Studying abroad

Studying abroad as a master student in Actuarial and Financial Engineering

 

What are the objectives of studying abroad?

Studying abroad gives a valuable international experience, broadens the mind and surely improves your employment options. Studying abroad is considered as a part of your studies at the University of Tartu, it is integrated to the curriculum of Actuarial and Financial Engineering (AFE). In the Study Information System you can see, which part of the curriculum can be taken abroad, it is titled the “mobility window/module” of the curriculum.

There are two main options for studying abroad:

1. Passing some courses at a partner university, the minimum no of credits to be taken abroad is 15 ECTS per semester;
2. Traineeship abroad, which is mainly for a shorter time period (from 2 to 6 months) and gives you 12 ECTS (that is the maximum workload of the internship courses in the programme).

What is the best time for studying abroad and how is the mobility window embedded into my curriculum?

AFE programme gives you the freedom to transfer the ECTS you earned abroad to any module, depending on the subject. The courses to be taken abroad most probably fit best to the elective module (Module III), but in the case the courses to be taken abroad easily replace and match the courses in other modules (such as preparation or speciality module), the purpose of the mobility module is also fulfilled. Please consult the Programme Director (Meelis Käärik, meelis.kaarik@ut.ee) regarding the courses you are interested in taking abroad and their compliance with the objectives of the curriculum of AFE.
The curriculum of AFE contains two internship courses: Professional Practice I and II. It is also possible to take either one or both internships abroad. To complete one internship course, one needs to work full-time for a month.

Which semester is most suitable for studying abroad?

The best semester to study abroad is the third semester of the curriculum (fall semester of year 2), which means you have to apply for study abroad placement in the second semester of your studies at UT (spring semester of year 1).
If you are planning to take either a one-month or two-month internship abroad, the best time will be the summer between the first and second year of your studies at UT.

How should I plan my studies if I am interested in studying abroad?

Please consult the Programme Director about the schedule of the UT courses delivered throughout the two-year study period.

Will studying abroad extend my studies in UT?

In general, it depends on the amount of courses you take both at UT and abroad. If you plan ahead, it is highly likely that your studies do not need to be extended. Still, your study progress might be slowed down in the case you fail your courses abroad or you have taken too few courses prior going abroad, meaning less than the nominal amount in your previous semesters in University of Tartu.

What are my options for studying abroad?

• Start with the list of Erasmus+ partner universities. Catholic University of Leuven has the closest curriculum to AFE, making it the most suitable choice in terms of best matching courses. All universities in the list are viable choices and you can choose the study area based on your preferences.
• List of partner universities for the University of Tartu is also available, but requires more preparation work to find the courses matching the learning objectives of the AFE programme.

How can I finance my studies abroad?

• If you plan to study via Erasmus+ Europe it is possible to apply Erasmus+ grant, which also covers the accommodation expenses
• For traineeship abroad, it is possible to apply for Erasmus+ traineeship grant
• Read more about other scholarship programmes

Where can I find more information (including application forms)?

• Study abroad: https://ut.ee/en/content/exchange-studies
• Getting started for international students: https://sisu.ut.ee/gettingstarted/getting-started
• We also advise you to read the regulations: https://ut.ee/en/content/country-specific-requirements

 

Read more about past international traineeship experiences:

UT Traineeship Blog