Overseas

Find out about Overseas: you can spend time studying at a university outside Europe that is part of the Programme.

The Overseas programme is run and funded entirely by the University of Bologna and is the result of collaboration agreements signed by the University with other universities in countries outside the European Union.

What is it, and what use is it to you?

Overseas is an exchange programme offering student mobility outside of the European Union, allowing students to spend time studying in partner universities that have signed mobility agreements with the University. The programme offers students the chance to take attend courses and in some specific cases take part in research for dissertation purposes, take Oriental language courses (Chinese and Japanese) or work as an Italian foreign language assistant.

Who can take part?

Students enrolled in the second year or above of a first or single cycle programme at the University of Bologna, or the first year of a second cycle degree with suitable language skills and who also meet the other specific requirements of the partner universities.

Your are not entitled to an Overseas exchange place if you have received a mobility grant to study abroad or funding from the Schools for the purposes of preparing your dissertation. 

What does it offer?

Students on the Overseas programme are exempted from paying tuition fees at the host university, and are granted access to the same services offered by the foreign university to its own students. Students are required to pay their tuition fees at the University of Bologna, and must also pay for their visa and medical insurance. The University of Bologna covers some of the expenditure incurred abroad, to a variable amount depending on the length of your stay. This implies a number of rights and obligations, including attendance of courses or other learning activities that are recognised by the host university. On return from the exchange period, students may apply to their Degree Programme Board for the recognition of the credits they have earned abroad.

Where can you go?

You can spend time studying abroad in a university in 4 different continents: Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. The partner universities include the University of California, l’Université de Montréal, Kansai Gaidai University, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. To find out more about the possible destinations, consult the Overseas calls and the information sheets on each university.

How to take part

To take part in an Overseas 2024/25 programme (deadline: 14 November 2023, 13:00):

  1. You must possess the requirements and language certifications laid down by the partner university. For details on each university, please consult the relative call for applications and information sheets;
  2. To apply for a place at a university working in the English language, you must hold TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge certification. Please check the TOEFLIELTS and Cambridge websites for details.
  3. Before leaving, contact your professors to draft a coherent study plan, as far as possible in line with your own curriculum (consult the on-line catalogues at the partner university to find out about the courses available and the departments open to exchange students). This will facilitate the recognition of your learning activities undertaken abroad by the Degree Programme Board on your return.
  4. Each student can apply for three different exchange programmes, for example the University of Chicago, Universidad de Buenos Aires and Dalian University of Foreign Languages. With the application form, you must provide:
    - The requested language certificates;
    - A draft study plan for the places you wish to apply for. Here you must illustrate your academic motivations for applying for the Overseas programme, the specific motivations for the choice of partner universities, and finally a description of the learning activities to be undertaken in each place.

You must read the call for applications carefully before applying.

How long does the exchange last?

You can spend a semester or a full academic year abroad. The exact duration of the exchange programme depends on the academic calendar of the partner university. The minimum period for receiving the grant for the semester is three months, or eight months for the full academic year.

Can I be granted financial support?

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.

FAQs

Please read the FAQs carefully. 

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