Erasmus+ is the student exchange programme within the EU, established in 1987, with Finland participating since the academic year 1992-93. Student exchanges are based on subject-specific bilateral agreements. Students can participate multiple times in Erasmus+ exchanges, at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, for a total of 12 months within each degree. This includes both student and internship exchanges. The host university does not charge tuition fees for students within the Erasmus+ programme. The Erasmus+ scholarship is awarded for full-time studies lasting a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 12 months.

Åbo Akademi University has around 300 agreements with approximately 200 European universities, meaning that everyone who wants to go on exchange can do so. You can go on exchange to one of the universities with which your subject area has an Erasmus+ agreement. If you want to study your minor subject abroad, you choose among the agreements that the minor subject has. (Please note, that in competitive situations, students from the major subject are prioritized). Additionally, there are some general agreements that are not limited to any specific subject. You can also choose to go on exchange to a CHARM-EU university or a Coimbra Group university within CG SEN and receive an Erasmus scholarship.

The scholarship is €490 or €540 per month. The higher amount is granted for studies in the following countries: the Nordic countries, Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom.

Selection Criteria

• Credit Recognition, courses taken abroad should be credited towards your degree at ÅAU.

Learning Agreement/Study Plan. The study plan should correspond to 30 ECTS per term. A detailed and well-thought-out study plan is essential. The Learning Agreement must be discussed with and approved by the subject coordinator, professor, teacher, or subject head. If applying to two or three different universities, you must prepare Learning Agreements for all universities during the application phase.

Please note: If you earn less than 20 ECTS per term at the host university, you will have to repay the scholarship.

• Language Proficiency. You should have good language skills (B1 on the CEFR scale = Level 3 at the Language Center) in the language of instruction at the host university. The CEFR certificate can be obtained from the Language Center. If you are taking a relevant language course at the time of application, request the certificate after completing the course.

Deadline

The deadline for submitting applications for the academic year 2025-26 is January 31, 2025, at 15:00. The same deadline applies if you plan to go on exchange in the spring term of 2026.

The process, step by step

1. First, apply internally for an exchange place in ÅAU’s online application system (SoleMOVE) and upload all necessary documents: (a) Erasmus+ Learning Agreement (study plan), (b) photo, (c) Transcript of Records (PDF version), and (d) CEFR certificate of relevant language skills.
2. You can apply to three different universities in your order of preference. In competitive situations, the staff at International Affairs together with the subject coordinator will decide who gets to go to which university.
3. Indicate the exact start and end dates of your exchange in your application. The Erasmus scholarship is calculated based on the exact number of days spent on exchange.
4. You will be nominated via email (by Harriet) to the university where you will go on exchange.
5. The host university will inform you about their application procedures. Complete the host university’s application form and housing application. Common required attachments include a transcript of records in English, Learning Agreement, passport copy, and CEFR certificate.
6. The host university will send confirmation of admission within a few months.
7. Fill in the SoleGRANT application (in SoleMOVE) to be granted the scholarship.
8. Sign the Erasmus+ Scholarship Agreement. International Affairs will disburse the scholarship (80%) before departure and assist with practical questions about studying abroad, if needed.
9. During the exchange, inform your academic coordinator and Harriet of any changes to your study plan and your contact information.
10. After the exchange, complete the Erasmus+ individual participant report, submit the Certificate of Attendance, ensure that the studies completed abroad are transferred to the Study Register as soon as possible, submit a transcript of records (PDF version) showing the credit transfer, and complete ÅAU’s evaluation form. Once everything is completed, the remaining part of the Erasmus+ scholarship will be paid out.

ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) is part of the Erasmus+ programme. 1 credit at ÅAU equals 1 ECTS. During a term, students are expected to earn 30 ECTS and 60 ECTS in an academic year. If you earn less than 20 ECTS per term, you will have to repay the scholarship.

Grading Scale:

ÅAU         ECTS

5               A          excellent

4               B          very good

3               C          good

2               D          satisfactory

1               E          sufficient

Exchanges with Switzerland (SEMP)

Switzerland does not participate in the Erasmus+ programme. Exchanges are conducted under the “Swiss-European Mobility Programme” (SEMP), and our partner universities pay scholarships to ÅAU students. The scholarship is CHF 380 per month. If applying for an exchange to Switzerland, do not use the Erasmus+ Learning Agreement, but the study plan form.

Erasmus+ traineeship

Students at Åbo Akademi University can participate in traineeships within the Erasmus+ programme at companies, private and public organizations. The following conditions apply:

• The traineeship must be credited towards your ÅAU degree as either voluntary or mandatory traineeship.
• The traineeship period should be 3-6 months. EU institutions or organizations managing EU programmes are not eligible as host organizations for Erasmus+ traineeships.

Students are encouraged to find traineeships on their own, but some international traineeships available through the Career Services database are suitable for Erasmus traineeships. Erasmus trainees can receive an Erasmus+ scholarship, the amount of which depends on the duration and location of the traineeships. The traineeship scholarship is €640 or €690 per month.
Application forms are available at Career Services or on the information page about traineeships abroad. Additional information can be obtained by contacting internships@abo.fi.

Erasmus+ Partner Universities, listed by Subject

The following list is based on agreements made between subjects at ÅAU and various European universities.

The initial four-digit code in the heading is called the ISCED code and may need to be provided in the host university’s application. Subject coordinators are mentioned in connection with the subject.
After the partner university’s name, there is an “Erasmus code,” which should be included in the Learning Agreement (study plan).

The last part of the list indicates the maximum number of places ÅAU has at each university and the number of months you can study at the partner university. If it says 9 months and you only wish to go on exchange for one semester, that is fine. However, it may be impossible to study for a full academic year at a partner university if the exchange place is, for example, only for five months.