Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions regarding the study abroad semester for international student exchanges (outgoings).
- Are there scholarships available for study abroad?
- Can I study at a foreign university of my own choice (a university where no exchange agreement is established)?
- Do I need a visa to study abroad?
- How are study abroad places assigned?
- How do I pick the institution of my study abroad term?
- How many study abroad places are available per university?
- How will I be insured while studying abroad?
- Which are the available partner institutions?
- What are the semester dates at the foreign institution?
- What courses can I / must I study at the receiving foreign institution?
- What forms will I need to fill in?
- What happens if I fail a course abroad?
- What is generally expected of me as an exchange student?
- What is the cost of living in certain countries?
- When can I study abroad?
- When will the study abroad places be assigned?
- Where will I live at the foreign institution?
- Who is responsible for my cost of travel, accommodation and cost of living?
- Who will be my contact at FH Joanneum while studying abroad?
- Will I have an internet account at the foreign partner institution?
- Will I have to pay tuition at the receiving foreign institution?
- Will I need a GMAT test?
- Will I need a TOEFL test?
- Will I receive full credit at FH Joanneum for the courses I have taken abroad?
- Will I stay formally enrolled at FH Joanneum?
- Will the foreign partner institution provide assistance to find internships in their country?
1. Are there scholarships available for study abroad? ^top of page
For studies within the European Union there are scholarships for studying abroad within the ERASMUS programme. The rates are different depending on the standard of living in the country. For the USA, Australia and Asia there will most probably be stipends, but the final decision has yet to be made at the ministry level on a case by case-basis after individual applications from students. Also for such destinations outside the European Union, there will be differences according to the local cost of living.
All students who are receiving a scholarship in Austria (Studienbeihilfe) will get a stipend for their study abroad period – no matter which country.
2. Can I study at a foreign university of my own choice (a university where no exchange agreement is established? ^top of page
No. Studying abroad in the International Management program at FH JOANNEUM is not an option, but a part of your curriculum and thus a requirement. This creates certain responsibilities of academic as well as personal nature for the International Management program. FH JOANNEUM can only guarantee a valuable academic experience and your personal well being at universities covered by mutual exchange agreements. Besides, all of our exchange agreements include tuition-waiver clauses which means that you will be exempt from tuition (at some of our institutions ranging up to USD 20,000 annually) at the receiving foreign institution. This will be virtually impossible if you study at a foreign institution as a “free mover”. However, if you have a well-reasoned preference for a specific institution, please contact the department head.
3. Do I need a visa to study abroad? ^top of page
It is not possible to give a general answer to this question, since it varies from country to country. Individual solutions will have to be found when students are selected for their study abroad periods. For each country the information is available at the embassies.
4. How are study abroad places assigned? ^top of page
The assignment of study abroad places will be performance-based, but also respect your individual preferences. This means that all students in the International Management program eligible for study abroad (i. e. all students having successfully completed the first 3 semesters at the time of the study abroad selection) will be ranked according to their average grade calculated from all courses in the first 3 semesters. In the order of the ranking, students can then choose more or less freely the foreign institutions according to their own priorities by using the form “Study Abroad Student Priority” which will be made available shortly before the assignment of study abroad places begins. Please also note that you are restricted in your choice through your level of competence in the language of instruction at the foreign partner university. Whether your language skills are sufficient will be assessed by a language instructor at FH JOANNEUM.
In the process, as long as there are study abroad places available, students will be assigned a place at a foreign partner institution, starting with their highest priority choice first. Once the quota for a specific foreign partner institution has been completely filled, this institution will no longer be available for other students. In this case students will then be assigned a study abroad place at their second (third, fourth, fifth) ranked university.
Please also note that the receiving foreign partner institution of course has a final say in accepting an incoming exchange student. Although unusual, it may happen that you will not be accepted by a partner institution.
5. How do I pick the institution of my study abroad term? ^top of page
Within the limitations of available study places and language restrictions (naturally, you must be fluent in the language of instruction at the receiving foreign institution which will be assessed by a foreign language instructor at FH JOANNEUM), you are free to pick from the list of partner institutions. You are advised to choose your favoured destination(s) not only based on location (especially if you have never been at a destination before). You should definitely see your study abroad semester as a matter of strategic choice in your education. Think about your career and where you see yourself in the future both in geographical and professional terms. If a partner institution has strong educational programs in a content area of your choice, don’t let yourself be influenced by the fact of a subjectively less attractive location. Please be also aware that there are financial implications as the cost of living in and the cost of travel to some destinations is considerably higher than for others. Also, the availability of scholarships for certain destinations may be lower than for others.
If you are not sure about how to pick the institution that fits your personal goals best, please seek counselling by the department head or a faculty member at the International Management program.
6. How many study abroad places are available per university? ^top of page
The number of available places varies by university. In most cases we have between 1 and 2 full-year equivalents (i. e. 4 semesters or 4 students for one semester each) available. The International Management’s program aim is not to send more than 2 students to one university at a time. Due to the fact that most of our exchange agreements are based on the idea of reciprocity and exchanges of equal numbers of students, actual numbers of available study abroad places may be lower or higher than the usual quota.
7. How will I be insured while studying abroad? ^top of page
If you are studying in one of the ERASMUS countries, you need to go to GKK and fill out a E128 Form – with this form you will be able to get health care in the foreign country.
Students studying outside of EU countries have to accept the insurance offered by the partner university or - if they have a choice - can insure themselves with ISIS offered by ÖKISTA or other insurance packages offered by their private insurance. Please check if any insurance package of your choice includes emergency airplane services. GKK does not offer insurance for overseas, but will refund the same costs which would have been charged in Austria (we strongly recommend that students studying overseas get additional insurance!).
8. Which are the available partner institutions? ^top of page
The International Management program maintains exchange agreements with a large number of foreign partner institutions. Please refer to the list of partner institutions available from our website.
9. What are the semester dates at the foreign institution? ^top of page
Semester dates at foreign partner institutions can vary greatly. Whereas many of the European institutions have academic calendars similar to FH JOANNEUM’s, many overseas universities work on different schedules. Information about specific foreign partner institutions can be obtained directly from the institutions’ websites, from the international coordinator at FH Joanneum, or the International Management department.
10. What courses can I / must I study at the receiving foreign institution? ^top of page
The International Management program’s curriculum does not require you to enrol in a specific list of courses at the foreign receiving institution. However, we expect you to complete a full workload of business or business-related courses comparable to the workload a local full-time student would take. From a content perspective you should not only see the study abroad period as a valuable personal experience, but also as a chance to give you increased direction and focus in your education. If you intend to specialize in a certain business area (functional or industry-specific) you should primarily take courses in that area. Please note that at most foreign partner institutions you will be restricted to 3rd and/or 4th year undergraduate courses. Access to graduate courses will only be possible in selected cases and based on individual approval by the receiving institution.
No matter what courses you take, you will have to conclude a binding, so-called “learning agreement” with the International Management program before you leave. If there is a change in the learning agreement (e. g. in the case that courses are cancelled at the foreign receiving institution) you must immediately notify the International Management program at FH Joanneum in writing.
11. What forms will I need to fill in? ^top of page
- Studying abroad is first an experience in filling in forms. At FH JOANNEUM you will be required to supply the following forms:
- Study Abroad Student Priority (prior to departure)
- Learning Agreement (prior to departure)
- Foreign University Student Contact Form (after arrival at foreign university)
- Application forms for ERASMUS stipend
- Application forms for other scholarships (e. g. BMBWK)
- Learning Agreement (Antrag auf Anerkennung der Studienleistungen)
Forms required by the foreign university
Other forms will include country-specific forms in order to obtain the necessary visas or similar documents, as well as university-specific forms which will be provided to you after study abroad places have been assigned.
12. What happens if I fail a course abroad? ^top of page
We expect our outgoing exchange students to be treated equally to local full-time students at the foreign receiving institution. This also extends to the examinations policies and procedures of the receiving institution. Generally, this means that you are expected to exploit all normal and legal routes concerning examinations. If, for an acknowledged reason, this is not possible or, if there is finality in not passing a course abroad, contact the head of the department of International Management as soon as possible.
13. What is generally expected of me as an exchange student? ^top of page
The formal requirements of an exchange student are that you complete the full semester and that you meet your obligations under the so-called “learning agreement” which is to be concluded before your departure. The “learning agreement” covers a list of courses which you have selected for your study abroad term and which are agreed to by the head of the department of International Management at FH JOANNEUM.
Generally, consider yourself as an ambassador of the department of International Management at FH JOANNEUM while studying abroad. Depending on your performance and behavior you may greatly contribute to building a long-term and positive relationship between the foreign receiving institution and the department of International Management at FH JOANNEUM.
14. What is the cost of living in certain countries? ^top of page
This is difficult to answer in general terms. However, in estimating your cost of living as an exchange student in a foreign country, you should take into consideration that you will have certain start-up costs when arriving in a new country (e. g. electrical appliances, linen, registration fees, etc.) and that in most cases you will also travel more in your destination country / region. For detailed, country-specific information, please contact the international coordinator at FH JOANNEUM.
15. When can I study abroad? ^top of page
The current curriculum of the International Management (Management Internationaler Geschäftsprozesse) program at FH JOANNEUM has both a compulsory study abroad and a compulsory internship requirement. For detailed information please contact the department at mig@fh-joanneum.at.
16. When will the study abroad places be assigned? ^top of page
Usually, in the first weeks of the 4th semester.
17. Where will I live at the foreign institution? ^top of page
There is a wide range of accommodation options. All of our partner institutions abroad have agreed to give housing assistance to the maximum usual extent. For detailed information on housing at specific partner institutions please contact the international coordinator at FH JOANNEUM or the department of International Management at FH JOANNEUM.
18. Who is responsible for my cost of travel, accommodation, and cost of living? ^top of page
Generally, you are expected to cover all of your expenses of studying abroad. The International Management program at FH JOANNEUM has negotiated agreements with foreign partner instiutitons that free you from the obligation of tuition, which in many cases is considerably higher than in Austria. However, you are responsible for all other costs incurred. For most students there will be scholarships available through European Union programs such as Socrates, or through the Austrian Ministry of Science and Education. Please note, however, that all of these scholarships are based on the idea that you should only receive assistance with the additional cost of studying abroad (i. e. the cost exceeding your average cost of living in Austria), and that you will never receive full funding.
19. Who will be my contact at FH Joanneum while studying abroad? ^top of page
Your primary contact in academic matters is the head of the International Management department at FH JOANNEUM or a specifically assigned faculty member. For administrative matters your contact is the international coordinator at FH JOANNEUM.
20. Will I have an internet account at the foreign partner institution? ^top of page
Most of our partners have state-of-the art email systems in place for students. In addition, you will also retain your FH JOANNEUM email-account which you can access via Web Access (Link).
21. Will I have to pay tuition at the receiving foreign institution? ^top of page
No. Despite the fact that tuition at most of our partner institutions is considerably higher than in Austria (up to USD 20,000 annually) all of our agreements with foreign partner institutions include tuition-waiver clauses. In the case of some universities, however, you may have to pay certain fees (e. g. library fee, housing assistance fee, etc.).
22. Will I need a GMAT test? ^top of page
No, a GMAT test result is not required.
23. Will I need a TOEFL test? ^top of page
Whether a current TOEFL result is a requirement depends on the foreign receiving institutions. If you are planning to study at a university in an English-speaking country you are well advised to arrange for a TOEFL test yourself in due time. In Austria TOEFL tests can be taken either in Graz or in Vienna. You can register for a test in Graz and will then be told the location of the test. Usually it takes place at Karl-Franzens-University Graz. For more information please contact the website:
http://www.toefl.org/toeflsup/supp_index.html
24. Will I receive full credit at FH Joanneum for the courses I have taken abroad? ^top of page
Yes, if you pass all the courses covered by your learning agreement, you will receive full credit.
25. Will I stay formally enrolled at FH JOANNEUM? ^top of page
Yes, formally you will continue to be a student at FH JOANNEUM.
26. Will the foreign partner institution provide assistance to find internships in their country? ^top of page
The degree of assistance in finding internships varies. In general, do not expect to be entitled to any such assistance, although some partner institutions provide assistance on an individual, case by case-basis or through their institutional career centers. Also, the possibility of internships depends on the local immigration laws which sometimes prohibit, or at least make it difficult to find internships which meet the requirements of the International Management program.
