How can you study abroad during your studies?

Exchange, double degree, internship: three ways to go abroad

The first way to experience life abroad is the academic exchange: you go for a semester or a full year to a partner university of Excelia Business School, what the school also calls academic expatriation, in an academic, linguistic and cultural environment different from your own.

The second option is the double degree: with certain partners, your stay can lead to a second qualification, which is added to that of Excelia Business School without ever replacing it, depending on the partner and the programme you are following. To understand how it fits in with your course, find out what a double degree is. The third option is to complete the internships in France and abroad, to combine professional experience with international exposure. Depending on the programme you are following, other formats also exist internationally: an Excelia engagement scheme carried out outside France, or an internship programme abroad. It is your programme's page that tells you precisely what applies to you.

The timing of departure depends on the programme and the entry route, and a period abroad is not compulsory on every course. To find out precisely when and how you go abroad on the programme that interests you, the detailed brochure request by programme gives you the details, including the timing of departure. The network of partners, meanwhile, remains extensive: the Excelia network has 233 academic partners in 57 countries, and you can consult Excelia Business School's partner universities to see the destinations available.

The steps of an exchange departure

Your departure begins with your wishes, made among Excelia Business School's partner universities. Your placement then depends on several criteria that combine to decide between applications:

• your language level
• the places available at the target university
• the specialisation you are preparing
• the cost of living there

The departure is prepared well before boarding: information sessions present the destinations and the procedures, and expatriation reports written by former students give a concrete picture of daily life there, from accommodation to local academic habits. Your programme's international officers first help you refine your choice according to your plans and your languages; once the destination has been decided, it is the support for an international departure that takes over, provided by the international relations department, for your visa, insurance, scholarships and accommodation.

Once there, your results genuinely count: the ECTS credits you obtain are recognised towards your degree, subject to passing your exams at the host university just as you would at Excelia Business School.

Funding your stay abroad

Going on exchange does not change your status: you remain enrolled at Excelia Business School, and you pay no registration fees to the partner university that hosts you. Additional fees remain possible, however, depending on the host institution, and extra costs need to be budgeted separately: accommodation, insurance and daily life there.

The European Union's Erasmus+ grant contributes to travel and accommodation costs for a stay in Europe of at least three months, at a partner institution that has signed an agreement with the school. Its amount varies depending on the destination and covers only part of the budget: it adds to your resources rather than replacing them.

This grant can be combined with a means-tested grant obtained in France, and your Crous grants continue to be paid to you during your stay, according to the usual criteria. Other regional or local grants may also exist depending on your situation and your destination.