FAQ Erasmus+ at FHS ****************************************************************************************** * ****************************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************************** * ****************************************************************************************** This section provides answers to frequently asked questions about semester-long study stay the Erasmus+ program at the Faculty of Humanities. The responses are organized into severa students commonly inquire about. 1. General Information 2. Selection Procedure 3. Statement of Purpose 4. List of preliminary selected courses 5. Letter of recommendation 6. Scholarship ****************************************************************************************** * General Information ****************************************************************************************** Who is eligible to participate in the Erasmus+ program? All FHS students, regardless of age or nationality, who are properly enrolled (both at the application and during the mobility period) in bachelor's, master's, or doctoral study pro full-time or combined forms. At the time of departure, bachelor's students must have succe 3 semesters of study, and master's students must have completed 2 semesters. Additionally, enrolled in no more than the 4th year of bachelor's/doctoral studies or the 3rd year of ma Can I go on Erasmus+ in the first year of my studies? No. • Bachelor's students: To be eligible for departure, you must have successfully completed semesters of study (meaning you can go abroad no earlier than the spring semester of you However, it is recommended to submit your application as early as February of your 1st y • Master's students: You can go abroad after successfully completing the 1st year of your also important to consult with your program guarantor to determine whether it is possibl stay abroad with fulfilling your study obligations at FHS. How are study obligations at FHS handled if I study abroad? Studying abroad does not entitle you to postpone study obligations prescribed for the give You need to plan your studies/stay abroad in such a way that you can fulfill your obligati The minimum required study obligations that must be completed no later than before the sta abroad. The obligations are set by the study programme guarantors. Which countries and universities can I go to? What can I study there? In which language ar taught? Can I apply to a specific university as a bachelor's/master's/PhD student? All this information can be found in our list of partner universities [ URL "FHSENG-964.ht agreements with universities are often signed with specific faculties or departments and f fields or levels of study. While some universities strictly require that students study th and level stated in the agreement and/or choose courses only from the designated faculty/d are more flexible and, under certain conditions, allow students to select courses from oth levels of study as well. Detailed information can be found in the final reports of students who studied at those un the websites of the partner universities under their sections for exchange students. Can I go abroad for a full academic year? You can apply only for the winter or summer semester. Under certain conditions, it is poss the stay from the winter semester to the summer semester. If sufficient funding is availab grant may be awarded for such an extended stay. The only exception is Durham University, where courses are organized on a full-year basis. it is only possible to study at this university for the entire academic year (you must app selection procedure). ****************************************************************************************** * Selection procedure ****************************************************************************************** When does the selection procedure take place? The selection procedure for study stays in the upcoming academic year always takes place i (February/March). This round is for students interested in going abroad for either the win semester of the next academic year. If there is sufficient funding and availability, an ad selection round may be announced for summer semester mobilities. Where do I apply for the selection procedure? Do I need to contact the partner university You apply only through the International Office of FHS (you must fill out the application system and submit the required documents). The partner university will be contacted only i selected through the FHS procedure.You may contact coordinators at the host universities o find necessary information (e.g., about available courses) elsewhere. Do not send any docu partner university yourself unless you have been successfully nominated by FHS. How many universities can I apply to? You may apply to 1–3 universities during a single selection round. For each university, you must: • Submit a separate application in the Charles University online system. • Provide a specific statement of purpose and a list of preliminary selected courses. Your CV and recommendation letter only need to be submitted once. In the statement of purp also indicate the order of your university preferences. I'm applying to multiple universities. Can I specify my preferences? Yes — we recommend that you clearly state your preferred order of universities directly in of purpose or include it in the body of your application email. How do I apply for the selection procedure? Before the application deadline, you must: • Create application in the Charles University online application system. If you are apply universities, you must create a separate online application for each. • Send the required documents in PDF format to the FHS International Office by email. Will the documents be sent to the partner universities? In most cases, the documents you submit during the FHS selection procedure are not forward universities — they are used internally at FHS. However, if the partner university later r documents (e.g., a motivation letter or CV), we may forward them as needed. What needs to be filled in the Charles University online application? For the purpose of the selection procedure, it’s enough to: • Create the application • Enter the basic information (e.g., semester dates at the partner university) If you are selected, you will later need to complete any missing information, as we will c this online system for all further steps. Do I need to prove my language proficiency? Providing proof of language proficiency (such as a certificate) is an advantage, though no requirement. For English, this can also include completion of English-language courses at recommend checking the website of the partner university to see if incoming Erasmus+ stude to submit a specific language certificate. If so, you will need to provide it after being partner university. Are there any predefined forms for the Erasmus+ programme at FHS? No, there are not. For the statement of purpose, you may use the available sample for insp also a template for the preliminary list of selected courses. Is there a second round of the selection process, such as an interview? No. However, the International Office reserves the right to request additional information or to organize a second round if needed. When will I find out the results? The results of the selection procedure will be announced approximately one month after the deadline, via email. What are my chances of being selected? Each application is evaluated individually and comprehensively. For example, if your acade not the best, you have a chance to explain your situation in the statement of purpose. Lik prefer a specific university for a particular (ideally academic) reason, be sure to tell u If you are studying within the standard study period, have a decent academic average (idea around 2.0), enough credits, have fulfilled all study obligations, speak the language in w to study, and show genuine academic motivation, your chances are very good. Which university do I have the best chance of getting into? In the selection process, all applicants are evaluated together, regardless of which unive applied to. Therefore, your chances do not depend solely on your university choice. What m you are a strong candidate — if you are, it is usually not a problem to get placed at the you’re truly interested in. If, in comparison with other Erasmus+ applicants, you are not candidate, you might not be selected even for a university with lower demand. How are credits recognized? How many do I need to earn abroad? See Dean’s Measure No. 19/2020 [ URL "https://fhs.cuni.cz/FHSENG-1113.html"] for detailed What happens if I am selected for the study stay? What needs to be arranged? What about th accommodation, etc.? The International Office of FHS will guide you through the next steps during information s selected students. Basic information is also available on the International Office’s websi section For Selected Students [ URL "https://fhs.cuni.cz/FHSENG-1243.html"] . Useful pract also be found in the final reports of students who participated in Erasmus+ in previous ye General information about Erasmus+ administration is available on the Charles University w [ URL "https://cuni.cz/UKEN-1881.html"] . ****************************************************************************************** * Statement of Purpose ****************************************************************************************** What information should a statement of purpose contain? It should be factual, specific and logically structured. The recommended length is no more At the beginning, you should introduce yourself — your current studies, knowledge (especia skills, extracurricular activites), and experience that make you a suitable candidate. Thi correspond well with your CV. The second part should answer these questions: • Why you want to participate in the Erasmus+ mobility • What you hope to gain from the study stay abroad (academically, personally, and/or profe • How the host university and its course offer align with your interests or future plans • What your study goals are during the mobility • How your current academic background prepares you for the exchange It should include specific information about where you want to go and why you have chosen institution. It should be clear that this environment — the university and country — will academically and that the study stay will contribute to the development of your current ac Since your studies lead to a bachelor’s / master’s / doctoral thesis, it makes sense to li letter to your thesis topic. You should also define the specific topic you are working on and explain how the destinati could support your research. You might also describe the methods or resources you intend t your academic goals (e.g., libraries, field research, consultations). Don’t forget to stat outcomes from the study stay. For bachelor’s and master’s students, this part should be co preliminary course selection. ****************************************************************************************** * List of preliminary selected courses ****************************************************************************************** What is a preliminary course list? On the host university’s website, in the section for exchange or Erasmus+ students, you ca an overview of courses offered to incoming students. From this list, choose courses that f focus at FHS and/or relate to your thesis topic. Be sure to include the number of ECTS cre course. At some universities, you can choose from a broad selection of English/German/Fren courses. At others, the selection may be limited to Erasmus+ students only, or to courses specific faculty or department with which FHS has a partnership Why is the preliminary course list important? Preparing a preliminary course list is mostly for your own benefit: it helps you see wheth institution offers suitable courses and whether they will be academically valuable for you appropriate courses, you show that you have thoroughly explored the host university’s webs study stay is well thought-out in connection with your academic goals. I can’t find course offerings for the next academic year. What should I do? At many universities, the course offerings and schedules for the next academic year are no during the Erasmus+ selection process. In that case, refer to the current or previous year (depending on which semester you are planning to go). You will be able to update your cour are selected, and you can also make changes after arriving at the host university. If you course listings on the university’s website, try contacting the local Erasmus+ coordinator who have previously studied there for help in locating the list. What is an equivalent course? How do I find them? At this stage of the selection process, you do not need to worry about course equivalents. all the necessary information if you are selected. ****************************************************************************************** * Recommendation from an FHS Professor/Teacher ****************************************************************************************** What should the recommendation look like? There is no specific form or template; the format is entirely up to the person writing it. • For bachelor’s students, the recommendation should come from the bachelor’s thesis super professor/teacher who knows you well enough to provide a meaningful recommendation. • For master’s students, a recommendation from a professor/teacher is required in addition of the programme guarantor for the study stay. The recommendation can be written in Czech, and it can be submitted: • In printed form (with a signature), or • The professsor/teacher can send it directly via email to the FHS International Office fr university email address. For 1st-year students: If you’ve only been at the faculty for a short time, try approachin teachers from courses that interest you and where you have achieved good results. I don’t have a bachelor’s thesis supervisor yet. Who can write my recommendation? You may ask any professor/teacher who knows you from their courses or has collaborated wit academic context and is able to write you a recommendation ****************************************************************************************** * Scholarship ****************************************************************************************** How is the mobility funded? Will I receive a grant? Erasmus+ is a scholarship program. The amount of the grant depends on the destination coun length of your stay. You can find the grant differentiation here [ URL "https://fhs.cuni.cz/FHSENG-448.html"] . Am I eligible for the scholarship if I attend the host university’s courses online from ho Republic)? No. In the case of virtual-only mobilities (i.e., you remain in the Czech Republic and fol courses from a university abroad, such as in the UK), you are not entitled to receive an E General information about the overall administration associated with trips within the Eras at Charles University can be found on the Charles University website ViaErasmus [ URL "htt UKEN-1881.html"] .