General questions
I have already participated in the Overseas exchange programme, for study purposes. Can I participate again for the same purpose (study), or can I only participate a second time for another purpose like, for example, thesis research work?
The second time you participate in the Overseas program you may do so for the same purpose as the first time. The only restriction regards the partner university: you may not choose the same partner university twice.
I have made it through the selection and can go on exchange now with the Overseas programme. Can I also apply for other mobility programmes (e.g. Erasmus +)? And, if I get selected for another programme as well, can I get financial contributions for both programmes?
Yes, you may participate in more than one exchange programme in the same year on the condiion that exchange periods do not overlap and the Board of your Degree Programme here at the University of Bologna approves. Should there be any incompatibilities between one financial contribution and the other, this will be explicitly lined out in the exchange programme regulations included in the Call for applications (“Bando”).
If I get selected for the Overseas programme can I still decide not to accept it (or withdraw after having accepted it) should there be any reason to do so? May I apply for the programme the following year if I withdraw?
Yes: there are no restrictions or penalties if in the past you have withdrawn, be it before, be it after having confirmed acceptance of the exchange place.
I am abroad on exchange now (e.g. Erasmus + exchange). Can I apply for the Overseas programme?
Yes, on condition that you will be able to obtain all the necessary documentation by the application. Pay special attention to the required language certifications.
I was unable to attend the general information meeting about the Overseas programme. What can I do to retrieve the information given during the meeting?
Attendance at the general information meeting is utterly reccomendable and very useful. If you cannot attend for some reason, you should read the general regulations part of the Call for applications very carefully.
I was unable to attend the information meetings by geographical area. Should I contact the partner universities I want to apply for at this stage?
No, all the information you need for your application is the information about the universities provided in the information sheets included in the Call for applications. Should anything be unclear you can contact one of the two offices of the University of Bologna’s International Relations Office (DIRI). We strongly recommend NOT to contact partner universities before being selected for the Overseas programme.
The information meetings by geographical area may be extremely useful, especially if you have not decided yet for which universities you would like to apply.
I have made it through the selection and will go on exchange with the Overseas programme. When will I receive the financial contribution?
The financial contribution will be paid in two instalments Please consult the general regulations included in the Call for applications for details. .
Questions about language requirements
What language proficiency do I need to have to be eligible for an Overseas exchange place?
You can only apply for an Overseas exchange place if you have the level of language proficiency required by that university. These language requirements can be found in the information sheets included in the Call for applications. When presenting your application for the Overseas programme you must have the level of language proficiency required and show proof of this in one of the ways indicated in the general regulations of the Call for applications. Certifications not listed are not accepted.
I am enrolled in an English taught Degree Programme here at the University of Bologna. Does this count as proof of language proficiency?
No, the only language certificates accepted are those indicated in the general regulations of the Call for applications and in the information sheets with specific information for each university.
I am enrolled in a Degree Course at the School of Languages and Literatures of the University of Bologna. Do I still need to certify my language proficiency?
Yes, the only language certificates accepted are those indicated in the general regulations of the Call for applications and in the information sheets with specific information for each university.
I passed the language proficiency test (“idoneità linguistica”) required by my Degree Programme. Does this count as proof of language proficiency?
No. The only language certificates accepted are those indicated in the general regulations of the Call for applications and in the information sheets with specific information for each university.
I am proficient in the language required by the university I want to apply for because I have already spent a period abroad. Do I still need to certify my language proficiency?
Yes, you must provide the certificates the university requires, in one of the ways indicated in the general regulations of the Call for applications .
My mother tongue is the language required by the university I want to apply for. Do I still need to provide certification of my language proficiency?
Yes, even mother-tongue students must demonstrate their knowledge of the language in one of the ways indicated in the general regulations of the Call for applications.
I want to apply for a university requiring an English language proficiency. Can I present my CLA (University Language Centre) certifications as proof of language proficiency?
No. For English you have to have either a TOEFL or a IELTS certificate depending on what’s requested by the specific university. (NB: not all universities accept IELTS; be sure to check the information sheet of each university included in the Call for applications).
I read on the web site of the university I want to apply for that they also accept other language certifications than the ones indicated in the Call for applications. Can I use these for my application for the Overseas programme?
No. Applications with other certificates than the ones indicated in the the general regulations of the Call for applications are not considered valid by the University of Bologna regardless of what is written on the web site of the hosting university.
I am currently abroad and cannot sit the language tests at the University Language Centre CLA required for the universities I would like to apply for . Can I sit them later, after the deadline for applications?
No. You have to have sat the language test before submitting your application. (For English the TOEFL or IELTS certificate does not necessarily have to be uploaded with the application, but you have to fill in the score (self-certified) in your application; the official certificate can be shown at a later stage if you get selected and has to bear a date prior to the deadline for the Overseas application).
I have a DELE Cervantes certificate (or Delf/Dalf; TRKI; CELU, CAPLE/CELPE-BRAS). Is it still valid even if I got it several years ago?
These certificates do not have an expiry date. So, yes, on condition, of course, that they satisfy the level of language proficiency required.
My TOEFL/IELTS certificate expires a few days after the deadline for applying for an Overseas exchange place. Can I still use it to apply?
Yes. In that case you can fill in the score in the Alma-RM application form, and if you get through the selection you will have to send a new language certificate to the partner University together with all the other relevant documentation.
I read in the infosheet that applicants have to send their TOEFL IBT result directly to the partner university. I have sat the test a while ago and therefore have not requested at the time that the test result be sent to the partner university I want to apply for. Do I need to contact the ETS test centre now to ask them to send my test results to the partner universities I want to apply for?
No, you don’t need to. To apply for the Overseas programme it is sufficient to state your test results (and, if you wish, upload a copy of your certificate). We advise to wait for the outcome of the Overseas programme selection and request the forwarding of your test results by ETS after you will know for sure which university you have been selected for, considering ETS applies fees for this. If you want you can even wait until after the meeting with the other selected students you will be invited for.
I hold a Cambridge certification, is it valid to apply?
Yes, but it must meet the exact minimum scores required by each partner university. Moreover, the Cambridge certifications are accepted only if they have been acquired within two years preceding the date of application (24 months). The two-year validity of the certification is calculated starting from the actual date on which the language test was taken.
I hold a language certificate acquired at the Language Center of a foreign university where I did an exchange period under institutional programs (e.g., Erasmus), is it valid to apply?
Yes, it is valid to apply as a French, Portuguese and Spanish language requirement: however, the language certified by the host university must be the official one which is spoken in the exchange Partner University’s country. In order to know the validity requirements of these certificates, please check the Call for Application.
Questions about the year of enrolment
I am enrolled in the first year of a First-Cycle Degree Programme, can I apply for the Overseas exchange programme?
No. As is stated in the general regulations of the Call for applications, students must be enrolled in AT LEAST the second year of a first-cycle or single-cycle degree programme or the first year of a second-cycle/two-year master degree programme.
I will graduate at another university after the deadline for applications and will enrol in a UNIBO second-cycle Degree Programme by the end of December. Can I apply for the Overseas programme?
No. If you are enrolled in a first-cycle Degree Programme at another university, you must obtain your first-cycle degree before the deadline in order to apply for the Programme.
I will graduate at UNIBO (first cycle) after the application deadline and will enrol for a UNIBO second-cycle Degree Programme by the end of December. Can I apply for the Overseas Programme?
Yes.
I am enrolled in two courses of studies at the University of Bologna can I apply on both careers?
No. It is possible apply under one of the two active careers; therefore, students cannot apply for an exchange place on one career and for two other exchange places on another career. Please also note that it is not possible to choose a career that relates to the first year of a degree course.
I am a bachelor degree student and have opted for the part-time enrolment, can I apply? What year should I be enrolled in?
Bachelor degree students who have opted for a part-time enrolment can only enter the application when they are formally enrolled in the third year of the part-time course (which corresponds to the second year of the full-time study course)
I am a student who has not graduated within the time envisaged by my regular degree course (fuori corso), can I apply?
Yes, but note that one of the selection criteria is based on the number of credits acquired (la regolarità negli studi).
Questions about the learning activities to be carried out
Is it possible to reduce (or extend) the length of the mobility period indicated in the Call for applications?
It is possible to reduce the length of stay from one academic year to one semester, on condition that the requirements for the validity of the exchange indicated in the Call for applications are met with. It is not possible to extend the length of stay: if you applied for a semester, you cannot extend the exchange period to one academic year.
I want to apply for an Overseas exchange place as Language Assistant. Will my activities as a Language Assistant be recognised? How? Which learning activities envisaged in my study plan can they replace?
Recognition of these activities is different for each Degree Programme For more information, please contact the School Degree Programme/International Relations Office or the School student mobility coordinator.
Do I have to earn a minimum number of credits at the hosting university?
The University of Bologna sets one completed learning activity per semester or quarter as the minimum requirement . Please note ote however that in some countries universities have higher minimum requirements. Specific information for single universities will be provided after acceptance of the exchange place.
Please note as well that your Degree Course may have set minimum requirements which have to be met with. For further information, please contact the office of the School of your Degree Programme or the International Relations Office.
Do I need to have gained a minimum number of credits to be eligible for an Overseas exchange place?
No. Please note however that the number of credits gained relative to the time you have been enrolled is one of the parameters used in the application assessment More specifically, this represents the “regularity of studies” parameter; “average score” is the second parameter considered. Together, these two parameters account for 60%. The study project accounts for f 40% of the overall assessment.
I am about to graduate and will do an Overseas exchange in the final semester of my last year . Can I apply for a university to do thesis research work, even if this activity is not included in the information sheet of the university?
No. The purpose of your exchange must be indicated in the information sheet of the university for which you want to apply.
I read on the web site of the partner university that for some courses they require students to have completed certain courses prior to being admitted, i.e. “prerequisits”. Can these prerequisits be waived if I have completed similar courses in Bologna?
Possibly, yes. However, this will be decided by the partner university, not by us. Certainty can only be given, therefore, at a later stage, when you will have to send your application documents to the partner university. For your Overseas application you will have to evaluate by yourself if the courses you will have completed here in Bologna by the time of application will cover the prerequisites. Please note that we strongly discourage to contact the partner university about this, or about any other issue, before having passed the selection.
Questions about the application procedure
In the description of the exchange plays it says: “accordo in fase di perfezionamento”. When will the information be confirmed and/or amended?
This means that the exchange agreement has not yet been signed or renewed on both sides . It is not possible to give any indication about when and if the agreement will be signed or renewed in time . The exchange can not be guaranteed.
Which semester of study must I indicate in the application?
The semester you should indicate in the application always has to refer to the Unibo academic calendar. If you are applying for universities in the southern hemisphere, which have their semesters inverted, it is still necessary to indicate the relevant semester according to the Unibo academic calendar (e.g. those wishing to depart in July for one semester must indicate “First Semester” on their application forms).
I still need to take the CLA language test. Can I apply for the Overseas programme in the meantime?
No. You have to take the CLA test first in order to know your level of language proficiency, which you must indicate in the application.
I have got my first-cycle Degree from another university and will soon enrol in the first year of a Unibo second-cycle Degree Programme. Do I have to upload the transcript of my Degree taken at the other university in the application?
No. You should transcribe the exam results in the “self-certification form for learning activities completed with scores and credits”, which can be downloaded from the application in Alma-RM.
I have not enrolled yet at the University of Bologna and therefore do not have the Unibo username and password necessary to access Alma-RM in order to submit an application. Is there another way to apply, on condition that I enrol by the end of December?
Yes, if you will enrol for the first year of a Second-Cycle Degree Programme, AlmaRM will allow you to create an account with yourItalian tax code, by choosing the option “If you are not yet enrolled at the University of Bologna and therefore do not have a username and password Register here”. This will enable you to access Alma-RM and submit your application .
Please remember that students enrolling for the first year of a first-cycle degree programme are not eligible to apply.
Are there minimum requirements to be met for the project to be submitted?
The academic motivations and the learning activities proposed by the candidate are the essential requirements of the project to be submitted. A project that does not specify either the academic motivations or a list of courses/teaching activities may not be considered eligible for evaluation. Please see the document “Guidelines for the Overseas study project” attached to the Call for Applications.
Questions about the financial contribution
Do I have to present my ISEE income declaration in order to obtain the financial contribution?
Yes, the overseas financial contribution, provided by University of Bologna, will be calculated on the student’s ISEE (Equivalent Financial Situation Indicator). Students are strongly encouraged to apply for the ISEE certificate well in advance. In order to obtain an ISEE certificate, students may turn to either INPS (Italian National Pension Institute), or a tax assistance centre (CAF) or the Municipality offices and they must expressly request the ISEE calculation for services for the right to higher education.
Deadlines and procedures to submit ISSE certification to Unibo for the overseas contribution are those applied for the calculation of students’ tuition fees. The procedures for the submission of ISEE certification and the different amounts of the overseas contribution, calculated according to students’ ISSE, will be extensively described in the Overseas call for application. Overseas selected applicants who fail to submit their ISEE certifications will be awarded the smallest overseas contribution provided by University of Bologna.