Erasmus enables students registered at UL or any other higher education institution in Ireland to study for part of their degree in another country. This page contains most of the information that any BBS student interested in going on Erasmus requires. Any students who require further informtion or who wish to participate in the programme can contact the International Studies Academic Coordinator or the International Office (see Contacts page).

Any BBS student registered in UL with a QCA greater than 2.6 is eligible to participate (provided they have not failed a module in UL in the academic year they plan on going on Erasmus). Students can go abroad for either one or two semesters. BBS students are only allowed to go abroad in Semesters 3, 4 or 5 (i.e. in 2nd year or the first semester of 3rd year). There is a common misperception that only BBS with a language students can partake in Erasmus and must go to a University where the language they study as part of their degree is spoken. This is not the case. Any BBS student can study abroad and there are numerous institutions across Europe which offer business-related subjects taught through English.

Students can attend any University in the EU with whom UL has a formal partnership agreement. The KBS currently has 49 partner institutions for BBS students across Europe. The map below shows the location of each partner and contains links to more information on the subjects available etc. in each institution. To see a text only list of our European partners click here.

View KBS Erasmus Links in a larger map

Erasmus provides a unique opportunity for you to study at another European institution. The academic, social, personal and cultural benefits of participating in the Erasmus programme are enormous. While living away from home and studying in another country can be challenging, it can also offer you a unique opportunity to travel, meet new friends and study modules that may not be offered on your UL programme. The programme is highly rated by employers.

Read a little about the history of the programme on the European Comission's Erasmus website. The site also offers plenty of useful extra information on the Erasmus programme.

Details on how to apply for the Erasmus programme are available on UL's International Education website. Before applying you need to meet with the Erasmus Academic Coordinator for the KBS to discuss your exchange placement (click here to send him an email).

For BBS students that go on a voluntary Erasmus placement, the grades they achieve while abroad are treated as if the student was here in UL and count towards their QCA. Students are expected to complete a total of 30 ECTS credits on their Erasmus placement. Where this proves to be impossible they need to obtain the approval of the academic coordinator. The grading systems used in other countries can differ substantially from the grading system in operation in UL (for example, universities in France generally award grades ranging from 0-20, while universities in Germany generally award grades ranging from 1-5). However, all institutions indicate what their ECTS equivalent grades are (A, B, C, D etc.) so that students from UL can get a better idea of how their grades will translate back into the UL system and count towards their QCA.