Outgoing Students

Are you planning to spend part of your studies abroad? Here you will find all the key information on how to organise an exchange semester or year. Gain international experience and enhance your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Political Science with an unforgettable experience at one of our partner universities.

There are various options for organizing an exchange. Stays abroad at partner universities within Europe are organized via the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP).  Within SEMP internships in another country are possible.University-wide Agreements of the University of Zurich or Faculty Agreements of the IPZ make it possible to apply for an exchange at partner universities worldwide. It is also possible to complete individual modules or entire minor programs at other Swiss universities. Within the framework of a strategic partnership, there is also the possibility of Module Mobility at the University of Konstanz. If there is no partnership with the university of your choice, you can also organize your exchange by yourself.

Many IPZ students plan a stay abroad as an integral part of their studies. You can find introductory information in our current information presentation (PDF, 6 MB) (in German).  We organize an annual outgoing information event at the beginning of the autumn semester. The event is announced on IPZ's website Study Program News. Please also consult our FAQ.

You can find an overview of all partner universities of the IPZ on our interactive map. Further information on the partner universities can be found in UZH's Mobility Online Search Portal.

In most cases, it is possible to go on an exchange for a semester or a whole academic year at one of the universities participating in the program. As the number of exchange places is limited, it is always best to choose two alternatives. If the first priority at your preferred university does not work out, this increases your chances of being able to go abroad.

For Bachelor students, the second year of study is particularly suitable for the exchange. The first year of study must be completed at the IPZ. You can also spend a semester abroad in the third year of study. In this case, individual arrangements are necessary to ensure supervision of your Bachelor's thesis. Normally, it is written as part of a specialization in the Fall Semester and the subsequent BA thesis course in the Spring Semester. However, we also offer a few specializations that start in the Spring Semester. The specialisation must be taken at the IPZ. Please coordinate well with the mobility coordinator and your supervisor.

For Master’s students, the third and fourth semesters are ideal for a semester abroad. It is important to discuss this with your Master’s thesis supervisor at an early stage. All compulsory modules in the Methods area must be completed at the IPZ. The majority of Master’s students choose to spend their third semester abroad. At the host university, students primarily take elective modules. 

Please consider how the modules you plan to take abroad might fit into your degree programme. This will help you avoid extending the duration of your studies due to your time abroad. To assist you with this, we have provided study planning tables where you can enter modules you have already completed, those you have booked, and those you plan to take abroad. This will give you a clear overview.

• Study Planning Table Major BA Political Science
• Study Planning Table Minor BA Political Science
• Study Planning Table Mono MA Political Science
• Study Planning Table Major MA Political Science

We would be happy to advise you in person, via video call or by telephone. Please contact mobility@ipz.uzh.ch for individual appointments. Your inquiries will be answered promptly from Tuesday to Thursday. The mobility coordination is not available on Mondays and Fridays. 

To prepare for your mobility consultation appointment, fill out your study planning table as far as possible (including name, matriculation number, completed and planned modules at the IPZ, modules planned abroad) and already start thinking about your desired universities. Send this information to the mobility coordinator before your appointment. In this way, your questions can be answered specifically and you will receive the best possible advice tailored to your individual situation. For capacity reasons, we are unfortunately unable to offer general advice without this specific preparation. 

Please note: Some partner universities have defined admission requirements for visiting students and require, for example, a minimum GPA, certified language skills, a certain number of ECTS credits already completed or a minimum duration of study. You should therefore check the websites of the universities of your choice in advance!

Responsibilities

You can address all subject-specific and content-related questions to the IPZ mobility coordinator. The Global Student Experience team is the first point of contact for all interdisciplinary and organizational questions relating to the exchange (e.g. Mobility Online or scholarships).

Selection Criteria

The mobility programme offers all students the chance to broaden their horizons, explore topics in greater depth, discover new perspectives and gain international experience. It is important to us that the chosen partner university and the programme suit your personal profile and your areas of study. This should be evident in the online questionnaires and could be confirmed in a personal interview.

As an IPZ student studying abroad, you represent the IPZ, UZH and your country, and are seen as an ambassador who shapes the external perception of the partner universities. Therefore, not only a formally complete application submitted on time and your grades and knowledge are decisive for the allocation of exchange places, but the overall impression counts. We look forward to receiving your application and getting to know you!

Instructions

1. Application Registration: Submit your application in due time (application deadline for the fall semester and the following spring semester is January 15 before the start of your stay; application deadline for the second round (remaining places) for the spring semester is July 15 before the start of your stay) in the Mobility Online portal and indicate your choice of host university. It is advisable to indicate three priorities.
2. Complete your Application: Complete the online questionnaires on motivation and grades as well as prioritised partner universities and upload all necessary documents to Mobility Online. These should demonstrate how studying abroad would enrich your studies from an academic perspective. You should discuss your planned choice of course at the host university with the mobility coordinator at the IPZ. To prepare for this conversation, please send the module descriptions for your desired courses, as well as your detailed course of study (completed study planning table with course selection abroad, as well as all modules already completed at the IPZ) to mobility@ipz.uzh.ch.
3. Submit your Application: As soon as everything is complete, submit your application on Mobility Online in time for the deadline.
4. Review of the Application & Information about the Allocation: Your application will now be reviewed by the Global Student Experience and the mobility coordinator at the IPZ. You will be informed of your allocation via the e-mail address provided in your application. If your allocation is successful, you must accept it on Mobility Online within the period specified in the information e-mail (5 days). Acceptance of the exchange place is binding.
5. Nomination at the Host University: After you have accepted your allocation, you will be nominated by the mobility coordinator of the IPZ (for SEMP and subject-specific agreements) or the Global Student Experience team (for university-wide and interdisciplinary agreements). The nomination deadlines vary depending on the partner university. 
6. Application at the HostUniversity: After successful nomination, you will be informed about the next steps in the application process by the mobility coordinator of the IPZ or directly by the host university.  In most cases, a further, independent formal application and submission of the necessary documents is required within a clearly defined deadline. These deadlines vary depending on the partner university.
7. Confirmation of Application: You will be accepted by the host university and in most cases receive a formal "Letter of Acceptance".

Once you have been informed by the host university about the details of the course booking and the associated deadlines and formalities, revise your provisional study plan for your stay abroad if necessary and discuss your planned module selection with the mobility coordinator at the IPZ on the basis of your current study planning table. The more detailed and better the planning in advance, the easier it will be to have the credits earned abroad recognized afterwards.

The next step is to complete your Learning Agreement (LA) on the basis of this agreement, obtain the necessary signatures and upload the fully signed document to Mobility Online. You have up to two weeks after the start of lectures at your host university to do this.

After you have successfully completed your mobility stay, submit the official Transcript of Records (TOR) to the IPZ mobility coordinator as soon as you receive it. On the basis of the transcript, a credit recognition agreement will be drawn up, taking into account the previous study plan and the Learning Agreement, and forwarded to the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The Dean's Office makes the final decision on the recognition of the credits earned abroad and converts the grades.

Please note: Recognition is not granted automatically on the basis of your learning agreement. Please submit your transcript to the IPZ mobility coordination.