Erasmus Incoming
General Information
General Information for incoming Erasmus students can be found on the Website of the International Relations Office of the University of Salzburg: Erasmus Students in Salzburg.
Contact Person at the Department
The Erasmus Coordinator for Political Science is:
Dr. Franz Kok
Office hours: Tue, 10-12 am
Tel.: ++43(0)662/8044-6613
Fax: ++43(0)662/804474-6613
Email: franz.kok(at)plus.ac.at
Eligibility and Desired Student Profile
Placement is open for students of any level from second year upward. MA students are especially welcome! Students should note that while there are an increasing number of courses offered in English, passive knowledge of German is necessary to make this a successful experience. Even in German-language classes, papers and/or exams may be completed in English if agreed beforehand by the instructor. Incoming students receive an orientation at the beginning of the semester.
Scheduling – Academic Year at the University of Salzburg
Fall Semester: from the 1st week of October – to the end of January
Spring Semester: from 1st week of March – to the end of June
Please note: Course registration usually starts three weeks before term start via internet. For the BA course program please follow this link, for the MA course program this one and for the Joint MA PoSIG this one. The titles of the courses are given in German, but there is also an English description of all courses.
An academic semester at the University of Salzburg lasts about 15 weeks or 4 months. Students spending an entire year will typically want to select a stay from October through June. Note that there are no classes during the month of February when students complete their papers. Although exams are generally given at the end of a course (late in January and early February and in late June and early July), deadlines for term papers as well as second and third rounds of (alternative) final exam take place several weeks if not months after the end of the course. This means that grades are awarded much later in the Austrian system than is customary in other countries. Should you need your course grade sooner, be sure to select as early an exam date and paper deadline as possible and talk to your instructor to arrange for your grade to be available early.
Types of courses
- Vorlesung (VO) – Lecture: This type of course does not mandate attendance and is not limited in terms of the number of students enrolled. Typically multiple exam dates will be offered and you need to register separately for the exam. It carries fewer ECTS credits than other courses (3 ECTS credits).
- Proseminar (PS): This is similar to a Seminar but are more of an introductory nature and have fewer (6) ECTS credits and a lower workload. PS are subject to enrollment limits and other restrictions in which case you should see the instructor. Note that these courses mandate attendance so that unexcused absences will result in a failing grade. PS require active student participation and the completion of a term paper of about 20 pages.
- Seminar (SE): This is the most demanding and rigorous academic course, carrying 6 ECTS credits. Attendance is mandatory and constant student participation is required for a good grade. The course (taught in German or English) requires students to read advanced professional literature and expects participants to have had already significant experience in the field of study. Seminars typically include discussions of, and test about the literature, guided research as well as a paper presentations and discussions. Students are typically required to complete a research paper (German or English) about a special subject of some 20+ pages.
- Konversatorium (KO): This is a discussion-based type of course intended to deepen students’ understanding of special subject matters (3 ECTS).
Exams
Examination for each course is usually concentrated at the end of each semester, but takes various forms:
- VO: written test, sometimes orals
- PS: participation in discussion, presentation, paper, test
- SE: similar to PS, but on a higher level
- KO: preparation of topics, participation in discussion
Grades
For the grade system see the ECTS conversion table from the Website of the International Relations Office.
Certificate
Students can obtain an official ECTS compatible certificate of their studies in Salzburg.
Special Service
Our department offers a special tutorial for ERASMUS students which is held by an experienced student.
