Frequently Asked Questions Erasmus Out

ERASMUS+ is an EU action programme in the field of lifelong learning that offers students the possibility to undertake a study period/internship in another European university/company, either with academic recognition (as an integral part of the study programme of the home university) or without academic recognition (in the case of extra-curricular traineeships or graduate traineeships).

Erasmus Charter for Higher Educations 2014-2020

As an Erasmus student you will benefit from a unique academic, personal and perhaps professional experience that will help you to grow. You will have the opportunity to learn new working methods, new technologies, to access other knowledge and other cultures and to develop your language skills.

This opportunity will contribute to: a possible and greater future employability, not only in national but also in international markets; a greater ability to adapt, flexibility, autonomy, initiative and entrepreneurship; the broadening of horizons, thus favouring the construction of a Europe increasingly plural but united by cultural, linguistic and educational diversity.

EPS – Erasmus Policy StatementEPS – Erasmus Policy Statement

Mobility under the ERASMUS+ Programme is subject to two possible frameworks:

Studies or mixed - regularly enrolled students may apply (with the exception of 1st year students of the 1st cycle of studies) for the realization of study periods or mixed 

(studies and internship) in another European partner University, with a duration between 3 months and 1 academic year.

Internship - regularly enrolled students or recent graduates (up to 1 year after concluding the course) may apply for an internship in a business environment, with a minimum duration of 2 months and a maximum duration of 1 year.

It should be mentioned that you can benefit from this type of mobility in the same academic year, provided that they are separated by at least one day. They are, therefore, complementary opportunities for international mobility

The applications for SMS (study or mixed) and SMP (internship) mobility are published on the GRI page, on the UPT website and an email is sent to all students with the application deadlines and the invitation to participate in the information session. In a global way, the application deadline for mobilities to be held in the 1st semester, in the 2nd semester or throughout the year runs until the end of April; if there are vacancies, a new application period may be opened, for mobilities to be held in the 2nd semester. The deadline for applications will run until the end of October.

The countries where mobility can take place under erasmus are: European Union (EU) Member States1 Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom

Under particular conditions, programme countries outside the European Union can participate: North Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey, Serbia.

As per ANErasmus+ page The Exit Agreement provides that the UK will continue to participate in ongoing EU programmes during the period 2014- 2020, including the Erasmus+ programme, as if the UK were an EU Member State until the completion of their implementation. This means that the UK beneficiaries can continue to benefit from grants awarded under the current Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) until the final date of implementation, even if this is after 2020.

The possible participation of the UK in future programmes beyond 2020 will depend on the outcome of the overall negotiations on future relations between the two parties.

You should collect information on mobility in general. Consult the Student Mobility Regulation

Consult the Erasmus+ National Agency portal (Education and Training) at https://www.erasmusmais.pt/

You should also consult the International Relations Office to obtain more particular information, such as: estimated grant values per destination (Mobility Tables) and the financial support given by UPT (the amount corresponding to 25% on 30ECTS).

There may be other determining factors for choosing the destination country and university: quality of the institution, cost of living in that country, possibility of receiving a mobility support grant, professional expectations after the exchange period, etc.

At http://ec.europa.eu/ploteus/ Ploteus page, the student can obtain information on educational systems, living costs, accommodation, etc. They can also carry out a study on the quality of the institutions in the international and/or European rankings. Examples:

Ranking THES – Times Higher Education Supplement - http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012- 13/world-ranking/region/europe and Ranking Webometrics - http://www.webometrics.info/en/Europe/Portugal, among others.

The choice is always up to the student, so it is recommended to do some homework by searching the websites for information about the partner institutions and in case there is a need for additional information, you can always consult the information leaflets that the partners send every year to the International Relations Office and ask for the contacts of the erasmus in students who have already been here.

Under the Erasmus+ programme, mobility is based on bilateral agreements that are established and validated every academic year. These agreements determine the number of students who can be mobile for a certain period of time, the study cycle, among other information that can be validated in the IRO.

The student should consult the UPT website to get to know the universities with which agreements have been signed (List of Agreements signed with other Universities), and that, therefore, can be a destination university.

The student may also: - consult the websites of the partner universities, in order to make a calculated choice; - consult the study plan provided by the destination university in order to verify the compatibility of the study programmes between the two institutions and to confirm if the university has a study plan similar to the course under analysis.

The choice should focus, among other factors, on the UC's offered by the destination university;

- seek advice from the departmental coordinator erasmus (CDE)

- access the study plans of the partner universities directly via Internet or search on the partner university's website through the information available at the faculties and the International Relations Office of Portucalense University ri@upt.pt Phone 225572130 /34 consulting the respective course plans, or else, on the international relations/mobility website of the partner university;

- finding out about the language of instruction at that institution and what can be done to overcome any language barriers that may arise.

After finding out about possible destination universities through the website, analysing the study plans you want to attend and discussing your preferences with the departmental coordinators, you have to choose seven universities in order of preference.

The company can be suggested by the student or found by UPT through the offers received by the international relations office or through the steps taken by the department coordinators or teachers and the students themselves. It is also possible to intern at a university. More information:

https://erasmusintern.org

https://europa.eu/youth/EU/working/work-and-learn_en

https://epso.europa.eu/job-opportunities/traineeships_en

You have to fill in the application form, available on the website. An e-mail is sent to all students with the call for applications and the invitation to participate in the annual information session. They should choose 10 institutions in order of preference.

No. All students are eligible to apply for a mobility grant, but grants are not guaranteed for everyone. The mobility grant is intended to cover the difference in standard of living between the country of the home institution and the country of the host institution.

In case there are more applicants than places for the same university, the selection criteria will be (in this order):

a) Distribution of the number of SMS (studies) and SMP (internships) grants by the 4 departments taking into account the mobility flows in the last 3 years;

b) Higher number of ECTS carried out at UPT;

c) The year the student is attending according to the following rule: 1st - student matriculated and enrolled in the current academic year; 2nd - > number of ects completed, during the academic path and up to the results of the 1st semester of the respective academic year; 3rd - best average;

d) In case of withdrawals, preference will be given to substitutes from the same course;

e) In case of a tie, preference will be given to students who have never done mobility;

f) To have been a buddy with a positive performance evaluation.

All interested parties should attend the clarification session promoted by the outgoing coordinator. There will be a subsequent meeting following the seriation that is mandatory.

At this meeting to which you will be invited, you will be informed about the mobility placement, still under reserve and subject to subsequent confirmation by the destination university. Placement adjustments may be made, taking into account, for example, the placement of a colleague with whom you intend to do mobility.

In this meeting the formal mobility process is also started, by filling in the documents available online.

- Student form.

In order to fill in this form, the student needs the citizen card and must submit it at the same time:

- Power of attorney. To fill in this document, the student needs a copy of the proxy's citizen card and must attach the contact phone number of the proxy;

- Declaration of acceptance of the scholarship. To fill in this document, the student needs the IBAN proof;

- 1 Photo

- EHIC - European Health Insurance Card (copy) http://www.seg-social.pt/pedido-cartao-europeu-seguro-doenca

- Learning Agreement (copy), if you are going to study abroad. You will receive by e-mail the Erasmus Student Charter where the rights and duties of the student are defined.

-Training Agreement (copy), if you are going to do a training period. Together you will receive the Quality Commitment for the professional traineeship that establishes the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved.

-Pre-academic recognition/pre-academic recognition changes document.

The student must consult the rules and/or specific information of the course, published in the regulations of each course, and check if there are limitations regarding the period of studies that can be done abroad and the nr. of ects foreseen.

You do not have to speak the language of the host country, but you should take into account the language of work/staff (which is usually English) and in such cases you should have a level of listening, comprehension and writing of B2. You should prepare your mobility so that you can present language certificates proving your level.
Most of the time the exams take place in the working language.

The Erasmus Departmental Coordinator. You should contact him with the definition of the host institution and the study proposal, using the contacts that you will find in: The Erasmus Departmental Coordinator.

He/she should contact you with the definition of the host institution and the study proposal, using the contacts that you will find at: Here

Once you arrive at your host university, you have until 30 November to make changes to your learning agreement using the second amendment sheet in your learning agreement. Changes require the approval of the CDE of the home university.

Please keep in mind that the learning agreement/trainnig agreement is a document that the original must be in your possession at all times during the mobility and that it is the document that confirms that you are an internationally mobile student.

Some partners offer their university residences and you should only apply when you are filling out the application form. In most cases, you can count on the help of the Incoming students, the buddies or the ESN - Erasmus Student Network.

Yes, before departure you should contact the destination university to clarify the procedures necessary to effect the application and obtain other relevant information, such as obtaining accommodation, language course, school calendar, etc.

All these matters are the student's responsibility. In case of any difficulties during this process, you should ask the outgoing co-ordinator for help.

Please note that the application form has deadlines that cannot be exceeded or the mobility will not be authorised by the host university.

Yes. Before departure, the student must go to the GRI to pick up the signed and stamped learning agreement/training agreement, the academic pre-knowledge document, the declaration of arrival at the host university/company and the declaration of stay. 

The declaration of arrival is filled in by the student and delivered at the GRI of the host university or company and sent, after signed and stamped, by fax or email to UPT, on the arrival of the student. It will include the mobility start date.

The declaration of stay is made by the student and delivered at the GRI of the host university or at the enterprise, at the time of departure of the student - it will contain the start and end date of the mobility that will confirm the completion of the stay for the purposes of payment of the grant.

Yes, the UPT insurance covers the risks inherent to the study activities or internship. However, you should with the help of the international relations office find out if another type of insurance is required by the host institution, which is the student's responsibility.

When you return you should go to the IRO and hand in all the documentation and ask if you need to submit any requests. You will be asked to fill in a mobility assessment survey prepared by UPT. You will have 15 days to answer the survey on the Mobility Tool+ platform, for which you will be notified by email.

Study mobility and/or mixed mobility - the host university will issue a final evaluation certificate stating the approved and non-approved course units, with reference to the number of credits and marks obtained.

After receiving it at the UPT, the departmental coordinator is responsible for issuing the equivalence document stating the course attended and the location, and the curricular units to which equivalences are given with reference to the number of credits and final grade obtained.

Internship mobility - The host company tutor will make a final report containing a quantitative assessment, through a scale questionnaire, and a qualitative assessment describing the trainee's involvement and contribution in the different stages of the internship.

Finally, this report will also include a summary assessment of the trainee's strengths and weaknesses. The student must submit a technical report to the departmental coordinator, which will be evaluated by an evaluation committee after being presented and defended.

He/she is exempt from this condition if he/she is a recent graduate since the mark will be qualitative and at the student's request it will appear in the diploma supplement. All these components will enable the final quantitative assessment to be made.

An equivalence document (academic recognition document) will be issued containing the identification of the work placement carried out (location, scientific area), the curricular units to which equivalences are given, with reference to the number of credits and the final mark obtained.

This document is delivered by the departmental coordinator to the international relations office, which in turn sends it to the academic secretary in order to enter the grades for academic recognition.