Outgoing

Requirements for Studying abroad with Erasmus+

More information on opportunities for an internship with Erasmus+ can be found here.

The conditions for participation in the Erasmus+ programme are:

1. Regular enrollment in a degree programm at Bielefeld University
2. Stay at a partner institution for 3-12 months to study
3. Earliest departure time is in the 3. semester
4. Appropriate language proficiency in the language of instruction, at the time of departure

You can only participate in the Erasmus+ programme if you are going to study at an institution with which the Faculty of Sociology has a bilateral Erasmus+ agreement. You can find all of those partner universities here, listet accoding to country, study cycle and thematic areas.

The period of time spent at the partner university abroad must be at least three months and must not exceed twelve months. The exact duration depends on the specific inter institutional agreement. The Erasmus+ programme offers 12 months per study cycle (bachelor, master, PhD) to each student. These months can be used to study at a partner university or to do an internship abroad.

In order to be eligible for the Erasmus+ programme, you must be at least in your second year of study (3rd BA semester) at the time of going abroad and have a strong command of the language(s) of instruction at the partner university in order to get most out of your studies.

It is mandatory for the students going abroad to take a language test prior to departure if the language of instruction at the host university is English, French, Spanish, Italian or German. The test is free and online-based. The students and the home institution will receive the result. If the test result is below B1 level of the European Framework of Reference for Languages, the student may be required to take an online language course before departure, which is also provided free of charge. The test is taken after the nomination of students, and therefore has no influence during the application and selection process. After returning from study abroad students should repeat the language test, however this is not mandatory.

 

Benefits of the Erasmus+ Programme

The Erasmus+ programme has many benefits for students and staff:

 

1. Financial support and exemption from paying tuition fees
2. Simplified enrollment procedure
3. Simplified procedure for academic recognition of courses
4. Acquisition of language and intercultural skills
5. New contacts and international networks

 

Erasmus+ students receive financial support from the programme. Partner universities do not charge tuition fees from Erasmus+ students, and participants in the Erasmus+ programme are paid a scholarship of at least 330€, 390€ or 450€ depending on the country of destination. The total amount of the scholarship is calculate annually by the International Office. You can find a list of the part-cost grants for Erasmus+ students according to countries here. In addition, students can apply for Auslands-BAföG, a student loan for studying abroad (please note that not all students are eligible to receive BAföG).

Through the Erasmus+ programm students will have lower entry requirements (e.g. with regard to language proficiency) and a simplified application procedure, which make it easier for Erasmus+ students to enroll at partner universities. In addition, students have to sign a Learning Agreement before going abroad to facilitate the transfer of credit points (ECTS points) and the recognition of courses taken at partner universities by Bielefeld University. Credits obtained from the partner university are transferred upon return after approval. You can find the procedure for academic recognition of courses taken abroad here (in German).

The Erasmus+ programme gives students the opportunity to participate in language courses at the partner university and benefit from the same advantages as national students. For example students may participate in sports and cultural activities or student clubs and associations. In addition, there are active Erasmus+ student networks (ESN) in many cities that organise activities on a regular base. The activities enable Erasmus+ students to experience the language and cultures of the partner country and make international contacts.

The Erasmus+ Programme at the Faculty of Sociology

Like other faculties at Bielefeld University, the Faculty of Sociology has established Erasmus+ partnerships with numerous distinguished European universities as well as a number of partnerships with universities around the world. At the Faculty of Sociology these partnerships are coordinated by different coordinators, divided accoding to thematic areas.

For general questions regarding the Erasmus+ program at the Faculty of Sociology, students can contact the general advice center at the Faculty of Socilogie under: erasmus.soc@uni-bielefeld.de

Erasmus+ International Dimension Programme

The Faculty of Sociology is the first department at Bielefeld University to have successfully established the Erasmus+ International Dimension programme, and it will receive financial support until at least 2020. This programme will facilitate partnerships with universities in non-European countries. The Faculty of Sociology currently has cooperative agreements with partner universities in the following countries:

• Israel (University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University)
• Nepal (Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University)

Outgoing students who spend an Erasmus+ semester at one of these partner universities will receive a scholarship of 700 Euro a month, as well as subsidies to cover travel costs.

Erasmus+ for (Teaching) Staff

Most of our Erasmus+ partner agreements also provide (teaching) staff exchange opportunities. If you are planning an exchange with one of the partner universities under the Erasmus+ staff mobility programme, please contact the coordinator responsible for the partnership agreement with the university of your choice and check the application procedure in the International Office.