Erasmus and bilateral exchange

About Erasmus programme

Erasmus+ exchange programme is the opportunity to study part of a study period (one to three semesters) at a selected university in Europe with which ISM has a partnership agreement. Study time abroad cannot exceed half of study time at ISM. You can read more about Erasmus+ programme here.

Erasmus+ programme supporting documents:

About bilateral exchange

A bilateral exchange programme is the opportunity to study part of a study period at a selected university outside Europe. ISM has agreements with universities in Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South Americas – you can explore the possible destinations in our partner map.

Bilateral exchange has the same application process and selection criteria as Erasmus exchange. Students going on a bilateral exchange are also eligible for Erasmus+ scholarship, however, funding limitations may apply.

How to apply and what is the selection criteria?

Bachelor students can participate in an exchange from the 3rd semester (4th semester for Finance students). Master students can participate in 2nd or 3rd semester. Students cannot participate in exchange during the last semester of their studies.

Students with more than one academic failure cannot participate in the exchange.

Students wishing to apply to universities that hold triple accreditation (EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB) must have an average grade of 7 or above.

Students continue to pay regular tuition fee to ISM during their studies abroad. They are not required to pay any tuition fees to their host university.

Exchange application process:

The application for exchange is open twice a year:

  • For the autumn semester – in January-February;
  • For the spring semester – in August-September.

The start of the application period is announced by the International Studies Office (ISO) by email. All students receive application instructions, as well information about available partner universities. During the application period, ISO hosts info sessions for students interested in exchange.

If the student meets the criteria mentioned above, they can submit their application through MyISM. In application, students can list up to 5 universities they are interested in and submit a motivational letter. Students are assigned a university for their exchange based on their competitive score, which consists of overall grade point average and extra points.

If the application is successful, the student will receive only one offer and will have a week to accept or reject the offered place. Students will also receive the scholarship distribution results on the same day.

Erasmus+ scholarship

For their exchange, students have an opportunity to receive an Erasmus+ scholarship (606-700 € per month, depending on the country of destination). The scholarships are distributed to students participating in the exchange selection based on their competitive score and available funding which is allocated by the National Agency for Erasmus.

The student might be awarded a full or a partial scholarship. The lowest score to receive a scholarship is different every semester.

The amount of the scholarship is calculated according to these factors: 

  • the distance to the destination (for fixed travel grant);
  • the country of the exchange (606 to 700 per month);
  • whether the student was assigned full or partial scholarship.

Important! Only 20% of the Erasmus+ funding can be assigned to bilateral programmes, therefore if a student gets an exchange offer outside of Europe and makes it to the scholarship shortlist, they might only be able to receive a partial scholarship.

The scholarship does not cover all the costs of study or internship abroad.

For students with fewer opportunities

Students with fewer opportunities, disabilities and/or special needs have an opportunity to receive an additional top-up amount to their Erasmus+ scholarship. The groups eligible for scholarship top-up are:

  • Students who are described by the State Studies Foundation as eligible receivers of a social scholarship;
  • Students receiving the ISM social-incentive scholarship;
  • Students with a refugee background;
  • Students with children (under the age of 12 years).

An additional grant can also be awarded to participants with a physical, mental or other disability based
on the real costs. Criteria and further information is listed in ISM’s Guidelines for Participants with Fewer Opportunities.

Important! Only those students who are granted Erasmus+ scholarship are eligible for top-up or additional grant.

eLearning database
Want to know even more about ISM’s international opportunities and exchange process? Visit the Forum for students going abroad on eLearning, where you can find information about each of our partners, options available for your study programme, student feedback and more!

F.A.Q.

Can I go on exchange without Erasmus+ scholarship?

Yes, you can. If you are not assigned a scholarship, you can go on an exchange under zero-grant agreement.

Is there still an opportunity to receive a scholarship after the application period?

Yes, if another student who had a scholarship awarded cancels their exchange. In that case, the scholarship goes to the next person in the list.

I want to go with my friend to the same university. Can we do that?

It is possible. Both students must submit an application and list similar priorities. All universities have a limited yearly quota, so you should choose the partners that accept more students. Also, the less popular the destination, the higher change to get the same offer together.

How to choose the university for my exchange?

Most importantly, you should choose your university based on study programme compatibility – the courses you would study abroad should be similar to those you would have at ISM.

Also, you should choose the university according to your own interests and ambitions. You can consider various criteria, such as location, local language, cost of living, quality and popularity of university, opportunity to travel, student feedback etc.

 

What will I study while on exchange?

You will study the university’s regular courses, just as you do at ISM. You must choose the courses similar or relevant to your own programme and must collect 30 ECTS credits. After the exchange, your host university will issue a Transcript of Records and we will transfer the credits to your ISM’s academic plan.

Will the grades I got during exchange be transferred to ISM? What if I failed a subject?

Yes, the subjects you pass will be transferred to ISM and included in your Diploma Supplement once you graduate. The grades you receive abroad are also converted and included in the Supplement, however, they are not included in your GPA.

If you failed a subject during exchange, you will have to study an additional subject at ISM upon your return to cover the missing credits and pay the fee of the subject.

Can I apply for an exchange to a university that ISM doesn’t have an agreement with?

No, it’s only possible to apply to those universities with which we have an exchange for studies agreement.