Study portals

Step-by-step

Students at Natural Sciences and Technical Sciences have good opportunities to take an exchange programme abroad. The best time to study abroad is stated in your academic regulations. If you have any questions about the structure of your degree programme and the best time to take credit-bearing courses abroad, you can contact your student counsellor or your head of degree programme.

A stay abroad must not prolong the time it takes you to complete your degree. Consequently, you must plan your studies abroad so that you earn 30 ECTS credits per semester - just as in Denmark.

You can apply to study abroad for one or two semesters.

If you are in doubt about when it is the best time to go abroad in your degree programme, please contact your student counsellor.

The guide below may also be useful to you if you are organising your own period of study abroad (as a free mover).

Step 1: Prior to applying

  • Search for agreements that are relevant for your study area and find a university in a country of interest to you in MoveONs database.
    The database contains descriptions of all the partner universities. You can also read about any special requirements, and find links to the university website and course catalogues to help you draw up your study plan etc.
  • Study the courses offered by the partners that are of interest. For each partner, you have to choose courses corresponding to 30 ECTS within the agreement framework.
  • Note whether the semester structure at the foreign university matches the structure in Denmark
  • We recommend that you write a minimum of three priorities on your list.
  • You can read more about how to choose course on the page 'Preliminary approval of credit transfer and ECTS'. 
  • You are very welcome to book a counselling session with your international coordinator if you need guidance on the application process or about exchange in general. You can book us via the page 'Contact' in the menu. 
  • If you have questions about courses, you must contact your head of degree programme. 
  • Also, we urge you to take part in our Study Abroad Fair and other events about studying abroad at AU. 
  • Derudover vil vi anbefale, at du deltager i Study Abroad messen og andre rejsud-arrangementer på Nat-Tech.

Step 2: Submit your application

You submit you application electronically via MoveON's application portal before the application deadline (December 1 or May 1). 

Your information and your priorities of universities are registered and locked when you press 'Submit', after which it is no longer possible to make changes to your application.

For questions related to the application system, please send an e-mail to: studyabroad@au.dk

Step 3: Processing applications and allocation of seats

All applications will be considered by the International Office at Nat-Tech after the application deadline. 

You will receive a reply within 7 weeks.

If there are many applications for one university and only one or a few seats, we will assign the seats accordingt to 1) your avareage grade at the time of application.and 2) your years of seniority. 

When the process is complete, we will contact you directly by email and tell you whether you have been offered a seat at one of the universities you have applied for.

If you have been offered a seat we will ask you to accept or decline the offer in the application system. 

Step 4: Nomination to your host university

If you accept your seat, the next step is for AU to nominate you to your host university. We usually do this at the beginning of spring for exchanges in the autumn semester and at the beginning of the autumn for exchanges in the spring semester.

A nomination means that we inform your host university that we have given you a seat with them, and we will give them your contact information. They will then contact you via email and send you information on how to apply for admission at their university.

You don't have to do anything until you hear from your host university.

Step 5: Submit your application to the host university

You must apply as an exchange student at your host university yourself.

Note: Being nominated for a seat is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the foreign university. In rare cases, a situation may arise in the application process that AU could not have foreseen when you were awarded the exchange seat. At the end of the day, the host university alone decides whether you can be admitted. 

Guide for the application: 

  • Follow the application procedure guidelines you receive from the foreign university/your coordinator at AU and study the university's website carefully to make sure you understand the application procedure, deadlines, practical issues such as accommodation, etc.
  • Do a language test – if required. Language tests are mainly required by overseas universities. This will be stated in the agreement in the MoveOn database.
  • In connection with ERASMUS+/Nordplus exchanges, your application must usually be accompanied by a signed Learning Agreement (LA). A LA contains your study plan/your courses at the foreign university, and you must make sure that it is signed by you, your contact at the foreign university and your international coordinator at Nat-Tech by no later than 2 weeks before you leave. 
  • Please contact erasmus@au.dk if you need to fill in a LA before you receive an email from the AU Erasmus office with access to the internet based form. 

Step 6: Advance approval of credit transfer

In the semester before you go abroad you must be be sure to submit an application for advance approval of the courses that you want to take at the foreign university. You do this via your Self Service at mystudies.au.dk.

If you are in doubt about which courses to choose and whether they can be approved as part of your degree programme you should contact your head of degree programme for guidance before applying for pre-approval.

You can find contact information in the menu under 'Contact and Study Service' > 'Heads of Degree Programme and Education Committees'.

And you can read about how to choose courses and apply for a advance approval in the menu under 'Study Abroad' > 'How to apply' > 'Preliminary approval of credit transfer and ECTS'.

Step 7: Prior to departure

Before departure, there are a number of things you need to get sorted out lige e.g. ticket, insurance, visa and residence permit and subletting. You can read more about this under 'Study Abroad' -> 'Practical information before departure'.

Economy:

  • When you travel through AU, you will automatically be nominated to receive the Nat-Tech faculty scholarship as a one time economical addition to your study abroad period.
  • If you are travelling through Erasmus+, Nordplus or Nordlys, you will also automatically be nominated for a monthly scholarship.
  • It is also a good idea to apply for other scholarships as a supplement to the budget.
  • If you are travelling through an overseas agreement, your study expenses will be covered (i.e. your tuituon fee), but you will not receive a monthly scholarship.
  • As a free-mover, you can explore the possibility of applying for a scholarship for studying abroad granted by the SU-office.

You can read more about economics under 'Study Abroad' -> 'Economy'.

You will receive an invitation to a pre-departure meeting from AU's International Centre.

Step 8: While you are abroad - changes to your course programme

If you need to make changes to your course programme at your host university (e.g. if a course is cancelled), you must contact your head of degree programme directly and get the new course(s) approved via email. 

You should NOT apply for advance aproval again. 

Please be aware that the new course(s) must be the same level and amount of ECTS. 

If you are on exchange under ERASMUS+ or Nordplus/Nordlys, you must also remember to update your Learning Agreement (LA).

  • Once you have received confirmation of approval of the changes in the form of an email from your head of degree programme, the changes must be applied to Part II of the ERASMUS+ LA document.
  • Then you must again approve/sign and obtain approval/sign from your host university and your international coordinator at Nat-Tech.
  • Please note that your international coordinator will only be able to sign the LA if you attach the email in where your head of degree programme has approved the changes in courses. 

Step 9: After returning home

After returning home, it is time to apply for final approval of the credit transfer from your board of studies via your Self Service at mystudies.

You can read about how to apply for credit transfer in the menu under 'Rules and guidelines - > Credit transfer - > The final approval of credit transfer - when you have completed the course.

And then we hope that you will do us and other students a great favour by completing an evaluation/travel report in MoveOn about your study abroad period, so your experiences can benefit others!