SOCRATES / ERASMUS exchange programmes
Erasmus is a European Commission exchange programme that enables students in 31 European countries to study for part of their degree in another country.
This year SOAS welcomed over 40 students from other European countries under the SOCRATES/ERASMUS exchange programme. Applicants should contact the ERASMUS coordinator of their home institution to ensure that an agreement exists between them and SOAS, and should apply through their home institution.
It is also possible for full-time SOAS students to go to European universities for a period of study under the various exchange agreements.
At present SOAS has agreements with the following institutions:
Austria
- Universitat Wien
Denmark
- Roskilde Universitetscenter
Finland
- Helsingin Yliopisto
France
- L'Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO)
Germany
- Universitat Hamburg
- Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat Heidelberg
- Universitat Leipzig
Greece
- Ionian University, Corfu
Italy
- Universita degli Studi di Firenze
- Universita "Ca Foscari" Venezia
- Universita degli Studi di Trieste
Netherlands
- Universiteit Leiden
Norway
- Universitetet i Agder
- Universitetet i Oslo
Portugal
- Instituto Superior de Ciencias do Trabalho e da Empresa, Lisboa (ISCTE, Lisbon)
Switzerland (Not part of SOCRATES/ERASMUS)
- Universitat Bern
Turkey
- Boğaziçi Üniversitesi
- İstanbul Üniversitesi
- Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi, Samsun
For further information please e-mail registrar@soas.ac.uk
Advantages of Being an Erasmus Student
How can I take part in the Erasmus Programme?
If you are enrolled at SOAS on a full-time degree programme and wish to study in another EU or EEA country, you may be able to participate in the Erasmus programme. But the School must have a formal agreement with an appropriate partner in one of the eligible countries, it must be in the subject area(s) of your degree and both institutions must have an Erasmus Charter. For more information on this, you should contact the Registry registrar@soas.ac.uk
The Registry will advise you if the School has any Erasmus agreements with other institutions in your degree subject(s) and in the country you are interested in going to. They will also put you in touch with any SOAS academic staff or contacts in partner institutions who may be consulted. You will be expected to establish contact with any relevant partner institutions, and prepare a proposed course study package for approval by your department(s) and your Associate Dean.
What other criteria do I need to satisfy to be eligible to undertake an Erasmus placement?
You must:
- be an EU national, a national of an EEA country, or possess a valid UK residence permit;
- be registered on a full-time degree programme at SOAS;
- not have received a previous ERASMUS grant.
However, satisfying these criteria does not guarantee that you will receive an Erasmus grant and because the grants are allocated on an annual basis SOAS will not be able to give you any guarantee in advance (see below).
When can I take part?
It depends. Under Erasmus scheme rules you cannot be an Erasmus student in your first year of study. School regulations forbid students undertaking their final year of study outside the school so for three-year undergraduate degree students Year 2 provides the only practical opportunity for Erasmus study.
Erasmus placements are for a minimum period of three months and a maximum of twelve. Because of the structure of most SOAS degree programmes, undergraduates who undertake an Erasmus placement must do so for a full academic year of nine months. Programme structures dictate that taught Masters degree students are very unlikely to be able to undertake an Erasmus placement* although research degree students may be able to take part, and for periods of less than twelve or nine months.
*Undergraduate students following four year language degrees which involve a language year abroad are also unlikely to be able to participate in the Erasmus scheme. Such students are already spending a year away from SOAS. Additionally undertaking an Erasmus placement would require them to spend two of their four years away from the School, something the School has regarded in the past as academically undesirable.
Will the Erasmus study period count towards my final degree?
If you undertake an Erasmus placement, you will receive formal academic recognition for your study period abroad. Undergraduates who successfully complete an Erasmus year abroad will be credited with four course units to count towards their overall degree requirements (in a way similar to how first year study is credited). However, actual marks achieved during the Erasmus placement will not be counted and students’ degree classification will be based on their final year marks (for further information, see the degree regulations). For research degree students, the placement period counts towards the overall registration period of the student’s degree.
What subjects can I study?
As indicated above, the Erasmus study placement period counts towards your degree. It is not an additional year or a year out, either in academic or funding terms. Undergraduate degree students must study courses that their department(s) and the relevant Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) are prepared to accept as equivalent to (but not necessarily the same as) the four courses they would have studied at SOAS during that year. Where the curriculum determines that compulsory courses must be studied, equivalent courses must be studied during the placement.
How fluent must I be in the language of the country I wish to study in?
Although you would expect to improve your language skills during an Erasmus placement, you will almost certainly need to have a working knowledge of the language in advance to enable you to study your degree subject(s) in that language. Your department(s) and Associate Dean will bear this in mind when considering your study proposal. Some European partner institutions do teach certain subjects in English although this is not widespread.
What does it cost? Tuition fees
Undergraduate students from England and Wales who spend a full year in a partner institution pay no tuition fees to SOAS for that year and no tuition fees to the partner institution; the UK government meets the cost of the tuition fee. If you study for part-year in another university under an Erasmus agreement, you will have to pay the full tuition fee to SOAS (or that part of it which is not paid by your Local Education Authority) but no fee to the partner institution. Research students pay tuition fees to SOAS in the normal way but do not pay tuition fees to the institution they are visiting.
What does it cost? Other costs
Obviously, during your period of study in the partner institution you will need to pay for residence and general living costs and entertainment. While in some countries this may be more expensive than at home, in many the reductions for students means that it costs no more, and often significantly less, but this does vary so you need to check on costs. During your study period you will be eligible to continue to receive any student grant or loan to which you are normally entitled, from national or other sources, and you may also obtain an Erasmus student grant.
The Erasmus Student Grant
You may be eligible to receive an Erasmus grant which contributes towards the extra costs arising from studying abroad but it will not cover all normal student living expenses and it is not automatic. Erasmus grants are paid by SOAS, which receives an allocation from the UK ERASMUS COUNCIL for distribution to students. It must be remembered that as the grant is cash limited there may be situations in which you will not receive an ERASMUS grant. Erasmus grants (if awarded) are paid in addition to the standard grant for those students still receiving LA, SED, NEDNI grants. Students who are eligible for student loans from the Student Loans Company may still obtain such loans for their Erasmus study periods abroad.
Reports
Students who undertake an Erasmus placement are required to complete and return to the School a short report on their study period. This report is forwarded to the UK ERASMUS COUNCIL. In addition, students who are awarded an Erasmus grant will be required to sign receipts for any funds received.
Applications
Undergraduate students interested in undertaking an Erasmus placement should contact the Registry during Term 1 in the year before the proposed study abroad. By the beginning of the third term, they should have established which institution they might attend and what courses they wish to study. Departmental and faculty approvals should then be sought and students should also establish what application procedures their host institution will require them to complete.
Cancellation of placement
If, despite completing arrangements to undertake an Erasmus placement, a student decides not to take up her/his place, s/he should inform the Registry as soon as possible. Assuming that such notice is given before the start of the academic year, the student will be able to rejoin her/his degree programme at SOAS. Any Erasmus funding disbursed must be repaid.
