Planning your exchange

It is important to start planning the exchange well in advance so that it can be integrated as part of your studies and degree as well as possible. All students of the University of Jyväskylä can study abroad as a part of their degree.

What can I study abroad?

Most study exchange programmes are aimed at undergraduate and graduate students. Some places are available for post-graduate students within the Erasmus programme and bilateral agreements. Most post-graduate students acquire a foreign study place and a scholarship for it outside of the study exchange programmes.

During the study abroad period you can complete studies that can be transferred to become a part of your major or minor. Additionally, you can complete language studies (e.g., courses on the language of the host country). You can also start a new minor studies programme that is not available in JYU while abroad and include it in your degree.

Field of study by program:

Erasmus: Exchange places are field-specific, and generally, you can study the field for which the agreement is in place. The level of studies is also defined in the agreements (bachelor's, master's, and/or postgraduate-level agreement).
Bilateral: the field of study is generally not limited, but there may be university-specific restrictions on the level of studies.
Nordplus: field of study specific places for bachelor's and master's level students.
Nordlys: some field-specific restrictions and places are intended for students whose own subject does not have a field-specific Nordplus network. For bachelor's and master's degree students.
ISEP: The fields offered vary from university to university, many of the destinations only offer studies in bachelor level

Learning goals for a mobility period

Studying or working abroad supports the development of your competence to work in an international setting. You will need them in order to work in a multicultural working environment. Therefore, it is a good idea to consider what goals you have for the exchange period already at the planning stage.

After completing a mobility period student has:

Deepened their academic expertise
Created networks with other experts in the field
Developed language skills, interaction skills, cooperation skills, and ability to work in multilingual and multicultural environments
Increased self-confidence and self-knowledge, ability to cope with uncertainty and flexibility
Developed critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills

After completing a mobility period the student:

Understands the meaning of various cultural factors and contexts (language, nationality, gender, age, academic field) in interaction
Is conscious of and can analyse the factors affecting the formation and transformation of one’s own cultural identity
Understands and respects cultural diversity
Is interested in global issues and can examine them from new perspectives

JYU Education Council 11/2015

How much should I study?

Student exchange requires full-time studying abroad. The exchange study plan should contain 30 credits per semester. The student must complete as many points abroad as in Finland to receive student financial aid from Kela. The full-time criteria for studies are available on the student financial aid -website.

If the scope of foreign studies is defined in ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits, a conversion factor will be applied in which 1 ECTS credit equals 1 Finnish credit.

If the scope of foreign study credits is defined using a system other than ECTS, it will be determined in credits based on factors such as the number of course hours and/or required course literature, etc. The host university may also provide information on how its credits convert to ECTS credits.

I would recommend taking courses that are not offered at your home university since it's a great opportunity to broaden your horizons and take on some challenges.

When to go on exchange?

Students completing a bachelor's (or bachelor's+master's) degree: You can go on a student exchange in the second year of study at the earliest, provided that the first year's studies have been completed before leaving for the exchange.
Students completing only a master's degree: You can go on exchange in the second semester at the earliest, provided that at least the studies of the first semester have been completed before the start of the exchange.

It is also possible to go on exchange multiple times, for example, once in each stage of your studies, if you can fit the exchange into your academic schedule.

Are you employed by the University of Jyväskylä?

It is not possible to go on student exchange or an internship abroad while being employed by JYU. More information can be found on the Student exchange -page.

Exchange period in your HOPS

When preparing your personal study plan (HOPS), think about which kinds of studies abroad would be the most useful for you (major or minor subjects, Bachelor's or Master's level). Your study subject might have a recommendation on the timing of the study abroad year/semester. More information on this is available from the international coordinator at your home faculty/department.

Also, remember to choose language courses early on in your studies so that you will have adequate language skills to study abroad.

Movi's courses and guides support going abroad for an exchange or internship

Course registration was done first before the exchange, and the host uni had our choices already when arriving to the faculty. Even still, people were allowed and able to change the course choices if they wanted to for one time. So all in all, you could have changed everything you planned back in Finland.

Credit transfer and course selection for exchange studies

To get the best possible benefit from your learning and academic progress, it is a good idea to consider how your exchange studies fit into your degree program and seek study counselling if needed before you depart for the exchange.

However, do not take your course selection too seriously! Be prepared for the possibility that your course choices may need to be adjusted once you arrive at your exchange destination. Your initial study plan is only preliminary.

During the first application phase within JYU, you should consider your credit transfer plan: how your studies will contribute to your degree progress. At this stage, you may need to plan your courses based on the offerings of the current academic year of your host university.

Once you have been accepted and in the later stages of the exchange process when you create your course plan or Learning Agreement, you will have a better understanding of the course offerings during your exchange period. However, for the credit transfer plan, it is usually sufficient to note 'Elective/Optional studies' or 'All credits will be transferred; course-specific recognition will be decided upon return,' along with the number of credits you intend to complete during the exchange.

Study language

Courses in English are available in several of the partner universities of JYU, especially in the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, East-European countries, Asia and Africa. In France, Germany, and Spain most of the courses are held in the local language. Students going abroad have typically completed a minimum of a high school syllabus or Movi courses 1-4 in the language of the host university before the exchange. A knowledge of the basics of Chinese/Japanese is recommended to those going to China/Japan.

A short video presentation about internationalisation during university studies

Contact us

Questions about internationalisation? For guidance on student exchange, please contact us through HelpJYU.

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