SOAS Outbound Erasmus
NOTES TO APPLICANTS
Eligible Institutions
To view the full list of universities and institutions please see www.soas.ac.uk/erasmus/outgoingerasmus/file74876
Students may only apply to attend a university with which the School already has an existing link. Links cannot be established ad hoc for individual cases.
Candidate Criteria – BA/BSc students only

Must be registered on a full time degree programme at SOAS

Must pass all Year 1 courses (without September retake examinations) and be eligible to progress to Year 2 of the SOAS degree

Students on a 4 year degree (with language year abroad) or the LLB are not eligible to apply

Must be an EU national or a national of an EEA country

Must not have received a previous Erasmus grant

Must have a strong working knowledge and competency in the language of the proposed placement institution if courses there are not taught in English

Must submit a satisfactory rationale, detailing the academic reasons for wishing to undertake the year of study at the Erasmus university rather than at SOAS
Erasmus Placement Year Criteria

Can only occur at an institution with which SOAS has an approved link for the relevant subject(s)

The Erasmus year must be a whole academic year – not just one or two terms

The Erasmus year can only be in Year 2 of a three-year degree, never the first or final year

The Erasmus year cannot be an additional or intercalated year of study, and the overall degree length must remain three years

Must be taken at one university – not at multiple institutions

The syllabus in the Erasmus year must be as near as possible to the syllabus of the SOAS year it replaces, both in standard and content. Where core and compulsory courses are required to be studied then the equivalent courses must be taken and passed during the placement.

The proposed placement syllabus must total at least 60 ECTS points.

Students must devise a programme of study that meets the above syllabus requirements, in consultation with the Erasmus link member of staff at the receiving (host) institution. This must be submitted for consideration by the relevant Undergraduate Tutor at SOAS (or UG Tutors in the case of two-subject degrees) and that tutor must sign in the appropriate place to confirm agreement.
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Approval of Erasmus application
The application to undertake an Erasmus year will be considered by the UG Tutor(s) at SOAS (one for each subject if the student is taking a two-subject degree). Approval is not given automatically. In rare and exceptional cases, the UG Tutor(s) may ask the relevant Associate Dean to consider approving a programme of study that varies from the SOAS syllabus. In such cases, the Associate Dean will need to be satisfied that the non-standard syllabus will permit the student to undertake Year 3 courses in the SOAS syllabus on return. The student must supply a strong academic rationale for a variation from the normal
Year 2 syllabus for his or her degree.
The assessment of the application will be based on the statement of the rationale for wishing to undertake an
Erasmus year, this completed application form, current academic progress, Year 1 course results, as well as other relevant information. The School will wish to be satisfied that there are bona fide academic reasons for wishing to undertake the Erasmus year; that the Erasmus university must be able to provide a year of study as close as possible in standard and content to the equivalent year of the SOAS degree; that students will be able to cope in a different learning and teaching environment and will have a reasonable chance of successfully completing the year of study; and that the completed year will permit smooth progression to the final year of the degree back at SOAS.
Notification
All candidates will be notified by e-mail regarding the outcome of their application by the end of June. If you have not heard from us by mid-July, please contact the Outbound Erasmus Administrator.
This completed application form should be submitted to: Outbound Erasmus Administrator, School of
Oriental and African Studies (University of London), Registry, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square,
London, WC1H 0XG as soon as possible but no later than 31 March (prior to the September you intend to start your Erasmus year).
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Date of Birth
2.
SOAS Outbound Erasmus
APPLICATION FORM
Please read the Notes to Applicants before completing the application form
1.
Personal Details
Surname
Address
First Name
Email address
SOAS ID
(Six digit SOAS No)
Nationality
Placement Details
Titles of core and compulsory Year 2 courses (i.e. the courses you would have taken if you had stayed at
SOAS)
Proposed equivalent at receiving Erasmus university
ECTS receiving university points at
Erasmus
Must total 60 ECTS
Notes
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3. Application Information
Title of Degree at SOAS
SOAS ID:
(Six digit SOAS No)
Sending Institution (SOAS):
We hereby confirm that this study programme has been agreed
SOAS Undergraduate Tutor
Name
Email
Departmental signature
(Undergraduate Tutor)
SOAS Undergraduate Tutor(second subject if applicable)
Name
Email
Departmental signature
(Undergraduate Tutor)
Date:
Email
Departmental signature
(Head of Department / Associate Dean)
Date:
We hereby confirm that this study programme has been agreed
SOAS Head of Department (if applicable) Registry Approval – this will be completed for you .
Name Name
John Peck
Email funding@soas.ac.uk
Institutional coordinator’s signature
(Director of Student and Registry Services)
Date:
Receiving (Host) Institution :
Name of receiving (host) university :
Institution code (eg UK LONDON 025):
PIC code (you may need to ask the other institution for this information):
Receiving Erasmus university contact
Name:
Email:
Have you discussed your proposed study plan with the Receiving Erasmus university contact ?
Date:
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4. 500 word statement
On a separate sheet or in the space provided below, please tell us in no more than 500 words the academic rationale and any other reasons for your application to undertake an Erasmus year of study.
You should include:
 The academic reasons for choosing the particular country or institution (e.g. staff expertise, specialised courses, Library or archives available there and not at SOAS).
 How you will benefit academically and how the courses will contribute to your degree
 What impact or benefit the placement will have on you personally
 Your competency and previous experience of the language of the receiving institution
 Any other reasons (eg. personal ties to the area or the country)
SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT
DATE
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