International
Outgoings
ERASMUS
The ERASMUS programme (EuRopean Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) is a funding programme of the European Union that enables students to study abroad at a host university within the EU. Bachelor’s and Master’s students can study at a partner university with financial support for one or even two semesters abroad during their studies. All 27 EU member states and five other European countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Turkey) participate in the programme. Find out more about whether an ERASMUS study programme is suitable for you, which ERASMUS partner universities the Faculty of Business and Economics has and how you can apply.
The Faculty of Economics and Business Administration cooperates with over 60 ERASMUS partner universities in more than 20 countries. An overview of our ERASMUS partner universities can be found here, along with the current application deadlines here. For further details on the ERASMUS exchange, our global exchange programmes, and international activities, please refer to the presentation „Wege ins Ausland WiWi 2025“.
Application
We look forward to receiving your application for an ERASMUS semester at one of our partner universities!
Administrative information on the application
- You can find an overview of the deadlines here. Unfortunately, applications not received within the deadlines cannot be considered
- You can only apply for an exchange via our online application form. We do not accept applications by email or by post.
- To access the online application form, you must log in with your RUB login ID.
- For the success of your application it does not matter when you submit it – as long as you do it within the given deadline. All applications will be reviewed collectively after the deadline. So you don’t have to hurry and submit your application as soon as possible.
- Our aim is to give you feedback on whether we can offer you an ERASMUS place within 8 weeks of the submission deadline. You will then still have enough time to process and submit the documents necessary for your official nomination. You will receive more detailed information on these documents at the information event for ERASMUS outgoings; you will be informed of the exact date if you are accepted.
Contents of the application
- The online application form asks you for some personal and contact information. In addition, you will be asked to upload some documents. Please note that the online form only accepts PDFs with a maximum file size of 1 MB. The following documents should be uploaded:
PDF documents
- Curriculum vitae (including photo)
- Letter of motivation in English, approx. 1-2 pages long. In it you should briefly explain why you are applying for the ERASMUS programme, why you should be admitted and why you have chosen (a) specific host university(ies).
Current Transcript of Records and previous degree certificates; Bachelor students should upload their current Transcript of Records and their Abitur certificate, Master students their current Transcript of Records and Bachelor certificate.
Please note that your current RUB Transcript of Records should be verifiable. To do this, select the option “generate (checkable)” under the menu item “data sheet” in your Flexnow access. The verifiable data sheet contains a password with which the authenticity can be checked. - Most host universities do not require an official certificate, but only recommend a certain language level. Accordingly, we do not necessarily require official certificates for your application either. If you have already taken a language test in English or the otherwise relevant national language and have a corresponding certificate, please add it to your application. If you don’t have an official certificate, you don’t have to spend money on it; we know that official certificates can cost several hundred euros and we don’t want you to spend money on an application that may or may not be successful. In this case, you can argue in your motivation letter that you already know the language for other reasons (e.g. because you have studied the language for many years at school or have spent a few months in the country, etc.) or how you plan to learn the language before you start your possible stay abroad.
- Our Centre for Foreign Language Education (ZFA) offers various language courses as well as international tests, such as IELTS for English, DELE for Spanish, DELF/DALF for French and Swedex for Swedish.
The ZFA also offers a DAAD language certificate, which is accepted by most universities as proof of language proficiency. Please check the ZFA website for information on official tests and language certificates and make sure you take the test in good time.
You must indicate at least one and can indicate up to five preferences for host universities. Here you will find a list of all current ERAMUS partner universities. You should consider the following points when choosing your preferences: Compatibility of the semester times of the host university with those of RUB, possible (official) language requirements, courses offered at the host university (are you interested in the modules offered? Do you have the necessary prerequisites? etc.). You can also visit the pages of the International Office In addition, you can access the testimonials of former ERASMUS exchange students here to get an impression of their experiences on site.
Financing options
As an ERASMUS student, you do not pay tuition fees at your host university and also receive a financial allowance for the stay abroad from RUB. This grant is intended to cover the extra costs you incur during a stay abroad. The ERASMUS participating countries are divided into three groups. The following grant rates will be paid for a study visit in the academic year 2025/2026:
600 EUR/month for country group 1:
Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Sweden, UK.
540 EUR/month for country group 2 and 3:
Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czechia, Cyprus; Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Hungary
Extra support for students with special needs
Students with children or disabilities can apply for additional funding.
Testimonials
Here you will find testimonials from former ERASMUS students at the respective host universities.
Information material
Any student enrolled on one of the degree programmes offered by our faculty may apply for an ERASMUS exchange. Even if you are studying a degree programme that is partly taught at our faculty, you may apply for an ERASMUS exchange at our faculty (this applies, for example, to ECUE Master’s students).
Applications across different levels of study are
Unfortunately not, as we cannot be sure that you will change university and be admitted to our degree programmes. To participate in an ERASMUS exchange, you must be enrolled at our faculty during the application semester and during the semester abroad.
The European Culture and Economy (ECUE) degree programme is cross-faculty. If you are an ECUE student:in and would like to take mainly or exclusively economics modules during your stay abroad, you should apply accordingly to the Faculty of Economics for a stay at one of our partner universities. However, as an ECUE student, you do not need to prepare our faculty’s credit transfer form. Instead, you need to discuss the chosen modules with the responsible person who will approve the credit for you.
First of all, it is a formal requirement for participating in an ERASMUS exchange that you are a RUB student:r at our faculty. Since we have no way to check this before you apply, providing a RUB email address is a small check. The RUB also provides you with an email address that you can use to manage all matters concerning your studies. Just as you communicate with us via our RUB address, we also want to communicate with you via your RUB address.
Most host universities do not require an official certificate, but only recommend a certain language level. Accordingly, we do not necessarily require official certificates for your application either. We also know that these official certificates cost several hundred euros, and we don’t want you to spend money on an application that may or may not be successful. So you can simply argue that you know the language because, for example, you studied English for many years at school or you spent a few months in the country, etc.
However, if you have taken a language test and have a corresponding certificate, please add this to your application. Our Centre for Foreign Language Education (ZFA) offers various international tests, such as IELTS for English, DELE for Spanish, DELF/DALF for French and Swedex for Swedish. Of course, this also applies if you have taken language courses at the ZFA (or an analogous university language centre) and have an official certificate.
To sum it up, you don’t have to include an official test or certificate result, but otherwise an official certificate is better than just stating that you learned the language at school or on holiday.
Some of our partner universities require official language certificates from incoming students. Please find out as early as possible what the requirements are at your host university so that you can prepare the certificate(s) in advance. We, the ERASMUS team at the Faculty of Economics, do not have the necessary expertise to issue language certificates.
The Centre for Foreign Language Training (ZFA) at RUB offers a wide range of language courses and internationally recognised language tests such as DELE and SIELE for Spanish, DELF/DALF for French, CNaVT for Dutch and Swedex for Swedish. The ZFA also offers a DAAD language certificate, which is accepted by most universities as proof of language proficiency. Please visit the ZFA website for information on official tests and language certificates and ensure you take the test in good time.
We have not personally visited most of our ERASMUS partners, so as a rule of thumb we only have the information that the host universities themselves offer on their websites. It is best to do your own research on the partners’ websites and/or in the testimonials of former exchange students to find out more. In any case, the range of English-language modules offered at the host university can change from year to year, so it is always advisable to have a command of the local language.
You can only go to one host university from our list of partners. ERASMUS agreements take a lot of time and coordination to come about. In addition, the agreements usually develop from personal contacts between the faculties/universities. Therefore, we unfortunately cannot sign an ERASMUS agreement with every university. Even if we tried to consider individual requests, it would take so long to formalise the agreement that your studies would probably be over before the agreement came into effect. If you really want to go to a particular university, your best option is to go there as a free mover, see the information
We are the faculty’s ERASMUS team and handle the academic aspects of your exchange. For administrative and financial matters such as Bafög / Auslandsbafög or other financial issues, the International Office is your first point of contact. If you require a certificate for your AuslandsBafög application, please contact the International Office. Normally, you must provide the exact dates of your stay abroad on the AuslandsBafög form. We do not have this information (only you and the International Office have it), so even if we wanted to, we could not sign any document or form because we do not have the details.
The AKAFÖ provides useful information about BAföG and other funding opportunities abroad. In some very rare cases, the BAföG office explicitly requires the submission of a document in which we must certify academically that your ERASMUS stay abroad is beneficial to your further studies. In this case, you are of course welcome to contact us (wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de).
OLA stands for Online Learning Agreement. It is a digital document used within the framework of Erasmus+ programmes to facilitate academic exchange between students and higher education institutions. The OLA enables students to create, sign and share their Learning Agreement – i.e. the agreement setting out the courses they will take abroad – digitally with the relevant higher education institutions.
In principle, you are free to choose any module at the host university. First of all, you should check which modules are offered during your ERASMUS exchange at your host university. Please note that timetables are often created at short notice (even we at RUB do not create timetables for a year in advance). Sometimes you can only assume that a module offered in the current winter/summer semester will probably also be offered in the next winter/summer semester. After you have picked out suitable modules, you should check whether the module will be recognised when you return to Bochum (see the next questions on module recognition). We would also like to point out that it may be that some modules at your host university have participation restrictions. You should clarify this with your host university.
We only check that your Learning Agreement is formally correct. To ensure that all ECTS credits are recognised upon your return to RUB, please have the modules you wish to take at the host university approved in advance by the relevant lecturers in our faculty. You should do this before submitting your Learning Agreement and, therefore, before your stay abroad.
The chairs of our faculty are responsible for recognizing modules completed abroad. To ensure that all ECTS credits are recognized upon your return to RUB, please have the modules you wish to take at the host university credited in advance by the relevant chairs. Further information on the credit transfer procedure can be found on the
In order to receive the Erasmus grant, you are required to select, enrol in and pass courses totalling at least 15 ECTS credits per semester, which you must enter in the Online Learning Agreement.
As you contractually undertake in the OLA to earn at least 15 ECTS credits per semester whilst abroad, your Transcript of Records – which you will receive from your host university at the end of your stay abroad – must also show at least 15 ECTS credits per semester. If you have passed fewer than 15 ECTS credits per semester, you must submit a statement of explanation, which must be confirmed by the subject coordinator at RUB. If the reason given is not valid, the scholarship may have to be repaid (pro rata). Exceptions to this rule can only be made in justified cases of hardship. Your contact persons at the International Office (erasmus@rub.de) will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
If you take a module at a foreign university that is equivalent to a module at RUB, the relevant department at RUB must assess the equivalence of the foreign module. If equivalence is confirmed, the module will be recognised under the name of the corresponding RUB module.
If you take an economics module at a foreign university for which there is no equivalent module at RUB, the course will be credited to you as a so-called “dummy” module. To have the crediting of such a module confirmed, please contact a department within our faculty that offers similar modules.
For all modules taken abroad that are included in the RUB Transcript of Records, the mark awarded by the host university is converted into an RUB mark.
In our faculty, all modules are worth either 5 or 10 ECTS credits. It may be the case that your ERASMUS host university offers modules with a different number of ECTS credits that do not fit perfectly into this 5/10 ECTS system. The decision on the number of ECTS credits to be recognised lies with the department that approves the module (see also the previous question). If the module from the host university is credited to you as the equivalent RUB module, the ECTS credits awarded correspond to the ECTS credits awarded for the module at the RUB. If the module from the host university is credited to you as a dummy module, there are various options for crediting the module following consultation with the department:
For example, a 3 ECTS module at the host university can be credited to you as a 3 ECTS dummy module at RUB.
A 3 ECTS module at the host university can be credited to you as a 5 ECTS dummy module at RUB, for example if the workload for the module at the host university is very high.
Two 3 ECTS modules at the host university can be recognised together as one 5 ECTS dummy module, or three 3 ECTS modules can be recognised as two 5 ECTS dummy modules at RUB.
Two 7.5 ECTS modules at the host university can also be credited as three 5 ECTS dummy modules at RUB.
The assessment and decision on appropriate credit transfer is the responsibility of the recognizing chair.
There are different conversion systems for grading systems that do not correspond to the RUB grading system. The Examination Office, which enters the credits into your Transcript of Records, will usually use one of the available conversion tables to convert the grade fairly.
Before you start your period abroad, you should put together a programme of study that you will undertake there and obtain credit recognition for it from the relevant departments at RUB. However, it is entirely up to you how many modules you subsequently have transferred to your RUB Transcript of Records. If, after your period abroad, you do not wish to have certain courses recognised for credit, you are not obliged to do so.
Short cycle (EQF level 5) / Bachelor’s or equivalent first cycle (EQF level 6) / Master’s or equivalent second cycle (EQF level 7) / Doctorate or equivalent third cycle (EQF level 8)
For management, enter the code “0410: Business Administration” and for economics, enter the code “0311: Economics.” If you are in a mixed degree program, you should enter the code that best suits you (in which of the two areas you take most of your courses). If you are studying a master’s degree in management only or economics only, you should only enter the code for management or economics. You can search for ISCED codes here.
My host university has a different form for the learning agreement. Can I use this form instead?
You must always use the RUB Learning Agreement and maintain it consistently. However, your host university may also want you to fill out their Learning Agreement form. In this case, you would have to maintain two parallel Learning Agreements (which should, of course, contain the same modules). We are happy to sign your host university’s Learning Agreement form, but only together with our RUB Learning Agreement form.
You must contact the International Office at RUB. The International Office is the right point of contact for all non-academic enquiries.
If your ERASMUS stay is only for 1 semester, it may be possible for you to extend your stay abroad by 1 semester to a total of 2 semesters:
1) First check with your local ERASMUS coordinator if the host university agrees. If yes, we are happy that you are enjoying your ERASMUS stay abroad and will usually agree, so you only need to send us an email about your intentions with proof of the host university’s agreement (e.g. a written notice, a forwarded email, etc.).
2) In order to check whether your ERASMUS grant can be extended, please also write an appropriate email to our International Office at RUB (erasmus@rub.de) and please contact us in CC (wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de).
3) As soon as you have the preliminary agreement of all parties (ERASMUS coordinator of the host university, ERASMUS coordinator of the WiWi faculty of RUB, International Office of RUB), you have to prepare a new Learning Agreement for the second semester. Only when you have a completed Learning Agreement with all necessary module credits, we can sign it and confirm the extension of your stay.
Please send us an email in German (wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de) briefly stating the reason for withdrawing from your ERASMUS exchange. This email should include your name and student number. Please use a meaningful email subject line, e.g. “Cancellation of ERASMUS semester 20XX/20XX at [host university]”.
2) Send an email in German to the RUB International Office (erasmus@rub.de) briefly stating the reason for withdrawing from your ERASMUS exchange. This email should include your name and student number. Please use a clear email subject line, e.g. “Cancellation of ERASMUS semester 20XX/20XX at [host university]”. Please ensure you CC us in this email (wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de)! Please forward the confirmation reply from the International Office to us.
3) Please also send an email in English to your host university informing them of the cancellation of your ERASMUS stay and put us in CC (wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de). Please use a clear email subject line here too, e.g. “Cancellation of ERASMUS stay in 20XX/20XX”. Please forward the confirmation reply from the host university to us
You need to change your Learning Agreement and clarify one or more new module credits. Note that you do not need a new Learning Agreement! There is a “During Mobility” section to enter such changes into the existing Agreement. When we have received all the new credit forms for the new modules and the amended Learning Agreement (which should already be signed by your host university), we will also sign your amended Learning Agreement.
After your ERASMUS stay, you must submit the following documents to us:
- the Learning Agreement (with all signatures and any changes)
- the Confirmation of Stay that you received from your host university
- the Transcript of Records, which you will either receive from your host university or it will send it directly to us
You also need to write an ERASMUS report about your stay abroad for our International Office. Please also send us a copy of the ERASMUS report. Once we have received or seen the four documents (Learning Agreement, Report, Confirmation of Stay and Transcript of Records), we will return the credit transfer forms you need for the Examination Office.
Once you are back from abroad, we will give you the ECTS recognition form(s) after you have submitted all the required documents to us (see previous question). Please note that it may take a few weeks for us to receive your Transcript of Records from the host university (sometimes the transcript is sent directly to you). You have to go with the credit form(s) and the Transcript of Records to the Examinations Office, which converts the grade into German grades and officially recognises the module. There is no specific deadline for this recognition. However, we recommend that you do the recognition in the semester following your stay abroad.
You can usually send your documents by email as PDF files.
The International Office will send you the Grant Agreement by post; you must sign it and then return it to the International Office by post.
RUB uses the Online Learning Agreement (OLA), which is managed online via the EWP dashboard. Once you have signed the OLA, it is automatically forwarded to us and then sent to your host university for signature. Some host universities require the Learning Agreement to be submitted as a PDF file. Please complete this PDF file digitally, sign it and send it to us by email. We will then email the signed document back to you so that you can submit it to your host university.
For all questions relating to academic matters, please send an email to the ERASMUS team at wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de. For questions relating primarily to administrative matters, please contact the International Office at
In this case, please send us an email (wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de) describing the problem. If necessary, we can arrange a personal appointment on site or a telephone appointment.
You can also apply for an ERASMUS scholarship for an internship. Once you have found a suitable internship in one of the Erasmus program countries (please note that we cannot offer any assistance in finding suitable internships), you must apply for your ERASMUS scholarship at the International Office of the RUB (online application). You must also complete a Learning Agreement for the internship, which contains information about the internship (dates, pay, activities, objectives, etc.). This Learning Agreement is signed by you, the International Office, and the internship provider.
The ERASMUS team at the Faculty of Economics will use this information to check whether the internship is suitable for your degree program and will then sign and stamp the department’s confirmation of the internship. To have the department’s confirmation signed, please send us the following documents as PDF files
• Department confirmation form
• Learning Agreement for the work placement
• CV
• Cover letter
to
Yes, it is possible to receive an ERASMUS scholarship for an internship. Here you can find more information about the requirements and limits of the scholarship and the application procedure.
Worldwide exchange programmes
Wollongong, Australien (B.Sc.)
Student exchange with the University of Wollongong (UOW) (Australia)
Background
Each year, up to four RUB students enrolled in the Bachelor’s programme “Management and Economics” have the opportunity to spend one semester at the University of Wollongong (UOW) in Australia.
UOW is a research-intensive university with an excellent reputation for its teaching in a wide range of disciplines. UOW is a young and vibrant university and is ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world.
The city of Wollongong is one of Australia’s larger cities and is located in New South Wales, around 80 kilometers south of Sydney. The city is also known for its surfing beaches.
Courses offered
For a list of courses offered at UOW, please visit the UOW website.
Academic calendar
Autumn term: February – June
Spring semester: July – November
Costs, scholarships and funding
RUB exchange students are exempt from tuition fees at the University of Wollongong. In order to finance your living expenses, various helpful scholarship programmes are available.
For more information on funding opportunities, please contact the International Office.
The PROMOS programme (a scholarship programme of the German Academic Exchange Service) might be of particular interest and can be found here.
Accommodation
Information on student accommodation can be found here.
Application
The application for the exchange is done via Moodle. If you are interested, please send an email from your RUB email account to wiwi-exchange-students@rub.de. We will then manually add you to the Moodle application course.
Application deadlines see table “Overview Deadlines” at the bottom of this website.
Tongji, China (M.Sc.)
Exchange with Tongji University (China)
Background
Up to ten RUB students enrolled in one of our faculty’s Master’s degree programs can spend a semester at Tongji University in Shanghai (China).
Tongji University Shanghai was founded in 1907 by the German doctor Erich Paulin, initially as a medical faculty, and has had a close relationship with Germany ever since. Today, Tongji University offers its 50,000 students a comprehensive range of subjects and is one of the most renowned universities in China.
The Bochum Faculty of Economics has been cooperating with Tongji University since the early 1980s and maintains a particularly close relationship with the Chinese-German University College CDHKa joint institution of the German Academic Exchange Service and Tongji University. The CDHK covers the following academic disciplines: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering and Economics.
A special feature of the CDHK are the 23 endowed chairs, which are financed by well-known companies. These donations have significantly improved the study conditions at the CDHK. In addition, the donors provide students with extensive industry contacts. In addition to funding from industry, the CDHK is also supported by funds from the German Foreign Office.
The lecturers at the CDHK are Chinese academics (most of whom studied or completed their doctorates in Germany) and German visiting professors. Lectures are held in German and English. Lectures by visiting professors usually take the form of weekly block courses. In addition to the courses offered at the CDHK, RUB students also have the opportunity to attend lectures at Tongji University’s School of Economics and Management (SEM). These courses are held entirely in English. Please note that the focus of the courses at the CDHK and SEM is on management.
Courses offered
If you are interested in the courses offered at the CDHK, please visit the Tongji website for more information. A list of the courses offered at the SEM can be found here.
Academic calendar
Spring semester: February – July
Fall semester: September – January
Costs, scholarships, and financial aid
RUB exchange students are exempt from Tongji University tuition fees. Various helpful scholarship programmes are available to help you finance your living expenses (estimated between €350 and €500).
Further information on funding opportunities is available from the International Office.
For students interested in an exchange with Tongji University, the PROMOS program (a scholarship program offered by the German Academic Exchange Service) may be of particular interest and can be found here.
Accommodation
Information on student accommodation can be found here.
Application
Interested students are requested to send their application to Prof. Dr. Bernhard Pellens and/or Dr. Martin Seidler. The following documents are required:
- Letter of motivation
- Curriculum vitae
- Official academic transcript
- bachelor’s degree certificate
- Baccalaureate certificate
- Documents about experience abroad
You can find more information about the application here.
Application deadlines see table “Overview Deadlines” at the bottom of this website.
PHBS, China (M.Sc.)
Student Exchange with Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS) (China)
Background
Two of our master’s students have the opportunity to spend a semester at Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS). PHBS was founded in 2004. On August 30, 2008, HSBC Bank donated funds to support the university. This later proved to be a successful model of educational modernization in China through collaboration between a top university in China and a world-class financial institution.
PHBS is located in the emerging region of Shenzhen, directly adjacent to the financial center of Hong Kong. Together with the cutting-edge academic research of Peking University, PHBS is improving connections between Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as relations between China and the world
Costs, scholarships, and financing
Students are responsible for travel and living expenses. There are no tuition fees. Detailed information on funding opportunities during your studies abroad is provided by the International Office and can be found here. The PROMOS program (a scholarship program of the German Academic Exchange Service) may be of particular interest and can be found here.
Accommodation
PHBS offers accommodation for international students. For more information on accommodation and student life at PHBS, please visit the PHBS website.
Academic Calendar
Fall semester: September – January
Spring semester: February – July
Further information on relevant dates is provided by the HSBC Business School and can be found here.
Courses offered
Information on the courses offered can be found here.
Application process
The following documents must be submitted with the application:
bachelor’s degree certificate
Official transcripts (in English)
Letter of motivation (in English)
Curriculum vitae (in English)
Application deadlines see table “Overview Deadlines” at the bottom of this website.
Free Mover
General information
Important information for students who wish to study at a university that is not a partner university of RUB or the Faculty of Economics (free movers) can be found on the International Office website.
Learning Agreement
If your host university requires a learning agreement, please contact Katharina Haaf. The easiest way is to send the learning agreement by email. Once the document has been checked and signed, you will receive the signed agreement by email.
Internships and university-wide exchange
In addition to our exchange opportunities at partner universities in our faculty, you can also go abroad or do an internship abroad through other partner universities of Ruhr University via the International Office. You can find more information here.
More
An internship abroad is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in a company, gain insight into the corporate culture of another country, and get to know the culture and language of another country. Unfortunately, we cannot directly assist you in finding an internship. However, it is possible to receive funding for an internship through the Erasmus+ program. The relevance of the internship to your field of study is important for funding. Further information can be found on the International Office website here.
If you need confirmation of the relevance of the internship for the scholarship, for example, please contact Katharina Haaf.
Summer Schools
BOCHUM INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL (BISS)
Every year in August, the Faculty of Economics invites students to attend the Bochum International Summer School (BISS) – an academic highlight at the end of the summer semester.
International guest lecturers offer excellent courses with practice-oriented and forward-looking content that enriches the academic spectrum of our faculty. The program includes a balanced mix of management and economics courses that enable students to broaden their academic profile.
All courses are conducted in English and are worth 5 ECTS credits. With a maximum of 30 participants per course, we guarantee a personal learning atmosphere – ideal for deepening knowledge and improving English skills at the same time.
Courses
The next BISS will take place from 17.08.2026 – 29.08.2026.
You will find the latest information from the beginning of April 2026 in the Moodle course “Bochum International Summer School (BISS)”.
Preliminary course overview (as of 09.04.2026) -> The following courses were offered as part of BISS 2025:
Course | Lecturer | Field of study | Open for | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Behavioral Marketing in Action | Sven Mikolon (Imperial College London, UK) | Management
| Bachelor’s and Master’s students
| August 17–21
|
Experimental and Behavioral Approaches to Environmental Economics
| Stephan Kroll
(Colorado State University, USA)
| Economics
| Bachelor’s and Master’s students
| August 17–21
|
Entrepreneurial Business Planning | Petra Andries (Ghent University, Belgium) | Management
| Bachelor’s and Master’s students
| August 17–21
|
Organizational Behavior (in Practice)
| Tomas Farchi
(HEC Paris – Doha Campus, Qatar)
| Management
| Bachelor’s and Master’s students
| August 17 –21
|
Sustainable Finance
| Eleonora Sfrappini (University of St Andrews Business School, UK)
| Economics / Management | Bachelor’s and Master’s students
| August 24 –28
|
Summer School an der Tongji-Universität, China (B.Sc. & M.Sc.)
RUB students studying the Bachelor’s degree programme “Management and Economics” or the Master’s degree programmes “Management”, “Management and Economics” and “Economics” at the Faculty of Business and Economics can participate in the Summer School of the Sino-German Graduate School CDHK of Tongji University in Shanghai, one of the most renowned universities in China.
Program
The Summer School is organized by the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) (contact: Dr. Sigrun Abels).
Up to 30 students from Tongji’s partner universities (TU Berlin, TU Darmstadt, TU Munich, and RUB) can participate in the program.
The Summer School takes place regularly over a period of three weeks. In the 2025 summer semester, the Summer School will take place from September 8 to 26, 2025.
The Summer School focuses on Chinese society, economics, politics, law, and culture. All lectures are held in German. The courses are also accompanied by a cultural program and excursions to various companies.
Further information on the Summer School program can be found here.
Credit Recognition
A certificate will be issued upon successful participation and completion of the course. Students enrolled in a bachelor’s program at the Faculty of Economics at RUB can earn 5 ECTS credits by successfully participating in the summer school, which will be credited by the Chair of International Accounting.
Application
Information on the application procedure can be found on our website. The application deadline for the Summer School in 2025 is May 5, 2025.
Costs and funding
The cost of the program (including travel and accommodation) will be approximately €2,840. Students are responsible for financing the cost of the summer school themselves.
Research stays/
Sponsorship opportunities for doctoral students and lecturers
Are you a doctoral student considering a research stay abroad? You can apply for funding for this through the RUB Research School, for example. Funding is available for research stays, as well as participation in conferences, summer schools, or workshops. Further information on the opportunities and requirements can be found on the Research School website here.
In addition to the RUB Research School, you can also apply for funding for a teaching assignment at some of our partner universities through the Erasmus+ program.
Exchange opportunities for doctoral students
Doctoral students also have the opportunity to participate in an exchange program as part of the ERASMUS+ program. This applies to the following partner universities of the Faculty of Economics:
Bulgaria
Free University of Burgas [Bulgarski Swoboden Uniwersitet], Burgas
Finland
Lappeenranta University of Technology [Lappeenrannan teknillinen yliopisto], Lappeenranta
France
University of Lorraine [Université de Lorraine], Nancy
Iceland
University of Akureyri [Háskólinn á Akureyri], Akureyri
IItaly
University of Naples Parthenope [Università degli studi di Napoli Partenope], Naples
Universität Chieti-Pescara “Gabriele d’Annunzio” [Universitá degli studi “G. d’ Annunzio” ], Chieti
Croatia
Josip Juraj Strossmayer Universität [Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku], Osijek
Juraj Dobrila Universität Pula [Sveučilište Jurja Dobrile u Puli], Pula
Universität Rijeka [Sveučilište u Rijeci], Rijeka
Portugal
Universität Évora [Universidade de Évora], Evora
Universität Minho [Universidade do Minho], Braga/Guimarães
Romania
Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest [Academia de Studii Economice din București], Bucharest
Slovakia
Comenius University Bratislava [Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave], Bratislava
Technical University Košice [Technická univerzita v Košiciach],
Czech Republic
Brno University of Technology [Vysoké učení technické v Brně], Brno
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice [Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích], České Budějovice
Technical University of Ostrava [Vysoká škola báňská – Technická univerzita Ostrava], Ostrava
Turkey
Bogaziçi University Istanbul [Boğaziçi Üniversitesi],
Hungary
University of Debrecen [Debreceni Egyetem], Debrecen
University of Szeged [Szegedi Tudományegyetem], Szeged
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Katharina Haaf at wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de.
Exchange opportunities for lecturers
The ERASMUS+ program also supports visiting lectureships (mobility for teaching purposes) at partner universities. Funding is available for professors and lecturers with a contractual relationship with RUB, lecturers without endowed positions, adjunct lecturers with work contracts, emeritus professors and retired teachers, research assistants, and company personnel.
Depending on the agreement, teaching stays last between two days and two months; the teaching load is at least eight hours per stay or per week started
Exchanges for teaching are possible at the following partner universities of the Faculty of Economics:
Bulgaria
Burgas Free University [Bulgarski Swoboden Uniwersitet], Burgas [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University of national and world economcy [Universitet za nacionalno i svetovno stopanstvo], Sofia [2×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Denmark
University of Southern Denmark [Syddansk Universitet], Odense [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Finland
LUT University [Lappeenrannan teknillinen yliopisto], Lappeenranta [2×10 days; min. 8 hours]
Greece
University Ioannina [Panepistimio Ioanninon], Ioannina [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Iceland
University of Akureyri [Háskólinn á Akureyri], Akureyri [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Italy
University Neapel Parthenope [Università degli studi di Napoli Partenope], Neapel [2×10 days; min. 8 hours]
University Chieti-Pescara “Gabriele d’Annunzio” [Universitá degli studi “G. d’ Annunzio”], Chieti [1×6 days; min. 8 hours]
University Padua [Universitá degli studi di Padova], Padua [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University Udine [Università degli studi di Udine], Udine [1×7 days; min. 8 hours]
Croatia
University Nord [Sveučilište Sjever], Kopreinitz [2×7 days; min. 8 hours]
Josip Juraj Strossmayer University [Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku], Osijek [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Juraj Dobrila University Pula [Sveučilište Jurja Dobrile u Puli], Pula [2×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University Rijeka [Sveučilište u Rijeci], Rijeka [2×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University Split [Sveučilište u Splitu], Split [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Norway
NHH
[Norges Handelshøskole], Bergen [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Poland
Kraków University of Economics [Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Krakowie], Krakau [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Technical University Opole [Politechnika Opolska], Opole [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University of Economics Posen [Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Poznaniu], Posen [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Portugal
University Coimbra [Universidade de Coimbra], Coimbra [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University Évora [Universidade de Évora], Evora [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University Minho [Universidade do Minho], Braga/Guimarães [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Romania
Bucharest University of Economic Studies [Academia de Studii Economice din București], Bukarest [2×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Sweden
University Göteborg [Göteborgs universitet], Göteborg [1×14 days; min. 8 hours]
Switzerland
University Bern [Universität Bern], Bern [1×2-60 days; min. 8 hours]
University Neuenburg [Université de Neuchâtel], Neuenburg [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Slovakia
Comenius-Universitäy Bratislava [Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave], Bratislava [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Technical University Košice [Technická univerzita v Košiciach], Košice [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Slovenia
University Maribor [Univerza v Mariboru], Maribor [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Spain
University Jaume I [Universitat Jaume I], Castellón de la Plana [2×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University Oviedo [Universidad de Oviedo], Oviedo [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University of the Balearic Islands [Universitat de les Illes Balears], Palma [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University La Laguna [Universidad de la Laguna], San Cristóbal de La Laguna [1×7 days; min. 8 hours]
Czech Republic
Technical University Brünn [Vysoké učení technické v Brně], Brünn [2×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University of South Bohemia [Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích], Budweis [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Technical University Ostrava [Vysoká škola báňská – Technická univerzita Ostrava], Ostrava [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Turkey
Bogaziçi University Istanbul [Boğaziçi Üniversitesi], Istanbul [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Hungary
Eötvös-Loránd-University Budapest [Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem], Budapest [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University Debrecen [Debreceni Egyetem], Debrecen [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
University Szeged [Szegedi Tudományegyetem], Szeged [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
Cyprus
University of Cyprus [Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου / Kıbrıs Üniversitesi], Nikosia [1×5 days; min. 8 hours]
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Katharina Haaf at wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de.
UNIC European University
RUB is part of the international university consortium UNIC – European University of Cities in Post-Industrial Transition. This is an association of ten universities (Bilbao, Bochum, Cork, Istanbul, Liège, Łódź, Malmö, Oulu, Rotterdam, and Zagreb) dedicated to promoting student mobility, joint innovative teaching, and new perspectives in research and transfer. The focus is on addressing the challenges facing our post-industrial cities
All universities offer the UNIC Open Online Courses virtual teaching and learning opportunities that can also be attended by students from other universities. These courses offer a unique opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow students from all over Europe, to get to know new teaching styles and learning methods and to choose courses from a wide range of courses offered by the ten UNIC partners.
All current UNIC Alliance events are published on the UNIC Events page.
Further information can be found here:
Overview deadlines
Program | Period | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
ERASMUS Outgoings | Winter semester 2027/2028 and summer semester 2028 | December 06, 2026 |
Worldwide programmes
| ||
– Wollongong Universität (B.Sc.) | Austral. Spring Semester 2026 Austral. Autumn Semester 2027 | February 1, 2026
August 1, 2026 |
-Tongji-Universität (M.Sc.) | Winter semester 2026/2027 | April 26, 2026
|
– PHBS University (M.Sc.) | Winter semester 2026/2027 Summer semester 2027 | March 01, 2026 October 01, 2026 |
Summer Schools | ||
– BISS | 17.08.2026 – 29.08.2026
| May 01, 2026 – May 15, 2026
|
– Tongji-University | Summer semester 2025 | May 5, 2025 |
– UNIC Summer Course “Migrations – local consequences of global movements”
| 24.08.2026 – 11.09.2026
| March 15, 2026
|
Crediting and recognition of credits earned abroad
There are generally two different types of credit recognition
- If you take a module at a foreign university that is equivalent to one of the modules offered at our faculty in terms of content and requirements, you can have it credited as the corresponding RUB module. You must obtain approval for the credit transfer from the chair that teaches the module at our faculty.
If you take an economics module at a foreign university for which there is no equivalent module at RUB in terms of content and requirements, you can have it credited as a so-called “dummy” module (“(Advanced) Applied Management/Economics”). In this case, the credit transfer is also carried out by a chair that offers courses with similar content
Please remember that you must obtain credit transfer confirmations for all courses you wish to take at your host university before your stay abroad. If you wish to take additional modules during your stay at the host university, you must also obtain the corresponding credit transfers for these.
After your stay abroad, you can submit the transcript of records issued by the host university together with the credit transfer forms to the Examination Office of the Faculty of Economics in order to have your modules recognized.
Please also note that the examination regulations of the Faculty of Economics stipulate that you must complete at least 60% of the total ECTS credits for your degree at RUB. Exceptions to this rule are only made for double master’s programmes.
Contact
ERASMUS
Dr. Katharina Haaf
GD 03/346
Email: wiwi-erasmus-incomings@rub.de
Dr. Katharina Haaf
GD 03/346
Telefon: +49 (0) 234 32 23421
Email: wiwi-erasmus-outgoings@rub.de
Consultation hours:
With appointment by phone, online or on site.
Summer Schools
Dr. Katharina Haaf
GD 03/346
Email: wiwi-biss@rub.de
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Pellens
GD 02/359
Telefon: +49 (0) 234 32 23832
Email: pellens@iur.rub.de
Dr. Martin Seidler
GD 02/247
Telefon: +49 (0) 234 32 22235
Email: martin.seidler@rub.de
Worldwide Exchanges
Dr. Katharina Haaf
GD 03/346
Research stays/
Funding opportunities for doctoral students & lecturers
Dr. Katharina Haaf
GD 03/346
Email: wiwi-exchange-admin@rub.de