The Study Plan must be approved by the Head of Studies and the Coordinator for Bilateral Agreements.
Learning Agreement
Before departing for the host institution, the student and the mobility coordinator agree upon the Learning Agreement, taking into account curriculum differences. The program includes, among other things, the selection of courses and the number of ECTS credits (after converting the credits of the respective institution) to be completed by the student at the host institution.
Participation in a bilateral exchange program may not result in an extension of the study period at the University of Warsaw or affect the right to a diploma with distinction.
After agreeing on the proposed exchange program with the mobility coordinator, the student submits it for approval to the head of their field of study. Once approved, the student sends it via email to the mobility coordinator. Failure to comply with the above procedure will prevent the acceptance of the exchange program.
Diploma Seminar
Participation in an exchange program does not exempt students from the obligation to complete the diploma seminar (if the seminar is included in the study program at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies during the exchange semester).
The student is obliged to register for the seminar and complete it on an individual basis. Otherwise, the seminar will have to be repeated in the next academic year (for a fee).
Before going on an exchange, you must inform your Supervisor of your intention to go and obtain consent for the trip and for completing the diploma seminar on an individual basis.
ECTS Credit Requirements
During a bilateral exchange in a given semester, the student is obliged to obtain a number of courses equivalent to 30 ECTS credits (one semester of study) at the University of Warsaw.
The student may freely choose courses from the host institution’s offerings (they must be related to the scientific discipline to which the home field of study is assigned).
In case of doubt, the decision to accept a course is made by the Dean’s Plenipotentiary for International Cooperation and Research Programs, based on the opinion of the Mobility Coordinator.
The ECTS credit equivalent obtained at the host institution does not necessarily correspond to the total duration of a given course.
More about exchange settlement and ECTS credit conversion in the section Exchange Settlement.
Language Requirement
It is the student’s responsibility to familiarize themselves with and meet the language requirements (language level) of the host institution and to check whether the host institution’s offer includes courses in the desired language.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
By when should I submit the Learning Agreement?
The Study Plan should be approved by the Head of Studies and the Mobility Coordinator no later than 2 weeks before the planned departure.
How many ECTS credits should I complete during the exchange?
If your study program does not include a diploma seminar:
The number of ECTS credits for the exchange must correspond to the number of ECTS credits in the study program for that semester.
Example:
Jan is a second-year undergraduate student going on an exchange under a bilateral agreement. His study program requires 26 ECTS from compulsory courses and 4 ECTS from general education courses (OGUN). Jan must obtain 30 ECTS at the partner institution during the exchange.
If your study program includes a diploma seminar:
The number of ECTS credits to be obtained is reduced by the ECTS credits for the diploma seminar.
Example:
Anna is a final-year undergraduate student going on an exchange under a bilateral agreement. The diploma seminar is worth 6 ECTS. During the exchange, Anna must obtain 24 ECTS (courses at the partner institution) and 6 ECTS (diploma seminar completed individually at the University of Warsaw) so that the total is 30 ECTS (one semester of study at the University of Warsaw).
Can I include language courses in the LA?
Yes, language courses can be included in the LA.
Do I need to register for UW courses?
No, you will not be completing compulsory courses at the University of Warsaw, so you do not need to register for them. Courses completed during the exchange at the partner institution will be manually entered into USOS and will appear in the system after the exchange settlement.
Does the number of courses in the LA matter?
No, the number of courses does not matter. It is important to obtain the number of ECTS credits during the exchange that corresponds to one semester of study at the University of Warsaw (30 ECTS credits).
If your study program includes a diploma seminar, the number of required credits is reduced by the value of the diploma seminar.(If the diploma seminar is worth 6 ECTS, you complete it individually, and you earn 24 ECTS at the partner institution(30 ECTS [semester of study at UW] – 6 ECTS [diploma seminar]).