Study abroad & cruises

Study abroad

There are several different options to study in another country and university during your studies with us.

While we are unable to provide specific help, we suggest to ask different students and lecturers for their ideas and experiences. We also recommend to talk to the Chair of the Examination Board of the Master or Bachelor program, while planning your exchange. Startiung the planning process at least a year in advance is also useful.

For the MSc degree, we recommend the third semester as a possibility to spend a semester abroad. While we currently only have an official agreement with Utrecht university, previous students have spent a semester abroad at numerous different universities.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD, https://www.daad.de/en/) offers an online database with information about scholarships for countries. Support and more information are also available at the Department of International Affairs (https://www.uni-hamburg.de/en/internationales/studieren-im-ausland.html).

Additionally, it is possible to apply for “Auslands-BAföG” (https://www.auslandsbafoeg.de/), which covers tuition fees (up to 4.600€), monthly support depending on the country and travel costs. It has different terms than the “normal” BAföG, thus people who are not able to receive BAföG can receive “Auslands-BAföG” and does not need to be paid back.

Europe

Europe

The ERASMUS program for oceanography students is conducted through the geography. More information is available here (www.uni-hamburg.de/internationales/studieren-im-ausland/programme/erasmus/ansprechpartner.html#min). If there is no direct partnership with your favorite university, it is possible to apply for a “freemover” grant at the DAAD.

Currently, the Institute of Oceanography has one direct partnership with the University of Utrecht within the European exchange program ERASMUS, which offers two master programs to choose courses from (“Marine Sciences” and “ClimatePhysics”). The contact for this partnership is Marion Dohr (Geomatikum, Bundesstraße 55 20146 Hamburg, E-Mail: dohr@geowiss.uni-hamburg.de).

Another option is to study at the “University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)”. The Institute of Meteorology has an ERASMUS partnership with the University of Tromsø to get access to the UNIS courses. The contact person for this partnership is Prof. Dr. Bernd Leitl (Geomatikum, Bundesstraße 55 20146 Hamburg, E-Mail: bernd.leitl@uni-hamburg.de).

Australia, New Zealand & Canada

AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND & CANADA

Information and support can be found at the DAAD and the Ranke-Heinemann Institut (www.ranke-heinemann.de). New Zealand has an agreement with Germany, so that German exchange students only need to pay the national tuition fees (approx. 2000€ per year).

USA

USA

Information and guidance is offered by the America Center Hamburg (www.amerikazentrum.de). They also conduct often needed language tests. The deadline for scholarships is in June (DAAD) or May (Fulbright, www.fulbright.de) the previous year. Application periods at American universities vary for international students.

Cruises

As an oceanography student it is possible to participate in research cruises. Students need to inform themselves about the options of joining a cruise and apply on their own. The first option to apply for a cruise is to ask at the Institute of Oceanography if a cruise will be conducted within the next year and who is in charge of the cruise (normally within the working group of experimental oceanography). It is up to the chief scientist of the cruise to decide if they want to have students with them on the cruise. The second option is to check the cruise schedule of the German Research Vessels, which are used for oceanographic research cruises (mostly Meteor, Maria S. Merian, Sonne und Polarstern), and inform yourselfs about the chief scientists. If the chief scientists are likely to do research in the field of oceanography, it is possible to just ask them if they need students for their cruise. For more information on how you might be able to obtain creditpoints as an MSc student see the module hand book.