La Trobe University Melbourne - Australia
The worldwide exchange programme with La Trobe University in Melbourne is very popular, which is why the number of applications far exceeds the one free place for two semesters or (alternatively) the two places available for one semester each. On the one hand, the country of Australia itself has an enormous appeal for young people, and on the other, the institution sets new standards in important areas such as teaching methods, research standards, internet presence and the integration of foreign students.
The university offers a wide range of legal lectures and courses with a strong legal focus, which are held and examined in English. Incoming students can draw from the full repertoire and put together an individual timetable, generally comprising between four and five courses, according to their wishes.
As far as physical or mental disabilities are concerned, La Trobe University is particularly committed to the needs of those affected, with a specially set up office with trained counsellors to deal with the associated difficulties; the aim is to make students with such problems aware that this in no way stands in the way of a stay in Australia.
The semesters run from February to June and from July to November and include a changing range of courses, so a rough choice of courses should be made at a very early stage of planning.
During the study visit, students receive personalised support and can, for example, take part in a week-long cultural introduction event or extensive sports and language programmes. At the end of the time in Australia, a ‘Transcript of Records’ is issued promptly with the grades achieved, which is converted in cooperation with the Examination Office and credited to the respective grade and credit point account.
Contact infomation:
La Trobe Abroad Team
La Trobe International | La Trobe University | Bundoora, Victoria, Australia 3086
T: +61 3 9479 1819 | F: +61 3 9479 5162 | E: studyabroad@latrobe.edu.au W: http://www.latrobe.edu.au
Université de Strasbourg - France
As part of the Socrates/Erasmus partnership with the Université de Strasbourg, the Chair offers a sponsored place for a study period of ten months.
The winter semester usually starts at the beginning of September and ends with two exam periods in December and January, with the Christmas holidays in between. The summer semester follows relatively immediately in mid-January and ends with the examination weeks in mid-April and the period for second attempts in June/July (with attendance in Strasbourg). Traditionally, there is no longer break before the semester in the first half of the year in France, but it is interrupted by the winter and Easter holidays.
It is possible to take part in most of the Faculty's law courses, although some courses are compulsory in order to obtain the certificates listed below. Other lectures can be attended with the agreement of the respective lecturers and, under certain circumstances, the corresponding final examinations can also be taken. Foreign students do not have the right to take part in the AGs (Travaux dirigés), but this is not advisable due to the mass of judgements and content covered there and is not necessary in view of the examinations, which focus more on knowledge testing.
Recently, Erasmus students have been allowed to retake failed exams during their time at the University of Strasbourg, which has been made possible by slightly postponing the semester deadlines.
Furthermore, German-language lectures in German law are also offered, some of which are taught by German and some by French professors. The scope of these lectures will probably not be sufficient for academic recognition within the scope of the specialisation area - it is of course still worth consulting with the respective coordinators - but ECTS points can be acquired in this way. It should also be noted that these German lectures are not accepted by the Judicial Examination Office in order to obtain credit for the study abroad programme for the free attempt thanks to ‘Lectures in foreign law’.
In the course of the stay in Strasbourg, the ‘Attestation des Etudes Juridiques Francaises’ and the qualification ‘Notions fondamentales de droit international, européen et comparé’ can be taken as certificates, which in each case require an application after the start of the lecture period and the passing of several compulsory subjects (without compulsory attendance).
For the recognition of the study abroad programme, we request personal consultation with the JPA; an overview of the achievements will be forwarded to the chair after the stay and made available to both the JPA and the students.
Language courses are offered by the university at different levels. There are also many opportunities outside the university that can be taken advantage of in Strasbourg, whether for a fee at a type of adult education centre (Université Populaire) or free of charge, for example as part of a tandem partnership or through contact with a local buddy.
For more ‘first-hand’ information, you will find below several experience reports from recently returned students, which focus not least on the differences to studying law in Germany and, of course, on life outside the university.
International Relations Office
Tel : +33 (0)3 68 85 88 24
Fax : +33 (0)3 68 85 85 82
Babes-Bolyai University Cluj (Cluj-Napoca) - Romania
Our Erasmus partnership with the University of Cluj is particularly suitable for prospective students who would like to gain experience far away from the ‘classic’ destinations in an up-and-coming Eastern European city with a student tradition and a beautiful old town centre, and who would also like to learn a language that will help them stand out from the crowd when writing job applications.
Two students will have the opportunity to participate for nine months in the varied programme of this institution, whose leading academic position in Eastern Europe results from the creation of modern communication structures, the connection to the European information system ‘Géant’ and the numerous exchanges and teaching links with universities in many countries. Due to its geographical location in the multi-ethnic region of Transylvania, internationality is particularly promoted, be it through qualified guest lecturers or through programmes in various foreign languages.
All Romanian-language legal courses can be attended by exchange students, who will undoubtedly benefit from the small number of course participants and the resulting intensive supervision by the teaching staff. Furthermore, participation in a Master's programme in French (‘Droit privé comparé’) and a Hungarian-language Master's programme (‘Private Law of European Community’) is offered at a high level.
As Romanian is a comparatively ‘exotic’ language, all Erasmus students should take part in language courses organised by the university, also in order to make contact with fellow local students. In view of the generally high demand, the Centre for International Cooperation recommends that you enrol in these courses as soon as possible.
Your contact persons in Cluj are
Ilona Diana DRANCĂ (general)
Tel: +40 264 429 762, ext. 6020
E-mail: ilona.dranca@ubbcluj.ro
Universidade do Minho Braga - Portugal
For several years now, the Chair has continued to award two subsidised Erasmus places for a study period of ten months at the University of Minho in Braga, a city that was voted ‘European Youth Capital’ in 2012 and is flourishing again after overcoming the financial crisis in Portugal.
The range of courses offered in the field of law includes many courses that can also be chosen at the University of Münster, which is why credit transfer is conceivable, especially for subjects with an international focus, and should be clarified with the examination office or the specialisation coordinators as early as possible. The courses are predominantly held in Portuguese, but English lectures can also be used, where Erasmus students are increasingly encountered. In principle, a subject comprises a more theoretical lecture part (labelled ‘T’ in the online overviews) and a practical working group part (‘TP’) and is completed in the form of a written exam, an oral exam or a term paper, depending on the agreement with the lecturer.
The semesters begin in mid-September and mid-February and last for five months, the last two of which are used to prepare for and complete the examinations. At the beginning of the first semester, all Erasmus students are given the opportunity to take part in an intensive Portuguese course free of charge, and they also benefit from considerable cost discounts for the Portuguese as a foreign language courses lasting several months.
From a student perspective, the choice of Braga as a destination is characterised, among other things, by the exceptionally pleasant lecturer-student ratio in the small learning groups, the extremely reasonable accommodation and catering prices compared to other European countries and the young character of the region.
The following are responsible for supporting foreign students:
Institute of Law
International Relations Office
Campus de Gualtar
4710-057 Braga
Telephone no.: +351 253 604505
Fax: +351 253 604509
Special information for a study visit to Australia
Applications for the partnership with La Trobe University, which is independent of the Erasmus programme, are processed via the SIZ, as are all other collaborations. Once the participants have been selected, the planning of the stay, which is naturally somewhat more complex overall, should be initiated quickly in order to book flights and accommodation and clarify all visa matters in advance. The selected participants will receive the necessary information from the chair's staff and will be supported with the relatively comprehensive online registration on the website of the receiving institution.
We would like to emphasise that such a stay in Australia is associated with not inconsiderable costs, so that students will have to make a certain contribution of their own, despite the exemption from semester fees, and in this type of partnership it is not possible to fall back on a monthly grant such as Erasmus funding. We therefore only ask for applications in which these issues have already been dealt with intensively in advance; in this respect, our individual conviction of the seriousness of the wish to stay and the personal conviction play an important role, so that later inconveniences can also be avoided for our chair.