Information for outgoing students

The selection for the exchange semester is competition based and organized in accordance with the designed in advance criteria. The competition is run twice a year, in September and in March.

The students selected to the partner universities are nominated to the respective universities by the International Office. After the nomination the students are individually responsible for the communication with the coordinators of the host university in order to complete successfully their application for the exchange.

The steps of the exchange processes include: 

• Competition (selecting students);
• Nomination (announcing the selected students’ data to partners);
• Students’ individual preparation for the exchange (visa preparation, renting arrangements, choosing courses, paperwork for both home and host universities);
• Exchange semester (completing academic obligations in the host university, changing course choice if needed);
• Return from exchange (credit transfer).

Competition dates and Eligible students

*The exact dates are announced by email to the eligible students before each Competition by the International Office.

Students can participate in exchange programs more than once during their studies in one program. A student cannot participate in the exchange program if it coincides with the last semester of the studies at SPbU. This rule does not apply to students of the Global Alliance for Management Education CEMS (currently on pause), as well as students selected for the program under the dual degree model. Students of these programs can be sent to the exchange in the last (Spring) semester, considering that students are required to return from the exchange program for the summer midterm attestation in accordance with the academic calendar. For more detailed information, please contact the Master's Programs Office.

Competition criteria

When submitting documents for the competition, students must:

In addition to the competition criteria of GSOM SPbU, partner schools can set their own requirements for exchange students. It is important to remember that if a student does not meet these requirements, the host party has the right to refuse the student’s admission to the exchange program.

At the stage of choosing a university and filling out a competition application, the student is obliged to carefully study all the information about the university (including the requirements for exchange students) and, if the criteria are not met, exclude this university from the application.

List of the documents for the competition

The distribution of exchange places is completed by the Competition Committee on the basis of the participants’ ratings by GPA or entry scores (MiM, exchange in Spring).

The results of the competition are announced to the participants by email.

Withdrawal. Participation in the exchange for the second time

If a student refuses to participate in the exchange program after the results are announced and participates later in a new competition, his/her application is considered after the applications of those who participate in the competition for the first time (excluding cases of medical reasons or as a result of a visa refusal, which the student must certify documentally).

Students who have already participated in exchange program can participate in the competition again (except for the case when the semester abroad coincides with the last semester of studying at GSOM SPbU). Such applications are also considered after the applications of those who participate in the competition for the first time.

DOCUMENTS required for exchange approval procedure

• A copy of the invitation letter/letter of acceptance from a host school. This document serves as an official ground for sending a student on exchange, as well as it is required for further visa application. Host university as a rule either emails an invitation to a student email address or posts its hard copy to GSOM International Office (Volkhovskyi pereulok, 3 (room 207)).
• Learning agreement (LA) SPBU form. LA contains information about the courses chosen at the host institution. The course list must include only courses in the field of Management and must be approved by the academic director of the students’ program at GSOM, and by a coordinator at a host school. There are two types of learning agreements: Courses recognition form – used by master level students and Exchange period recognition form – used by bachelor level students. Exchange period recognition is held on students’ reaching the minimum semester workload required by the study plan of student’s study program at SPbU. Courses recognition is held on course per course basis, total semester workload differs between 21 and 40 ECTS. It is required to be positively graded for the courses mentioned in the LA.
• Application for exchange program.

Note the following:

• Students can go on exchange only if they pass all exams at GSOM otherwise they won’t be officially sent on exchange and will be withdrawn from exchange program.
• Students studying on fee-paying basis must pay for the fall semester at GSOM before leaving on exchange.
• Students won’t be officially sent on exchange without the above listed documents filled and will be considered as SPbU students bearing their direct academic responsibilities at SPbU.
• It is students’ responsibility to regularly check their corporate emails in order to complete the required by International Office procedures timely.

Additional requirements towards exchange paperwork may be checked at exchange@gsom.spbu.ru

It is students’ responsibility to obtain visa, search for a place of residence and complete other steps connected to their stay abroad. International Office provides students with information and documentation support within its area of responsibility.

In case there is a need in changing list of chosen courses, students complete Changes to learning agreement form that must be approved by the academic director of the students’  program at GSOM, and by a coordinator at a host school.

After the approval, Changes to LA must be emailed to International office at exchange@gsom.spbu.ru before the end of the exchange period.

To track students’ presence at a host institution, Confirmation of Stay is completed and verified by a host coordinator. After the approval, Confirmation of Stay must be emailed to International office at exchange@gsom.spbu.ru within a week since both arrival and departure.

Within 3 working days since completion of the exchange studies students must email to International office at exchange@gsom.spbu.ru Exchange Completion Application.

Not later than 2 months after the end of exchange studies students must present to the International Office Academic transcript/transcript of records.

Results recognition is based on the approved LA (or Changes to LA) and on Academic transcript/transcript of records.

The required forms of the documents can be found in the section USEFUL DOCUMENTS.

• Learning Agreement (exchange period recognition form - for bachelors)
• Changes to Learning Agreement (exchange period recognition form - for bachelors)
• Learning Agreement (course recognition form - for masters)
• Changes to Learning Agreement (course recognition form - for masters)
• Application for exchange program
• Confirmation of Stay
• Exchange Completion Application