Thesis preparation

The opportunities to carry out thesis work abroad are numerous: Erasmus+ Call, Thesis Abroad Call, ILO Consortium Call, ECTS Abroad Call.
Interested students of the Department of Biology must submit their application according to the procedures specified in the relevant calls:

Students may consult the call archive in the INTERNATIONAL section of the UNIPI website.

Planning the traineeship mobility project for thesis preparation – general guidelines

Students are advised to plan their mobility project well in advance by checking:

1. TYPE: depending on the stage of their academic career, whether it is more appropriate to undertake a study mobility or a traineeship. Normally, one semester abroad corresponds to 30 ECTS credits, while one academic year abroad corresponds to 60 ECTS credits. If the student has only a few exams left, it is preferable to plan a traineeship mobility, also for thesis preparation purposes.

2. DESTINATION: the mobility call contains specific information regarding the type of organisation and eligible countries. Students must verify which organisations, in line with the type allowed by the specific call, may offer training opportunities consistent with their degree programme.
Students are required to contact a lecturer at a foreign university willing to host them in a laboratory and define the activities to be carried out abroad (it may be useful to seek advice from their supervisor or another lecturer at the University of Pisa).
A short project (approximately 1000 characters, including spaces) must also be prepared for inclusion in the Learning Agreement Before the Mobility. The host supervisor must provide a general acceptance letter (an email is sufficient).

NOTE: Official authorisation to carry out thesis work abroad is required (see instructions at the end of the page). The thesis supervisor (University of Pisa) must provide a letter justifying the suitability of carrying out the thesis abroad.

3. PERIOD: the mobility call contains specific indications regarding the minimum and maximum duration of the mobility period.

Any documentation requiring the signature of the Department Director / Area Coordinator for Internationalisation must be submitted at least 48 hours in advance. Late requests do NOT guarantee completion of the authorisation and/or signature procedure.

Specific procedure for participation in the Erasmus+ KA131 Call for student mobility towards programme countries

1. SUBMISSION OF THE APPLICATION

Students must submit their application in response to the specific calls published annually in the INTERNATIONAL section of the UNIPI website.

When submitting the application, students must specify that the mobility is for a traineeship aimed at thesis preparation.

The host institution must be identified by the student, who agrees a mobility arrangement with it. The Traineeship Proposal Form (TPF) is the document through which the host institution confirms its willingness to host the student. The TPF must be signed by the host organisation representative and by the Area Coordinator for Internationalisation (CAI) of the Department of Biology. The mobility period indicated in the TPF must be agreed in advance with the host organisation and consistent with the total duration requested.

For traineeship aimed at thesis preparation, a letter from the University of Pisa thesis supervisor must be attached, stating the motivation for carrying out thesis activities abroad.

Please refer to the specific call for further details on the documentation required.

2. RANKING LIST

The ranking list, prepared by a dedicated Committee chaired by the Area Coordinator for Internationalisation of the Department of Biology (CAI) according to the criteria specified in the call, is published on the Official University Register upon completion of the administrative procedure and in accordance with university regulations.

3. ACCEPTANCE OF THE MOBILITY

Students awarded a mobility grant receive notification via the Erasmus Mobility portal to their institutional email address. Students must follow the instructions in the call to accept or decline the grant.

*** Please note that the final decision regarding admission to the assigned host institution always rests with the host university. ***

BEFORE THE MOBILITY

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS TOWARDS THE HOST ORGANISATION

Students must independently verify with the host organisation any additional requirements needed to carry out the mobility in the destination country (e.g. entry and residence procedures, personal/health risks, etc.). Normally, no interinstitutional agreement is required between the sending university and the host organisation, as the mobility is governed by the Learning Agreement Before the Mobility (see point 5), including the responsibilities of the signatories.

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS TOWARDS UNIPI

As indicated in the Call, all students who have accepted the assigned mobility must complete the Learning Agreement BEFORE the Mobility, which defines the activities to be carried out abroad and guarantees recognition of the obtained credits (except for post-graduate traineeships). The steps are:

  1. Students must complete the Learning Agreement BEFORE the Mobility on their Erasmus Mobility portal page, following the instructions in the guide, and wait for CAI approval via the portal.
    IMPORTANT: indicate the EXACT mobility period, as it cannot later be extended or shortened.
  2. Once approved, students must download the Learning Agreement, sign it, and send it to the host organisation supervisor and the CAI for signature.
  3. The fully signed Learning Agreement must be uploaded to the Erasmus Mobility portal within the deadlines specified in the Call.
  4. After final validation by the CAI, students must sign the Erasmus Contract according to the procedures and deadlines of the call.
  5. The subsequent countersignature by the University formalises the student’s authorisation to carry out the mobility during the indicated period.

*** Please refer to the specific call for all further requirements to be fulfilled BEFORE the mobility. ***

NOTES

DURING THE MOBILITY

Learning Agreement DURING the mobility should be completed ONLY in case of amendment of the study plan or extension of the mobility period. 
During the mobility period abroad, students are not allowed to take UNIPI exams remotely. Please refer to the specific call for regulations concerning UNIPI exams that may be taken during mobility at the University of Pisa, for which students may exceptionally interrupt mobility once, where applicable.

*** Please refer to the specific call for all further requirements DURING the mobility. ***

AT THE END OF THE MOBILITY

Please refer to the specific call for all further requirements AFTER the mobility period.

*** For all other types of international opportunities, please refer to the procedures indicated in the relevant call.***

back to top