USI students mobility: organizational aspects

Discover the main 5 reasons to board one of USI’s mobility programmes managed by the International Relations and Study Abroad Service.

The preparation for a period of study abroad requires considerable time and effort on your part. There are no ready-made exchanges available in any of our partner university. When you organize a semester abroad, it is important to examine all possibilities and to begin planning it early, preferably a year before your date of departure. Consider the period of preparation as an important part of your studies and use it to develop your organizational skills. To get the best out of an exchange semester you should ask yourself where you would like to study, during which semester, which courses you must take, if you can finance your trip and stay abroad and if your language proficiency is sufficient for studying in the host country. Students have the following sources of information to get acquainted with the mobility programmes and the procedures:

Information session
Each year, the International Relations and Study Abroad Service organizes an information session for USI students interested in undertaking a study abroad experience. The purpose of the session is to provide useful information to organize a mobility: the presentation of the different types of exchange programs, of the partner universities, enrollment procedures, admission requirements, financial aspects and much more. In compliance with the current provisions on the Covid-19 pandemic, this year the information session was recorded.
Link to the information session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxBZdkPqnZs
Link to presentation: Information session PPT

International Fair
The USI annual international fair is held every November at the beginning of a new semester. Students interested in spending part of their studies abroad have the chance to learn about USI diverse international exchange programme managed by the International Relations service. The fair highlights the benefits of participating in an exchange programme and gives students the opportunity to learn more about the exchange possibilities offered at USI. In 2021, the edition is cancelled.

Experience reports
Written by former USI students who spent a period of study in a different university. Reports may be accessed on our website with your USI credentials.

Study Abroad Guide
The official publication of the International Relations and Study Abroad Service, with detailed information on how to organize a study period abroad. You can download the 2021 edition here. 

5 reasons for a study abroad experience
A short video on why we believe a study experience abroad will further enrich your study curriculum and help you grow as a person.

Individual meetings
Starting in November, the International Relations and Study Abroad Service will offer individual virtual meetings in Microsoft Teams. Please send an email to relint@usi.ch to fix your appointment. We will be happy to assist you in the organization of your study abroad experience.

Admission Criteria

To participate in a mobility programme you must:

• be duly registered in a degree programme at Universita della Svizzera italiana;
• have obtained the required number of credits as defined in the Faculty's Study Regulations;
• be in good academic standings;
• be reasonably proficient in the language of the host country (some partner universities require an official certificate).

For specific admission criteria of each USI faculty, please carefully read page 14 of the Study Abroad Guide.

Language certificate

It is the students’ responsibility to verify if a specific language certificate is necessary. USI’s International Relations and Study Abroad Service in Lugano asks for language certificates (at least a B2 level of the teaching language) because most partner universities demand evidence of language proficiency, and it is one of the criteria of the internal selection. Language certificates are for the students’ own good: students with an insufficient knowledge of the language of instruction face greater difficulties during their stay abroad. It is up to the student to register in time for the official language exam. Please note that it may take
up to two months to receive the original certificate. Test results must be available by the deadline of the internal application. No exceptions will be made. 

The Academy of Architecture’s International Service asks for a language certificate if the partner university demands proof of it.

USI enrolment and financial aspects

You must maintain your enrolment status at USI during the exchange term. If you undertake a mobility semester recognized as part of the criteria for obtaining a degree (Bachelor or Master) you are granted a 50% reduction in the USI semester tuition fee. All of the USI exchange agreements are based on a bilateral agreement to waive payment of tuition for nominated students by the partner university. You are however responsible for all other costs related to your semester abroad. Bear in mind that even though you have been selected for a tuition-free exchange, there may be other fees you might have to pay at the host university: administration fees, activity fees, library fee etc.

SEMP Studies Scholarship

The SEMP programme entitles you to receive a bursary if the following conditions are met:

• You are enrolled at USI;
• You are not holding another bursary of the European Union for an international student exchange programme;
• You are not living in the country where you are planning to go on exchange.

The monthly amount of the grant likely to be similar to the one paid in the framework of the Erasmus+ programme. Scholarships do not provide total coverage of the expenses but they nonetheless contribute towards travel expenses and part of the living costs. The amount and the eligibility for the SEMP scholarship depend on the provisions issued by the Swiss National Agency Movetia. Students selected for the SEMP programme will be informed in due time. Additional information here. 

A limited number of SEMP scholarships are also available for destinations outside of Europe. Information will be shared with the candidates in due time.

Heyning-Roelli Foundation

The Heyning-Roelli Foundation provides scholarships to talented but financially underprivileged students for travel and subsistence expenses. Beneficiaries of the scholarships can be Bachelor- and Master students who wish to participate in an exchange programme for one or two semesters at a partner university. Exchange programmes include the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP, formerly Erasmus) as well as other programmes according to bilateral agreements between Swiss universities and foreign universities. In these programmes students stay enrolled at their home university and continue their studies there after the end of their stay abroad.

• Applications for Fall Semester must be submitted by 20th April 24.00h CET of each year.
• Applications for Spring Semester must be submitted by 20th October 24.00h CET of each year

Green Travel Top-Up for sustainable travels (SEMP mobility only)

A financial aid (“top-up”) of CHF 100 is granted to those who choose to make the round trip by train, bus or boat. The top-up is paid together with the balance of the SEMP scholarship, upon presentation of the copy of the ticket, together with the end of exchange documentation.

Please note that only one application per semester is allowed. 

Application procedure Lugano Campus

Starting with mobility for the academic year 2022-23, USI will introduce Mobility Online, an online tool to manage exchanges. A dedicated section with additional information and the link to the online registration form has been created on desk.usi.ch: https://www.desk.usi.ch/en/node/13314. The information and documents to be provided are:  

1. Language certificates;
2. Motivation letter in the language in which you will study (the template to be used will be available directly in Mobility Online);
3. Learning Agreement (this part will be filled directly in Mobility Online).

Students are selected based on a ranking calculated directly by Mobility Online and takes into consideration the weighted average grade, the ECTS obtained and the language certificate. The selection process takes place once a year in March for both Autumn and Spring semesters. It is however still possible for the students of the Lugano campus to apply by the 24th of September for Spring semesters without any guarantee that there will still be available openings.

Application procedure Mendrisio Campus

Starting with mobility for the academic year 2022-23, USI will introduce Mobility Online, an online tool to manage exchanges. A dedicated section with additional information and the link to the online registration form has been created on desk.usi.ch: https://www.desk.usi.ch/en/node/13314. The information and documents to be provided are:  

1. Motivation letter (the template to be used will be available directly in Mobility Online);
2. Portfolio format A4 with the projects of the bachelor programme in pdf version only and max 30MB;
3. English certificates, if available.

Students are selected based on a ranking calculated directly by Mobility Online and takes into consideration the weighted average grade. The selection process takes place once a year in March for both Autumn and Spring semesters. 

Internal application deadlines

Mendrisio Campus
10 February 2022 for the following Academic Year

Lugano Campus
21 February 2022 for the following Autumn Semester
24 September 2022 for the following Spring Semester

All selected students will be officially introduced to the partner university by the International Relations and Study Abroad Service staff. From this point onwards, it is up to each student to organise the departure at best, deal with any further administrative requirements and meet all deadlines of the host university regarding university enrolment, courses registration, health insurance and accommodation.

• Academy of Architecture: Rules for academic mobility (only in Italian)
• Faculty of Economics: Study abroad / Mobility programme Guidelines
• Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society: Regulations for student mobility
• Faculty of Informatics: Study Regulations

In the table, Permit, visa and health insurance procedures for USI outgoing students, you will find relevant information concerning the bureaucratic procedures you will be asked to complete in order to do an exchange at another university.
Please note that the information refers to current regulations and procedures established by the competent authorities at cantonal and national level and may therefore be subject to change.

Checklist of things to do before leaving

Once you have obtained all information from the host university (beginning of semester, accommodation, welcome activities, etc), the student can start planning the departure.

Before leaving Switzerland, you need the following:

• A valid ID card or Passport;
• The European Health Insurance Card which entitles the bearer to medical assistance during the stay in an EU/EEA member states or to buy appropriate private health insurance cover in the event this is required by the host country;
• Two passport-sized photographs;
• Useful contact details (telephone, address and e-mail) of the Exchange coordinator at the host institution.

If you visit a country outside the European community for study purposes, you must also:

• Apply for the appropriate student visa for that country;

You are advised to be properly informed about the legislation in force in the country you have chosen. To do so, you may refer to the International Office of the host university.

Orientation programme at the host university

Most universities organise mandatory orientation programmes for guest students prior to the beginning of the Semester. Nominated exchange students are expected to arrive at the host university on time for orientation and the start of the courses. For some destinations the arrival date is set for July or August. In this case, registration for the retake session in September at USI is not possible.

Changes in the learning agreement

The final learning agreeement must be sumbitted in Mobility Online no later than one month after the start of classes at the host univrsity. Any change in the learning agreeement must be approved by USI.

At the end of their stay, USI students are required to submit the following documents in Mobility Online

1. End of study report
Within three weeks from the end of the exchange period, write an "End of study report" on their experience abroad, following specific guidelines. The template will be available in Mobility Online. 

2. Exchange survey
Students must also fill in the online Exchange survey no later than three weeks after the end of the semester abroad.

3. Certificate of attendance
SEMP student must submit the certificate of attendance duly filled and signed by the International Office of the host university. 

The procedure for issuing and forwarding examination results and credits relating to exchange students varies from university to university.

Normally, the International Relations Office of the host institution sends the official transcript of results to the student's home address and/or to the International Relations and Study Abroad Service. Bear in mind that the process may take few weeks to complete.

It is up to the student to check and make sure that the necessary official transcripts are duly delivered to USI. It is the Tutor for examinations' responsibility to register the corresponding credits, and notify the student.

Credits cannot be earned just by simply attending a semester or two abroad or in Switzerland, in a university other than USI. The value of a study semester away from the home institution is measured or quantified by formal course evaluation (grades) and related credits which the candidate earns on the basis of passing examinations or evaluation of the written work turned in (e.g. dissertation, term paper).

For special provisions on the credit recognition of exams please refer to pages 29-31 of the Study Abroad Guide.

Please refer to the following sheet for the conversion of credits outside the ECTS system.