Can I go abroad during my bachelor?
Erasmus programme
What is the Erasmus programme?
It is a programme that allows a student to pass a semester abroad, with the possibility of substituting some of the exams he/she would have had to take at the Politecnico with some exams at the host location.
How does it work?
You must define which exams you want to replace with the exams you want to take at the host university, following a series of constraints and rules given by the programme. The main rule is that the maximum number of credits that can be substituted is thirty, equivalent to one semester. The exams that you want to substitute must be reasonably comparable to those that you would have taken in Italy. The correspondence is checked before departure. The grade you will then obtain abroad will be integrated into your study plan at Politecnico.
How does one participate?
The student must respond to the “Call for Mobility”, which is done twice a year. A ranking is drawn up, as places to go abroad are limited: the evaluation is made on the basis of career, i.e. the number of exams taken, grades and completion time. In general, priority is given to students who have never participated in the Erasmus programme during their university career. Once the ranking has been made, the locations are assigned to the students: those at the top will have access to their first preference and so on. If some students drop out or some places do not reach the maximum capacity, a second call for applications is made for those seats that remain vacant.
How is the choice of the destination made?
When the student responds to this call for applications, he or she indicates a number of locations where he or she would like to go, from a list of institutions that have an agreement with the Politecnico. Erasmus can only be done with universities with which Politecnico has an on-going agreement. The advice is to select the locations where you really have an interest in going, not because of the city but because of the university. In fact, if a student is selected for a particular university and then realizes that he or she cannot formulate a ‘Learning Agreement’ because there are no matches between exams, s/he is forced to give up.
What is the "Learning Agreement" and when is it drawn up?
The “Learning Agreement” is the contract between the student, the home university and the host university, which defines the study plan. It is drafted and approved before the departure. Within the Agreement, the correspondences between the subjects provided by the Politecnico and the subjects provided by the host university are entered. You can change the Learning Agreement once you are at the host university, but only for valid reasons (e.g. limited number of courses or overlapping timetables).
How do you find correspondences between courses?
The student must browse the “manifesto” (i.e. the list of courses) of the host university. Once he/she has chosen the courses he/she would like to attend, he/she must find the courses provided by the Politecnico which have approximately 70% overlap with the chosen courses. Once the list of matches has been defined, the student sends the proposal to the Erasmus contact person, who carries out checks with a view to approval. This process is iterative: the student makes a proposal, which triggers a discussion with the contact person, who offers advice and evaluation. For example, the student finds two courses provided by the host university that could correspond to a course at the Politecnico and asks the contact person for advice on which one is a better match. There is a portal with a series of matches that have been approved over the years to facilitate the process.
Are there any forms of financial assistance?
There is a monthly grant, paid by the European Commission. In order to obtain it, the student must be subject to a number of constraints: for example, if the student leaves and then does not pass any exams, he/she must return it.
“There is a mobility grant for Erasmus programme participants”
What is the timing for participating in the Erasmus project?
Usually the call for applications comes out at least one semester before the one in which you would like to leave. It is possible to renounce and there is no maximum time limit. Obviously, the earlier you communicate it the better, because, clearly depending on the timing, you may leave the space for other students in the ranking list.
For what is it best to contact the contact person and for what the exchange office?
For logistical, bureaucratic and procedural aspects, it is best to contact the exchange office, whereas all didactic aspects, such as the Learning Agreement, signatures on application documents the contact person is to be involved.
How does the conversion of votes take place? Can a grade be refused?
“The conversion of grades is automatic, the grade can be rejected”
The conversion is done, in 99% of cases, automatically. So, depending on the location and depending on the grade, a conversion is made to the corresponding exam at the Politecnico. It is not the contact person who gives a grade or makes the conversion, the contact person confirms the conversion, which is given by a table. Once the conversion has been made, the grade is published in the same way as for any Politecnico exam; the student then also has the option of rejecting it, in which case he/she must retake the exam at the Politecnico.
Is there a minimum number of credits to be taken?
There is no minimum number of credits, not even on the “Learning Agreement”. A student could even plan to do five credits only, although this is not recommended for various reasons, including ethical reasons: Erasmus is a university programme, not a holiday!
Can the three projects that make up the final examination be carried out in Erasmus?
It is possible, but they must be subject to the 70% programme match requirement. You cannot, however, replace theoretical exams with practical projects. For example, you cannot replace the software engineering course with just a software engineering project, because there would be a lack of evaluation on the theoretical part.
“Theoretical exams cannot be replaced by practical exams”