FAQ
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If your question/ answer is not listed, you can send us an email.
International Office Architecture
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BG.Oost.240
Open office hours:
Tuesday and Thursday 13:00-14:00
Emailadres:
InternationalOffice-BK
@tudelft.nl
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The most important first step is to decide where you want to go. Check out our list of partner universities and read travel reports from other students (online in our database , or in the yellow binders in our international office). Then, find out what kind of courses the host university offers, what additional requirements are (portfolio/language/etc) and prepare your application!
Please also watch our presentation, including audio, about exchange. You can find a link under Forms & Downloads on this website.
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Not only excellent students can apply for an exchange semester. If you are motivated, proactive and flexible and if you can show your capacities in your motivation letter and CV, you can go abroad as well! We do however ask for a minimum of 6.5 (average of your grades for your BSc courses).
Some universities ask for a higher minimum average. If we know of this, it is mentioned in the list of partner universities in the column “Comments”.
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Bachelor students should have finished at least 90 EC from their first two years at the moment of departure. Sometimes the partner university requires you to have finished more credits/be enrolled in the third year at the moment of application at their university.
Master students should be enrolled in the master programme at the moment of departure.
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Yes, that's possible, but not as part of our exchange programme. If you wish to go to another university, you should arrange everything yourself. Further, you should pay tuition fees at the other university + at the TU Delft (so double costs) and there is no scholarship available from the TU Delft.
Please keep in mind that you should still ask for approval of your minor at the Board of Examiners before you leave. Master's students may only visit universities where at least subjects are taught at Master's level.
Please also have a look at the section Course selection under Procedures and Deadlines.
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Yes, it is possible to go on exchange twice: once during your bachelor's degree and once your master's degree. You can even apply for an Erasmus+ grant in both your BSc and your MSc phase. The STIR grant is only offered once during your whole TU Delft career.
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Yes, that is possible for bachelor students, but is not arranged by the International Office. You should contact the “stagecoordinator”. Please do know that the environment you will work in is different from a ‘student exchange’ environment. You will usually make a lot of friends during the introduction period of the student exchange, while being an intern is whole different experience, in which you usually have to put more energy in building a social network. Of course internships can have other advantages.
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We have agreements with faculties of architecture of our partner universities. That means that they can demand you to take all credits, or a certain amount of credits at their faculty. We cannot give you guarantees. You can look if we have an agreement with the partner university for multiple faculties, that will make the possibility to take part in other courses more probable.
If you wish to do another minor than architecture, we advise you to do so in the Netherlands. With most universities we only have an exchange agreement at faculty level, meaning you can only take architecture (related) courses. If you wish to study abroad in another direction at a university we only have an agreement at architecture level with, you will probably have to participate in a study program as ‘free-mover’ (and pay tuition fees). In that case you will have to arrange everything yourself.
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Every year in October, the international office organises a study abroad week. During the lunchbreaks there will be presentations by the international office on how to go abroad and by students to talk about their experiences. The info-market allows you to have speed dates with former exchange students, to ask all your questions about going abroad! -
Yes that is allowed. The official E + rule is: the host country must be a different program country from the country where the home institution (in this case TU Delft) is located and the country (in this case the Netherlands) where the student lives during his regular studies.
We do however encourage our students to study in a country they have never lived and studied before!
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No, you cannot go on exchange for less than 1 semester. We expect you to participate as a full time student and follow (the equivalence of) at least 24-30 EC. Only in special circumstances you can take less credits, but you should still participate for the full length of the semester of the partner university. If you wish to go abroad for a shorter stay, you could consider the participation in the ATHENS programme, this is a workshop of 1 week at a foreign university.
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No, it is not possible to go on exchange for more than 1 semester. We have a limited amount of exchange places available. If you would stay for two semester, you would take the place of another student. Also, in the context of study delay, it is not recommended to go on exchange more than 1 semester.
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For information about insurances, please read the Preparations section on our website.
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No. You must be registered as a full-time TU Delft student from the moment you apply for an exchange. You should also be registered at the moment you apply for a scholarship (usually in the weeks before your departure), as well as during the semester you are studying abroad.
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Deadline first round: 1 December (exchange in Autumn or spring of the next academic year).
Deadline 'left overs' Spring semester: until 1st June you can apply for exchange in Spring of the next academic year. You will only have choice between the places which were not filled during the first round. The places will be awarded on a first-serve-first-come basis to eligible students.After you have been selected, you will be nominated at the partner university. The partner university sends you information 'how to apply' at the partner university. In most (but not all) cases the partner university accepts our nominations and the application is a formality.
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The application system asks you to provide 3 to 5 choices when applying. If you know for sure you would like to go abroad, we advise you to list 5 choices.
Some students know for sure they are only interested in going on exchange to 1 particular university. Still you have to fill at least 3 choices in Mobility Online. If that's the case please write in your motivation letter that you are only interested in exchange to university X and include e.g. "if I’m not selected for my first choice, I prefer to study in Delft instead". In Mobility Online, please fill the second and third choice with a university in Belgium. In that way we can easily filter the applications with only interest in 1 or 2 universities.
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To apply for an exchange semester, you should apply through the application system of the TU Delft first (Mobility Online). The link to the system will be provided in December.
For more information, check this webpage and the BrightSpace page. -
Partner universities may ask for a proof of your language level. Every university has its own requirements. Please check the requirements of the partner university for the Exchange programme before you apply at the TU Delft. Some partners accept statements from the home university. Please know that we cannot assess your language level. If the university accepts a certain grade for your VWO exam, or if they accept you when you study in an English taught programme (our masters), we can prepare a statement on your request after your selection.
For your application at the TU Delft, you should upload a 'proof of your language' in Mobility Online. If you have not met the requirements of the partner university yet, please upload a plan how you will reach the right level (and if needed, the right documents) in time.
Always start learning and practicing the language of instruction as soon as possible! Also when you don’t need to show the partner university a language certificate.
More information about language courses can be found here. Once you are selected for a partner university which asks for a language certificate, please register for an exam as soon as possible!
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If you have not accepted your allocation at a partner university yet, you can cancel your application. If you have accepted our offer, we expect you to do your utmost to go to this university. Only with a legitimate reason you can cancel the exchange period. Please contact us by email if that’s the case. Any costs you may have made already won’t be refunded. If you already received (part of) a scholarship, you should refund it.
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No. You must be registered as a full-time TU Delft student from the moment you apply for an exchange. You should also be registered at the moment you apply for a scholarship, as well as during the semester you are studying abroad.
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Please check the FAQ tab Erasmus+grant.
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Usually Study Abroad is a paid programme, so at most universities you should apply for the exchange programme. However, to avoid misunderstandings (and costs), you could best read the explanations of the programmes on the website of the host university carefully - or send your contact person at the host university this question.
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Partner universities may ask for a proof of your language level. Every university has its own requirements. Please check the requirements of the partner university for the Exchange programme before you apply at the TU Delft. Some partners accept statements from the home university. Please know that we cannot assess your language level. If the university accepts a certain grade for your VWO exam, or if they accept you when you study in an English taught programme (our masters), we can prepare a statement on your request after your selection.
For your application at the TU Delft, you should upload a 'proof of your language' in Mobility Online. If you have not met the requirements of the partner university yet, please upload a plan how you will reach the right level (and if needed, the right documents) in time.
Always start learning and practicing the language of instruction as soon as possible! Also when you don’t need to show the partner university a language certificate.
More information about language courses can be found here. Once you are selected for a partner university which asks for a language certificate, please register for an exam as soon as possible!
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In principle Bachelor students have to follow Bachelor level courses and Master students have to follow Master level courses.
If you are a Bachelor student and the partner university allows you to take Master courses, you can take these as well. Please keep in mind that these Master courses will count for your minor and can never be used in your Master elective space. Bachelor students need approval of the courses by the Board of Examiners before their exchange period. For more info, click here.
Master students should follow Master courses. If you take BSc courses (as well), these cannot be added to your Transcript of Records of the TU Delft. Master students do not need to ask approval beforehand. -
Most universities publish this information on their website and they will send you an email with this information once you are nominated. If you have not received information yet, you can search for the Exchange programme website of the university online. Type in "name of university" + "exchange programme" and you will usually find the right website.
If you haven't received application information of the partner university at least 3 weeks before their application deadline, please send us an email so we can check if everything goes well (internationaloffice-bk@tudelft.nl).
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There are some grants coordinated by the TU Delft available to exchange students. You can apply through Mobility Online for these grants. To exchange students the following grants are available:
- ERASMUS+ Study (exchange under the Erasmus+ programme, EU + Turkey)
- STIR (exchange outside of Europe)
- Holland Scholarship (exchange outside of Europe)
You will receive information about the application process by email. You should apply at the partner university first. More information about the grants can be found here.
The payment of the grant is often partly at the beginning of your period abroad and partly after coming back.
Students to Switzerland cannot apply for the above mentioned grants. Usually Swiss partner universities will inform you about a grant provided by the Swiss government.
Sometimes you are eligible to grants from private funds. You could search online if there are more grants available.
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Communication will be through your student email. Sometimes emails from our partners end up in the Spam email folder, so please check this email folder first!
If you have not received information yet, you can search for the Exchange programme website of the university online. Type in "name of university" + "exchange programme" and you will usually find the right website. Please try to find the application deadline by checking the factsheet of the partner university.
If you haven't received application information of the partner university at least 3 weeks before their application deadline, please send us an email so we can check if everything goes well (internationaloffice-bk@tudelft.nl).
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For information about insurances, please read the Preparations section on our website.
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The digital study guide provides English course descriptions for the MSc courses. You can use that information.
For the BSc courses, there are short descriptions of most courses available as well. If you need these descriptions, please send us an email with the courses you need the descriptions for and we will send the information to you.
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Please check the FAQ tab Erasmus+grant.
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It is your own responsibility to obtain credits abroad. We expect you to participate as a full time student and follow (the equivalence of) at least 24-30 EC. Only in special circumstances you can take less credits.
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If you hold an Erasmus+ grant, please find the answer to your question under our tab FAQ Erasmus+. You will need to sign an additional part of the Learning Agreement. Further minor students need approval from the Board of examiners first.
If your exchange is outside the EU or to an European country not participating in the Erasmus+grant (e.g. England, Switzerland), you can change your courses more easily. Minor students, must send a new request for approval to the Board of Examiners. Master students do not have to contact the Board of Examiners, but should meet the requirements for MSc electives and design studio.
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Please check the FAQ tab Erasmus+grant.
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It is your own responsibility to finish your minor. If were not able to finish all 30 EC abroad, you should add other courses to your programme after your return. You could for example follow electives at TPM. You can find information about these courses in the digital study guide. Examples of courses which probably will be approved are “Mondeling presenteren” and “Schriftelijk rapporteren”.
With permission of the faculties involved, you may also take BSc courses from other faculties, if the courses are related to the courses you already took. You can find out how to apply for courses at other faculties in the study guide or you should ask the course coordinators.
You could have a look at TU Delft's MOOCS. There is only a small number of MOOCs for which you can receive credits. Virtual exchange might also be an option.
Finally, you could have a look at courses at other universities in The Netherlands.
You should always ask the Board of Examiners for approval of your minor; Before you go abroad, but also if your plans change! You should fill the form “Aanvraag goedkeuring individuele minor”. In the new request, you should explain why you wish to take these subjects and what the connection is with the courses you already took (as far as possible).
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Architecture students who go abroad during the second semester, should write their thesis while being abroad. You should inform your teacher beforehand and make clear arrangements. You will have to hand in the thesis at the latest in week 10 of Quarter 3.
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Please check on Brighspace Study Abroad chapter 10 (Upon return) for more info.
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The conversion of credits and marks can be found on this webpage.
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It is your own responsibility to finish your minor. If were not able to finish all 30 EC abroad, you should add other courses to your programme after your return. You could for example follow electives at TPM. You can find information about these courses in the digital study guide. Examples of courses which probably will be approved are “Mondeling presenteren” and “Schriftelijk rapporteren”.
With permission of the faculties involved, you may also take BSc courses from other faculties, if the courses are related to the courses you already took. You can find out how to apply for courses at other faculties in the study guide or you should ask the course coordinators.
You could have a look at TU Delft's MOOCS. There is only a small number of MOOCs for which you can receive credits. Virtual exchange might also be an option.
Finally, you could have a look at courses at other universities in The Netherlands.
You should always ask the Board of Examiners for approval of your minor, also if something changes. You should fill the form “Aanvraag goedkeuring individuele minor”. In the new request, you should explain why you wish to take these subjects and what the connection is with the courses you already took (as far as possible).
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The extra credits will be stated on your list of academic achievements as extra credits.
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You are required to write a report of your study abroad period (in English). The report should be sent to internationaloffice-bk@tudelft.nl. Some grant authorities also require the travel report. Please check the requirements of the grant.
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Grades of the courses followed abroad, that are part of the curriculum, count towards the GPA (Grade point average) in Delft. If you followed extra courses of which the credits are not necessary for your exchange, the grades will not affect your average.
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Please check the FAQ tab Erasmus+grant.
After you have been selected for exchange to a partner university which participates in the Erasmus+ programme (most universities in Europe and in Turkey), you will receive an invitation for an information session about the Erasmus+grant application (usually in March/April), or you will receive instructions by email. If you do not qualify for that grant, the following information is not relevant to you.
The Erasmus+ grant application is handeled by our colleagues of the Contact Centre.
If you have questions regarding the (application for the) Erasmus+ grant, you can first check the FAQ's below. You can find more answers on the Erasmus+ webpage. The Erasmus+ webpage contains a visual flow chart, a detailed Student Handbook, information on deadlines, FAQ's, online open office hours (2x a week) and contact details of our colleagues: erasmusgrant@tudelft.nl.
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A learning agreement (LA) is a draft of the study plan and not a guaranteed registration for courses. You need to fill the LA as part of the application for the Erasmus+ grant. You will receive more information about the Erasmus+ grant from the International Office after you are selected for exchange to a partner university in Europe or Turkey. You will receive a learning agreement by email and instructions how to fill it.
The LA contains 3 parts:
- Before mobility: every applicant should fill this part correctly, have it signed by three parties (you, international office BK and partner). You should send it to erasmusgrant@tudelft.nl at least 6 weeks before departure
- During mobility: you should only fill this part if something changes during your exchange period and send it to erasmusgrant@tudelft.nl
- After mobility: this part will be filled by the grant department of the TU Delft
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After you have been selected for exchange to a partner university in Europe or Turkey, you will receive an invitation for an information session about the Erasmus+grant application (usually in March/April), or you will receive instructions by email. After this mandatory meeting, you will receive a learning agreement by email and instructions how to fill it.
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If you cannot choose courses yet, make sure you make a ‘temporary course package’. You can do this looking at courses you’d like to follow that were listed on the website of the partner university, or based on previous student experiences.
If you choose your final courses, you can update the Learning Agreement by sending the filled ‘Changes to the learning agreement or During Mobility’ part as a PDF to internationaloffice-bk@tudelft.nl
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The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment requires you to take between 24-30 ECTS. Only in special circumstances you can take less credits.
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The LA needs 3 signatures: yours, the signature of the partner institution and the signature of the International Office BK. It is allowed to send scanned versions of the document.
The international office BK can sign your learning agreement. You can come to our open office hour with a print of the ‘Before Mobility’ part, or send the completed form in PDF to internationaloffice-bk@tudelft.nl.
If you are going abroad for your minor, the exam committee has to accept the courses before we can sign the learning agreement. You should bring a signed version of the form ‘goedkeuring vrije en externe minor’ to our office or attach it to your email if you ask us to sign the LA. -
Minor students changing their courses during their stay abroad, must send a new request for approval to the Board of Examiners. Both the signed approval ánd changed Learning Agreement ("Changes to the Learning agreement" or "During Mobility" part as PDF) must be sent to the International Office of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.
Master students changing their courses during their stay should send the changed Learning Agreement ("Changes to the Learning agreement" or "During Mobility" part as PDF) to the International Office of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.
The changed Learning agreement should also be signed by the host university and the student before sending it to erasmusgrant@tudelft.nl.
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Yes, you can count the language course. It should be listed in table A.
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You should fill the (provisional) list of courses you plan to take at the partner institution. If you follow a language course, you can include it in this table as well.
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In table B you should mention which TU Delft courses you are going to replace with courses at the partner institution. TU Delft courses you take while being abroad (on distance, through e.i. Collegerama), should not be listed in table B.
It is not necessary to include exact course codes in table B. Please use one of the following two options:
· ‘Minor’ (for BSc students)
· ‘Electives MSc’ (for MSc students)
The total amount of ECTS in table B should always be equal to or higher than the amount in table A.
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You can find more information on the Erasmus+ webpage. The Erasmus+ webpage contains a visual flow chart, a details Student Handbook, information on deadlines, FAQ's, online open office hours (2x a week) and contact details of our colleagues: erasmusgrant@tudelft.nl.