You can find all the information on completing your Stay Abroad here.
Stay Abroad Dossier
After the completion of your Stay Abroad requirement, you need to submit a Stay Abroad dossier. Use this checklist to prepare your dossier.
Your complete dossier should contain:
- The Stay Abroad Submission Sheet: this is the cover sheet of your dossier. It summarises all you have done on one page.
- The original Stay Abroad Agreement Sheets (see Planning Your Stay Abroad section), one for each part of your stay.
- Flight or train tickets on either side of the stay.
- If you studied abroad: a university transcript, or other certificate, if applicable; or
- If you worked abroad: a letter from the your employer/manager, if applicable. You can use this template for the confirmation letter.
Submit documents for your dossier in one file, with your Stay Abroad report as a separate file, to your Study Counsellor so that it can be processed and entered into KSL.
Stay Abroad Report
You also need to submit a 750-word written report or a 10-minute podcast about your stay abroad. It will be shared on ILIAS to support future students and help you reflect on your own learning and growth.
Audience
Students planning a study or work stay abroad.
Purpose
To share practical advice and honest reflections that help others prepare – and to reflect on your own academic, personal, and cultural development.
Include:
- How you organised your stay (self-organised or through a programme)
- Whether you needed a visa and how you handled it
- Any helpful contacts
- Approximate costs, especially if self-organised
- Your academic and personal experience
- Tips and tricks
- Optional: a personal email address for follow-up questions
🗂 File name: Location_Work/University_LastName_FirstName
📅 Deadline: Credits must be in KSL before registering for your BA thesis.
Submit your full dossier as soon as all requirements are complete.
KSL and Recognition of Courses from Abroad
Every student will receive a set amount of ECTS for completing their Stay Abroad. The amount depends on the duration of your stay and will be entered in KSL once your dossier is processed.
If you have studied at a recognized institution, you can have up to 30 additional ECTS credited towards your study plan. This must be signed off by your Study Counsellor in your initial Agreement Sheet.
Please note that students do not have to enter any ECTS points themselves.
Your courses are usually credited as:
- Wahlbereich: graded, can be any discipline including English.
- Wahlleistungen: ungraded, must be related to English language, literature or linguistics (i.e., a course you might find in our course-booklet).
- Freiwillige Zusatzleistungen: courses are not counted towards your BA but recognized on your final transcripts.
On the Stay Abroad Submission Sheet, indicate in which category you would like your courses credited. Be aware that many universities use a different credit and grading system to the University of Bern. You are expected to convert the credits and grades accordingly—check to see if your host instutition has a conversion grid.
