Outgoing

Overview

Students in the Department of Social Sciences have a wide range of options for studying for one or two semesters at another university in Switzerland or abroad. Students can attend individual courses at Swiss universities, spend a semester as a visiting student in Switzerland (CRUS), in other European countries (SEMP Swiss-European Mobility Program, formerly ERASMUS), or worldwide (partner universities of the University of Bern). Registration and organization for these mobility programs are handled entirely by the  International Office (with the exception of visiting semesters at Swiss universities).

Ultimately, only certified transcripts that include grades and the number of ECTS credits will be recognized. A maximum of 30 ECTS credits from external coursework can be transferred toward a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (Major and Minor combined); for the Minor, this applies to a maximum of half the ECTS credits in the program. 

IMPORTANT: A Learning Agreement must be submitted before any planned external coursework! Furthermore, only graded course records will ultimately be transferred to your academic transcripts!

1. Mobility within Switzerland (CRUS) — Individual Courses

You can find more information here:  Mobility between Swiss Universities

After successfully completing the introductory program, students have the option to study at another Swiss university of their choice (all required courses must have been completed at the SOWI Department). Students who wish to take one or a few courses at another Swiss university during a semester can enroll as visiting students at that university. Students remain enrolled at the University of Bern and do not pay any additional tuition fees at the host university.

Master’s students who wish to take one or a few courses at another Swiss university during a semester may also enroll as visiting students at the respective university.

In this case, it is not necessary to coordinate through the International Office.

  1. Interested students must confirm with the program director that the planned coursework can be credited toward their degree program at the University of Bern. A Learning Agreement must be submitted for this purpose.
  2. Interested students must verify whether they are admitted to the planned coursework at the host university.

  3. Enrollment at the Swiss host university (as a visiting student).

2. Mobility within Switzerland (CRUS) - Minor

You can find information here:: Minor at Another Swiss University

If students wish to study for several semesters at another Swiss university (e.g., to complete a full minor there), this is arranged through CRUS. Students remain enrolled at the University of Bern and do not pay any additional tuition fees to the host university. PLEASE NOTE: External minors are only approved by the local faculties if the minor in question is not offered at the University of Bern.

In this case, the following steps must be followed:

  1. Complete the application form for Swiss Mobility and submit it to the International Office at the University of Bern. 
  2. Enroll at the Swiss host university (as a visiting student). 
  3. Interested students must confirm with the program director that the planned coursework can be credited toward their degree program at the University of Bern. A Learning Agreement must be submitted for this purpose.

3. Global Mobility

Students have the option of spending one or two semesters as visiting students at universities outside Europe. This is facilitated through agreements that the University of Bern has signed with partner universities.

At the time of the exchange, students must have completed all required courses and passed them with a satisfactory grade.

The International Office at the University of Bern is responsible for questions regarding study abroad opportunities outside Europe.

4. Foreign Language Semester (MA Political Science)

In the Master’s program in Political Science, it is mandatory to complete a semester of study in a foreign language. Students may choose to spend a mobility semester at a Swiss university (CRUS), a European university (SEMP), or other non-European universities. The specific non-German language in which courses are taught is irrelevant.

Through a special agreement with the University of Konstanz (DE), a mobility semester at its Department of Political and Administrative Sciences is recognized as a foreign-language semester.

Students who have already completed their BA at a foreign-language university are exempt from the requirement to complete a foreign-language semester. Proof of this exemption must be provided during the Master’s program placement assessment.

5. SEMP Swiss-European Mobility Program (formally known as Erasmus)

The SEMP program offers students the opportunity to study for one or two semesters at a European university. Students remain enrolled at the University of Bern and do not pay any additional tuition fees at the host university. In addition, students may apply for a SEMP scholarship.

Only universities with which the Institute of the Department of Social Sciences has signed a partnership agreement are eligible for a SEMP exchange (spots are limited and are primarily awarded to master’s students in the department). Registration takes place through the International Office at the University of Bern. The institutes decide on the recognition of academic credits; this is regulated in Article 58 of the WISO Study Regulations.

Apart from the mobility-online application, no additional documents need to be submitted (the signed application form is sufficient).

SEMP Learning Agreement

Additional Information on the SEMP Program

6. Learning Agreement

We recommend that you complete a Learning Agreement (LA) before attending courses at the host university (some host universities require that the LA be submitted in advance).

In the LA, you list the courses you will take at the university and wish to have credited toward your degree program in Bern. Generally, the courses must be at the appropriate level—either bachelor’s or master’s—and must be graded.

Through the LA, we confirm that you are eligible to receive credit for these courses and specify which concentration the respective course can be assigned to. You are not required to have the listed courses counted toward your degree program.

 Issuance of the Learning Agreement

  1. Send an email listing the courses you have selected, including links to the course descriptions, to the Academic Office (with the Learning Agreement attached).
  2. The Academic Office / Student Advising Office will review the courses to determine their eligibility for credit and return the signed Learning Agreement to you. 
  3. You can now submit the Learning Agreement to the host university.
  4. If you wish to make changes to the Learning Agreement at a later date (add new courses, remove courses), please resubmit an updated version of the Learning Agreement.

You can download the Learning Agreement here:: Learning Agreement

Submit to::

Please contact only one person in each case. We will forward inquiries internally.

7. Transcript of Records (ToR)

If you have earned academic credits at your host university, you will be issued a Transcript of Records (ToR) there.

Please submit the original document to the Department of Social Sciences (SoWi) upon your return, specifically to the Office of Academic Affairs / Student Advising. Your documents will be reviewed and then forwarded to the WISO Dean’s Office for credit transfer.

IMPORTANT: Only graded course credits will ultimately be transferred to your academic records!