Step-by-step strategy

Download the powerpoint presentation from the information session about studying abroad here (pptx, 8,4 MB).

There are quite a number of things to arrange when you go abroad to study for a period. You can prepare for your stay abroad by following the five steps below. This will also round things off in an apposite manner.

Orientation / Assembling information
Making a definitive choice / Registering
Getting going and arranging things
Abroad
Back in Nijmegen

Step 1: Orientation / Assembling information

Please start your orientation as early as possible (preferably 6-12 months before you are planning to go) and be aware of registration deadlines.
Please contact the International Office FTR in an early stage.
This website is the starting point for collecting and assembling the information you will need for your stay abroad. Here you will find information on possible destinations and practical issues.
Lecturers often have a large international network. They are well positioned to advise you on a fitting destination. Also, have a word with students who have been abroad before you or read their travel reports.
Check the Facebook page of the International Office FTR. Here we regularly inform you about (new) possibilities to study abroad (e.g. Summer Schools, study trips and interesting partner universities).
The Radboud Go Abroad week happens twice a year (in April and October), and features information meetings regarding studying abroad. Welcome!
Choose the period in which you wish to go. So called mobility windows (periods without obligatory courses) would probably be best. Always arrange to talk with your student advisor. Together you can discuss how a stay abroad could best fit in with your study programme, when the best time would be to go and which courses would be most suitable to follow. You can also discuss possible semester overlap.
Browse the websites of our partner universities you are interested in, build up a good image of the local conditions for exchange, education and research possibilities. Also check the course offering in the period you wish to go and the language the courses will be delivered in. Decide whether you will need any language preparation.
Take note of the regulations for incoming students at the partner university with regard to course selection options/restrictions, language requirements, semester dates, GPA requirements and a possible minimum number of ECTS to take. You find this information on the website for incoming students of the guest university or in their factsheets. Links to this information can be found here for destinations within Europe and here for destinations outside of Europe.
Investigate the financial side. Make a budget based on the costs and incomes specified at the grants page.
For all exchanges, a precondition is that you must have been admitted to the second year and that you have obtained at least 60 ECTS.
Make sure you meet the requirements for taking part in the Erasmus+ programme (within Europe), the Holland Scholarship programme (outside of Europe) or (if applicable) an Individual Travel Grant.

Step 2: Making a definitive choice / Registering

Once you have made your definitive choice, ensure you inform the FTR International Office and also register in OSIRIS (under the Study Abroad tab). Be sure to include a list of (up to) three universities you would like to go to (as their might be more candidates than exchange slots for a destination). In addition we ask you to write a motivation letter (docx, 12 kB). Please find the deadlines for registration here.
After the application deadline, we will inform you as soon as possible for which university you are selected.

Step 3: Getting going and arranging things

After the selection procedure, we will nominate you to the partner university (‘nomination’).
The partner university will then invite you to apply (‘application procedure’). Generally this entails completing and returning various forms. Make sure you keep an eye on the deadline! The partner university will in the end decide whether you are eligible to visit their organization as an exchange student. Normally the partner university will provide you with information on housing as well.
Regarding the requested forms: a Transcript of Records (your grades) can be requested from the Student Information Point (STIP). For a declaration regarding your language level, getting your Learning Agreement signed and for all your other questions, contact the FTR International Office.
Grants can be applied for at Radboud University's International Office: you will automatically receive an invitation to apply by email (once you have been selected in OSIRIS). In the process of the grant application, you can also indicate whether you want to sublet your room via the Housing department of Radboud University.
In consultation with the student advisor, get your foreign courses approved by the Board of Examiners.
Before your departure you will find a handy overview of practical things that require your attention on the Radboud University International Office website. For example you need to consider accommodation, visas, insurance, vaccinations, your public transport allowance and possibly also language courses. Make sure you also read the tips in the 'want to leave' Wil Weg Checklist (in Dutch).
If you're visiting a (politically) unstable country, please make sure you register for the Information Service of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Please also check the Radboud Travelling Abroad Safety Guidelines.

For destinations within Europe, you can fill out your Learning Agreement online via Osiris. If you go to a destination outside of Europe, you can download your Learning Agreement here (docx, 25 kB).

Download a PowerPoint with all information on your preparations here (pptx, 210 kB).

Step 4: Abroad

The RU International Office website also provides a number of tips for when you’re abroad.
Are any changes currently being made to your course programme while you are there? Usually this will not present a problem, however make sure you discuss this with your student advisor and/or the Board of Examiners as soon as possible. Always complete a Change Form and send it for a signature to internationaloffice@ftr.ru.nl.
A Statement Form will be requested from you to finalize your grant application. This needs to be signed by the overseas university (this form must indicate the period you studied there). Ensure you do this before departing for home.
To have your results whilst abroad officially recognized will require an overview of the courses followed including the grades/results achieved, certified by the guest university (Transcript of Records). Request this before departing or make arrangements for it to be sent on later to the FTR International Office.

Step 5: Back in Nijmegen

As soon as you arrive back, submit your Transcript of Records to the International Office FTR. More information regarding the calculation of study credits can be found here.
Take all the required steps to complete your grant application.
We of course would just love to hear how you got on. Your experience can prove invaluable and fascinating for other students considering following in your footsteps. It would be superb if you could write up a travel report, be available in an advising capacity for other students and/or be prepared to narrate your dusty traveler’s tales at an information meeting.
More tips can be found here.