Student Exchange Program – Outgoing Students

Before you start looking for institutions, make sure you meet the following prerequisites:

• Year of study: Regular students from 2nd year and above (1st-year students can begin the process on a conditional basis).
• GPA: Average of 80 and above (Note: in some departments the requirement is higher – check the “Requirements by Department” page).
• English level: Full English exemption or completion of the “Advanced English B” course before departure.
• Discipline: No annotations in the disciplinary committee.

This is the most important step! First of all, find out which courses you need to take at Bar-Ilan during the semester you will be abroad. Your goal is to find courses abroad that will replace these courses, and get approval for them from the department.

1. Finding suitable institutions: Where do you find universities?

• The fast track: It is recommended to start at the Requirements by Department There you will find a list of recommended institutions for your field of study, specific requirements, and the contact details of the department’s international advisor.
• All options: Want to search by yourself? Go to the Partner Universities page and check all of Bar-Ilan’s partners worldwide.
• Note: You can choose up to 3 universities.

2. Searching for courses in English: The easiest way to find courses is through Google, and not within the university’s website. Just search Google for one of these phrases:

• [University Name] courses in English
• [University Name] courses for exchange students

Tip: It’s ok to use courses from the previous year to build the initial program. If there are changes later, you can update them.

3. Understanding credits: In most of Europe, credits are calculated according to ECTS.
   • For a BA degree: 2 BIU credits are usually equal to about 3 ECTS.
   • For an MA degree: 2 BIU credits are usually equal to about 6–10 ECTS. (The final number of credits is exclusively determined and approved by your department at Bar-Ilan).

4. Department signature: Download the Academic Form for Studies (from the “Forms and Timeline” tab), write down the courses you found next to the Bar-Ilan courses, and send it to your department’s the international advisor for approval and signing.

Once the academic form is signed, gather the rest of the documents and submit them all through the Document Submission Form:

• Transcript in English – download from the Inbar.
• Approval of Academic Studies in English – download from the Inbar.
• CV in English
• Photo of your Passport – valid for at least 6 months from the planned return date to Israel.
• Academic Form for Studies – fully filled out and signed by the department advisor.
• Motivation Letter in English – format available for download in the “Forms and Timeline” tab.
• Signed Commitment Form – available for download in the “Forms and Timeline” tab.

• The student exchange committee will review all applications and allocate candidates according to their preferences and scholarship availability.
• An official notification about the institution you will be nominated to will be sent to you by email. After receiving the notification, your details will be officially forwarded to your host institution abroad.

The host institution abroad will contact you directly to complete their internal registration. At this stage, you should take care of the 3 most important things:

• Housing: You are responsible for arranging your own accommodation, whether by applying for the host university’s dormitories (if available) or finding a private apartment.
• Student visa: This needs to be requested directly to the relevant embassy or consulate in Israel.
• Health insurance: Purchasing a comprehensive medical insurance policy valid in your host country for the entire study period and flights.

When returning to Israel: Submit the official transcript from abroad along with the signed academic form (through the Inbar for BAs / through the department for MAs) in order to receive the exemptions.

 The Exchange Program allows students to take part in an academic experience abroad, for one or two semesters, while receiving academic recognition for courses studied abroad and without paying tuition to the host university.

Bar-Ilan University highly encourages its students to study abroad, experiencing a unique and enriching opportunity. The exchange program exposes students to different teaching methods and cultures while developing oneself and gaining exceptional life and work experience.

We’ll let our students answer that for you!

• First degree students, during their second or third year
• Second degree students
• PHD students

To be accepted in the program, you must meet the following requirements:

• An average grade of 80 or higher
• B2 English Level (exemption)
• No registration at the disciplinary committee

In addition, every department has the right to add further requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to further inquire with their department accordingly. The program’s duration is a minimum of three months and participation in it is conditioned by the department’s approval.

 Don’t worry, you can still register for the program on a conditional basis. Please notify us as soon as you receive your grades. You won’t need the English exemption until before you leave for the exchange, so please plan accordingly to make sure that you receive the exemption on time.

There are two enrollment possibilities in the Exchange Program

1. Unfunded agreements – Through this agreement, tuition fees continue to be paid to Bar Ilan University (and not to the destination university), but all other expenses associated with going on the student exchange and financing your stay at the host country will be your responsibility.
2. Erasmus+ Program: Erasmus+ is a remarkable mobility program fostering academic cooperation and facilitating student and professor exchanges between European higher education institutions and universities outside the EU, including Israel. This program offers an opportunity to receive a scholarship awarded by the EU, which supports students during their exchange experience. The scholarship includes a one-time flight allowance to the host university and back and a monthly stipend to assist with living expenses. It is important to note that students are not required to pay tuition fees to the host university while continuing regular tuition payments to Bar-Ilan University.

You can find our list of partner Universities, both funded and unfunded here.

 Registration for Exchange Programs during Semester A will be open from December to February.

Registration for Exchange Programs during Semester B will be open from May to July.

Most Exchange Programs last one semester. You can go on an exchange program either on Semester A or on Semester B in accordance with your department’s requirements.

Sometimes there’s a possibility of going on an Exchange Program for a full academic year, but this depends on various factors, and this must be verified with the student exchange office and your department.

Please note that the student is responsible for checking its department’s conditions and requirements.

Bar Ilan University opens a registration period for Exchange Programs twice a year:

In December for Semester A (October to January)

In May for Semester B (March to June)

The link for the application can be found on our website, and it’s the first step you need to take when you start the Exchange Program.

1. Receiving confirmation of eligibility for participation in the program from the department:

After filling out the registration form, we will contact the departments on your behalf to receive confirmation of your eligibility to participate in the exchange program. This confirmation indicates that you meet all the basic conditions for participating in the exchange program. After receiving the answers from the department, we will inform you accordingly whether you have received this eligibility confirmation and whether you can continue the process, or whether it won’t be possible.

2. Selecting a host University, building a study program and signing the commitment form:

Students who received the confirmation of eligibility, will continue by selecting potential host universities and courses. At this stage, we will send you three options for educational institutions that suit you best in terms of the academic requirements you need to meet. You must go through the courses in English that each of the selected universities offers and find courses that correspond to the ones you are supposed to study in Israel during the exchange period. After that, you will present these courses to your department’s Academic Advisor, who will approve your request if the courses are suitable alternatives. For this step you will need to fill out the “Academic Form” with the Universities in the order of your preference, and have it signed by your Academic Advisor. Once this form is ready, send it to us along with the signed commitment form.

3. Nomination to the host University:

We will review your Academic Form and your order of preference of the three universities you selected. Depending on the academic requirements and other factors (amount of quotas, etc.), we will match each of you with a suitable host university. After that, we will update you with the final answer and submit your application to that university.

4. Admission process and registration for courses at the host institution:

Once your application is accepted by the destination university, it will receive your details and contact you. From this point on, the process will continue in front of the selected target university. The university will provide you with all the relevant information and will assist in all matters concerning visas, housing, flights, insurance, scholarship and so on. Of course, if you run into any issues we are happy to help.

Before leaving for the exchange, we will hold a preparatory event for the departure for the student exchange. Participation in the meeting is mandatory and is part of the requirements for participating in the program. The time and date of the meeting will be communicated closer to the travel date.

When you return to Israel, you will be asked to do several things:

1. Submit an application to מדור סטטוס (BA) or בל”מ (MA) for an exemption for the courses studied abroad.
2. Send a short video and/or written review about your experience in the student exchange program. We would love to hear your feedback on your experience!

The Academic Form is a form detailing the list of courses you are supposed to study in Israel during the exchange period next to the courses you found at the three destination universities that you selected. This form should be signed by your department’s Academic Advisor indicating that these are indeed a suitable alternative. The list of courses should be in the English language (both the courses to be studied in Israel and the courses to be studied abroad).

The academic form can be found on our website under “Important Documents and Information”

Yes, both departments need to approve your participation in the exchange program.

 An Academic Advisor is the person responsible for promoting international initiatives in general and student exchange programs in particular for each department.

This form constitutes a commitment on the part of the student to comply with the terms of the program and indicates the seriousness of the student at this stage of the process.

The commitment form can be found on our website under “Important Documents and Information”

In most departments there is no need for an interview. Some departments may add an interview and/or other recommendations to the registration process.

You will choose the courses together with your Academic Advisor according to the academic requirements you have to fulfill during your semester abroad. After a preliminary review process and approval by your department’s Academic Advisor, you should aim to find substitutes abroad for the courses you need to take at Bar Ilan. Please note that you should select a total number of courses at the host university that are all worth at least between 25-30 ECTS.

In some cases, the courses given abroad are not a substitute for a full semester at the university. In these cases, there can sometimes be a delay of a semester in the completion of the requirements for your degree, which may result in additional charges. You should be aware of this possibility.

ECTS* is the credit point system in Europe similar to נק”ז in Israel.

The credit points you will receive for the courses you took abroad will be recognized as credits for the degree in Israel. However, the grades you received abroad will not be included in your grade average in Israel.

It is possible to make changes to the curriculum in the first three weeks of the exchange, and it’s actually very common. Please note that the changes must be approved by your Academic Advisor, the Student Exchange Office and the host University.

The student exchange does not receive a degree from the destination university. However, the נק”ז for the courses studied there will indeed be recognized as part of the degree in Israel.

It is not possible to take Judaism courses at the target university. As part of the program, you must take this into account in advance and prepare accordingly. You can take online courses while you are abroad, but we cannot guarantee places/priority in these courses.

Nevertheless, some host universities have religious studies departments and it might be possible to choose a course from that department that will earn you an exemption from courses in Jewish studies in Israel. This approval should be handled by the Jewish Studies Department.

Yes, you can take general courses at the host university. The approval of general courses should be handled by the International School’s academic advisor.

The answer is that it depends on the department and then it depends on the lecturer. Sometimes it is possible to convert a seminary to a suitable alternative at the destination university. However, there is no possibility of finding alternatives to the practicum.

If you don’t pass a course you took abroad, then you will not get recognition for that course at Bar Ilan and you will need to make sure you have enough courses to complete the degree. We believe in you and we’re sure that you will pass each course successfully!

You can choose which countries and universities you are interested in going to, but the most important selection criteria should be to find a university which offers the courses you need. Also, if you are interested in going to a university with funding, you must choose from the list of universities with funded agreements. Please note that the final choice will be made according to your department’s requirements and in cooperation with our team. We always aim to consider your preferences as much as possible.

You are required to have an “exemption” level of English to participate in the program. However, there are universities that require a certain knowledge of the language spoken in the country. In such cases, most of the courses in English are from the English department, while the courses in the other departments are in the local language.

The academic calendar in Europe varies between countries as well as between educational institutions. You can keep up to date with the semester dates on the websites of the various universities. Generally, the semesters abroad start earlier than in Israel, so it’s important to consider that the departure dates for exchanges can be earlier than the beginning of the semester in Israel.

Students traveling with an Erasmus+ scholarship are entitled to receive a monthly living stipend during their stay abroad. The stipend is determined, among other things, based on the cost of living in each country.

In addition, you will receive a one-time amount for flights, determined according to the distance from Israel to the destination country. You can calculate the distance here.

Yes! Please make sure you have all these requirements ready before you leave:

• Health insurance
• Valid passport
• Securing accommodations
• Requesting a visa
• Securing plane tickets
• Opening a Bank Account

Your host university will assist you with all these matters. After being admitted, you must contact the University’s representative directly and handle these details with them. These matters are your responsibility and are not done by the international school.

Law students should complete the registration form on our website and then continue the process through the Law Department. You must contact the law department directly. The email address is [email protected]

Currently, master’s degree students in social work can go on an exchange program. Unfortunately, the exchange is not available for bachelor’s degree students in the same program.

If you’re an intern, there is no such option. However, we allow student exchanges for medical students exclusively if they are interested in conducting research.

It is currently possible for students in structured programs to go on student exchange. The course selection and approval should be overseen closely by your academic advisor in order to ensure that you complete all your requirements correctly.

This is possible in some cases but it is solely your responsibility. We only handle exchange students, not non-students. If you are traveling on a scholarship basis, the scholarship will only cover your stay and is not given to your spouse or partner.

The matching between each student and the host university is done carefully and according to many considerations. If going together with your friends to the exchange program is possible – great, but we cannot guarantee it.

Yes, you must let us know about these requirements when filling out the registration form and we will do our best to find you a place suitable for these needs.