Study Abroad

Study Abroad

The University of Twente encourages student mobility, in the sense of studying at (partner) universities abroad. It is a great opportunity to enhance your language skills and to develop intercultural skills. The elective space is a suitable opportunity to spend time abroad in the framework of the bachelor’s programme. This can be done by participating in the University of Twente minor Crossing Borders. Alternatively, it can involve taking courses at a university outside the Netherlands. If you want to take your minor outside the Netherlands, the best place to start is the faculty’s web page Study Abroad:

Rules for Study Abroad

When selecting courses at a university abroad you need to take into account the following rules: 

1. Courses in the field of Psychology must be at second-year level (B2), at least.
2. Courses in Psychology may have little or no overlap with subjects taught in your own Psychology bachelor’s modules at the University of Twente.
3. If you opt for a wider focus (subjects from a field of study other than Psychology), then you are permitted to take first-year courses (B1) up to a maximum of 10 EC. Any other courses designed to broaden your knowledge should be at second-year level (B2) at least.
4. Courses involving language and culture can only be included in the programme if they relate to the language and culture of the country in which the university is located. In addition, courses of this type are limited to a maximum of 10 EC.
5. To ensure that there is sufficient cohesion, the total course package of 30 EC must consist of no more than two sub-packages. Each of these sub-packages must also have its own internal cohesion, but they do not need to be the same size (in EC).

Procedure for Study Abroad

Approval

You must submit your course package for approval. To this end, you should fill in the BMS Elective Space/Minor Course Approval Form. You should only do so if you are fairly sure that you have permission of your partner university and will actually take these courses. Should any changes occur after you have handed in the form, please fill in the entire form again, indicating that this is a change to a previously submitted course approval form.

The completed form must then be submitted to your study advisers of your Psychology bachelor’s programme (minor-psy-bms@utwente.nl). On behalf of the Programme Board, they see to it that your course package is formally assessed, based on the following criteria: 

1. Your reasons (motivation) for choosing the university and course package in question
2. The level of the selected courses
3. Their distinctiveness (very little or no overlap!), in relation to the PSY study programme
4. The cohesion between the subjects of the courses
5. Limited number of courses involving language and culture (max.10 EC).

Transcript of Records

After successful completion, apply to the partner university in question for a certified Transcript of Records, and submit this to BOZ. BOZ will see to it that details of the courses in question are registered in the B3 elective space in Osiris. Be aware that only obtained credit points are transferred and not the actual grades.

For further details of the procedure, please read the Study Abroad Manual, which you can find on the Study Abroad Canvas page or contact the departmental exchange officer, Jaap Stout (j.h.stout@utwente.nl).

Some tips

• For anyone wishing to study at a university outside the Netherlands, a solid motivation is an important starting point. Studying abroad is certainly not the easiest way to complete the B3 elective space – it takes some perseverance. For example, make sure you are quite clear about the specific country/region you are interested in and about the field you want your minor programme to cover.
• When it comes to studying abroad, in particular, you should allow for a lengthy period of preparation. The whole process of organizing a period of study abroad requires a great deal of preparation, and can involve many ups and downs. We advise you to allow for a six to twelve month period of preparation.
• If you have any doubts about whether you can meet the prerequisites in good time, so that you can go abroad, please contact the study adviser.
• If you want to go abroad, it’s essential to check carefully whether this option fits your personal planning with regard to the remaining parts of the study programme, in order to avoid falling behind in your studies unnecessarily. After all, you will be unable to take any modules at the University of Twente for a considerate period of time. If in doubt, always check with the study adviser first!
• The University of Twente is occasionally able to offer financial support for a period of study abroad. More information about how you can apply for a scholarship can be found in the Study Abroad Manual.
• Perseverance pays off. The lessons learned by PSY students who have studied at universities in other countries show that the hard work is worth it. Students often look back on their time spent studying abroad with a great deal of pleasure.