General information

Since the autumn of 2014, Switzerland has had the status of a partner country/third country within the Erasmus programme. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and movetia (the national agency for exchange and mobility) have established a transitional solution for Switzerland for Erasmus+ from the 2014/15 academic year onwards. By means of the transitional programme SEMP (Swiss-European Mobility Programme), all Swiss universities can continue to network with universities from numerous countries throughout Europe. The programme is largely based on the conditions and requirements of the Erasmus+ programme.

Requirements for participation in the SEMP programme

• There must be an agreement between both universities in the corresponding major or minor subject.
•  You must be enrolled at the University of Lucerne.
• It is possible to spend up to a maximum of 2 semesters on exchange within each study level (BA, MA, doctorate).
• At the beginning of the stay abroad, you must have already completed the 3rd semester of your Bachelor programme.
• A learning agreement must be drawn up in communication with study advisors at the University of Lucerne and the partner university.
• Good basic knowledge of the language of the host country, or the language of instruction is required in order to be able to manage studies in a foreign language.  
• A study abroad report must be completed after your exchange.

Duration of the exchange programme

An exchange semester within the SEMP programme must last a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 12 months.

Enrolment and tuition fees

SEMP students remain enrolled at the University of Lucerne during their exchange semester and pay their tuition fees here. No enrolment fees are due at the partner university.  

Credit transfer

Before the start of the exchange semester, a learning agreement must be arranged with the responsible mobility advisor within your home faculty. After you have completed your exchange semester, your successfully completed academic credits are generally recognised by the University of Luceren and are converted into ECTS credits on the basis of the Transcript of Records provided by your host institution. The recognition of externally completed study achievements is at the discretion of each individual faculty.  

Partner universities

Lucerne students can choose from numerous universities in Europe within the framework of the SEMP programme.

Attending intensive language courses before your exchange

There is no financial support available for intensive language courses in the current EU education programme Erasmus+. During the transitional period of the SEMP programme, no such language courses will be offered.

Study Abroad Reports

Students who have completed a SEMP stay are required to complete a study abroad report. This report serves as a valuable source of information for future outgoing students.

Overview of outgoing students' study aborad reports

Preliminary information

You should use this website as a starting point to find out more about the SEMP programme, the most important requirements, questions about credits, and the ideal time in your studies in which to go on exchange. The study abroad reports written by your fellow students describing their own experiences abroad also provide useful input.

Talk with your faculty's mobility advisor/learning agreement

You should get into contact with your faculty's mobility advisor to discuss study programme related questions and the learning agreement.

Talk with the Outgoing Mobility Coordinator

The outgoing mobility coordinator at the International Relations Office (IRO) is available for any organisational and administrative questions you might have.

Applying for an exchange semester

You can apply to go on exchange via the online portal. As part of the application you will need a CV, a letter of motivation and the signature of your study advisor.

Nomination

The faculties decide on the allocation of study places at each partner university. You will be informed about your successful nomination by the IRO.

Registration at the partner university

If you are nominated for a study place, the International Relations Office will register your name directly with the partner university.

Information from the partner university

The partner university will subsequently send you all the necessary information and will inform you of the next steps.

Scholarship/Declaration of Commitment

Before starting your exchange semester, you will need to sign a 'Declaration of Commitment' in order to receive a scholarship for your period of exchange.

Learning Agreement

After receiving the course catalogue from your host university, you will select your courses in consultation with your study advisor. You will record these course choices in your Learning Agreement before you begin your exchange semester, and ensure that it has been signed by your study advisor. The Learning Agreement is then also signed by the partner university. You will be required to upload the document to the online portal.

Credit transfer

After completing your exchange semester, it is your responsibility to ensure that you receive a Transcript of Records from your host university and submit it driectly to the IRO or to your study advisor for credit transfer.

Exchange semester grants are paid out by the University of Lucerne for within the SEMP (Erasmus) programme. The grants are a contribution and are meant to cover the additional exchange-related costs, which students incur during their stay abroad. They are awarded in the form of lump sums that are proportional to the duration of your exchange.

The following flat rates apply:

CHF 1'900 for a semester (when the duration of courses is longer than 3 months)

CHF 1'330 for a trimester (when the duration of courses is less than 3 months)

Annual flat rate for two semesters or trimesters/terms:

CHF 3'800 for two semesters (when the duration of courses is longer than 7 months)

CHF 1'900 for two trimesters (when the duration of courses is less than 7 months)

Furthermore students receiving a SEMP grant can also apply for a 'Green travel' grant. More information can be found on the 'Greener Mobility Programme' webpage.

Furthermore, swissuniversities (Rectors' Conference of the Swiss Universities) provides information on scholarships for study abroad.