Frequently asked questions about studying abroad and internships

 

We hear a lot of questions about studying abroad at events for students, so we've compiled the most frequently recurring questions for you.

Planning phase

When should I plan my stay abroad?

Selection procedures are typically held one academic year in advance.

For mobilities through Partner universities, ISEP or Erasmus+ ICM, the deadline is usually on 15 December - this applies to mobilities for the next academic year. Erasmus+ Europe mobilities have a 1st round of selection in February, and 2nd round in April/May. Erasmus+ placements have deadlines four times a year. Through CEEPUS or AKTION, applications are submitted a semester in advance. For more information on the deadlines, click on the individual programme in the blue box on the right for study placements here and for traineeships here. Departments also publish the current selection procedures on their websites.

How is my scholarship calculated?

The scholarship is based on the setting of the programme you are going through.

For example, if you are going through a Partner university programme or Inter-faculty agreement, you may receive a scholarship of up to 20,000 CZK per month. Erasmus+ provides a €600 per month scholarship to higher cost of living countries and a €480 per month scholarship to lower/middle cost of living countries. Selected programmes also contribute to travel costs, e.g. Erasmus+ ICM offers students reimbursement of travel costs according to a mileage table in addition to a flat rate of €700/month.

The scholarship should cover most of your necessary expenses such as accommodation, food, and travel. There are many circumstances, depending on where you are, whether the host university offers student accommodation, what other necessary expenses you have, etc, however, we recommend having your own financial reserve in addition to the scholarship.

How will the courses I have taken be recognised?

The courses you have taken abroad are recognised based on an approved Learning Agreement (in case of a study stay) or Training Agreement (in case of a work stay). The LA is signed by the person in charge of your department and a person at the International Relations Office/Centre for International Cooperation (depending on how the programme you are going through is administered), as well as the contact person at the foreign institution.

Here you will find a list of the departmental coordinators and responsible persons in the departments.

The responsible person recognizes the courses (whether as A, B, C, or D courses), adjusts the credit grade if necessary, uploads his/her signature, and the learning agreement goes forward for approval.

You should already know how your courses will be recognized before the actual placement begins (within 30 days at most). 

Where can I find other students' experiences?

You can find Erasmus experience here. Final reports from ISEP and partner universities are at this link. The Freemover students' experiences by country can be found here.

Can I go abroad as a graduate after graduation?

Yes, Erasmus+ graduate traineeships make this possible. It is advisable to make all the administrative arrangements while you are still studying. Erasmus+ allows you to go on a practical placement up to 12 months after graduation (including the duration of the placement itself). For more information on Erasmus+ work placements, click here.

Can I go abroad with a minor if I have a combined degree?

Yes, you can. If you want to go abroad, you must be an active student (not interrupting your studies). You also need to remember that if you take courses abroad only in one major and the other major will be neglected. We, therefore, recommend that you make sure that you meet all your obligations by the end of your studies in both disciplines (completion of required courses, number of A, B, C, and D courses). The same applies to double majors.

Are there other options for financing your study abroad?

In most cases, you will receive a scholarship from the programme you are going through. Sometimes it is possible to apply for other types of scholarships than those listed on the Going Abroad website or the CIC website. Eurodesk.cz and AIA offers a good overview of the possibilities. 

Where do I find where I can go?

You may find it useful to search for contracts on the CZS website, where you can filter the terms of your study. We also have a permanent offer of study or work stays and summer schools on the Going Abroad website. We have a special subpage for PhD students. You can look for information about current calls on your department's website or in our website news (you can subscribe to our newsletter).

For PhD students: how do I record my study abroad if I am travelling as part of a cotutelle?

If you are a cotutelle student, you are going abroad based on a dual leadership contract that you have entered in the IS for your doctoral studies. Keep a record of each mobility due to the internationalisation of the department - make a Learning Agreement for each mobility. More information can be found here.

Before departure

What are the components of the application form?

It depends on the programme you are going through. Usually required attachments include a CV, cover letter, letter of recommendation, transcript of records (downloadable from IS), certificate of studies (downloadable from IS), language certificate, and copy of passport. Sometimes a study plan, passport photo or medical examination is also required.

How to fill in the learning agreement?

After successful nomination, a student going on a study abroad placement is required to complete a Learning Agreement (LA). This applies to all students who go abroad and the stay is a part of their studies. The Learning Agreement is filled in electronically via the ISOIS MU system. Follow the manual if you are going through Erasmus+ or other programmes (e.g. interfaculty agreements, partner universities, CEEPUS, etc.)

Before you start filling in your LA, it is important to know whether the programme you are going through is administered by the faculty, i.e. the International Relations Office, or the MU Centre for International Cooperation. This is crucial for selecting a responsible person to approve your learning agreement.

Important: In case the host university has not yet published the courses and you are therefore entering fictitious courses (e.g. Chinese Language I, Chinese Language II) in the Learning Agreement, do not forget to change your LA after you have enrolled in real courses and save it in the evidence folder in IS. We also recommend that you inform the coordinator at the host university that this is a Learning Agreement that is used for administration at MU and that you will change your LA based on actual course enrollment.

What do I need to do before departure besides filling out the LA?

In addition to the approved Learning Agreement by all parties, you must register your stay in the IS MU if it is longer than 14 days. However, it is recommended to register all stays (especially for PhD students). You can register your stay based on this manual.

Upload your Learning Agreement to the study abroad folder in IS MU, upload any changes to your LA during your stay (within 30 days of the start of your stay!) and upload your Transcript of Records and Confirmation of Study Period at the end of your stay. In the case of a work placement, upload the Training Agreement and Confirmation of Placement Period at the end of the placement.

How do I apply for a scholarship?

The process is different for each programme. For selected programmes, it is possible to apply for a scholarship once students have entered their stay in IS and have a (pre-approved) Learning Agreement saved in IS. This applies to departures via Interfaculty Agreements and Freemover. In this case, the scholarship is paid by MU to your account. In case of departure for both semesters of the academic year, the scholarship is paid until the end of the calendar year and the reimbursement of the scholarship is dealt with at the beginning of the following year. For CEEPUS, your entitlement to a scholarship is established by the Letter of Award and is paid by the host university.

The scholarship is not intended to cover all expenses, it is financial support for increased costs. We recommend that you count on self-financing in advance.

During your stay

Can I interrupt my studies during my stay abroad?

No, active study at MU is a prerequisite for studying abroad at a foreign institution.

Can I change my approved Learning Agreement during my study abroad?

Yes, the Learning Agreement can be changed within 30 days of the start of your stay if there are changes to the course enrollment.

Changes are made in your current LA through ISOIS MU, and courses are re-validated by the departmental designee, the International Relations Office/Center for International Cooperation (depending on where the program is administered), and the contact person for the host institution. You download the approved document and add it to the registered stay folder in the IS MU as "Changes to LA".

What if I need to sort something out during my study abroad?

You can contact us with your query at int@phil.muni.cz

At the end of your stay

What do I need to request before departure?

Before leaving the host university, the student arranges a Confirmation of Study Period and a Transcript of Records if he/she has enrolled in courses abroad. In the case of a work placement, it is a Confirmation of Placement Period.

What do I have to do when I return from my stay abroad?

After returning from a study abroad, the student uploads the Confirmation of Studies/Confirmation of Study Period and the Transcript of Records to the Records folder in IS MU. In case of a work placement, it is a Confirmation of Placement Period.

Can I go again if I have already been abroad?

Yes, you can. Some programmes have a time limit for stays, some programmes can be repeated without limit after successful nomination.

For example, Erasmus+ allows a maximum duration of 12 months within one study cycle (Bachelor, Master, PhD), so it is possible to combine e.g. a half-year Erasmus+ study stay and a half-year Erasmus+ work placement within one cycle (Bachelor, Master, PhD studies). For some programmes (e.g. AKTION), preference is given to applicants who have not been abroad through the programme before. Elsewhere, a supply vs. demand system applies.

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