Swiss-European Mobility Program

The Swiss-European Mobility Program (SEMP) is the Swiss equivalent of the Erasmus+ program. Under the umbrella of SEMP, student mobility for study purposes between Switzerland and European countries is also promoted in the higher education sector (tertiary level).

Program benefits | Requirements | Application | Financing options | Obligations

Why SEMP?

The SEMP offers students the opportunity to study at a partner university in Switzerland.

Students can also complete several stays (study and/or internship) with a maximum total duration of 12 months per study phase (Bachelor’s, Master’s, doctoral student).

The aim of the SEMP program is to strengthen social and cultural skills and improve students’ career prospects. The study abroad program also gives students the opportunity to experience the academic system at a Swiss university and to benefit from its teaching and learning methods.

Program benefits

  • Simplified application procedure at the partner university
  • Tuition waiver at the host university
  • Support during the preparation of the stay abroad (culture, language, organizational matters)
  • Possibility of academic recognition of credits earned abroad
  • The Swiss partner university typically offers the opportunity to apply for a mobility grant for additional costs that arise from studying abroad

What does program participation involve?

University place with no tuition fees—for at least 2 months and a maximum of 12 months—at a  partner university in Switzerland as part of an existing bilateral cooperation agreement.

Who is eligible?

Participants ...

  • are regularly enrolled in a degree program (Bachelor’s / Master’s) at the University of Hohenheim
  • have completed their first year in a Bachelor's degree program at the University of Hohenheim or at another recognized higher education institution
  • would like to complete one or two semesters studying or doing an internship at a partner university in Switzerland
  • are pursuing a degree (Bachelor’s / Master’s) at the University of Hohenheim and not the partner university
  • have a sufficient number of SEMP support days remaining for mobility (max. 360 days per study cycle)

Applying

Application procedure1. Send an application to the University of Hohenheim for up to three exchange places in the European region (three priorities, regardless of whether via SEMP or Erasmus+). Once a year, at least four weeks before the application deadline, the exchange places are officially advertised via the AA-News on the University of Hohenheim intranet.
The contents of the respective announcement in the AA-News for the corresponding application procedure apply. Applications for exchange places are submitted exclusively via the online portal
Mobility-Online. The link to the application and further information can only be found in the corresponding announcement in the AA-News.

2. After the application deadline, the selection committee selects the students and offers them a place at a partner university.

3. If the applicant accepts the exchange place, the applicant will be nominated by the faculty’s program officer for a place at the partner university.

4. Finally, the applicants apply to the partner university. The partner university makes the final decision on admission.
Application documents
  • Letter of motivation consisting of an academic statement, a green mobility statement, and a civic engagement statement
  • Academic statement: An academic statement (max. 2000 characters per statement*) must be completed in the online application for each university listed as a priority. An academic statement includes a subject-related justification with study objectives (study focus, not a list of courses) for the stay abroad at the desired university as well as your personal motivation for the stay abroad.
  • Green mobility statement: (max. 2000 characters*): How would you like to make your stay abroad more sustainable and thus contribute to the EU’s climate goals? How can you reduce the ecological footprint of your mobility and what contribution can you make to social change towards a sustainable European society through your mobility?
  • Civic engagement (max. 2000 characters*): How would you like to contribute to the promotion of European values (according to Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union) and a European identity through civic engagement during your stay abroad in Europe? Before applying, find out what the partner universities have to offer (university websites, course catalogs, partner database)!
  • CV in table form (pdf upload): max. 2 pages in one pdf document, includes your academic and professional career, any awards, your social and community involvement, personal interests, and other relevant information.
  • Current transcript of records in English (pdf upload): this can be downloaded from HohCampus
  • Copy of Bachelor’s degree certificate including transcript of records: (only for Master’s students; pdf upload; no certified copy necessary; in English if available)
  • Proof of language proficiency (pdf upload): Valid proof of language proficiency in the primary language of instruction; if applicable, also submit valid proof of language proficiency in another language of instruction or the national language. Please note the requirements set by the partner universities as stated in the partner database and the information from the University of Hohenheim on Languages in exchange programs.
* including spaces
Application deadlinesTo the application deadlines for the University of Hohenheim’s mobility programs
Selection and award criteria

Students are selected by the committee responsible for the particular program. Following the selection, the candidates are nominated at the partner universities. The partner university makes the final decision on admission. Students are selected based on the applications submitted on time in Mobility Online.

The criteria for the selection are primarily the subject-area and academic aptitude as well as the personal motivation for the planned stay and the relevance to the subject area. Additional extracurricular volunteer work is also considered. Applicants are ranked according to the listed criteria as well as the requirements and conditions of the partner institutions, and the exchange places are then assigned according to the ranking list.

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Participant obligations

  • Fulfilling the respective program requirements (e.g., timely submission of all documents required by the program)
  • Acting as an ambassador for the University of Hohenheim at the partner university, as well as for the respective partner university and the exchange program at the University of Hohenheim.
  • Participating in mandatory events for exchange students

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Contacts

Office of International Affairs
Student Mobility and International Admissions Unit (AA2)
Student Mobility Team

The Student Mobility Team organizes regular information events about financing opportunities for a stay abroad.