Questions and Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When is the recruitment for Erasmus+ student scholarship organized?

The qualification procedure is announced on the first day of the spring semester at the latest (in February) and lasts about 2 -3 weeks (stage I and stage II). Usually information about recruitment appears in mid-February. Those interested should follow the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk website (especially the Erasmus programme website) and the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk - Erasmus page on Facebook. From the end of January, they should also look for current information in the Erasmus cabinet display next to room 3033. In the earlier period (December / January) an information meeting for potential candidates is usually organized.

Q: What requirements do I have to meet in order to apply for the Erasmus mobility?

First of all, first, second, third and fourth year students of uniform master degree studies (law), first and second year students of first cycle studies, first year students of second cycle studies may participate in the qualification procedure, regardless of their mode of study, provided that they have obtained an entry for at least the second semester of their studies at the time of applying for the competition. The selection procedure is also open to first-, second- and third-year doctoral students in law, provided that a partner higher education institution offers places for third-cycle students in a given year in accordance with the agreement in force.
 

Secondly, a student applying for the mobility has to meet the following conditions:

they are distinguished by good academic results, with the grades average from the previous study period as of the date of applying for participation in the Erasmus programme being at least 3.50 (three and fifty hundredths)

they have a good and documented knowledge of a foreign language which is the language of lecture of the study curriculum in the foreign university they are applying to.

Q: Can I freely choose between going for a year or a semester?

No. First of all, you are limited by the exchange period (year / semester) provided for in the agreement between the University of Gdańsk and the partner university. In addition, if the mobility would fall in the last year, i.e. the third year of first cycle studies, second year of second cycle studies, fifth year of uniform master degree studies or fourth year of third cycle studies, the Candidate may only apply for a winter semester of the academic year, which is the last year in the Candidate's education cycle for the given degree. Additionally some agreements may offer the possibility of reducing the mobility to a semester instead of a year. The student submits a declaration in this respect on the "Erasmus Student Form" during stage II of recruitment at the latest.

Q: Is there an additional recruitment process organized if the limit of places for Erasmus+ is not met?

No. At present, the qualification procedure is defined in detail in the Regulations introduced by the Dean's ordinance. It does not provide for an additional recruitment, even if the number of candidates is lower than the number of places. The basic recruitment, duly announced, allows all Candidates to participate in the competition equally. It is not possible to organise a second procedure at the end of March under the same rules, also due to the relevant deadlines imposed by the Students’ Foreign Exchange Section of the University of Gdańsk, the National Erasmus Agency and partner universities.

Q: How can I participate in the qualification procedure if I was absent from the university during the period of receipt of documents, e.g. due to illness?

Another person may submit documents on your behalf, provided that your signature is in the required spaces on the application and in the form. However, if you qualify for the stage II, you must appear for the interview in a scheduled place and time in person.

Q: I did not manage to collect all the required documents on time. What to do?

Requirements for the necessary documents are known in advance and specified in the Regulations of the qualification procedure. A person planning their participation in the competition should, without waiting for the announcement of the opening of the recruitment process, start collecting documents, especially those concerning the proof of foreign language skills from the beginning of the academic year preceding the planned mobility. The application period (usually 2 weeks) has been set so as to allow you to collect all the documents.

Q: I have been qualified for the Erasmus programme. What formalities do I still have to complete at the Faculty of Law and Administration before leaving?

In addition to a number of formalities that you must complete in the Foreign Exchange Section in the Rectorate of the University of Gdańsk, as a rule at the Faculty of Law, it is compulsory to obtain the signature of the faculty Erasmus Coordinator and then of the Dean, under the agreed study programme at the partner university (the so-called Learning Agreement). This obligation must be completed by the end of June at the latest. Learning Agreement cannot be signed during the holiday season. Remember that the Learning Agreement signed by the Coordinator and Dean is a necessary condition for signing the scholarship agreement. If your mobility falls in August or the first half of September, it may not be possible to complete it if you do not get the Learning Agreement signed by the end of June.

Some universities require additional documents to be signed by the Erasmus Faculty Coordinator. In this case, they should be presented for signature by the end of June.

Q: Do I have to pass the spring exam session before going for Erasmus mobility in September?

Yes. Settlement of the current studies period, including the pre-departure settlement period  (year / spring semester) is a prerequisite for the Dean's final consent to your mobility.

Q: How many and what courses should I choose at the partner university?

Think carefully about the courses you want to study. Each course should be assigned a certain number of ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) points. The requirement of the Erasmus+ programme is to obtain at least 30 ECTS points in a semester and not less than 60 ECTS points for the academic year. You can additionally choose courses that are of interest to you from other Faculties / Institutes at the partner university, as well as take advantage of the language courses offer. Remember, however, that professional (law) subjects should make up a clear majority of your programme in terms of both the number of courses and the number of ECTS points. You need to agree with the Erasmus Coordinator which courses will be credited to the compulsory courses provided for in the curriculum of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk (transfer of achievements).

Q: Can I get fewer than 30 ECTS points per semester or 60 ECTS points per year?

No. 60 ECTS points per year is the minimum you need to get. Learning Agreements with fewer points will not be signed. There is also no permission to grant discounts to ECTS points in advance. The number of ECTS points should not be compared in terms of the number of courses or the nominal number of hours of lectures / exercises etc. ECTS scoring is a measure of student workload, hence every person going for an Erasmus scholarship should get the same minimum number of points.

Q: For year-round programmes, can I get more than 30 ECTS points in one semester and fewer in the other?

Yes. If you get more than 30 ECTS points in the winter semester, you only need to get enough points in the second semester to make your "Transcript of Records" cover a total of 60 ECTS points per the entire year.

Q: Is it possible to shorten or extend the stay on the Erasmus scholarship by one semester.

In principle this is not possible. When deciding to participate (for one or two semesters, respectively), you undertake to study at the partner university for the period provided for in the contract between the University of Gdańsk and the partner university. If you shorten your stay, the grant you would be entitled to for the unused semester is forfeited and cannot be used for other people. If you go only for a semester, it will not be possible to stay for another semester, as you will lose your Erasmus student status and you will not receive a grant for the second semester.

NOTE! In any case, if you plan to undertake further studies abroad and you are still a student of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Gdańsk, you are required to obtain the individual consent of the Dean to undertake such studies, regardless of the type of programme, year of study and the status of settlement of the current studies programme!

Q: Can I take up further studies abroad immediately after completing my Erasmus studies?

Remember that while on an Erasmus scholarship, regardless of the year of your studies, you remain a student of the Faculty of Law and Administration until you are granted a certificate of completion. It is not possible to arbitrarily extend your stay at a foreign university (whether or not it is a partner university of UG, or whether the stay is continued at your own expense or financed by another programme), even if you have already completed the compulsory study programme at the Faculty of Law and Administration. In any case, you must ask for permission from the Dean or apply for Dean's leave. Remember that in this case you will also need to settle your Erasmus scholarship in advance.

Q: How can I settle my Erasmus scholarship at the Faculty of Law and Administration?

Every Faculty of Law and Administration student returning from a scholarship is obliged to settle it in scientific terms at the Faculty. A uniform procedure and form apply (available for download on the "Documents" page). The transfer of achievements from foreign studies and their credit towards compulsory courses or lectures is exclusively done by the Dean (Vice-Dean of Students) on the basis of an application approved by the Erasmus coordinator. The "transcription" of courses in the case of persons returning from Erasmus mobility does not belong to the course teachers. The diploma seminar is approved only by the seminar lecturer, based on individual arrangements with the student. The application should be submitted after the settlement of the stay in the Student Foreign Exchange Section of the University of Gdańsk.

Q: Can a lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Administration also "transcribe" an Erasmus course after an interview with a student returning from the scholarship?

As a rule - NO. A student who completes part of their studies abroad as part of Erasmus receives an individual study programme from the Dean with an exemption from the obligation to participate in classes during the scholarship. Students may obtain a transfer of part of their achievements (grades from courses passed abroad) for the courses obligatory in accordance with the study programme at the University of Gdańsk. This is a formal procedure in which the decision is made by the Dean (Vice-Dean) and in this case it is done completely "beyond" the decisions of the respective lecturers. Where there are no equivalents or the student has not obtained such approval from the Dean (due to the specific nature of law studies) - the student contacts the lecturer / tutor and agrees with them the individual course completion conditions.

Q: Till when do I have time to settle my Erasmus stay at the Faculty of Law and Administration?

The settlement of Erasmus stay at the Faculty of Law and Administration should be made by the end of the first month of the semester following the student's return (by the end of March or the end of October). This deadline does not apply to settlement at the Student Foreign Exchange Section of the University of Gdańsk, where shorter deadlines set by Student Foreign Exchange Section and the National Erasmus Agency apply.

Q: If I do not have any subjects to "transcribe", do I still have to submit the form to the Dean?

Yes. This procedure also includes an application to the Dean to credit a period of study abroad under a pre-established programme (Learning Agreement) even if the student does not apply for the transfer of achievements.