FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Who can participate in Erasmus+?

Students who are enrolled in a formal programme of study at higher education level leading to a degree or postgraduate qualification (including doctoral level) in one of the participating countries. Full-time students from both EU and Non-EU countries can apply to go on Erasmus.

Where can I go?

By clicking on the Erasmus Partner Institutions List, you will see the institutions with which CIT has signed Erasmus+ exchange agreements, including the study areas involved in the individual exchange agreements.

• Erasmus+  Study Exchange students can apply to study at a selected partner institution, depending on which course/modules are included in the bilateral exchange agreement, and their compatibility with your own course of studies at CIT.
• Erasmus Traineeships can be carried out in companies/organisations located in any of the eligible countries (see Erasmus Partner Institutions List link above).

When can I go, and for how long?

Since an Erasmus+ study period is an integral part of a student’s normal study programme, it is not necessary to take time out from your course to participate in Erasmus.

• Erasmus+  Study Exchange students can spend between three months and a full academic year abroad.
• Erasmus Traineeship periods are from two to twelve months.

Will I get a grant to go abroad?

Yes. Erasmus provides mobility funding to contribute towards the additional costs of studying abroad, such as travel expenses, language preparation costs, higher general costs of living in the host country.  Students who receive an education grant or a fee waiver to study at CIT can keep these entitlements whilst on Erasmus. The Erasmus grants are calculated according to cost of living in the host country.

• Erasmus Allowance for Study Exchanges
• Erasmus Allowance for Traineeships

Will I have to pay university fees abroad?

No.  It is a condition of the Erasmus + programme that participating students are charged no fees (for tuition, registration, examinations, access to laboratory and library facilities etc.)  However, small fees may be charged for costs, such as insurance, students' union, the use of photocopiers, laboratory products, etc., on an equal basis with local students. In order to participate in Erasmus +, you need be a registered student at CIT, whether you will be spending the whole academic year or just a few months abroad.  Therefore, you must register at CIT in the normal way at the start of the academic year. Please visit CIT Grants and Fees.

Please note:  Graduate traineeships are a new feature of the Erasmus + programme.  Students can apply for a graduate traineeship during their final year of study at CIT.

  Will I need to be able to speak the local language?

If you will be required to study in the host country language, you must be confident that you have sufficient knowledge of the language to enable you to attend lectures and sit examinations in that language. Some partner institutions are now offering courses taught through English.  In other instances, host institutions offer projects to Erasmus students who do not have fluency in the local language. Students on Erasmus internships are usually not required to have the same level of competence in the host country language as students going on study exchanges. Nevertheless, students are encouraged to gain a minimum level of proficiency in the language, for day to day living.

Erasmus students who will be studying in the host country language must undertake language placement tests before and after their Erasmus mobility period.  The Erasmus programme’s on-line language system (OLS) is a free on-line course for students.

Are there any preparatory language courses available?

Yes, preparatory language courses can be arranged at CIT prior to your departure. These courses tend to be short, concentrating on everyday language requirements or specialised vocabulary for a particular academic discipline. Students planning to go abroad in the future may wish to register on one of the language modules which are being taught at CIT.  Some host institutions offer intensive language courses to incoming Erasmus students.  Additional funding can be made available to students to attend language courses at the host institution.

Will I receive credits for my study or placement period abroad?

All of CIT’s Erasmus partner institutions use the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) to provide a common scale for measuring in credits the student workload required to complete course units (i.e., 30 credits for one semester and 60 credits for a full year of study).

Since the Erasmus study period is an integral part of a student’s programme of study at CIT, full academic recognition is given for the studies successfully completed abroad, through the use of the Learning Agreement and the Transcript of Records.  ECTS credits are awarded for successfully completed Erasmus exchanges and traineeships carried out in one of the eligible countries.  Please see “Credit Transfer” tab for more information.

Please see also FAQs on the Erasmus National Agency’s website:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/opportunities/higher-education/doc/students-questions-answers_en.pdf