Erasmus Ofisi | Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi

Menü

What is Erasmus+?

Erasmus+ is the new European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport for 2014-2020. It replaces several existing EU programmes, covering all sectors of education: the Lifelong Learning Programme - Erasmus (higher education), Leonardo da Vinci (vocational education), Comenius (school education), Grundtvig (adult education), Youth in Action, and five international programmes (Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa, Edulink and the programme for cooperation with industrialised countries). For the first time, Erasmus+ will also offer EU support for sport, particularly at grassroots' level. Erasmus+ significantly increases EU funding (+40%) for the development of knowledge and skills, reflecting the importance of education and training in EU and national policy agendas. It aims to boost people's personal development and job prospects. The new programme builds on the experience and success of existing programmes such as Erasmus, but will have an even greater impact. It is based on the premise that investing in education and training is the key to unlocking potential, regardless of age or background.

How will Erasmus+ differ from the current programmes?

The new programme is more ambitious and strategic in nature while maintaining the main aims of improving skills and employability, as well as supporting the modernisation of education, training and youth systems. Erasmus+ will develop synergies between different education sectors and with the world of work. A single programme will result in simpler application rules and procedures, and avoid fragmentation or duplication. The programme has several new features: A loan guarantee scheme to help Master's students finance a full degree abroad to acquire the skills needed in knowledge intensive jobs. Knowledge Alliances: partnerships between higher education institutions and enterprise to promote creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship by offering new curricula, learning opportunities and qualifications. Sector Skills Alliances: partnerships between vocational education and training providers and enterprise to promote employability and address skills gaps by developing sector-specific curricula and innovative forms of vocational teaching. It integrates the currently separate programmes dealing with the international dimension of higher education, meaning higher education mobility to and from third countries and capacity building projects with higher education institutions in third countries will become possible.

What will change for students under Erasmus+?

Access to the programme will be increased in several ways. For example, Erasmus+ will offer stronger support to students wishing to improve their language skills before going to their Erasmus university or job placement. In addition, the development of flexible learning, such as distance or part-time learning, will be encouraged through improved use of information technologies. Erasmus+ grants will more strongly target specific needs (such as the living cost in the destination country) and offer strengthened support for students from less privileged backgrounds, as well as those with disabilities or coming from outermost regions. Countries can complement the EU grant with top-up grants financed by their own national or regional budget. Thanks to the loan guarantee, there will also be stronger support for students wishing to undertake a full Masters' degree course in another European country. The guarantee will in particular benefit students from less well-off backgrounds, who have been deterred in the past from studying abroad due to the lack of national grants or loans. A new Erasmus Charter will contribute to a high quality learning experience through more rigorous agreements between higher education institutions which will specify the minimum expected level of student language skills and provide detailed information on housing and visa issues.

Will students be able to participate in Erasmus+ if they already benefitted from an Erasmus grant under the previous Lifelong Learning Programme?

Yes. It will now be possible to study and train abroad more than once as an Erasmus+ student. Students will be able to study and/or train abroad for up to 12 months within each study cycle (bachelor, master or doctorate), irrespective of the mobility type (studies or traineeships) and number of mobility periods (for example, 2 periods of 6 months or 3 periods of 4 months). However, higher education institutions may give priority to students who have never benefited from a mobility experience abroad before. For students who have already benefited from an Erasmus exchange under the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP), this will be taken into account under Erasmus+ if they apply for a grant within the same study cycle. For example, if a student has already done an Erasmus exchange of six months at Master level under the LLP, he/she could benefit from an Erasmus+ mobility grant at Master level for up to 6 months. However if the same student goes on to do a doctorate, he or she could be supported for up to 12 months under Erasmus+ as it would be at a higher study cycle. Other past mobility experiences, such as a Leonardo da Vinci traineeship under the Lifelong Learning Programme or volunteering in the European Voluntary Service under the Youth in Action programme, will not be taken into account in calculating the maximum 12 month period per study cycle for higher education studies or traineeship under Erasmus+.

Which countries can participate in Erasmus+?

The EU Member States Acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates benefiting from a pre-accession strategy European Free Trade Area (EFTA) countries that are party to the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement The Swiss Confederation, provided it has signed a specific international agreement Countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, where a bilateral agreement has been concluded. EU Member States are automatically Erasmus+ programme countries. The other countries in the list above can become 'programme countries' subject to fulfilling specific administrative conditions and the setting up of a National Agency to manage the programme. All other countries in the world are 'partner countries' and may participate in certain actions or according to specific conditions.

I want to be an Erasmus student in OMU. What should I do?

Please visit http://erasmus.omu.edu.tr/en/genel/study for detailed information.

What about exams?

The examination procedure you will follow will be the one adopted by OMU. This may involve written papers and/or oral examinations. Unless there are good reasons to do otherwise, the language of the examination will be English. In general, you will not have to pass an exam a second time at your home university to receive academic recognition for it.

Is there a minimum or maximum number of exams that I have to take at OMU?

This depends on the Learning Agreement you will sign before your departure. It indicates precisely what modules you will be studying. Subsequent modifications to the Learning Agreement are permitted as long as all parties concerned agree. According to the European Credit Transfer System, the minimal number of credit points you have to gather with exams for one semester is 20. It is recommended to choose subjects, which give you more credit points (usually 30 per semester), but if that is not possible, then minimum is 20 for one semester and 40 for two semesters (one year).

Can I get an ERASMUS grant even if I am receiving a grant or a loan in my home country?

Yes. If you are entitled to a national grant or loan for study at home, you will normally continue to be entitled to it during your ERASMUS study period abroad.

Are there any other grants I could apply for?

Contact your national Erasmus Office or the International Relations Office of your home university about the possibilities to apply for other grants in your country. You can also consult OMU International Student Office for possible short term grants.

What if I don’t receive an ERASMUS grant?

The status of “ERASMUS student” does not depend on the student being awarded an ERASMUS mobility grant. Even without a grant, you will receive full academic recognition at home of your study period abroad. In addition, every ERASMUS student can benefit from the support provided to incoming students in the form of welcome events, introduction to OMU, free language courses, academic advice to students or assistance with practical matters, such as finding appropriate accommodation etc. Even though this kind of support depends entirely on the host university, we are proud to inform you that OMU gives full support to all of our incoming Erasmus students in these fields and many more.

Are there any obligations after being an ERASMUS student?

Some universities demand feedback after returning from the ERASMUS period. This may include writing a short report on your experiences abroad, helping local student organizations or selected students in various departments to provide information or counseling services to outgoing or incoming students. Please consult your home university.