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What are the requirements for going on an exchange through our Department?

In order to be able to study abroad via the exchange programme of the Department of Political Science, the general requirements are as follows:
* you must be engaged in studies at Lund University,
* you must be an active student at the time of application,
* you must be active in the semester preceding the studies abroad,

Mostly, students apply for a place early on in their programme; the following requirements for eligibility to study abroad normally apply to the day one is expected to travel.

1) In order to be eligible, you must have completed 1 year of academic study at the time of travel, of which 30 credits must be in Poltical Science. Our recommendation however is that you have achieved at least 60 credits in political science at the time of departure. The partner university abroad usually has entry requirements for its courses for exchange students, corresponding to 30-60 credits in the relevant main subject. You therefore will have more options in the subject at the partner university if you have 60 credits at the time of departure.

2) The partner university/school does not require credits in the language in which you will be studying. Most often, it is enough to have passed a course at upper secondary school level in the relevant language and (if credits are lacking) a shorter or longer stay in the country to provide you with a good preparation in comprehension of the language.

For a few partner universities outside Europe, a language test in English is required and/or a specific level of achievement in an upper secondary school course.

Language requirements

Your language skills must be good. Studies abroad are mostly conducted in the national language, so an important selection criterion is your ability to follow lectures and pass exams in the relevant language.

We do not require any academic qualifications in foreign languages on our exchange programmes. We have negotiated the removal of all language test requirements for most of our partner institutions, so even if the host university’s application documents state that exchange students must attach language test results, this does not apply to students from Lund. The exceptions to this rule are indicated on the fact page for the relevant universities.

Upper secondary school knowledge of English is usually quite sufficient, but if you want to study in your second or third foreign language and only have upper secondary school knowledge, you should plan a longer preparatory stay (3-6 months) in the country in order to practise your language skills.

In certain universities it is possible to study languages within the framework of the ERASMUS programme. The aim of these language courses is to facilitate and improve the study conditions for exchange students but these courses usually do not give any academic credits.

Selection

The decision is taken by the international coordinator. The determining factors in the decision are:
* the number of credits achieved, particularly in political science
* the proportion of "pass with distinction" grades, particularly in political science
* thorough knowledge of the national language, for certain universities
* general expectation that the student will handle the stay abroad as a good ambassador for Lund University

The application itself is made online using this link:

Application to exchange studies academic year 2013-14