Applications Call: EDUC Gap Semester 2025/2026

What is the EDUC Gap Semester?

The EDUC Gap Semester is a mobility program developed within the EDUC Alliance. This physical mobility experience, lasting either one semester or an entire academic year, allows students from the Alliance to study one or more disciplines different from their current degree program. Although this program involves a break from regular studies, students retain their student status throughout the experience.

For example, if you are a geography student who has always dreamed of taking courses in sociology or law, then the EDUC Gap Semester is perfect for you! This opportunity allows you to take time to explore your interests and consider what you’d like to pursue in your future career.

• Benefits of the EDUC Gap Semester
• How to Apply
  • Who Can Apply?
  • When Can You Go?
  • Financial Support
• Online Application Form
• FAQ – Taking a Gap Semester with EDUC

Benefits of the EDUC Gap Semester

Participating in the EDUC Gap Semester offers:

• Academic Exploration: Study subjects different from your current degree program.
• Language Immersion: Improve your English skills and learn or enhance knowledge of a local language (e.g., German, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Norwegian, or Czech) or other languages offered by the host university (e.g., Arabic, Portuguese).
• Cultural Enrichment: Experience dynamic student cities such as Cagliari (Sardinia), Brno, Castellón de la Plana, Borre (Norway), Pécs, Potsdam, Paris-Nanterre and Rennes.
• Soft Skills Development: Enhance skills like adaptability and cultural awareness, which are valuable for your professional future.
• Certification: Receive an EDUC certificate recognizing your experience.

How to Apply

Who Can Apply?

• This opportunity is addressed to students of the following partner universities: Jaume I University, Masaryk University, University of Cagliari, University of Paris Nanterre, University of Pécs, University of Rennes. Additional prerequisites may be needed depending on your home university.
• Students who want to go on an EDUC Gap Semester mobility cannot interrupt their studies at their universities during their placement.
• The programme is open to students at the bachelor’s and master’s level.
• The expected language level is B2 (several language certificates might be needed if you select courses in more than one language)
• The student must choose courses worth at least 30 ECTS per semester.

When Can You Go?
The gap semester must last an entire academic semester, with EDUC mobility available for one semester (either Semester 1 or Semester 2) or the full semester.

Financial Support
Students in this program receive an EDUC mobility scholarship from their home university to finance their mobility at the partner university. The amount of the scholarship varies depending on the home university and the destination.

The EDUC Gap Semester scholarship is 600 €/month for students going to France,Germany, Italy, Spain, or Norway and 480 €/month for those going to the CzechRepublic. This amount is calculated pro rata based on the number of days of physicalmobility during the study period. In addition, students receive a one-time travelallowance of 400€ for mobilities to France, Germany, Italy, Spain, or Norway, and300€ for mobilities to the Czech Republic. For details on grant payments, please referto the financial annex.

Deadline: Applications for the 2025/26 academic year must be submitted by March 4, 2025, at 12.00 PM.

Online application form

1. Online application form:

   • please fill it in in the English language
   • Please include your Motivation Letter, up to one-page letter, in which the applicant explains the reason for their application, the contribution of the Gap Year to the development of their career, social, European, and other skills, and their future socio-professional integration.
2. Copy of certificates of language proficiency (e-mail)
3. Documents demonstrating public and/or scientific activity (optional)

Please send all documents to nemeth.judit@pte.hu at the same time as the application but no later than the deadline for applying, March 4, 2025, at 12.00 PM.

Online information session: 20/02/2025 from 15:00 to 16:00 via this link.

FAQ – Taking a Gap Semester with EDUC

You must also indicate which courses you are interested to take within the Gap semester. Find the list of available courses on the following web pages: 

• Université de Rennes – course catalogue in French, programmes taught in English
• Université Paris Nanterre - course catalogue
• Universitat Jaume I – courses in English, courses in Spanish
• Università degli Studi di Cagliari – courses of each faculty, courses in English
• For the University of South-Easter Norway, you can choose this programme:
  • Scandinavian studies (Autumn or Spring semester) 30 + 30 ECTS
  • Viking studies (only Autumn semester) – 30 ECTS
• University of Potsdam – you can choose courses from the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Economics and Social Studies (it is not possible to mix courses from different faculties)
• Masaryk University – faculty course catalogue, browse catalogue

For more information, contact the EDUC coordination team.

Coordinators at partner universities: 

• Université de Rennes: Chloé Duvivier (educ@univ-rennes.fr)
• Université Paris Nanterre: Coline Porée (activites.educ@liste.parisnanterre.fr)
• Universitat Jaume I: Fermín Mallén (fmallen@uji.es) a María José Aramburu (aramburu@uji.es)
• Università degli Studi di Cagliari: Fabio Sorrentino (educ@unica.it)
• University of South-Easter Norway: international@usn.no
• University of Potsdam: Wiebke Giese (wiebke.giese@uni-potsdam.de)
• Masaryk university: Kristýna Hutová (hutova@czs.muni.cz)

Contact: Judit Németh, Institutional Erasmus+ Coordinator: nemeth.judit@pte.hu