Study Year Abroad BSc International Management
The year abroad is one of the most important elements of the Bachelor of International Management program and offers students a unique experience.
Study Year Abroad
A year abroad at another university is one of the key elements of the International Management program and is a unique learning experience. It exposes you to a different culture, academic structure, and working methods, which in turn will broaden your horizon and open new possibilities. You need to keep in mind that you will spend a whole academic year at the partner university you have chosen. During the application process, it is important that you consider not just the university itself and its reputation, but also the wider cultural environment, language of instruction and the structure of the academic year. We hope that the information below will help you to better understand the study abroad year.
At a glance
- The study year abroad is mandatory for all International Management students at the ZHAW SML.
- The selection and allocation process takes place once a year.
- Students are allocated through the allocation process conducted by the International Office and IM Program Management.
- The study year abroad takes place during the 3rd and 4th semesters of the IM Bachelor's degree.
- Your study year abroad will incur additional costs.
- All students remain enrolled at the ZHAW SML during the year abroad.
- Students are guaranteed an exchange place.
Academic Requirements
- To be able to study abroad, students must successfully complete the assessment year in accordance with the ZHAW SML Study Regulations.
- Students are also required to have a 4.00 grade point average in the assessment year. The grade point average will be rounded to two decimal points.
Registration
- Registration takes place once per year in January.
- The International Office holds an information session on the exchange year during the Autumn semester.
- Students are informed about available destinations, application procedures, fees, etc.
Selecting partner universities for a study year abroad
You may choose a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 partner universities, in the order of your preference. When making your study year abroad selections, consider the language of instruction, the local language, module availabilities, semester dates, etc.
- Information about partner universities (Mobility Online).
- Experience reports (Intranet).
- Partner university websites.
Specific language requirements
At our ZHAW SML partner universities, you can usually follow your course of study in English. However, for some of our exchange destinations we require an additional language (e.g. French, Spanish or Portuguese). In such instances, you will be required to present a language certificate (B2) with your application. You yourself are responsible for checking if there is a language requirement (Mobility Online) for a partner university of your choice.
Selection Procedure
- Available exchange places are allocated on the basis of merit and preferences (the student with the highest grade point average receives the first choice of an exchange place)
- Some of our partner universities require a minimum grade point average (e.g. 4.5 or higher)
- Fulfillment of language requirements will be checked and considered during the allocation.
- We will aim to allocate you a place at one of your preferred universities, however this cannot be guaranteed.
- Once an exchange place has been allocated, it is binding.
- Application results will be sent per email (internal).
- Students not allocated an exchange place during the initial allocation will receive a list of other available exchange places and may select up to five additional priorities for the second selection round which will then take place.
Transfer of credits towards the IM degree
Modules completed at the host university may be credited towards the International Management degree. You are responsible for having the Learning Agreement approved in advance by the Program Director of International. You need to obtain the relevant module descriptions from the host university. A maximum of 60 ECTS can be credited for the study year abroad.
Assessments at the host university
All coursework from a year abroad must be completed at the host university. For legal reasons, unattended or failed exams or other assessments may not be re-taken at the ZHAW SML. Students who fail one or more modules during the study year abroad are required to register for additional modules and complete these at the ZHAW SML.
Experience report
At the end of the study year abroad, all students are required to write an Experience Report. These reports are a helpful source of information for future students. More information is available from the International Office.
Cost
The total cost of a study year abroad can vary considerably depending on a destination’s cost of living and the student’s lifestyle. It is therefore not possible to provide definite figures. In the past, however, students spent between CHF 6,000 and 20,000 for one semester abroad. The following is a list of the approximate cost according to continent:
Region | Min. | Max. |
---|---|---|
Europe | 6'000 | 9'000 |
US | 10'000 | 20'000 |
Canada | 6'000 | 12'000 |
Asia Pacific | 7'500 | 17'000 |
Latin America | 7'500 | 17'000 |
These estimated figures include traveling expenses, food and accommodation, leisure activities, insurance, and tuition.