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Erasmus Students

This section is designed to give you basic information on our Erasmus exchange programmes, both for students and staff. It is designed as an introduction to the processes involved in Erasmus exchanges. For further details please contact the International Office. The information here is for use by both incoming students and staff and outgoing students and staff.

Institutional Coordinator

The Erasmus student and staff mobility funding is currently coordinated by the International Office. This involves the administration of Bilateral Agreements and the finances concerning mobility grants. The Institutional Coordinator in the International Office is currently the Deputy Director. The International Office has an Erasmus Administrative Assistant who processes incoming application forms and also gives information to prospective outgoing students. Outgoing staff from CCCU should contact the International Office Manager to receive the necessary forms and information.

Bilateral Agreements

Erasmus students and staff exchanges operate on the basis of formal Bilateral Agreements being set up between EU institutions that have been awarded Erasmus University Charters (CCCU whose Erasmus code is UK CANTERB03, has this, and its charter number is: 27865-IC-1-2007-1-UK-ERASMUS-EUC-1). Bilateral Agreements can only valid and will only attract funding if they have been signed by the Erasmus Institutional Coordinator. These agreements are usually signed on a yearly basis and each year Faculty and Department Co-ordinators need to inform the Institutional Coordinator of the links they wish to maintain and of any new ones they wish to bring into being. This needs to be done by the end of Term 1 each year for the following year's agreements. Bilateral agreements can only come into being through academic staff initiatives – this is best obtained through personal contacts with fellow EU academics. All bilateral agreements should be approved at department or Faculty level. The International Office does not initiate bilateral agreements itself although the Office does hold a list of all university Bilateral Agreements.

Please note it is now policy at CCCU that any Bilateral Agreement that is to be signed - either a new one or an old one that needs renewing, can only be initiated or renewed for student mobility when it is clear that there is to be equal mobility of students between the two institutions entering the agreement. There is no such need for such strict reciprocity for teacher mobility agreements. For student mobility it is important that a due diligence check with the proposed partner institution has been undertaken before an agreement is opened up to student mobility.

It is highly recommended that if a mobility agreement for students is envisaged, that the department involved first initiates a teacher mobility agreement. Staff are then able to complete a due diligence checklist and to ensure on the academic side that the programmes they will be going on to are appropriate for credit transfer.

All Bilateral Agreements for the next academic year need to be in place by April of the preceding year.

Mobility deadlines for outgoing staff and students.

Once a Bilateral Agreement is in place, a defined number of incoming and outgoing students and staff are permitted to apply for funding to visit each other’s institution. Student mobility with CCCU is for a maximum of 10 months and staff can visit and teach in a partner institution for any period from one day upwards, with a normal visit being for 5 days. These visits attract Erasmus funding, and all mobile staff and students must make sure they collect the necessary funding application forms from the International Office and return them by the due dates. It is imperative that forms are completed before an exchange occurs. Staff must also ensure they are aware of the funding amounts available to them for any visit and the university's policy on staff expenditure. All student mobility forms must be completed and handed in to the International Office by December and Staff Mobility forms need to be handed in by March at the latest.

Mobility deadlines for incoming staff and students.

The International Office can process incoming student applications only if they are completed using the forms available at this site. These need to be sent to the International Office by the beginning of June each year. After that date the International Office is unable to process applications. Staff visitors need to liaise with their academic counterparts at CCCU over visits and there is no need to inform the International Office about these visits. They are managed by and are the concern of the academic departments.

Application procedures for incoming students

If you wish to attend Canterbury Christ Church University as an Erasmus student, please follow this procedure:

1. Check that your institution has a Bilateral Agreement in place for student mobility (you can check this with the International Office at CCCU too).
2. Make sure with your own Erasmus co-ordinator, or by contacting the International Office at CCCU, that you form one of the stipulated number of mobile students stated in the Bilateral Agreement and understand the number of months the agreement is for.
3. Ensure you complete a Learning Agreement between your institution and the relevant Faculty / Department Co-ordinator at Canterbury Christ Church University. The learning agreement form can be provided by your university - or you may have one sent to you from the International Office at CCCU. Your home university course director will need to liaise with the receiving Canterbury Christ Church Coordinator over this.
4. Complete an Undergraduate Application form, available at http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/international/PostgraduateAndUndergraduateApplications.asp and for accommodation information and bookings contact the accommodation office directly to book accommodation. Send (scanning is fine) the application along with the completed and signed Learning agreement to the International Office. Please note the following guidance for completing the UG application form: Under 'Course', please put 'Erasmus' and then the subject area e.g. 'Tourism'; Normally under 'Level of entry' you would need to write 'Year 2' and then specify the start date and the end date for your agreed Erasmus study period. In 'Section 3' under 'Where did you first learn about CCCU?' please write the name of your university and it's Erasmus code as well as the name and e-mail address of your university's Departmental Erasmus Coordinator. ignore Section 4. When completing Section 5 also send us any relevant transcripts showing courses studies, credits awarded and grades from pervious years of study.
5. Try to get the completed forms to us in April and May and no later than the beginning of June.
6. Make sure you realise that your level of Academic English needs to be high enough to cope with the demands of following a programme in English. There can be no provision made for translation services and there is no free student support in English for students who do not have adequate English. As a guide you should have a minimum English level o IELTS 6.0 (TOEFL 550 PBT, 213 CBT) Cambridge CAE ‘B’ Grade.
7. Make sure that your sending institution is crediting your studies at CCCU into your programme of study at your home institution. CCCU cannot accept any students onto Erasmus exchanges who are not completing studies at their sending institution and who are not crediting in their studies at CCCU to their home programme.
8. It is recommended you visit the Registry Office at Canterbury Christ Church University soon after you arrive for your study period and introduce yourself and ensure they have a copy of your Learning Agreement and the correct address to which any transcripts are to be sent. This will help speed up the process of obtaining a transcript of study when you finish your studies.

When we have received your application we will send the form to the appropriate Faculty / Department Coordinator for them to approve your application. We then send you our acceptance letter. Once you have this you can book your accommodation.

Please note that the programmes you can attend as an Erasmus student are those in the subject area for which we have the Bilateral Agreement. It is not possible to pick courses in one department and others in another, unless there is an agreement for this. For an explanation of the courses that you will be able to attend you need to contact your relevant Faculty / Department co-ordinator at Canterbury Christ Church University. Your Institutional Erasmus co-ordinator should have this information and the contact e-mails for these co-ordinators. If you need the e-mail address of a coordinator please contact the International Office by e-mail or telephone: Int. + 44 1227 782251.

Accommodation notice

Please take careful note of the fact that the following accommodation arrangements are the only ones we are able to offer:

For Erasmus exchange students coming for a full academic year there is the option of university accommodation.

For students coming for one term (three months) there are the following options:

a) Book host family accommodation for the full three months (B&B). This is arranged by the University Accommodation Office.

Please note that host family accommodation may be anything up to 30 minutes walk away from campus. Canterbury is not a big city and is considered a reasonably safe city to walk in. Also note that host family accommodation is available either as 'Bed and Breakfast only' or 'with use of kitchen' or on a 'half-board' basis. The rates for these vary with B&B being the cheapest option. 'Use of kitchen' option is limited so it is wise to book early if you want this option.

b) Book a host family accommodation (B&B) for one month. You can then decide if you wish to move to other accommodation in Canterbury after the first month. There may then be some accommodation available at the university or in the city with private landlords. This however, cannot be guaranteed. You may extend you homestay accommodation (through the Accommodation Office) to the full three months if you so wish.

c) Book yourself into a boarding house, where you can stay as long as you wish and use as a springboard for finding accommodation on the private market. This is not arranged by the University Accommodation Office, so you will be doing this as a private arrangement. You may wish to begin your search by considering Kipps. You can further search by using Google and Hostels Canterbury or Guest Houses Canterbury. The Accommodation Office can also send you a list of recommended options.

If you book host family accommodation you will be required to pay one month of rent in your deposit. If you decide to leave this accommodation early (apart from having a bona fide reason acceptable to the Accommodation Office), you will not be in receipt of any refund.

Faculty / Department co-ordinators

As well as the institutional co-ordinators there are Faculty / Department coordinators. These are as follows:

If you wish to be given one of these coordinator's e-mails please contact the International Office for this.

The Faculty and Departmental Coordinators are responsible for incoming student attendance on academic programmes and monitoring incoming student progress and for ensuring that student learning agreements are in place for both outgoing and incoming students. They also are responsible for liaising with the Records Office and for ensuring transcripts are sent out by our Examinations Office to incoming students once they finish their studies and that outgoing students are credited with their Erasmus exchange credits.

The co-ordinators are responsible for the links their Departments / Faculties have under the Erasmus scheme. They are the first point of reference for any students who wish to be outwardly mobile.

Incoming student arrival information

General:

When you have been accepted to come to Canterbury Christ Church University you will be sent a letter stating when you are due to arrive. You also need to contact the  Accommodation Office using the student number you have been assigned on your offer letter to undertake any booking. The last available booking date is the 31st July. Our advice is to try and secure university accommodation in the first instance.  You may alternatively book host family accommodation or request a list of private accommodation and book your own. We do not advise arriving without some form of accommodation having been booked as Canterbury is a student city and accommodation at the beginning of the academic year is not easy to find.

Soon after your arrival you will meet with the Institutional Erasmus Coordinator. You will be informed about relevant issues to do with your stay and have the opportunity to ask any questions about your stay. You should also set up appointments shortly after you arrival to meet your Departmental / Faculty coordinators to confirm your timetable. As an international student you have the student Support and Guidance Office to help you with any welfare issues.

Additional optional modules for Erasmus students

In addition to the studies specified and agreed in the learning agreements Erasmus students are welcome to join three 10 ECTS credit Level 2 Modules run by the English and Language Studies Department. One is called 'Intercultural Communication  1', the other is 'An Introduction to Teaching English as  Foreign Language' and the third is 'Discourse Text and genre'. Erasmus students are welcome to join these modules. Students interested in doing these should discuss this with their programme director at CCCU.

Outgoing Student information

If you wish to be mobile as an Erasmus student you first need to discuss this with your Department / Faculty Erasmus coordinator. You need to make sure that your department has a Bilateral Agreement with another European institution or wishes to initiate one for you. You then need to visit the International Office to receive further information on the programme. The International Office will give you the necessary forms to complete. The person to see in the International Office for this is the Erasmus Administrative Assistant. Please make sure all your forms are completed and handed in to the International Office before you leave and that you have given in a copy of your Learning Agreement and fully understand the way your credits and grades will be transferred to CCCU for the studies you will be undertaking in the partner institution. It is essential you do this before the end of Term 3 if you are to be mobile in the next academic year starting in Term 1. All forms must be completed and handed in for the International Office to be able to secure funding for you. If you do not complete these forms and hand them in there will be no funding available.

Please note that you will only receive your Erasmus grant payment once CCCU has received the funds from the UK Erasmus Office. You will receive 70% of the total in Term 1 and 30% in May. You are awarded a total sum based on the length of stay and the rate payable for the destination country. The stay period is normally for 10 months, but the actual grant you receive will be based upon the exact dates of your stay as evidenced in your Certificate of Attendance, which needs to be stamped and signed at the end of your stay and sent back to the International Office. For students staying a full year away on an Erasmus exchange, your yearly tuition fees for CCCU are currently waived and you will not pay any fees with the host institution either. It is your responsibility to let the CCCU Registry and University Fees officer know about the fact you will be an Erasmus student in the coming year in order not to be invoiced by the university. Please consider the Erasmus funding as a contribution to costs, but not enough to pay all costs. The amount varies year on year - for 2008-9 for example it was in total 385 Euros per month. You will be paid 70% of this sum in Term 1 and the remaining 30% will be paid to you minus 100 Euros in May. Upon your return and the handing in of the necessary forms to the International Office you will be paid the final 100 Euros.

You cannot be mobile in your first year of study. It is best to arrange to be mobile in Year Two and avoid your final year of study. Please also note you are only entitled to one mobility funded visit as a student in an HE institution. You can be mobile as a post graduate student as well as an undergraduate student.

Before you go make sure of the following:

You have thought about health insurance and taken measures to be covered for this and that you have looked at the current political economic and social issues in the country you will be residing. You may wish to consult a student insurance company such as Endsleigh over health cover for your stay. Note that your EU health insurance card only covers you for certain health issues.

You have discussed fully, the study period with your academic programme director and that you fully understand how your grades and credits will be calculated for your final degree result before you undertake the study period.

ECTS and Diploma Supplements

Canterbury Christ Church University was awarded the ERASMUS University Charter in 2007, which is valid until 2013. Please visit http://www.socleoyouth.be/eps/Main.jsp to read our European Policy Statement (EPS).

Progress is being made in the University to adapting to and employing the ECTS system of credit transfer as envisioned in the Bologna Accord as well as bringing in the Diploma Supplement for students who request it. The University does not yet formally use the ECTS system. For information when calculating credits, a British Student is awarded 120 CATS for each year of undergraduate study and this is equivalent to 60 ECTS.

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