture meeting, you will also receive an email from the AU International Centre with information on how to connect with fellow students going to the same destination as you are. 

What is a Learning agreement, and what am I supposed to do with it?

  • It is a requirement from the EU that you sign a Learning Agreement, as an Erasmus student. When you have been allocated and exchange position through the Erasmus programme you will automatically receive more information about requirements and documentation on you AU student email.
  • A Learning Agreement is a tripartite agreement, in which you list the courses you are undertaking during your exchange. The courses must all be pre-approved by your study board at AU. When your courses are pre-approved, your Learning Agreement can be signed by your international coordinator at AU. The document must also be signed by you and the coordinator at your host university.
  • You should not complete your Learning Agreement until after you have been allocated an exchange positions. You will receive information regarding the process from the Erasmus office at AU and should not do anything until you receive the email. If your host university ask you to send in your Learning Agreement together with your application for admission to the host university and if your courses at the host university are not yet pre-approved by your study board at AU, your international coordinator at AU can sign your Learning Agreement as ”pending approval”. When you receive your pre-approval of courses you can get an updated Learning Agreement signed. Find information about how you apply for pre-approval of courses on your study portal.
  • The courses on your Learning Agreement must be the same as the courses pre-approved by your study board at AU, the courses that you are actually studying at the host university and the courses that are credit transferred to your AU study programme after your exchange.

Overlapping semesters due to different academic calendars

Due to different academic calendars, the semesters at AU and your host university may overlap, when you go on exchange.

Active participation/class attendance at AU
If the semesters are only overlapping for a few weeks, you can try to reach out to your teachers and explain the situation. Often you will be able to make an agreement with them about how active participation/class attendance is handled in the few weeks, when you cannot participate in classes at AU.

Re-exam
In case your semester abroad overlaps with the ordinary exam period at AU, and you need to take a re-exam in a subject from a previous semester at AU, you may apply for an exemption from the requirement that registrering for re-examination (in February/August) requires that you have been registered as having used an examination attempt at the ordinary exam. You apply for an exemption via mystudies.au.dk.

Maximum period of study
As a general rule, your exchange semester may not prolong your studies at AU. It is therefore important that you plan in advance if you have overlapping semesters to ensure that you can still complete your studies within your maximum period of study.

If you are in a situation, where the overlapping semesters are for such a long period that it is impossible to finish your study programme within your maximum period of study, you must immediately apply for an exemption to your board of studies, in which you suggest an alternative study plan which will prolong you period of study as little as possible. You apply for an exemption via mystudies.au.dk.

Student counselling
Contact the student counsellors at studievejledning.bss@au.dk, if you are in doubt about whether you meet the requirements in your study programme, of if you need guidance concerning planning of your study programme.

Are there any grants that I can apply for?

  • If you are allocated an exchange position in Europe (within the Erasmus programme), you are automatically considered for an Erasmus grant. You do not have to submit a separate application for the Erasmus grant. It is the Erasmus office at AU’s International Centre, which allocates and administers all Erasmus grants at AU. You do not need to do anything regarding the Erasmus grant until you receive an email from the Erasmus office. On your study portal under Study Abroad > Funding > Erasmus scholarship for studies abroad you can read more about the Erasmus grant.
  • If you are going on exchange through one of AU’s overseas exchange agreements, you will receive a BSS Travel Grant of DKK 7,000. You will not be granted a Aarhus BSS Travel Grant, if you are already receiving an Erasmus-, Nordplus/Nordlys grant or a grant from the partner university equivalent to the Erasmus grant (e.g. in Switzerland). If you are travelling on your own as a Freemover, you are not eligible for an Aarhus BSS Travel Grant. If you are eligible for an Aarhus BSS Travel Grant, you will automatically receive the grant. On your study portal under Study Abroad > Funding > BSS Travel Grant you can read more about the Aarhus BSS Travel Grant.
  • If you are travelling on your own as a freemover and are paying tuition fee at the host university, you can apply for the SU Study Abroad Scholarship (only if you are eligible for Danish SU). The SU office administers the Study Abroad Scholarship. You can read more at Udlandsstipendium (au.dk).(Page only available in Danish).
  • There are many private grants, you can apply for, if you are going on exchange. For inspiration you can read recommendation and evaluation from former exchange students in the MoveON Database. On your study portal under Study Abroad > Funding > Private grants you can read more about private grants and find useful links. 

After Exchange

Application for credit transfer. When should I apply?

  • When you have received your Transcript of Records, with all passed grades from the host university, you must apply to have you courses credit transferred to your AU study programme. If you are awaiting grades from a re-exam, you should not apply for credit transfer until you have all you grades on your Transcript of Records (diploma) from the host university. You apply for credit transfer in the AU self-service system: mystudies.au.dk. On your study portal under Counselling > Preapproval and credit transfer > Credit transfer you can read about how to apply for credit transfer. 

How do I receive my Transcript of Records (diploma) from the host university?

  • Before you leave your host university, make sure you know how and when you will receive your Transcript of Records from your study abroad.
  • When you receive your Transcript of Records, you submit an application to your study board to have your passed courses from your study abroad credit transferred to your AU study programme.
  • If Aarhus University receives your Transcript of Records by email, we will forward it to you immediately. If we receive it by post, we will contact you and ask you to pick up the document at our office.