After your selection
After approval of your application, you will be notified about your nomination to the host university as soon as their nomination window opens. Please note that all universities have their own admission deadlines and procedures and therefore it may take a while before you can start up the application procedure to our partner.
Once you have been nominated by University College Utrecht, the host university will inform you about the next steps. In most cases you have to submit the following documents:
- Passport: Please make sure your passport is still valid for at least six months after the completion of your semester abroad.
- Visa: Depending on the country you are going to and your nationality, you may need a residence permit and/or entry visa. This is a part of the application procedure at the host university and you will be informed by them on what needs to be done and when.
- Insurance: Make sure that your health insurance covers you during the exchange by contact your health insurance provider. If your insurance coverage is not enough for the country of your destination, they can advise you on the requirements regarding coverage. In some cases, the visa application procedure is tied to your insurance coverage and you may need to take out a second insurance to meet the necessary requirements for the residence permit.
- Proof of finances: If you have been selected for an exchange to a country outside of Europe, you will most likely need to show that you have enough financial security, for example by providing a bank statement
You will also need to choose the courses you wish to take when applying to your host university. Keep the following in mind when choosing the courses:
You are required to complete a full-time workload of 30 ECTS (840 working hours). Please check the information about the credit system of your host information on the overview of destinations. If you still have questions about the credit system contact the Exchange Officer. It is not possible to take less than 30 ECTS on exchange. Two exceptions: students on exchange to a quarter system campus of the University of California (not Berkeley or Merced) during Fall semester complete 16 quarter units (22,5 ECTS), and students who go to the University of Washington (Seattle) during Fall Semester complete 16 quarter units (21,5 ECTS). The credit shortage in these cases needs to be compensated by attending a summer course, winter course or fifth course prior to the semester abroad. In all other cases, it is not possible to only earn 21,5 ECTS and compensate this with a summer course, winter course or fifth course without permission from the UCU Examination Board.
Courses in sports, photography, scenario writing and so on, although fun, are not considered to be academic courses. These courses may be attended only as an extra course, on top of the 30 ECTS approved in your learning agreement.
Attending courses in languages that are also taught at University College Utrecht in fulfilment of your language requirement is not allowed.
Attending pass/fail courses is not possible during your exchange – unless the course is only taught in pass/fail format. In this case, you should indicate so on the learning agreement and fill out the Pass/Fail request form. Please note that this course will count towards the one course you are permitted to take as pass/fail course during your studies at University College Utrecht.
Make sure there is no course content overlap with previous courses taken at University College Utrecht.
It is possible to finish a track with an exchange course (of 7,5 ECTS minimum). In this case, please indicate on the learning agreement that the course should be counted as a track-finisher and fill out a Special Request Form.
You should ensure that your curriculum and exchange plans conform to the rules laid out in the Academic Rules and Regulations.
Before you leave for exchange, discuss your plans with your tutor. Students need permission from the UCU Examination Board for the courses they take during their semester abroad. In order to arrange this, you have to fill out a UCU Learning Agreement as soon as the course registration is final. On the form you should include course titles, course level (UCU level 1, 2 or 3) and the credits for the course. Only after approval by the UCU Examination Board, exchange credits can be included on your University College Utrecht transcript. If the Learning Agreement is not approved, you will not receive credits for your semester abroad. If one or more courses are not approved, you will have to enrol in alternative courses. Therefore, it is extremely important to hand in the Learning Agreement as soon as possible. The completed learning agreement (together with course outlines of your classes) should be uploaded in Osiris – do not forget to send a copy of your learning agreement to your tutor. If you want a course to fulfill a major requirement, please fill out a curriculum request form and include the necessary documentation. If your Learning Agreement is approved, please bring a transcript with you upon return or make sure it is sent to University College Utrecht.