FAQ

This may depend on the exchange program you intend to apply for, and sometimes also on the requirements of the partner university. The basic rules are set out in the recruitment regulations. You can apply during your first year of first-cycle studies, after completing the first semester. In this case, the trip takes place during the second year of studies. First-year students of second-cycle studies can apply before completing the first semester. During the trip, you must have active student status at the Krakow University of Economics – i.e., you cannot go on a partial study abroad program:

• as graduates (this does not apply to internships abroad, which you can learn more about at the Academic Career Center),
• during a leave of absence (but you can apply during such a leave),
• if you have been removed from the student list.

To participate, you must apply for the program you are interested in. Basic information about the recruitment process and the recruitment calendar can be found here. Detailed information about recruitment, such as exact dates, required documents, and steps to be taken, is published in the announcements for each recruitment. To ensure that your application has a chance of being accepted, please make sure that:

• you meet the admission requirements for the program and the selected universities (e.g., you have the appropriate language certificate if the selected universities require it),
• your grade point average and language level meet the criteria of the program and the selected universities (e.g., if you choose a university that requires knowledge of a specific language, such confirmation must be provided at the recruitment stage, not at a later date),
• you have fulfilled the requirements of the recruitment process (you have met the deadlines, sent your application and the required documents).

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the information on exchange programs, the requirements of partner universities, and the basic rules set out in the recruitment regulations.

In the vast majority of cases, a minimum GPA of 3.4, as specified in the Regulations, is sufficient. The GPA is taken from the USOS system on the closing date of the application form for a given recruitment process, from all semesters completed to date. In some programs, such as the Double Diploma, the minimum average required is 4.0. Sometimes, such a requirement is also set by a partner university – in this case, you will find information about it in the university description on the International Programs Office website, as well as in the application form. Also, remember that a GPA above 4.0 is rewarded with extra points, which can help you get a place at your dream university. These are additional points, so if your GPA is, for example, 3.6, you will receive 3.6 points, while if your average is 4.0, you will receive a total of 7 points, 4 for the average itself and 3 additional points. The point thresholds for grade point averages, as well as other achievements and additional activities, can be found in the table in the Regulations.

Language certificates may be required by some universities. If this is the case, you will find this information in the university description on the IPO website, as well as in the application form. If your dream universities require external language certificates, you must submit them at the recruitment stage. Most partner universities accept language qualifications conducted by the KUE Language Center, so even without a certificate, you have a wide range of choices.

Both full-time and part-time students can participate in the Erasmus+ program, as well as Erasmus+ to third countries not associated with the Program. However, please note that during the exchange you will study full-time – there will be no weekend or evening options.

As for other programs, there may be restrictions on access for part-time students. Under the bilateral agreement program, only full-time students can participate. If you are unsure whether a given program is right for you, we recommend that you contact the IPO staff responsible for the program or recruitment process.

Basically, yes. Every person with KUE student status has the same rights to participate in exchange programs regardless of citizenship. However, when choosing your destination, you should check the conditions for obtaining a visa or other residence permit for citizens of your country of origin. Certain types of residence permits in Poland may also prevent you from traveling to some countries (e.g., refugee status). It is also worth finding out whether the rate of visa refusals for citizens of your country of origin is high. We also advise you, if possible, not to make any major financial commitments related to your trip (purchase of airline tickets, deposit for accommodation) before obtaining a visa.

As a rule, this is not necessary if you are sure that the universities you have chosen offer a sufficient selection of courses in English. In many countries in Western and Northern Europe, knowledge of English is so widespread that you should not have any major difficulties with completing formalities at your host university or with everyday matters. However, when choosing countries whose official language is popular (e.g., France, Italy, Spain) or which are located in a non-English-speaking area of influence (e.g., Kazakhstan), it is worth learning the language at a basic level before you leave, even if the university does not require it. This will certainly increase your comfort during the exchange, enrich your experience of the trip, and allow you to delve more fully into the culture of the country where you will be spending several months. Usually, you will also be able to learn the language of the country on site, as part of your course selection.

As a rule, this is not necessary – if there is no information on this subject in the university description, knowledge of one of these languages at the specified level is sufficient. If you know both languages sufficiently well and want to choose courses taught in both, it is worth asking the coordinator at the host university about this possibility.

Sometimes, a given university may offer courses in English only at one level of study or only in specific fields. Such information can be found in the university description on the BPZ website and in the application form.

Some universities may stipulate that they require proven knowledge of their country’s official language even when studying in English. In this case, you must pass the language qualification in both languages in the given recruitment process in order to have a chance of obtaining a place at such a university.

Links to exchange programs currently offered at KUE can be found in the “Mobility programs overview” tab on the IPO website.

The most popular exchange program is Erasmus+, which also offers the option of traveling to third countries not associated to the Program and short-term trips – Blended Intensive Program and Blended Short-term Mobility. As part of the Erasmus+ program, you can also apply for an internship abroad – information on this can be found on the Academic Career Center website. In the Erasmus+ program, you receive a financial grant, the amount of which depends on the length of your stay and the monthly rate applicable to the country in question. You also receive travel funds corresponding to the distance between the KUE and the partner university, as well as depending on the chosen means of transport (green travel or standard travel). Those who have been awarded a social scholarship or have a certified disability also receive additional funds for each month of their stay.

As a rule, you can apply to Swiss universities under two options: Erasmus+ to third countries not associated to the Program or a Swiss government scholarship. If you are interested in Switzerland, we encourage you to apply for Erasmus+ due to more favorable financial conditions.

You can only go to some non-European universities under bilateral agreements. In this program, you will not receive a financial grant or additional funds for travel. However, you do not pay tuition fees at the host university (as is the case with the Erasmus+ program), and if you are a fee-paying student at the Krakow University of Economics, you can apply for a tuition fee waiver for the duration of your stay.

You can go to Hiroshima University of Economics in Japan under the Japanese government’s STEP scholarship program. Under this program, the host institution selects the candidates, and those selected may receive a scholarship paid for by the Japanese government.

The possible destinations depend on the program you intend to apply for. In addition, KUE must have an active agreement with a university/universities in a given country. The Erasmus+ program includes most European countries, not only those belonging to the European Union. Some European countries are not associated with the Erasmus+ program, including Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Under the Erasmus+ program, you can go to both countries associated with the program and those not associated with it. There are also exchange programs other than Erasmus+, and thus other destinations. You can filter the list of partner universities by program and country. This way, if you have specific preferences, you can check whether and with which universities the KUE has agreements for student exchanges in a given country.

The choice of university may depend on many factors. These include, above all: the availability of subjects relevant to your field of study and level of study, the language of instruction at a given university, opinions about a given foreign university, the foreign language you are learning or intend to learn, interest in the culture of a given country, having loved ones in a given country or city, distance from Poland, climate – and many others. When choosing the universities you intend to apply to, ask yourself some basic questions:

• In which semester do I intend to go abroad and what subjects do I have in my study program for that semester? It is worth using the KUE study plans, selecting the academic year in which you started your studies. Will I have many major and specialization subjects? This will help you determine whether it is advisable to look for universities where you will find equivalents of most of your compulsory subjects, or whether you can allow yourself more freedom, because your subjects in a given semester are mainly from the “elective subjects” group.
• Am I learning or planning to learn a foreign language other than English? If so, it is worth choosing a country where you will be able to continue or start learning that language and develop your language skills naturally, while also learning about the culture of that country.
• Do I meet the requirements of foreign universities that I find interesting? Pay attention to the languages of instruction available there and any information contained in the description of the university: are the languages in which you can obtain a language qualification available for your level of study and the field in which you are studying? Does the university have any specific requirements, for example regarding your grade point average? Taking these factors into account will allow you to choose only those universities for which you have a chance of qualifying. It is not worth choosing a university at random or based solely on your preference for a particular city. It may turn out that there are no universities suitable for your profile in your selection, or there are very few, which may result in you not getting a place. By choosing universities in a thoughtful and conscious manner, you increase your chances not only of going abroad, but also of having a positive experience participating in the exchange.
• Is the level of teaching at a given university important to me? Do I know the opinions of other students who have been on exchange there? You can assess the level of a university by searching for it in various rankings, checking international accreditations or various awards, and institutions cooperating with a given university. The opinions of students who have studied at a given university in previous semesters may also be helpful. Students going abroad as part of the Erasmus+ program fill out reports in which they describe and evaluate various aspects of their trip. You can request such reports from the IPO employee responsible for student trips to a given country, as well as from the person in charge of recruitment for mobility programs.
• Are there any other aspects that are important to me? It is worth considering, for example, whether choosing tourist destinations is right for you. Such places are usually more expensive, it is more difficult to find accommodation there, and you have to expect crowds. Despite offering many attractions, such places can be tiring and financially burdensome in the long run – remember that you will be living there for several months. Sometimes it is worth choosing a university in a smaller or less well-known town, but one from which you can easily get to a large city or tourist destinations that interest you.

As part of the recruitment process organized by International Programs Office, you can only apply to the universities listed in it. It is not possible to add other universities. If you know of an interesting university with which KUE does not have an agreement, you can contact IPO to inquire whether it would be possible to establish cooperation with that university. However, please remember that, firstly, this process is time-consuming and, secondly, there is no guarantee that a given foreign university will want to establish such cooperation. Do not act on your own in this matter!

Many foreign universities allow students to enroll in partial studies as freemovers. As a rule, this means paying tuition fees. In this case, you will not receive any financial support to cover the costs of your trip. However, if you decide to go on such a trip, you can consult the IPO for advice on the documents and formalities that need to be completed at the KUE before departure and after your return. However, the IPO will not issue you with any certificates or coordinate the logistics of your trip.

The CEEPUS program also offers a freemover option, which allows you to be exempt from tuition fees and potentially receive financial support to cover the costs of your trip. You can find out more about this at https://www.ceepus.info/.

The number of places available depends on the provisions of the agreement with the university and ranges from 1 to 10. It depends on the university’s capacity to accept foreign students: the number of courses available and places available on those courses, the size of the university, the availability of accommodation in the city, etc. Sometimes, in a given academic year, the number of places at some universities may differ from that specified in the agreement – this is due to various additional circumstances. If you would like to determine your chances of getting a place at a given university (especially if you are applying with another person), you can contact IPO to inquire about the number of places available in a given recruitment process. This is most important in the case of supplementary recruitment – in the case of many universities, there may be only one place left.

At this point, KUE does not have any agreements with foreign universities that would require outgoing students to pay tuition fees. However, universities may require a one-time administrative fee (e.g., for issuing a student ID card, campus insurance, or an entertainment package).

Yes. For such a request to be considered, both applicants should select the same universities and list them in the same order, and enter information about their joint application in the “Comments” section, including the first and last name and student ID number of the other person.

Applications from persons applying for joint admission are considered as follows:

• if it is possible to qualify both persons for one of the selected universities, both persons are qualified as requested,
• if there are not at least two places left at any of the selected universities at the time when the application of the person with the lower score is considered, the applications are separated and considered separately. If you do not accept this solution and separate travel is not an option, please add the relevant information in the “Comments” field. In this case, if it is not possible to qualify both of you, both of your applications will be rejected.

If you plan to apply in this way, before choosing a university, we recommend consulting the IPO regarding the number of places and other possible restrictions at the universities you are interested in. We do not recommend joint applications by more than two people, or in situations where: you are studying different fields and levels of study; your recruitment scores differ greatly or are both very low; you want to get a place at popular universities.

There are no point thresholds for individual universities. The number of points earned by students varies in each recruitment cycle, and students choose their university based on individual preferences. There is no pattern that would indicate that people with high, average, or low scores choose a specific set of universities. Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian universities enjoy unchanging popularity, but this does not mean that only those at the top of the ranking list are eligible for them. A lot depends on the number of points you have scored, but it is equally important which universities and in what order the people ahead of you in the ranking list choose. If you are concerned that your score is too low to get a place at your dream university, we recommend consulting the IPO. We will help you dispel your doubts and advise you on which universities you could add to your selection to increase your chances of qualification.

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is: it depends. There are many factors that can influence whether you will be accepted to one of your chosen universities. These factors include, first and foremost, the popularity of your chosen universities in a given admissions cycle, combined with the number of points you have earned, as well as the compatibility of your choice of university with your profile (e.g., if you do not have Spanish language qualifications and you apply to Spanish universities that do not offer courses in English, you will not be accepted to such a university).

There are many ways to increase your chances:

• by earning extra points for a high grade point average and additional activities,
• by making an informed and thoughtful choice of university, consulting any doubts you may have with the IPO,
• by not limiting your choice of universities to 1-3 options, especially if you are choosing popular universities and your score is not very high.

Recruitment announcements are published on the IPO homepage – bpz.uek.krakow.pl in the “News” section, on the KUE homepage – uek.krakow.pl, on the BPZ Facebook page – facebook.com/bpzuek, and sent in the form of a communication. Posters with links to the announcements are also displayed on the KUE campus.

In each recruitment round, you can only fill out and submit one application, under which you can be accepted to one university for one semester (in the case of a double degree – for one academic year). In the application, you can select both semesters if it does not matter to you which one you are accepted for. In this case, you will most likely be accepted for the winter semester, if possible.

If two different recruitment processes are ongoing at the same time, you can submit one application for each. The recruitment process that ends earlier will be considered first. You can do this in two different scenarios:

• If you are only interested in one specific semester, you can submit applications in two different recruitment rounds, but you can only be accepted for one place. If you qualify in the call for applications that ends first and confirm your awarded place, your application in the second call will no longer be considered. However, if you are unsuccessful in the first call, you will still have a chance in the second one.
• If you want to spend the entire academic year at two different universities, you can submit applications in two different recruitment rounds, choosing a different semester in each. The basic condition for the success of such a scenario is that you check the academic calendars of the selected universities: the dates of the semesters cannot overlap. Also, check whether the university organizes mandatory orientation days before the official start of the semester and how long the exam session may potentially last.

When the results of a given recruitment process are announced, a deadline is set for making a decision regarding the university to which you have been admitted. You can confirm your willingness to go or withdraw from the place you have been offered by that date. It is not possible to change universities.

If you have confirmed your participation but later encounter any obstacles, you can also withdraw. However, late withdrawal, i.e., “withdrawal after the deadline” (or a situation where you do not report it but simply stop communicating with the coordinators) may result in your application being rejected in subsequent recruitment rounds. This does not apply to people whose trip does not take place for reasons attributable to the host university or so-called force majeure (natural disasters, epidemics, wars, and riots), as well as if your withdrawal is caused by random factors such as illness, accident, sudden deterioration of financial situation, serious family problems, etc.

In the application form, you can select up to eight universities, ranked in order of priority – with the proviso that in some recruitment processes, the number of available universities may be less than eight. Applications are considered according to your place on the ranking list. The ranking list is created based on the score you have obtained in a given recruitment process, from the highest to the lowest number of points. Only those who meet the general conditions of a given recruitment process are considered: they have submitted their application in the system on time and sent the required documents, have a positive language qualification result in at least one foreign language, and meet the conditions of the regulations. You are eligible for the first university on your list that has vacancies when we reach your position on the ranking list – and where you meet the admission requirements. If there are no more places available at any of your chosen universities, or if you do not meet the admission requirements for the universities that still have places available, but you meet the general admission requirements, all is not lost. If your application is rejected, the decision will include the note “No places available at the selected universities, possibility to appeal to universities with available places.” This means that you can re-select a university within the specified time. You will receive an email with a list of universities that still have places available and information about the possibility of submitting an appeal in the application form. You can also include universities from your original selection – it may happen that one of the people who qualified for them will give up their place and it will return to the pool. In this case, we recommend selecting a maximum of 3-4 universities from your original selection that you care about the most and filling the remaining places with universities from the list of available places. Of course, if none of the universities on the list meet your preferences, you can choose only those from your original selection – however, this significantly reduces the chances of a positive outcome of your appeal.