Swiss-European Mobility Programme SEMP

The SEMP programme (ex- Erasmus) enables students to undertake a period of study of 1 or 2 semesters at a host university in one of the 27 member states of the European Union, in the United Kingdom, in North Macedonia, in Serbia, in Turkey or in one of the three countries of the European Free Trade Association  (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), on the basis of agreements with those universities.

The period and ECTS credits (for seminar papers, exams) achieved at the host university are recognized  under current regulations at the University of Fribourg (Unifr).

  • Conditions

    The basic conditions for taking part in a mobility programme are:

    1. You must have paid your registration fee and be enrolled at Unifr. You will be exempt from registration fees at your host university.
    2. You must have completed at least 2 semesters (on BA level) at the start of your mobility placement and fulfil the conditions of your faculty.
    3. You must have the consent of your mobility coordinator or academic advisor.
    4. You must have sufficient language skills. Please refer to the terms of the host universities.
      Note: some universities demand official language tests (e.g.: TOEFL, IELTS, etc.).
    5. You must satisfy the specific requirements of the host university.

    A student may complete a SEMP Mobility/Exchange for up to 12 months per level of study. For example, a student may do two exchanges of one semester in two different universities at the Bachelor level and leave again for one or two semesters at the Master’s level as long as he or she  fulfil all the conditions.

     

  • Registration procedure

    Applications and deadlines

    Online application

    Assignment of places

  • Grants

    The Swiss Confederation provides a mobility grant. These are allocations for the extra costs occurring during a stay abroad such as travel costs, language courses, etc.

    The monthly grant for a mobility stay is of CHF 380, based on which two lump sums are calculated:

    - If the course period at the host university, without counting the pre-semester orientation week or language course and without the exam period, lasts at least 3 months plus 1 day, students receive the grant for 5 months: CHF 1,900.

    - If the course period at the host university, without counting the pre-semester orientation week or language course and without the exam period, lasts 3 months or less, students receive the grant for 3 and a half months: CHF 1,330.

    - Students doing an exchange of two semesters receive the grant for 10 months under the condition that, between the first day of courses and the last day of courses of the second semester, at least 7 months have passed.

    Two separate payments are made:

    1. The first payment (80% of the total grant) is made on receipt of the grant contract and the study contract.
    2. The remainder is paid after you have submitted the final report to the International Relations Office (IRO). The final report must be submitted within 30 days of the end of your mobility placement.

    Conditions for obtaining a SEMP grant:

    1. The exchange must have a duration of at least 3 months (an exception may be made for placements in universities with a trimestral system).
    2. You must submit a grant agreement before the start of your exchange period, and submit your learning agreement before or at the latest 5 weeks after the start of the semester at the host university.
    3. You must follow the courses at the host university as stated in the learning agreement and pass most of the exams.
    4. You must submit a final report upon your return.
    5. The SEMP grant is only granted for physical mobility in the host country. For a Virtual Mobility there is no grant. Regarding a Blended Mobility please contact the International Relations Office.
  • Green Travel Top Up

    SEMP students who choose to travel to and from the host-university by train or bus can benefit from a unique top up of CHF 100.- for more environmentally friendly mobility. The amount of the top up is independent of the destination (same amount for travelling to Lyon or Tartu) and cannot be split in case one way is made by train and the other by plane.

    If the Green Travel Top Up is requested, it must be indicated in the grant agreement. The travel receipts for the outward journey (at the beginning of the stay) and/or return journey (at the end of the stay) must be handed in together with the final report (on MyUnifr). Receipts for other travels during the stay are not accepted. The top up will be paid afterwards along with the remaining amount of the SEMP grant.

    Tips and tricks for travelling by train

    Arguments to travel by train

  • Prepare your stay

    Learning Agreement

    Linguistic preparation

    Visa

    Accomodation

    Insurance and safety

    Semester dates

    Registration fees

    Special Needs

  • On the spot

    Learning Agreement

    Changing the duration of your stay

    Share your experience

  • End of placement

    Validation of your credits

    Ask your host university about obtaining your transcript of records. To have your credits recognised, ask your faculty or department.

    Final reports

    All students must complete the experience report, which will be an invaluable source of information for future outgoing students.

    Students who have completed a placement under the SEMP programme must also submit a final report for the Confederation.

    These documents are part of the mobility process on MyUnifr.

    Share your experience

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    Feel free to let others know about your mobility exchange, whether during your stay abroad or on your return, through a blog, on social media, when meeting other students, etc. Your international experience is rich from the academic, personal and social point of view. Give others the benefit of it! Don't forget to tag @unifr_international in your photos! Use hashtag #unifrinternational.