In this guide
Fast answer
A Learning Agreement for Germany uses the standard EU template and German universities count in ECTS, but three German habits catch exchange students out: the academic year runs on a winter and a summer semester that do not match southern European calendars, course places are often booked online before you arrive, and signing up for a course does not register you for its exam. Grades go from 1.0 (best) to 4.0 (lowest pass).
- Want it prepared for you? Odisea builds your Learning Agreement draft with the evidence your coordinator asks for.
- Still choosing a city? See the Germany country guide.
The classic German failure is not a wrong course. It is a student who attended every lecture, never registered for the exam, and came home with no credits.
What is the same everywhere, and what is German
| Topic | EU-wide rule | What it looks like in Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Credits | ECTS, about 60 per full-time year | ECTS; some universities recommend 20–30 per semester for exchange students |
| Calendar | Set by the host | Winter semester starts in September/October, summer semester in March/April |
| Course sign-up | — | Often online and before arrival, with department deadlines |
| Exams | Set by the host | Separate exam registration, usually mid-semester, with a hard deadline |
| Grades | Converted by your home university | 1.0 is the best grade, 4.0 the lowest pass |
| Changes | Start within 5 weeks of the semester start | Same rule; exam registration deadlines still apply |
The calendar: winter and summer, not autumn and spring
German universities split the year into a winter semester starting in September/October and a summer semester starting in March/April, as the DAAD explains. Lectures and exams fall inside those, and exams often cluster at the end of the lecture period — at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg’s Institute of Economics, typically in the last two weeks of lectures.
For your Learning Agreement this matters in two ways. If your home university’s first semester ends in January, a German winter semester may still be examining you in February; and a German “summer semester” course is not the same as a spring course at home. Put the real exam dates next to your return date before your coordinator signs.
Course sign-up happens before you land
Many German universities allocate seats in seminars and some lectures through an online portal. At the University of Mannheim, for autumn 2026, course registration for exchange students opened on 17 August, with department deadlines between 23 August and 7 September — before most students arrive. Miss the window and a course in your Learning Agreement may simply be full.
Build your list from the host’s course catalogue (Vorlesungsverzeichnis) and module handbook (Modulhandbuch), note which courses need registration, and keep a backup for each seminar.
Exam registration is a separate step
This is the one to underline. At FAU, attending a course and registering for its exam are two different processes: exam registration runs through the campus system, opens around the middle of the semester and closes on a strict deadline, after which no changes are possible; you can deregister up to three working days before the exam. Many German universities work the same way, with their own dates.
Add every exam registration deadline to your calendar the day you arrive. A course you attended but were not registered to sit counts for nothing in Table A.
Grades: lower is better
German grades run from 1.0 (excellent) to 4.0 (the minimum pass), and at FAU the exact grading key is set by each instructor. Your home university converts the grade, so a 2.0 in Germany is a good result, not a mediocre one.
Changing it after you arrive
The EU guidelines let you start changes within five weeks after the start of each semester, and all parties should agree within two weeks of your request. New courses go in the “During the mobility” tables and must be approved again by all three parties — and in Germany you still have to register for their exams on time.
Before your coordinator signs: a five-point check
1. Every course runs in the German semester that matches your stay. 2. Its exams fall before your return date. 3. You know which courses need online sign-up, and when. 4. You have written down each exam registration deadline. 5. Each pairing in Table B has a syllabus link and a one-line reason your coordinator can check.
Point five is what our Learning Agreement service prepares: every equivalence with its course code, ECTS, syllabus link and justification, in a PDF ready for your coordinator.
Where to go next
- Germany: cost of living, cities and universities
- Berlin for exchange students
- Munich for exchange students
- Hamburg for exchange students
- ECTS credits explained
- Learning Agreement for Italy
Frequently Asked Questions
When do German semesters start?
The winter semester starts in September/October and the summer semester in March/April. Exact lecture and exam dates vary by university.
Does enrolling in a course register me for the exam in Germany?
Often not. At many German universities, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg among them, exam registration is a separate step in the campus system with its own strict deadline.
What is a passing grade in Germany?
4.0 is the lowest pass and 1.0 the best grade. Your home university converts it according to its own rules.
Can I change my Learning Agreement after arriving in Germany?
Yes, within five weeks of the start of the semester under the EU guidelines, with all three parties approving the change — and you still need to register for the new courses’ exams in time.