Step 3: Preparing your Study plan/Learning Agreement

What is a study plan?

Once you have been selected for studies abroad, you will have to prepare a study plan. In fact, when you go on exchange, the goal is for you to study courses at our partner institution, which will then be recognized into your programme at LNU so that you don’t need to delay your studies. Your study plan is therefore a list of the courses that you will take at your host institution, as well as information about how these courses will be recognized by LNU. It will take the form of a Learning Agreement, which is a document signed by you, your programme director, and the International Coordinator at the Faculty of Technology/LNU, and in case of Erasmus+ also by the responsible person for the administration of your exchange at your host institution.

How many courses do I need to study?

During your exchange, we require you to study full time, that is to say that you need to study the equivalent of 30 Swedish hp. The number of courses you will need to take in order to reach this requirement depends on the institution you are studying at. You can get information about credit requirements at your host institution from International Office.

How do I choose my courses?

Your choice of courses depends on when you go abroad and which programme you are studying. Below, you will find more detailed information. In any case, please don’t hesitate to ask your teachers to help you choose your courses. Also, when choosing a course, you should always make sure that you meet all the prerequisites. Different universities might require different skills, so it might happen that you would have the prerequisite for a similar course at LNU, but not at the partner university.

Note: in most institutions, the course offer for a semester is published only a few months before the semester starts. However, in most cases, the course offer is similar from one year to the other so you can start looking into potential courses based on the current year’s offer.

You are studying abroad during your programme

The choice of courses must be done in accordance to your study programme’s requirements. This means that the courses you will study at your host institution should provide you with the same knowledge and skills as those you would have studied if you had studied at LNU.

However, this should not be understood very strictly. The goal of going on exchange is also for you to get another view on your field of studies. In practice, this means that your course selection should be similar to what you would have studied at LNU, but it does not need to be a perfect match.  In order to determine whether or not a course is suitable for you to take, you should get in touch with your programme director, as he or she knows which skills you need to acquire by the end of your studies.

You are studying abroad after your graduation

As your studies abroad will not be recognized within your programme, you will be more flexible on your choice of courses. In fact, your study abroad period will be recognized as freestanding courses. Depending on your host institution, you might be able to take courses within your field of studies, or in a completely different field. For instance, some students decide to spend a semester abroad focusing on learning about their host country’s language and culture. Others will choose to broaden their skills within their original field of studies. In case you are planning to continue your studies with a master’s degree, we recommend you to look at the programme’s prerequisites. If you miss some of them, your study abroad period can be a good opportunity for you to work on it.

Language courses

Many of our partner institutions offer courses for international students to learn the local language. You are welcome to join those courses. However, please note that, in most cases, these courses will be recognized as freestanding courses.

How will my study plan be approved?

Once you have chosen the courses you would like to take at your host institution, you will need to get them approved by your program manager. It is important that you before the meeting with the program manager have done a thorough preparatory work and that you have a first draft course selection. Include relevant course information/course descriptions for the program manager to make an assessment. You can contact the International Coordinator at the Faculty of Technology if you have any questions or need more information. The International Coordinator will also check the administrative part of the Learning Agreement, while it is the programme manager who makes the decision regarding course selection and how the courses can be transferred once you are back. The Learning agreement shall then be signed by you, the program manager and the International Coordinator at the Faculty of Technology.