What is student exchange?
The student exchange allows undergraduate students, regularly enrolled at the University of Piura, to carry out part of their studies at another university during a school period. The respective Faculty of the university of origin must previously guarantee that the student will be granted full academic recognition of the studies completed at the destination university, as part of the study plan of their own degree.
What can I study during the exchange?
UDEP students who go on exchange can take regular and elective courses in their degree. It is your responsibility as a student to previously review the course offerings of the chosen destination university. Upon your return, you must validate the subjects that you took abroad and that you included in your study plan format, with prior approval from your Faculty.
How do I know which is the best university for me?
Only you know what your personal and academic preferences and concerns are, therefore, it is you who must determine which is the best university for you. To do this you must check the website of each university. There you will find information about the courses taught, the geographical location of the university, its history, its strengths and prestige, its lines of research, etc. By searching the Internet you can find practical information about the city where each university is located, the characteristics of the country, its people, etc. In strictly academic terms, it is essential that you talk to your advisor and your professors to ask for information about which universities are best for your career. You can also talk to UDEP students who have already done an exchange.
If I go to a foreign-speaking university, do I have to take a language proficiency exam?
Before applying you should check the website of the chosen university (language requirements) what is the required level of the language, since the language certificate must be presented along with the nomination.
What expenses should I assume?
The expenses that you must assume to carry out your exchange are basically air tickets, international medical insurance, visa, accommodation and maintenance during the study period. We recommend that you evaluate the budget you have before deciding which country and/or university to apply to. The advantage of obtaining a place at a foreign university that has an exchange agreement signed with UDEP is that you continue paying your tuition and academic fees at UDEP, under the same scale.
Are there scholarships to cover the expenses required by the exchange?
There are some scholarship programs to finance the expenses required by an exchange, such as the Student and Academic Mobility Platform of the Pacific Alliance (Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru), the “Emerging Leaders in the Americas” Program (Canada) and the Santander Foundation scholarship. There is also the option of requesting an educational credit or loan through PRONABEC or the Leo Rowe Fund of the OAS (USA).
What if the university I choose is not on the agreement list?
You can take courses, but since there is no exchange agreement, you must carry out your studies as a “free mover” or “free student”, in which case you must make the corresponding payments for registration and academic fees at the destination university. In addition, you must inform the academic secretary of the faculty and upon return pay the credits that you will validate.
Can I apply for an exchange more than once?
Yes. At most, during the entire undergraduate period, you can participate in an exchange program for 2 academic semesters as long as they are not consecutive.
How do I get accommodation?
Once the admission process has been completed, the destination university provides you with a list of recommended accommodations that you should contact. The International Relations office of the chosen university will provide you with advice and recommend various types of accommodation, but they cannot guarantee housing. You have several alternatives such as rooms in student residences, family houses, shared apartments, etc.
How do I validate the credits?
At the end of the exchange you must send the person in charge of the Outgoing international mobility office in Udep,
- The report of your exchange experience
- The validation application
- The study certificate issued by the foreign university.
- Attach the proposed study plan with the approval of the director of studies.
It is important to verify that the validated courses appear in the SIGA before starting the next semester.
My exchange starts in September/October, how do I pay my tuition and fees and what happens if the academic load proposed in my study plan changes?
Tuition payment is made on the normal dates established in the UDEP schedule. Students who begin their academic year after August may submit a letter to the Pensions Office, with the approval of their parents and/or guardians, to request a special pension payment schedule, in installments starting from the month in which who begin their studies abroad.
If for any reason the academic load changes, it must be approved by the program director at UDEP. If you have already paid installment 1 or 2, you must notify the Pensions Office to perform a recalculation based on the next installment.
What is the cost of making an exchange?
Carrying out the exchange involves the following expenses:
- Payment of tuition and monthly fees at UDEP during the semester of study abroad.
- Airfare (round trip).
- Health insurance (must be valid for the entire period of stay abroad).
- Student visa (mandatory document required to enter a foreign country). It is requested at the respective embassy and has a cost that differs depending on the country.
- Accommodation, food, transportation and extras (usually between 700 to 1000 dollars per month, depending on the country and city).
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