Studying abroad

As a student at the Department of Strategic Communication, you can apply to study abroad for a semester. Exchange studies can provide you with a very valuable addition to your study programme. Studying in another country for a semester provides you with additional qualifications on the labour market and you will get to know another country’s culture, language and people. To reside and live abroad also results in personal growth and positive individual development.

The advantage of studying abroad with one of Lund University’s exchange agreements is that there are pre-established contacts, you do not have to pay additional tuition fees and you are insured. If you study at a European university, you can apply for an Erasmus grant. Applying for exchange studies and seeing the project through requires a lot on your part. You will have to take independent responsibility for much of the process, finding courses, accommodation, a visa if required, etc.

During your exchange studies, you need to find courses in accordance with the Guidelines for elective courses. All courses must be eligible for credit transfer.

Where can I study?

As a student at the Department of Strategic Communication, you have a great selection of universities around the world to which you can apply.

Within the University’s exchange agreements, you can apply to universities all over the world. You do this via the Faculty of Social Sciences. Find lists of the universities you can apply to here.

The department also has agreements with the following international higher education institutions. The agreements are only open to students who are studying on one of our degree programmes:

• International School of Management (Germany)
• University of Ljubljana
• University of Stirling (Scotland)
• Hong Kong Baptist University
• University of Greenwich (UK)
• Oklahoma State University (US)
• Rovira i Virgili University, Faculty of Arts (Spain)
• ESSCA (France)

Where and when do I apply?

There are different application periods:

• Apply 1-15 November
• Apply 1-15 November for the University of California
• Apply 1-20 February, for any left over universities

Central agreements at Lund University and at the faculties

Applications to the central exchange agreement places at Lund University and the faculty agreements are administrated by the relevant faculty. As a student at the Department of Strategic Communication, you apply for these exchange places through the Faculty of Social Sciences. Apply using an online application form. It will show which universities you can apply to, what is required and whether there are any restrictions.

The department’s own agreements

Applications under the department’s own agreements are also made through the Faculty of Social Sciences. Read more about the call for applications and find the application form on the Faculty of Social Science’s website.

What can I study?

The number of courses you are to study varies according to the higher education institution and the country you are heading for.

It is usual to study more courses per semester than you would in Sweden; usually there are 4 to 6 courses per semester. You need to find a suitable combination of courses at the host university to get the credits transferred to Lund. Your study plan should also set up a few reserve courses. Which courses you can study depends on the degree programme you are on. Find out more under guidance – elective courses. If you have further questions, you can always contact the department’s study advisor and the International office at the faculty.

Internships abroad 

Getting experience of working life within your field of study allows you to develop and gives you additional qualifications for your future. Choosing to do your internship abroad provides additional knowledge. But it also requires you to take on a lot of personal responsibility. 

The host organisation where you are to be an intern must be prepared to assist you in achieving the learning outcomes for the internship course within your programme. The host organisation must also be able to offer you supervision.

Remember that organising an internship abroad is time-consuming and demanding. This means that you must have thought through whether you really want to go abroad before starting the process; it can be expensive to stay and live in another country for a long period of time.

If you are entitled to student finance from CSN, this also applies for your internship abroad. You may even be able to obtain an additional loan, for travel to and from the country where you will be doing your internship, for example. You can also apply for internships within various exchange programmes such as Erasmus. In that case, there are scholarships for which you can apply. Read more here.

Minor Field Studies (MFS)

Through Sida’s Minor Field Studies (MFS) scholarship, you can spend from 8 weeks in a developing country conducting a minor field study for your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree project.

To be able to apply for the grant, you must be a Swedish citizen or hold a permanent residence permit (PUT) in Sweden. The permanent right of residency (PUR) for EU citizens is not equivalent to a permanent residence permit (PUT) and does not qualify for scholarship funds. Students from other Nordic countries who are not Swedish citizens need to have been registered as living in Sweden (folkbokförd) for at least one year by the time of approval of scholarship funds. 

Read about MFS in the Lund University central pages