Option for internships abroad

The SEMP (Swiss-European Mobility Program) internship programme has replaced the Erasmus internship programme. This gives you the opportunity to complete an internship in a business, hospital, laboratory, school, etc. in Europe and receive a grant for it.

• The internship must take place in a European country included on the list below.
• Any public or private-sector organisation can host an intern, except for the European institutions, EU bodies or organisations that manage EU programmes, and the diplomatic institutions of the student’s country of origin (embassy, etc.)
• The internship must last between two and 12 months.
• The grant is CHF 440 per month.
• The internship is recorded in the student’s diploma supplement.
• Students must be selected, at the latest, during their final year of study and before their final projects or examinations (without exception!) and must complete their internship abroad within a year of gaining their qualification at the latest. In this case, the internship is not recorded in the diploma supplement and a certificate of employment must be provided by the employer.

List of possible countries for an SEMP internship 

• Be enrolled at UNIL (at Bachelor’s, Master's or PhD level)
• Note: students are entitled to take part in the SEMP programme (internship and/or study) for up to 12 months at each level.

1. Find an internship (paid or unpaid) in a business, hospital, laboratory, school, etc. in a participating European country (see list above). See the internship offers published by the European Student Network ESN.
2. Complete the "training agreement" form (see below) in conjunction with your faculty’s mobility coordinator and the host institution.
3. Submit the form, completed and signed, to SASME. Note: the award of a grant depends on the funding available and is not guaranteed: grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis as applications are submitted.
4. Complete the “Insurance Declaration” form and return it to SASME with the grant agreement at the latest.
5. SASME will then send you a grant agreement to sign and return to it.
6. At the end of your internship, complete the “Final report” form provided by SASME and return it to it.

Training agreement and quality commitment for transnational student placement 

Insurance Declaration

Contact

Ms Maria Velasco
Social Affairs and Student Mobility Office (SASME)
Unicentre
Tel.: 021 692 21 16

Students, teaching and other staff can apply for a special allowance to offset the additional expenses incurred during their period abroad because of a disability.

An application form is available from the International Relations Department (SRI). The SRI will forward the completed form to the national agency, Movetia.

For more information, see the document below.

Students and staff with special needs 

Apart from the university exchange programmes offered by UNIL, it is possible for students to pursue their studies abroad independently for one or two semesters, including at universities that are not UNIL partners (on a “free mover” basis. In this case, however, you will need to find out all the information and complete the formalities (admission criteria, financial conditions, producing your study plan) etc. with the host university yourself and you will not receive any administrative or financial support from UNIL. Nonetheless, it is essential to have your study plan approved before you depart, by the mobility adviser in your faculty or section/school so that the ECTS credits you earn abroad can be recognised and/or to obtain equivalences. This can be a more complicated process than if you go to study under an exchange agreement.

Sources of information on study options abroad

• U-Multirank is a tool to help you choose a university run by the European Commission.
• This website Summer Schools in Europe offers a good overview of summer schools available in Europe.