Erasmus student exchange
The University of Tartu has been participating in the European Union's Lifelong Learning Programme (formerly Socrates) Erasmus sub-programme for higher education since the 1998/1999 academic year. The main activity under the Erasmus programme is student mobility with the aim of studying at a partner higher education institution i.e. student exchange or to do a traineeship abroad in a higher education institution, company, research centre or training centre.
The Erasmus programme includes all EU Member States as well as Turkey, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Croatia. The academic units of the university have entered into many bilateral agreements on student exchange with higher education institutions across Europe as part of it.
The most important principles and steps becoming an Erasmus student:
General terms and conditions of student mobility
General terms participating in the Erasmus programme:
- Student must me matriculated at University of Tartu (UT).
- Students must have completed their first year of studies before going to study abroad.
- Students must remain enrolled at UT during their entire period of studying abroad.
- It is possible to study abroad under the Erasmus programme only once; in addition, students can apply for support in order to do a traineeship in a country participating in the Erasmus programme.
- It is mandatory to take at least 12 ECTS per semester (15 ECTS/semester starting from 2013/14 academic year) at a foreign university or to do the traineeship required in the study programme (see Erasmus traineeship grant) or perform research (Master's and Doctoral programme students) and apply for these to be credited in the study programme of the UT.
- A student's period of studying abroad is recognised as part of the study programme of the UT.
- The period of studies at a partner university can last from three months to one academic year (grant is usually for one semester)
- The host university cannot demand tuition fees or additional charges (fees for the course, registration, examinations or lab use) from exchange students. Students can be charged small fees only, e.g. insurance, membership of student unions and study materials (photocopies and lab resources) on the same basis as local students.
- Students must sign a learning agreement before studying abroad and submit it to the Dean's office in order to be registered as a student studying abroad.
- Students studying in non-state-funded student places must pay 30% of their tuition fee to the UT during their studies abroad.
- The payment of the study allowance to students studying abroad continues unless otherwise decided by the faculty/department/institute.
- The payment of the state education loan to students studying abroad continues.
How to become an Erasmus student?
Every academic year, in February/March, a competition is announced for applying to become an Erasmus student. Students are notified of the competition via the student information list, www.ut.ee/studyabroad and www.facebook.com/utvalismaale. Applying for the upcoming academic year (for the autumn semester as well as for the spring semester) takes place once a year!
If you would like to take the opportunity and study abroad under the Erasmus programme, you should first find out whether your faculty/department/institute has signed student mobility agreements with foreign higher education institutions. List of Erasmus partner institutions can be found here http://www.ut.ee/en/studies/studyabroad/erasmus/erasmus-partner-institut...
It is important to find out, either exploring the homepage of the partner institution or directly communicating with them, whether the partner institution offers courses which are related to your field of study and being taught at the study level and language suitable for you. Similarly to the University of Tartu, in many partner institutions the number of courses taught in a foreign language is different in every field of study. Often the courses by some field of study are taught only in the local language or there are only a few courses taught in a foreign language. This kind of changing information is not offered by the University of Tartu.
Students are selected by the faculties/departments/institutes participating in the programme. This means that the specific terms for applying are set separately by each academic unit. There is an Erasmus Departmental Coordinator in every faculty/department/institute who can give you the information you need on Erasmus and also explain to you the procedure for selecting candidates.
You can apply to two foreign universities. In doing so, you must state your first and second preference in your application. It is only possible to apply based on agreements entered into in your major or in a field closely related to it or in your minor. Before applying based on an agreement in your minor filed of study, you should consult with the Erasmus coordinator in the respective academic unit because the partner institution may require a more deeper knowledge in the given field of study than just taking a module in it.
Applicants must submit the following general documents to the Erasmus Departmental Coordinator:
- Erasmus student exchange application;
- letter of motivation (reasons why you want to study at the particular university, on 1 to 2 pages);
- transcript of records from UT (with an average grade; in English - ask from the Dean's Office); Master's and PhD level students must also submit a Diploma Supplement (in English) on the previous study level (ask for that at the International Student Service);
- certificate indicating command of the language of instruction of the foreign university (all international tests or tests taken in Estonia, including that of the UT Language Centre); or a certificate which proves the required level of language; NB! The states exam is not a sufficient proof!); and
- CV.
The documents being submitted have to be on paper and signed.
Application deadline for 2013/2014 is March 15, 2013.
In selecting candidates, students' academic achievements, motivation, command of languages, connection between the study programme and studying abroad etc. are taken into account. As far as foreign languages are concerned, students should make sure that their language skills will allow them to successfully participate in the studies.
If you need any further information on Erasmus programme, you are always welcome to contact the International Student Service in room 104 in the main building of UT.
Jaanika Haljasmäe
Erasmus Institutional Coordinator
International Student Service, Ülikooli 18-104, Tartu
Office hours Monday-Thursday, 13.00- 16.00
Tel: +(372) 737 5151, e-mail: erasmus [ät] ut [dot] ee
What should I do before going to study abroad?
Fulfilling the admission criteria of the host university
If the academic units have made their decision they forward the document from the students being selected to the Erasmus programm Institutional Coordinator. When the list is completed, the Institutional Coordinator contacts the selected students, that usually happens by the end of March. Students not been selected will be informed by the academic unit.
If you have been selected as an Erasmus exchange student by your academic unit, you should examine the admission rules of the partner university, beacause the final decision is made by them! Basic information on admission is available on the website of the host university. Partner universities also send introductory materials to academic units or the International Student Service. NB! Some of the deadlines are already in the end of March or in the beginning of April!
It is also useful to contact the partner university, and in order to obtain information it is wise to send an e-mail to their Erasmus coordinator. Just introduce yourself as an exchange student from the respective faculty of the UT. It may be the case, however, that some universities only accept formal communication from the UT. The UT sends to the host institution the names and the contacts from the choosen students, however, not all the host institutions do not get in touch with the students after that. NB! The information on the homepage of the host institutions is there for the future incomings so they could make themselves acquaintance with it! Before sending an e-mail to the partner institution the student should indipendently try to search for information .
It is a good idea to bear in mind that the admission rules of universities can vary significantly. In addition to application, universities may require a transcript of records, certificate of language proficiency, learning agreement, health insurance, warranty letter on funding and more. Together with admission documents, universities normally send you information on the documents required on entering the country (visa, residence permit, health insurance etc.). If this is not the case, the student should look for information on the webpage of the foreign ministri on his/her own.
NB! Please observe the deadlines for submitting admission documents, as these can vary depending on the systems of organising studies in the respective country. If you fail to submit your admission documents on time, your application will be rejected.
Study Plan, Learning agreement and registering as a student studying abroad
Before going to study abroad, you should apply for the recognition of the courses and register yourself as a student studying abroad.
The Erasmus grant
The Erasmus grant agreement
Before going abroad, you should enter into an Erasmus programme grant agreement with the UT. Under this agreement, students undertake to study at the foreign university during the study period set out in the agreement and to submit written confirmation from the partner university of their academic achievements. The agreement also stipulates the amount of the grant. In the event that students fail to perform their obligations under the agreement, the university is entitled to demand repayment of the grant and cancel the study period.
After receiving a formal letter of admission from your host university, you should contact the International Student Service in order to enter into the agreement.
Grant
The Erasmus student mobility grant does not cover all of the expenses of studying abroad. The grant is first and foremost meant to cover your travel costs and the gap in living standards in different countries. Be prepared to cover the cost of your studies to a certain extent yourself. The university will transfer your grant to your (Estonian) bank account immediately prior to the study period (usually within two weeks of you signing the grant agreement). The subsistence allowance is EUR 340-550 per month, plus a one-off travel allowance depending on your destination (EUR 70-600). The size of the grant is determined separately each year. The exact size of the grant is not known at the time the competition is on. NB! The host institutions do not offer free accommodation!
Studying at the host university
Host universities normally organise an introductory orientation week for international students before their studies begin. The aims of the orientation week are to help students acclimatise to studying and living abroad, introduce local life and traditions and so on.
When going to study abroad, you generally need to apply for the right of residence in the foreign country. Ask the host university for more information.
Answers to a number of questions can be found in the international students' manuals (The Guide for International Students/Getting started at...etc.) that universities publish. Such manuals provide all kinds of information on how to cope in a foreign country. For instance, you can find directions on how to get to the building you need, where to eat out at reasonable student prices, etc. Often the information is also available online.
The Erasmus coordinator of the host university will help you sort out problems related to your studies. If you encounter problems abroad that you cannot solve yourself or if you cannot obtain the help you need, you are welcome to contact the UT International Student Service (erasmus [ät] ut [dot] ee).
Back at the University of Tartu
After returning to Tartu, you have to submit the following to the International Student Service within 1 month of the expiry of the agreement:
- transcript of records (copy);
- confirmation of studying at the partner university, setting out the length of your study period with the respective dates (original); and
- report on studies or the traineeship report (by e-mail).
Transfer of credit points taken at the foreign university
In order to credit the subjects taken abroad as part of your own study programme at the University of Tartu, you should submit the transcript of your records to the Dean's office. This is also an important requirement of the study abroad regulations of UT and the grant agreement that the credits will be transfered.