General Regulations

When can I go abroad?

You can go on your year/semester abroad from any time from your 3rd Bachelor's semester on, and at any time during your Master's.

We highly recommend spending your 5th-6th Bachelor's semesters abroad, especially you wish to study and have classes accredited towards your English Studies degree in Trier. You can also use the time between your Bachelor's and Master's degrees to spend time abroad and gain experience in your field. 

Students who continue on to their MEd in Trier can also go abroad for their 1st-2nd Master's semesters, which again facilitates accreditation. Note that MEd students must complete Module 12 in Trier, as this counts as your 'Staatsexamen'. 

MA students can go abroad at any point in their studies, though those who move to Trier for their MA after completing a BA elsewhere are likely to have missed application deadlines for some exchange programmes, making it difficult for them to go abroad in their first semester in Trier. Nonetheless, accreditation is straightforward at any point during an MA degree, and we also encourage MA students to combine spending time abroad with gaining work experience in their field.

Is a stay abroad compulsory?

For anyone studying in a BEd/MEd programme: Yes. You are required by your degree programme to spend at least three months in an English-speaking country doing something worthwhile for your studies. Before you can be awarded your MEd degree, you must have your stay abroad officially accredited by the Department’s Studienberater/in. For anyone studying in the BA/MA programmes: a stay abroad is not a compulsory part of your degree but we nonetheless highly recommend spending some time in an English-speaking country.

How long do I have to spend abroad?

The rules for the BEd/MEd degrees dictate that you must spend at least three months in an English-speaking country. There are no such rules in the BA/MA degree programmes. Nonetheless, we assume that anyone who has chosen to study English as one of their degree subjects is interested in English language(s) and cultures and will thus want to spend as much time living there as possible. If necessary, you are allowed to divide your time abroad into three one-month stays, for example in different countries or doing different activities. As a rule of thumb, though, the more time you can spend abroad in one go, the better.

What counts as an English-speaking country?

Any of the ‘inner circle’ English-speaking countries clearly count: The UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. You should spend at least two months in one of these countries, where Standard English is the primary language. Spending time in an ‘outer circle’ English-speaking country, such as South Africa, India, Singapore or Jamaica, where most people speak English as a second language, can only account for part of the compulsory time abroad for BEd/MEd students. Please discuss your plans ahead of time with the Department’s “Studienberater/in”.

What activities count?

BEd/MEd students are required to spend their time in an English-speaking country (UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia) doing something worthwhile for their studies; so engaging in some way with the language and culture. A mere beach holiday cannot count, but you can study, work, do an internship, do a language assistantship, be an au pair, complete a language course, attend a summer school, or participate in a work & travel programme. You are also welcome to combine any of these options with a maximum of two weeks’ holiday-like time where you engage in educational or cultural activities such as visiting museums, attending theatre performances, or using the local library to research for your studies; as long as you can prove your engagement in these activities (e.g. with tickets).

Who can I talk to if I have more questions?

As a first step, you can find information on the Anglistik webpages, and look at the webpages of the International Office.  

Your next port of call should probably be the Department’s Study Advisor: Dr Bettina Kraft (kraftb@uni-trier.de). For information on Erasmus+ and European study abroad and internship programmes, you can also contact Dr Britta Colligs and/or Ms Laura Witz (erasmusangl@uni-trier.de). For information on spending time abroad, particularly studying, in other English-speaking countries, such as the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, you can also contact Ms Carol Ebbert-Hübner (ebbert@uni-trier.de; for the USA and Canada) and Dr Markus Müller (markus.m.mueller@uni-trier.de; for Australia or New Zealand).