Erasmus+

To be eligible to apply for Erasmus+, the following criteria must be met.

• As a Bachelor student you should have completed the compulsory module Introduction to Political Science; as a Master student you should have completed at least 30 ECTS from the compulsory modules;
• You must still have courses to complete amounting to 30 ECTS (i.e. one full semester). We recommend that you use the electives (Interdisciplinary Competences, Political Science Emphasis and/or Individual Emphasis) for Erasmus+.

Attention: BA and MA theses cannot be written during an Erasmus stay.

Before applying for an Erasmus+ stay abroad, it is advisable to contact the responsible Erasmus Coordinator (see below).

You should submit your application only through LFU:online .

Applications are open:

• From 01/02 to 31/03 for the winter semester or the full year
• From 01/07 to 31/08 for the summer semester

Please pay attention that some universities have an early deadline!

In the application, you should choose 3 potential university destinations, among those listed in the table below. Please consider your study degree and language proficiency.

Partner universities

Universidad de Santiago de Compostela: BA, MA Spanish B1

Institut d'Études Politiques de Grenoble: BA French B2

Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Reims): BA, MA English C1, French C1
(only every two years: 2022/23, 2024/25, 2026/27, 2028/29, 2030/31...)

Università degli Studi di Bologna: BA Italian A2, English B1

Università degli Studi di Pavia: BA, MA Italian B1

University of Warsaw: BA, MA English B2

University of Lapland, Arctic Centre: BA, MA English B1

Middle East Technical University (METU): BA, MA English B1

Okan University: BA, MA English B1

Loughborough University: BA, MA English B2

University College Dublin: BA English B1

Norwegian University of Science and Technology: BA, MA English B2

Supporting documents

Don’t forget to add documents to your application, these include:

• An updated curriculum vitae, including your studies, internship, interests and hobbies;
• A motivation letter, where you should explain:
  • Why you want to pursue an Erasmus period.
  • Which university you have chosen and if you have a preference ordering.
  • Why you have made such choice (e.g. if the course catalogue matches your interests, how the potential courses comply with your study plan, why you want to brush up on your knowledge of the foreign language, etc.)
  • Why you should be selected for the Erasmus program.
• A certificate of your academic success.
• A certificate of your language proficiency (high-school diploma, language course, etc.) that is relevant for the universities you have chosen. Please consider that the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Reims) requires an official certificate (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge, Alliances Françaises) before the end of the application period.

It would be good that you have a look at the potential courses you plan to attend once you are at the hosting university.

If your application is successful, you will receive further information, including an invitation to attend an interview, by the Erasmus Coordinator on April, 1-10 (for winter term or the entire year) or September, 1-10 (for summer term).

The International Office will contact you with the next steps you need to accomplish before you start your Erasmus period abroad. One of these is the course recognition through the Online Learning Agreement (OLA). Please agree the courses with the Erasmus Coordinator (see below) before submitting the OLA.

Attention: Only OLAs discussed with and approved by the Erasmus Coordinator (see below), will be signed by the Teaching Coordinator of the Department of Political Science.

METU (Ankara)

During her one-year stay at METU, Deike, a MA student, attended these courses (in parentheses the corresponding courses at Innsbruck University):

• Current issues in European Politics and Governance – 8 ECTS (Europäische Integration II: Regieren in Mehrebenensystemen und demokratische Gesellschaftsbildung - 7.5 ECTS)
• International Political Economy: 8 ECTS (Ordnungen und Wandel in den internationalen Beziehungen – 7.5 ECTS)
• State in Global Capitalism: 8 ECTS (Akteure in den internationalen Beziehungen - 7.5 ECTS)
• Controversies in European integration – 8 ECTS (Europäische Integration I: Theorieentwicklung und Politiken im globalen Handlungskontext  – 7.5 ECTS)
• Ethics and Research methods in Political Science – 8 ECTS (Angewandte Methoden der empirischen Politikforschung – 7.5 ECTS)
• The Sociology of Structural Transformations – 8 ECTS (Politik in förderativen Systemen – 7.5 ECTS)
• International Propaganda – 8 ECTS (Politische Kommunikation – 7.5 ECTS)
• Radical Politics in the Middle East – 8 ECTS (Wahlforschung – 7.5 ECTS)

“I liked very much the strong focus on Middle East and East, but also the different perspective the course have towards Europe and the European Union. […] I liked also the campus with a moll, several cafè and restaurant, a stadium where students can spend their spare time. […] This is not a usual Erasmus place, but I liked it a lot because I could get in contact with Turkish people and students. […] What I liked less was that I need to work and study more than what is required in Innsbruck […]. Moreover, with the exception of the campus, in the city few people speak English, so if you want to take a cab or to go to the city centre you should speak Turkish or at least use Google Translate.”

Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

In her second year of study, Giorgia, participated in the Erasmus+ program at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. She did the following courses (in parentheses the recognized courses at the University of Innsbruck):

• Política y Comunicación – 6 ECTS (VO Politische Kommunikation und Wahlforschung: Einführung – 5 ECTS)
• Sistema Político Europeo – 6 ECTS (VU Europäische Integration: Vertiefung – 7.5 ECTS)
• Historia del Pensamiento y de las Instituciones Políticas – 6 ECTS (VU Politische Theorie: Vertiefung – 5 ECTS)
• Relaciones Internacionales – 6 ECTS (VU Internationale Beziehungen: Vertiefung – 7.5 ECTS)
• Gestión de la información – 4.5 ECTS (VO Politische Theorie und Ideengeschichte – 5 ECTS)
• Política Exterior de España – 4.5 ECTS (VO Österreichisches politisches System: Einführung – 5 ECTS)
• Gobierno Local – 4.5 ECTS (PS Österreichisches politisches System: Einführung – 5 ECTS)
• Política Comparada – 6 ECTS (VU Vergleich politischer Systeme: Vertiefung – 7.5 ECTS)
• Teoría Política – 4.5 ECTS (VU Politische Theorie – Vertiefung – 5 ECTS)
• Métodos Avanzados de Investigación Social – 4.5 ECTS (VU Angewandte Methoden: VU Angewandte Methoden: Vertiefung – 7.5 ECTS)
• Análisis Estratégico y Toma de Decisiones – 6 ECTS

“During my experience, I learned to work with new study methods, organize myself according to the university and the students' habits, and reorganize, to some extent, my concept of studying. I immediately found myself in a very welcoming environment; the university professors and personnel were very helpful in helping me organize my stay and academic path. On the one hand, they treated me as if I was a regular Spanish student, without excluding me from any activities, on the other hand, if needed, they were willing to listen to me and explain certain tasks. […] The Erasmus community and certain projects offered by student associations or the university itself allow new students to get to know many people, both Erasmus and regular students at the university. […] Thanks to many excursions organized for Erasmus students, I discovered Santiago and its surroundings. The activities available are varied, some examples are meetings organized in typical locales, which allow you to meet new students from all over the world; taking small trips to villages with certain customs and festivals; going on nature hikes or even taking surfing courses and all these experiences will be unforgettable for me.”

Sciences-Po Paris (Reims)

Jimi, a BA student, spent a summer term at Sciences-Po Paris (Reims) and he attended these courses (the recognition refers to several courses at the hosting university):

• International Political Economy – 5 ECTS (VU Internationale Beziehungen: Vertiefung– 7.5 ECTS [only 5 ECTS])
• Strategic Studies – 5 ECTS (VU Internationale Beziehungen: Vertiefung– 7.5 ECTS [die restlichen 2.5 ECTS] + Interdisziplinäre Kompetenzen– 2.5 ECTS)
• American Political Thought – 5 ECTS (VU Politische Theorie: Vertiefung– 5 ECTS)
• History of Economic Thought – 5 ECTS (Individuelle Schwerpunktsetzung: 5 ECTS)
• Modern Capitalism and its Institutions – 5 ECTS (Individuelle Schwerpunktsetzung: 5 ECTS)
• French Level B1.2 Gr4 – 5 ECTS (Individuelle Schwerpunktsetzung: 5 ECTS)

"I certainly enjoyed the program, because it gave me the opportunity to meet an exciting mix of people in a challenging academic environment. The Reims Campus has the advantage that there were not just Erasmus students but also students from non-European countries such as the US, Brazil, China, Ukraine, and Tajikistan to only name a few. The whole SciencesPo community is very international. The courses at the Sciences Po were a real highlight too: both because they covered a broad range of social sciences and had really intriguing subjects. Keep in mind to be fast when signing up for courses! The city of Reims is pretty, especially the cathedral and the campus. However, Reims is quite small. […] For those looking for a more vibrant city, Paris is just around the corner (40 min by train, 1,5 h by bus). […] I would STRONGLY recommend going in the winter semester. […] Summer semester ended around the 4th of May, so most of my summer semester was cold and drowsy. "

University College of Dublin

During her winter term at the University College of Dublin, Valentina, a BA student, chose the following courses:

• Electoral Systems and their Consequences – 10 ECTS (VU Politische Kommunikation und Wahlforschung: Vertiefung- 7.5 ECTS)
• Capitalism and Democracy – 10 ECTS (VU Vergleich politischer Systeme: Vertiefung 7.5 ECTS)
• Introduction to Chinese Politics - 5 ECTS (VU Internationale Beziehungen: Vertiefung 7.5 ECTS [2.5 ECTS come from Electoral Systems and their Consequences])
• Individuals and the State: The Idea of Freedom in the History of Political Thought – 5 ECTS (VU Politische Theorie: Vertiefung- 5 ECTS)