International Students Erasmus Mobility: What You Need to Know Erasmus+ Study Mobility

Erasmus Mobility: What You Need to Know Erasmus+ Study Mobility

The Erasmus+ Programme is an EU mobility programme that allows you to spend between 3 and 12 months at a university abroad (within Europe).

It allows you to attend classes, sit exams, and have your academic activities recognised by your home university.

The Erasmus+ Call

• generally published in January
• check the dedicated page on the University of Florence website
• Link to the tutorial on how to apply here

Read the call carefully and refer to the call (and its attachments) for:

Participation/eligibility
Financial contribution
General information on language requirements
Application and procedures
Assessment criteria
Acceptance and deadlines for selected and eligible students

How do I choose the host institution?

When choosing the host institution, pay particular attention to:

• the ISCED code indicating the disciplinary area and field of study covered by the mobility
• the level of academic offer available at the host university:
  • Cycle I: Bachelor's and single-cycle (Bachelor’s + Master's)
  • Cycle II: Master’s degree
  • Cycle III: PhD, specialisation schools, professional master courses
• the level of language proficiency required by the host university. Check with the host institution whether a specific certification is required
• the code uniquely identifying the mobility flow on TURUL
• Link to the tutorial on how to choose the host institution here

What is the LEARNING AGREEMENT (LA)?

The LA is your study plan abroad and includes:

• a list of all academic activities (AD) you intend to complete at the host university with the corresponding number of credits (ECTS)
• the academic activities identified as equivalent within your degree programme (CdS) with the corresponding Italian credits (CFU), which will be replaced by the coursework completed abroad

Remember:

1 ECTS = 1 CFU

1 CFU = 25 hours of work (for thesis or internship)

 

During your Erasmus+ study period, you may:

• attend classes and sit exams
• undertake thesis-related research
• complete an internship only if it is part of the host university’s academic offer and certified in the Transcript of Records (ToR) OR in a Transcript of Work (ToW)

Completing the LA

IMPORTANT: the online LA you complete must be approved before departure by:

• the UNIFI Erasmus+ Academic Coordinator for your degree programme (see List of Erasmus Delegates)
• the host University

Before completing the LA online, you must agree with your Academic Coordinator on the activities to complete abroad that you will request recognition for:

• prepare a draft LA following these guidelines with correct course titles, codes and ECTS credits
• submit the draft to the Academic Coordinator for approval
• only after approval can you complete the online LA

How many credits must I include in the LA?

You will agree on the most suitable number of ECTS/CFU with your Academic Coordinator.
During your mobility, you may acquire up to:

• 60 ECTS = 60 CFU for one academic year
• 30 ECTS = 30 CFU for one semester

How do I find out which courses the host university offers?

• Visit the website of the host university
• Check pages dedicated to international mobility (International/Erasmus/exchange students)
• Choose courses offered by the Department/Faculty covered by the agreement

Be careful: check that the courses you choose are open to exchange students (some may have restrictions)

May I include courses from departments/faculties different from the one in the exchange agreement?

This depends on the host university.
Ask them whether there are restrictions on access to courses from other departments/faculties.

How do I choose courses to include in the LA?

• Carefully check the host university’s website and find the programme/syllabus for each course
• Compare the content with the UNIFI course you identified
• Courses must match in terms of learning outcomes, even without identical titles or contents

In particular:

• choose courses equivalent to those in your UNIFI study plan
• check contents, titles, codes, language of instruction, and semester of activation
• you may also use elective credits

The Academic Coordinator assesses the equivalence between the foreign course and the UNIFI course.

How do I match host university courses with UNIFI courses?

FOR STUDENTS OF ALL DEGREE PROGRAMMES EXCEPT LANGUAGES

Matches can be:

• 1 to 1: one foreign course corresponds to one UNIFI course (similar learning outcomes and same credits)
  Example: “General Linguistics” 6 ECTS = “Linguistica generale” 6 CFU

If exact matches aren’t possible, you may create coherent “packages” of courses:

• multiple foreign courses may correspond to one UNIFI course or vice versa

Important: courses with only credits (Pass) and without a grade cannot be recognised.

Example: in countries like Sweden, where exams are 7.5 ECTS:4
× 7.5 ECTS = 30 ECTS 
Can be recognised as:
5 × 6 CFU = 30 CFU 
or 
2 × 6 CFU + 2 × 9 CFU = 30 CFU

The total ECTS in your LA must match the total CFU at UNIFI for recognition (small rounding is allowed at the Coordinator’s discretion).

Association 1.
LGX051P05	Contemporary History	5 ECTS	B011268	Storia contemporanea	6 CFU
Association 2.
LEO007P05             LEO008P05	English Literatures until 1550   English Literatures from 1550	5 ECTS   5 ECTS	B029303	Letteratura inglese I	12 CFU
Association 3.
LKX028P05       LKX029B05            LKX018P05	Towards Modernity: Visual Arts 1400-1800   Renaissance Art   Beyond Antiquity: Visual Arts 400-1400	5 ECTS     5 ECTS   5 ECTS	B004023     B026311	Storia dell’arte moderna     Storia dell’arte medievale	6 CFU   6 CFU
Taken in Groningen		30 ECTS	recognised in UNIFI		30 CFU

FOR STUDENTS OF LANGUAGE DEGREE PROGRAMMES

The same rules apply, but all language and literature exams must follow the order set by the CdS, i.e. you cannot take “Letteratura 2” before having taken and registered “Letteratura 1” Same with all the “Lingua” exams.

Example: the host instituion is Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, which offers 6 ECTS courses.

Association 1.
103395	Artes y Literatura Italianas	6 ECTS	B014696	Letteratura Italiana	6 CFU
Association 2.
106358                          106347	Literatura Española de la Ilustración y del Romanticismo   Literatura Española desde el Siglo de las Luces hasta las Vanguardias	6 ECTS        6 ECTS	B004711	Letteratura spagnola 2	12 CFU
106366                          106344	Morfologia de l’Espanyol   Llengua Espanyola: Unitat i diversitat	6 ECTS        6 ECTS	B004699	Lingua spagnola 2	12 CFU
Taken in Barcelona		30 ECTS	Recognised in UNIFI		30 ECTS

Can I include elective credits in the LA?

Yes, but you must associate the foreign activity with a UNIFI activity.
If no appropriate match exists, it can be recognised with its original title as TAF D.

Important:

• activities carried out abroad and recognised with the original title will not receive an SSD (discipline code)
• they cannot be used for SSD/CFU requirements (e.g., teaching qualifications or Master’s admission)

May I include UNIFI courses not present in my last submitted study plan?

Yes, but:

• specify this in the notes of the LA
• update your UNIFI study plan at the first available window

Can I include thesis research in the LA?

Yes, but only in addition to at least one exam.
Your UNIFI thesis supervisor must authorise it via the Declaration of degree-related research mobility.

Can I include a traineeship?

Yes, but only if it satisfies the following conditions:

• it takes place within the host university or an affiliated institution
• it is certified in the ToR

You must indicate the name of the host tutor and the number of CFU requested.

Minimum credits

Failing to complete at least one activity worth at least 6 CFU results in repayment of the grant.

Can I modify the LA (CHANGES)?

Yes, up to 4 changes from the start of mobility (more if allowed by host university deadlines).
The UNIFI Coordinator and the host university must also approve changes.

How does recognition work?

At the end of mobility, activities completed abroad with grade and credits AND included in the LA/CHANGES and ToR will be recognised.

You cannot decline grades obtained abroad.

Grades are converted following the ECTS conversion table.
If only a generic table exists, the generic conversion applies.
If a grade interval exists, the maximum value is assigned.

The Degree Programme Board will decide if a “lode” can be given.

If several foreign courses replace one UNIFI course, the weighted average is converted into thirtieths (≥0.5 rounds up; <0.5 rounds down).

Only graded courses can be recognised.

Partial exam recognition:

If you fail a foreign exam that corresponds to PART of a UNIFI exam, you may complete the missing part at UNIFI if the professor responsible for that exam allows it. He/she will evaluate the activities carried out abroad and assign you material to study to make up for the missing parts of the syllabus. The exam will be recorded as taken at Unifi.

Recognition is not automatic: you must request it from the International Relations Office following the correct procedure outlined on the dedicated page.

Required documents:

• ToR
• recognition request form, completed and signed
• mobility period certificate
• if thesis research was done: research confirmation form signed by the host supervisor

Deadline: 15 October of the a.y. in which you did your Erasmus mobility (e.g. if you did your exchange in a.y. 2025/26, the deadline is 15 October 2026). After that date, recognition is not possible, and the scholarship must be returned.

If you intend to graduate soon after your mobility, you must submit all documentation well before the graduation deadline.