Welcome to IfKW! Once you are nominated as an exchange student by your home university you need to register at the International Office of LMU. This site provides information for exchange students who were already accepted as visiting students at LMU and who will spend one or two semesters at the Department of Media and Communication (IfKW).
There are two ways for international students to study at IfKW: as full-time students or as incoming guest students for one or two semesters. Details on both options are provided below.
For international students who wish to complete a full degree program at LMU (degree students), the International Office is the first point of contact for applications, admission, and enrollment.
Proficiency in German and English is an absolute prerequisite for a successful application and successful studies.
To ensure that the study visit is as successful as possible for as many international full-time students as possible, the Admissions Department of the International Office offers the following services:
Contact details can be found on the LMU International Office website.
Students of communication science and media research who come from abroad to study at LMU for a semester or a year (or wish to do so) will be informed and advised by our international officers on the following points:
The application process at IfKW and LMU consists of three consecutive steps, which must be completed in sequence with sufficient lead time and good planning.
You must first apply through your own university. Exchange students from partner universities: Please contact your local student advisor. A list of our partner universities can be found here.
Once your application has been approved, your home university will nominate you for a semester or a full academic year at LMU. If you have any questions, please contact your coordinator at your home university.
You cannot apply to LMU without a nomination.
Further information on the application process, procedures, and required documents for LMU can be found on the website of our International Office.
Before you arrive in Munich, you will receive an appointment for enrollment at the LMU International Office. These appointments take place one to three weeks before the start of the semester.
Upon enrollment, you will receive your personal student ID card (matriculation number). This number is essential for registering for seminars and lectures. Please forward your matriculation number to the coordinator of your department immediately upon receipt. You will also receive a campus email address (preceded by "name.surname@campus.lmu.de") that you can use to log in to the various LMU systems.
Once you have paid the administration fee and the basic ticket for public transport, you will receive your student ID card and your certificate of enrollment. You will be informed how, where, and when to pay the fee during enrollment. Once you have completed this step, you can purchase the semester ticket and an optional additional season ticket, which allows you to travel unlimited within the MVV network (Bavarian discount ticket).
Winter semester: October 1 to March 31 | Summer semester: April 1 to September 30
The winter semester usually begins in mid-October, and the summer semester in mid-April (see the academic calendar for exact dates); most courses start during these weeks. You can find out where and when courses take place in the online course catalog LSF.
A welcome day is held at the IfKW in the week before the semester begins. This is an opportunity to meet all the exchange students at the IfKW who have already been in Germany for a semester.
All incoming students will receive the invitation and date of the Welcome Day by email a few weeks in advance.
The exact dates and deadlines for individual exams will be announced in the first course, which is mandatory.
Please note the registration procedures for exams and the information on attendance!
Courses and course descriptions can be found in the LMU online course catalog (LSF; no registration required; simply click on the course catalog). The catalog is available in English and German. Information on courses at the IfKW can be found under "Faculty of Social Sciences" / "3/Communication Science and Media Research." Bachelor's students should select the section "BA Major in Communication Science (PO 2015)." Master's students should select "MA Communication Science."
Please note that only master's students are allowed to enroll in master's courses!
Lectures are usually attended by 100 to 200 students and held weekly by a professor. Discussions are the exception; students are not expected to participate actively. Students are expected to read the relevant literature at home. Towards the end of the semester, there is a final exam, a written test (usually in the last week of the lecture period).
At first glance, lectures seem easy, but consider the following: you cannot practice your German in a lecture. In addition, the written exams are often quite challenging.
A seminar usually has between 15 and 30 students. You will probably have to give a presentation (usually together with fellow students) and at the end of the semester you will most likely have to write a term paper. A seminar also involves reading relevant literature. Occasionally, practical exercises take place. Discussions play an important role in seminars. Presentations are usually not a problem for exchange students, but the assignments at the end of the semester are often demanding (however, you can discuss the requirements with your tutor).
These advanced seminars are conducted like normal seminars, but are designed for students in their third year of study. If you would like to participate in an advanced seminar, you should have a good command of German. Advanced seminars must be taken together with an accompanying seminar or exercise.
Exercises are offered in parallel with seminars or lectures. Practical skills are taught here.
A few weeks before the start of the semester (end of August/end of February), the international coordinator of the IfKW will send a form to enrolled students so that they can register for courses in our department. You do not need to register online with LSF. Please note that due to limited capacity, we cannot accept all applicants for all courses.
IMPORTANT for Erasmus+ students:
Once you have received your final timetable, you can submit your Learning Agreement to your international coordinators at IfKW and your home university (by email is sufficient) in order to receive your first scholarship payment.
IMPORTANT:
You do not need to register for courses directly online with LSF. Your coordinator at IfKW will do this for you. However, this only applies to courses at IfKW – if you would like to attend courses in another department, you must register yourself (it is best to send an email to the lecturer).
When selecting courses, you should consider the following:
IMPORTANT for Erasmus+ students:
Once you have received your final timetable, you can submit your Learning Agreement to your international coordinators at IfKW and your home university (by email is sufficient) in order to receive your first scholarship payment.
We recommend that everyone take a German course—after all, you want to be able to communicate well in the country where you will be living for the next few months.
LMU does not offer free German courses, but exchange students receive discounts for some courses and online courses. For more information, please visit the LMU website.
In addition, LMU strongly recommends participation in the language preparation and orientation program offered in March and September. This program consists of three parts: intensive language courses, excursions and accompanying cultural programs, and a campus orientation.
Most courses at LMU are taught in German. In addition, at least some of the exams at the end of the semester are held in German. It is therefore important to use the semester to improve your German language skills. The best thing you can do is talk, talk, talk. Don't be shy: talk to other students, go to parties, and speak up in seminars.
We always strive to offer our new students a wide-ranging and interesting course program. We make sure that our students can earn at least 30 ECTS (in English) without overlap. Therefore, we strongly recommend participating in our seminars for international students—firstly, because it's fun (!) and secondly, because it's a place where all exchange students at the IfKW can meet.
Each semester, we offer a seminar specifically for international students: “Professional Communication in Munich” in the winter semester and “Media Institutions in Munich” in the summer semester. In these seminars, students learn a lot about the media landscape in Germany and get to know various institutions on excursions.
In addition, the IfKW offers a course in academic writing (“Writing for Academic Purposes”) every semester, as LMU attaches great importance to the accuracy of academic research and its propaedeutics. In our experience, many international students have problems in this area because they are familiar with different conventions at their home universities. That is why we offer a crash course in academic propaedeutics (preparatory course). It takes place on one afternoon and is mandatory for all exchange students at the IfKW. For more information, please contact your coordinator.
Current information about your studies at IfKW and the courses taught in English in summer 2025 can be downloaded here (PDF, 415 KB) (pdf).
Course times: If a course is scheduled for 10 a.m. c.t., this means that the course begins at 10:15 a.m. (c.t. = "cum tempore" – academic quarter hour); 10 a.m. s.t. ("sine tempore"), on the other hand, means that the course begins punctually at 10 a.m. The first week of the semester is very important – in the first few sessions, assignments are handed out and deadlines are discussed.
Missed lessons: If you are unable to attend a lesson (for any reason), you should inform your tutor in advance (a short email is sufficient).
IMPORTANT: If you miss a session, your tutor is not responsible for informing you about deadlines and ensuring that you receive important information. If you fall ill, you must ask (especially your fellow students) what was covered in the course after the session.
The first week of the semester is crucial—in the first sessions, assignments are handed out and deadlines are discussed.
Exchange students at the IfKW do not need to register for exams. If you would like to take an exam at another institute, you must inquire there about the registration process. Please note on all tests and assignments that you are an ERASMUS/exchange student. It is advisable to discuss the procedure for exchange students with your tutor a few weeks before the exam date. For example, you can ask whether you are allowed to use a dictionary and whether it is okay to write an assignment in English.
Especially at the beginning, it can be difficult to get in touch with other German students—they already know each other and have a close circle of friends. Don't be shy, just approach the students around you.
The International Office offers the opportunity to participate in the LMU Buddy Program.
All LMU lecturers offer office hours. You can find the times on the institute's websiteunder "People." During office hours, you can simply go to the institute and visit your lecturer (unless "by appointment" is specified, in which case you will need to make an appointment in advance).
If you are unable to attend during office hours, you can speak to your instructor after class or send him/her an email to arrange an alternative appointment.
IMPORTANT: Never visit a lecturer outside of their office hours without making an appointment in advance.
You can email your lecturers at any time. It is best to use a reliable email service (you can't go wrong with your campus address or the address of your home university). It is a good idea to write a clear subject line (instead of "Question," it is better to write "Scope of the seminar paper").
The stereotype is true: Germans are pretty punctual. Nobody likes it when students are late, whether it's for a lecture or an excursion. Remember: Munich is a big city and LMU is a big university. You will get lost, especially at the beginning of your stay. We therefore recommend that you allow a little extra time and find out exactly how to get to your destination in advance.
If you are late despite everything, try to let someone know: you could send a text message to another student who is attending the same course. And, of course, apologize for being late when you arrive.
Once you arrive at IfKW, your contact person will be the IfKW International Office. If you cannot find the answer to your question online (here is an overview of questions for visiting students) or at your home university, please feel free to contact the International Office.
When contacting us, please provide your student ID number (if available), your home university (if available), and outline your request. Emails can be processed in German and English.