Exchange Studies

To go abroad as an exchange student for one or two semester(s) is a great opportunity to meet new people, experience new culture, learn new languages, study the subjects you are interested in at another university with a different perspective, and grow a great deal as a person. As a programme student studying at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, you have many ways of fulfilling this great ambition.

Why should I go on exchange?

You learn and grow a lot both personally and academically. You do not have to pay tuition fee at the host university and it qualifies for CSN student aid. It will work well with your study plan since you have 60 hp where you can take any course that interest you. And there are courses that have the potential to be relevant/ equivalent to the courses that we offer here, as an alternative. You will also get help with administration and it is not difficult to apply.

Where can I apply?

There are mainly three places that you can apply for exchange:

1. Department of Peace and Conflict Studies
We have started building up our exchange agreements, and have a few exchange agreements that are open for our programme students to apply. At the moment we have the following agreements:

Leiden University College The Hague, The Netherlands (Bachelor level)
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia (Bachelor level)
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Bachelor level, via Dept. Of Gov’t’s agreement. Please Note! Only open for application for fall exchange, ie. apply during spring)
Brandeis University, United States (Master level)
University of Otago, New Zealand (Master level)

You apply one semester in advance of your planned exchange and application is open at the beginning of the semester. For more details see below.

2. Department of Government
The Department of Government has many exchange agreements, which can also be open to our programme students depending on the course you are currently taking/ have taken. You apply one semester in advance of your planned exchange and application is usually open at the beginning of the semester. Please go to their website for more details on e.g. eligibility, partner university list, application dates and information meeting dates.

3. Division for Internationalisation
The Division for internationalisation has the largest amount of exchange agreements and partner universities all over the world. They open applications two times per academic year and it is open for all Uppsala University students.  You apply approximately one year in advance of your planned exchange. Please go to their website for more details on e.g. eligibility, partner university list, application dates and information meeting dates.
Application dates is usually in October and April.

*Please note that they will open application to partner universities located in Asia, Europe, Middle East and North America primarily during the fall application round, and to partner universities located in Africa, Oceanien and South America primarily during the spring application round.

Applying through the department’s own agreements

How and when do I apply?
You need to be a programme student at the Department. You should be studying full-time at Uppsala University at the time of the application. Please note that the best time for you to go on exchange would be:
Bachelor students: your third or fourth semester, so apply during second or third semester
Master students: your third semester, so apply during second semester

*Specific information for scholarship holders: Rotary Peace Fellows are requested to take 120 credits in courses given by Uppsala University. Holder of other scholarships should check with the organisation regarding possible limitations with taking exchange studies abroad.

Programme students will receive information when the application is open. You should then submit the completed application form together with required documents before the deadline. 

What can I study during exchange?
As long as you are studying at one of the approved partner universities of the department, you can study whichever academic course of your choosing, as an elective course in the programme, as long as it has no overlap with your previous studies at university level. Since you will be taking one semester of exchange studies, it is important that you take a total of credits equivalent to 30 credits in the Swedish system of credits.

For Bachelor programme students, it is also possible to study courses that can be transferred as Peace and Conflict equivalent, e.g. B-level peace and conflict equivalent. Please consult the approved course list if you are interested in doing so. However, it is very important to be aware that courses offered at our partner universities can change, and that it can be very challenging to have to limit yourself to a certain relevant courses and at the same time arrange courses so that you have a reasonable level of workload throughout the semester. It is therefore very important to be flexible regarding courses. To study elective courses gives you more freedom to layout your exchange semester in the way that suits you the best. And it is also possible to take e.g. one semester of academic leave of absence for exchange studies.

How do I finance my exchange?
Exchange students do not have to pay tuition fee to the host university. This means you pay the same tuition to Uppsala University during your exchange. There can however be other fees that’s compulsory, e.g. student association fees.  

For those of you who are entitled to the CSN student loan, exchange studies qualify for CSN. You will get the same amount as you are getting in Sweden, and have the option of applying for more loan for air tickets. Read more at the CSN webpage.

There is, as far as I know, no specific scholarship for exchange studies. You can check with the nations and see if there are anything that you can apply. If you are going on an ERASMUS exchange, then you will be able to receive ERASMUS scholarship, which would give you around 400 EUR per month. 

During your exchange you will be covered by the insurance Kammarkollegiet Student UT. This is acceptable in most of the partner universities. If it is not, then you will have to pay for the compulsory insurance plan. You will receive this information beforehand. 

How is the selection done?
Selection is based on academic results. It is done by comparing the amount of academic points completed with the grade ‘VG’ of all the programme courses that you have completed.  

Within a week after the deadline some applicants may be asked to attend a brief interview. Then the selected applicants will be notified and given 2 days to accept/ decline the offer. Nominated students will be assisted with their applications to the host university. 

How do I transfer credits after exchange?
Providing that you took academic courses at one of the approved partner universities which are not too similar to the courses that you have already taken at Uppsala University, you will usually have the possibility of transferring the credits that you have obtained from exchange studies here after your return. You should keep the course description, course reading list, and your transcripts, and then apply for a transfer through the central student division.

Would I get help with accommodation during exchange?
Most partner universities can help you with housing but not guarantee it.  You can live on campus or off campus, in student dorms or private housing, depending on your preference. 

More questions?
Above is a list of the most frequently asked questions. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me:

Chris Chau, chris.chau@pcr.uu.se, 018 471 2379
Drop-in office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 10:00 - 12:00.
Exchange reports will be available for reading at the student office.

Application dates and documents

Application for exchange studies during V24 will open in Sep 2023.

Last modified: 2022-06-21
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