Application and Enrolment Process
Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences is part of the network "The Magellan Exchange" with universities from 14 different countries. If you are studying at one of the member universities, you can spend a semester at Schmalkalden University through this programme. Find out more about the application, eligibility and financing on the website of The Magellan Exchange or contact the responsible exchange coordinator at your home university.
As soon as you have been allocated a place at our university by Magellan, we will contact you by email and ask you to send us the completed and signed application form. You will then receive further useful information from us as well as the acceptance letter that you may need to apply for a visa. After successful registration at our university, you can prepare your stay in Schmalkalden.
You will also need to submit some documents as part of the application process:
- 2 passport photos
- 6 copies of your passport (photo page only) or your EU ID card
- Copy of your university entrance qualification
- Copy of your matriculation certificate
Arrival
Directly on the campus of Schmalkalden University, there is a train stop called "Schmalkalden-Fachhochschule". Via the ICE junctions Eisenach (coming from Frankfurt) or Erfurt (coming from Berlin/Leipzig/Munich), climate-friendly travel within Europe or Germany exclusively by train is thus perfectly possible. The journey can be planned via the online portal of Deutsche Bahn. There is also a well-developed long-distance bus network throughout Europe. We therefore encourage students to consider alternative travel means to air travel – which also often allow them to carry more generous luggage. If applicable, feel free to ask your scholarship provider whether you can be rewarded a bonus for climate-friendly travel.
Accommodation
During your study period, you will most likely wish to be living close to campus. The student dormitories are affordable, fully furnished, comfortable and on-campus, and they are especially interesting for exchange students, who are going to stay in Schmalkalden for only a few months. Please note that the dormitories are not administered by the university, but by an external organisation. The contact is person in case of questions is Ute Ludwig. Be sure to apply for a room at least three months prior to your arrival in Schmalkalden. Also, do not miss to respond to any confirmation e-mails sent by the dormitory management; otherwise, your application may cease to be valid. What is more, there are three dormitory tutors in charge of the student tenants. Be sure to tell them in advance when you are going to arrive in Schmalkalden. One of them will pick you up from the train station and take you to the dormitory.
For the activation of internet access in the dormitory, the information provided here should be followed.
However, the private housing market also offers affordable apartments for students near the campus. Please consult our Housing Info Sheet for more detailed information. In addition, our housing team will be happy to help you find accommodation; contact details can be found here.
If you are travelling with a child, we kindly ask you to contact Mrs. Saarmann regarding the general organisation, for example a place in a kindergarten.
Language
During the semester abroad at Schmalkalden University you can take selected and previously announced courses in English, so that English language skills at level B2 of the European Framework of Reference for Languages (EFRS) are sufficient. All common language certificates are accepted here. However, if you would like to attend courses in German or plan to take up a part-time job in Schmalkalden, German language skills are also recommended.
Health Insurance
Another important point you need to consider is a valid health insurance for Germany. If you are a citizen of an EU member state and are in possession of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you have nothing to worry about; your card will be accepted in Germany the same way as in your home country.
The same holds if you have insurance coverage due to bilateral agreements between your country of residence and Germany. In this case, you need to ask your health insurance agency for a letter confirming the agreement and bring it with you to Schmalkalden where you will be exempted.
If, however, you are not covered by EU health insurance, we strongly advise you to only take out short-time travel insurance prior to your arrival in Schmalkalden. During the orientation week, representatives of three German public health insurance companies will be on campus so you can easily obtain proper insurance coverage.
In order to study at a German university, it is obligatory to either take out public health assurance or to be exempted from it (on the basis of a valid foreign insurance). While you can, of course, choose any private insurance company you want, we would like to point out that they do not always meet the criteria for exemption. For detailed informationen, please see our Info Sheet on health insurance.
Covid-19
Please mind the latest regulations on arrivals to Germany and Schmalkalden during the pandemic. We are summarizing all relevant information in our Info Sheet which will be kept up to date.
Other
The same holds for a German bank account. While it is not obligatory to have a German bank account, it might be useful to have one when it comes to withdrawing money and making bank transfers. There are currently three German banks that have branches in Schmalkalden: Sparkasse, Postbank and Raiffeisenbank. Again, you can easily open a free account (by the conditions that apply) at any of them. More detailed information can be found here in our Info Sheet.
During our Welcome Days in the first week of the semester, we inform you about all administrative and professional matters that you will need to take care of after your arrival in Schmalkalden. More detailed information can be found here in our Info Sheet.