Test Wilbert

Yes, as long as you have not been selected for an exchange yet, you DO need to register for all 3 electives.

As soon as you have been selected for an exchange (mid-February), you can drop one of the electives.

The International Office at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is responsible for initiating, organising and co-ordinating international exchange and joint / double degree programmes with international business schools and universities at bachelor and master levels.

LOCATION AND OPENING HOURS

• Location: Woudestein campus, Mandeville (T) Building, 5th floor, rooms 5-24, 5-26, 5-30,
• General email address: intoffice@rsm.nl
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 - 17:00
• Closed for lunch: Between 12:30 - 13:15
• Appointments: Appointments are recommended as all staff members work parttime. Please see contact information.

Contact persons 

Linda de Vries

Head International Office

• Room 5-24, Telephone: +31 10 408 1984
• Email: Lvries@rsm.nl
• Working days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9:00 - 14:30

Ellen van Oeffelen

Administrative assistant (all programmes)

• Room 5-26, Telephone: +31 10 408 2099
• Email: eoeffelen@rsm.nl
• Working days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 9:00 - 17:00

Ligaya Kasmo-Borgonje

Programme manager outgoing exchange

• Room 5-30, Telephone: +31 10 408 2132
• Email: lkasmo@rsm.nl
• Working days: Monday from 9:00 - 13:00 and Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9:00 - 17:00

Ellen Vermeulen

Programme manager incoming exchange

• Room 5-26, Telephone: +31 10 408 2398
• Email: vermeulen@rsm.nl
• Working days: Monday and Tuesday from 9:00 - 14:30, Thursday from 9:00 - 17:00 and Friday from 9:00 - 16:30

Jacky Schouwenburg

Senior programme assistant incoming and outgoing exchange

• Room 5-26, Telephone: +31 10 408 2398
• Email: schouwenburg@rsm.nl
• Working days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 09:00 - 17:00

Karin Valentijn

Programme assistant incoming and outgoing exchange

• Room 5-26, Telephone: +31 10 408 2975
• Email: kvalentijn@rsm.nl
• Working days: Monday, Tuesday, Friday from 9:00 - 17:00

There are approximately 90 exchange destinations available to you. These business schools and universities are seen as some of the best in their countries and are renowned worldwide. Check the overview of destinations with additional requirements, such as the estimated number of spots and minimum admission grade. Most of the university’s websites provide you with up-to-date information on their programmes and courses.

You have to list three preferred destinations in your application. Next to that, you will be able to mention 10 alternative destinations. Students generally choose according to location and reputation of the school, but it is your responsibility to check the availability of courses at the partner school. Please do not list preferences you might regret later, as a cancellation fee of €250 applies.

Tips to use when selecting your destinations:

• Check if you are able to fulfill the requirements set by RSM and those of the partner school;
• Check the course offering per school; do they offer business and economics related courses only or do they have a broader variety. What are your interests?
• Check the costs per destination (easily to be found in student reports from your predecessors, see Blackboard). What are the costs for tickets, daily expenses, housing, etc.). For some universities you will need to show that you have enough funds available before the start of your exchange (around February). See question “Money Matters”;
• Too difficult to make a final selection? Make a list of pro’s and con’s;
• Check the academic calenders (including introduction days and examinations). Some universities start in July already and some have their examinations in January;
• Think about your goals and motivation for going on exchange and try think about which destinations/schools/courses can best help you meet these goals.

Important information on the Bachelor Exchange Programme is communicated through:

• SIN -Online channel “RSM Bachelor Exchange”.

• Blackboard course “RSM Bachelor Exchange”. Please enrol for this channel to find fact sheets, including calendar, course and accommodation information, for all partner universities, as well as exchange reports written by your predecessors. More importantly, you will also find a list of pre-approved courses. Please note that these pre-approved courses do not represent the total offer of a partner university.

For the Blackboard course “RSM Bachelor Exchange” you will need to subscribe by enrolling for the course yourself, this is separate from the SIN channel. You can do so by electing the course tab. Type “RSM Bachelor Exchange” in the search field. Next to the name you will find a drop down box where you can click on “enrol”.

• Blackboard course “rsm_bsexc-16: BSc exchange A17”. Once, selected, you will automatically be enrolled for this course. It will provide you with information needed to prepare for your exchange.

• Directly by email through the International Office.

The host university’s website provides you with information, such as its programmes, accreditations and rankings, location, and accommodation possibilities for international students. Just like RSM, most universities or their students have created Facebook groups. Find and join those groups to be able to connect with your future fellow students.

The Netherlands Organisation for International Co-operation in Higher Education (Nuffic) is the Dutch organisation for international co-operation in higher education. They provide useful information about studying abroad, grants, etc. The Dutch website provides more information as it mainly focuses on Dutch students but the English page can be of some help for international students as well: www.wilweg.nl

Social media channels are easy and available for everyone to use. For example, you could check the RSM Exchange Students 2016-2017 group on Facebook to contact our current exchange students. For students going on exchange or coming to Rotterdam in 2017-2018 a new Facebook group will be launched after selection.

There are several mandatory requirements which you must fulfil in order to be considered eligible for an exchange or for a specific destination in particular. There is a maximum number of exchange slots in the programme. The following selection criteria guarantee that each student has sufficient qualifications and motivation to study successfully abroad. The selection committee applies all criteria, as outlined below.

Study progress

1. You should have begun your Bachelor 1 at RSM in September 2015.
2. You should be enrolled in Bachelor 2 at the time of application.
3. You should have completed all your Bachelor 1 courses in your first year of studies (including compensation).

Students who have already completed all courses from trimester 4 of Bachelor 2 are preferred.

You are eligible to apply for the exchange programme when your average weighted grade for all of your Bachelor 1 courses is at least a 6.5. The weighted average is calculated using the total number of ECTS of courses that you have completed from Bachelor 1, including credits and grades from compensated courses for which you scored between 4.5 and 5.4, and excluding credits and grades from courses for which you received an exemption. Always use the final grades, rounded to the nearest tenth of a decimal in your calculations.

Our online application system is linked to OSIRIS which makes it possible to upload your courses and grades automatically. We have posted a GPA calculation sheet in our Blackboard course “RSM Bachelor Exchange (see under tab: “Application & Info”) for your convenience so you can calculate your Bachelor 1 GPA yourself. Be sure to add the grade your received (between 4.5-5.4) for your compensated course!

If you have received any exemptions then you do not need to include them in your GPA calculations (simply remove the ECTS from the calculation sheet). This sheet is purely for your own information and to make sure that you know your own GPA for your first year courses; after the application deadline we will calculate the “correct” GPA for all students.

Certain destinations have higher Bachelor 1 GPA requirements than others, so you should closely review these specific requirements before completing your application. This GPA prerequisite which applies to certain destinations represents the only influence that a student’s GPA has on the exchange selection process. Please have a look at the appendix “Overview of destinations” which indicates the minimum weighted average grade of Bachelor 1 you need in order to make a fair chance during the selection procedure.

The reason that you chose your preferred destinations plays a crucial role in the selection process, in both your letter and during your 10-minute interview. Therefore, we advise you to devote a sufficient amount of time to preparing your application and interview. The motivation letter is part of the online application for your exchange.

Your letter should:

• include a detailed description of what you hope to accomplish during your exchange for each of the three specific destinations in your top three;

• clearly explain why you have chosen those destinations;

• be well structured and thoughtfully written;

• be written in English.

This motivation letter may not exceed 6.000 characters (text and spaces). If you copy-paste from Word, please keep in mind that Word does not count hard returns as a character, the online application system does.

Your performance during your 10-minute interview also plays an important role in the selection process.

We’re interested in hearing about your current or previous experiences that show a clear link to your motivation for exchange, such as a part-time job, an active role in a student association, volunteer work, internships, or your own company.

At the time of application in December and at the start of the exchange, students should have a certain standard of language skills. All students have to master the English language, so you must include official proof of your English language level when submitting your online application. If the school offers its business courses in the local language and you are planning to attend these, you will need proof of an advanced level  in the local language as well. Please check categorie “Language ” in order to find out which language level is required at each stage of the application and selection

process and which test results or proofs of proficiency are accepted.

As mentioned in category 3, Selection, all students need to submit proof of their proficiency in English and if applicable proof of the local language as well.

For proof of your level in English you must submit either your official TOEFL or IELTS test scores. English proficiency is measured through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). There are two testing methods: internet-based (iBT) and paper-based (PBT). A score of at least 580 on the paper based exam or 93 on the internet based TOEFL is required.

These are the official TOEFL examinations and are not offered by the Language and Training Centre, here at Erasmus University. In the Netherlands the test can be done in one of the three test centres, located in Amsterdam, Arnhem and Velp. Please keep in mind that available test dates and spots are limited. About two weeks after the test, you can check your result online. Please note that it takes up to six weeks before you receive the official result at home. We need a copy of your official result before the application deadline in December. The test centre might ask you where to send the test results to. Always mention your own address. Do not opt for the option to send it to RSM and/or Erasmus University as it will get lost in the internal mail as we know from experience.

We also accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores in which students must score at least a 6.5. If you’re interested in passing the IELTS tests in the Netherlands, you can do this at the centres in Breda, Utrecht or Amsterdam. IELTS tests all four language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. IELTS is accepted by thousands of organisations, including universities, in more than 135 countries.

We do not accept any other English language tests results, copy of a passport from an English speaking country or lower scores than the ones mentioned above.

Please be aware that after selection, the partner school may require additional language requirements, such as higher scores or even minimum sub scores (for listening, speaking, writing and reading). On our Blackboard page an overview is posted with the required TOEFL and IELTS scores per partner school.

It might be the case that a partner school does not ask for proof or a TOEFL or IELTS test or that the required score is lower than our required score. Please do bear in mind that you need to meet our minimum requirements, this is non-negotiable.

In the event that the school offers both its business courses in English and in the local language, proof that you have advanced knowledge of the local teaching language is usually required. Please check Appendix II “Language proficiency” in order to find out which language level is required at each stage of the application and selection process and which test results or proofs of proficiency are accepted.

Please be aware that after selection, the partner school may require additional language requirements, such as higher scores or even minimum sub scores (for listening, speaking, writing and reading) if applicable. It might be the case that a partner school requires score a lower score than our required score. Please do bear in mind that you need to meet our minimum requirements, this is non-negotiable.

For more information about the (required) language tests or test centers/institutes, please have a look at the following web pages:

For English: Official TOEFL: www.toefl.org or IELTS: www.ielts.org

For local languages: www.eur.nl/english/ltc/students/courses/ 

Make sure you register in time for the language course and/or test!

Language courses

The Language & Training Centre (LTC ) of the Erasmus University provides high quality language courses for Dutch and international students. For proof of the English language, this is not the place to obtain it as we accept the official TOEFL and IELTS only. For the local languages the LTC has many courses to offer, ones which take place at the university or some which take place at a language institute that they work with. Please visit www.eur.nl/ltc or email languagecentre@oos.eur.nl for more information.

Language tests via the LTC

You can do a language test to determine at which level you are and/or to determine which language course you should take if the level is lower than required by the International Office of RSM and/or the partner school. In order to determine your level and to get an official proof of this, the LTC offers the following: Spanish: a language assessment.

Of course you will also be able to use this result to determine which language course you should take. But with the above mentioned test, costs are involved.

The LTC also offers a Spanish intake, free of charge. This intake consists of a short oral test (conversation with a teacher) only to determine for which course you can enroll. For this you will not get an official result.

If you need official proof of your level for the French or German language, the LTC will refer you to the language institutes called Alliance Française (www.alliancerotterdam.nl) or the Goethe Institut (www.goethe.de/rotterdam). Both institutes offer language tests and language courses. If you would like to do the language test purely to get proof of your level, make sure you clearly mention this to the institute.

The Spanish language assessment, official proof of your level of the German or French language or an official certificate mentioning that you obtained the required level by successfully passing the language course can be used as proof for the application:

• at the International Office of RSM;

• at most European and Latin American partner schools.

For more detailed information: www.eur.nl/english/ltc/languagetest

The following universities require proof of another language in addition to English:

• Switzerland: Universität St. Gallen and University of Mannheim: German (CEFR B2/C1) if attending courses in German. Courses in English are limited.
• South America: Spanish is required for all partner schools, except Fundação Getúlio Vargas in Brazil.
• France: For Grenoble, French is required (CEFR C1). For the other schools French is not required if you are planning to attend courses in English only, but knowing the French language is an advantage during 7the selection.
• Spain: Spanish is not required if you are planning to attend courses in English only, but knowing the Spanish language is an advantage during the selection.

Please note: If you are planning to attend courses in a local language, the host university may ask for a proof of proficiency in that language.

Please be aware that some official language certificates are valid for two years only. Partner universities have the right to reject these certificates. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have a valid certificate to show to the partner university. However, the International Office does accept this “old” certificate for the application in December in order to prove your level of proficiency.

If one of the partner universities on your application (top 3 and 10 alternatives) asks for an official proof of e.g. the TOEFL or IELTS and your certificate expires before Spring of 2017, we strongly advise you to make a new test and have the result in before our application deadline in December. If you wait until after the selection, you might not have the time to get a new certificate before the application deadline of the partner university (which in some cases might be in February or March already).

You can best prepare your application by:

• reading this website and the brochure carefully;

• attending our information sessions:

– For 1st year bachelor students and information session is offered in their 3^rd trimester. Date and location is always announced via SIN and/or Blackboard;

– For 2nd year bachelor students we organize a session in September/October 2015 about all the ins and outs regarding exchange. Date and location is always announced via SIN and/or Blackboard;

– A t the Study and Internship Abroad Fair in November, the last session will be held. Location to be announced; about going through the application online form and answering questions;

• subscribing yourself to the SIN-Online channel and Blackboard course “RSM Bachelor Exchange” in where you will find partner school information and former exchange students’ study reports;

• registering for a language level test and/or a language course, if applicable.

Initial selection

The initial selection is based on your application form. If you do not meet the selection criteria, you can no longer participate in the selection process. Those concerned will be notified by email around mid-January 2016.

Interviews

Your performance during the 10-minute interview plays an important role in the selection process. If you have made it through the first selection based on your application form, you will be notified by email about the date, time and place of your 10-minute interview, which will take place in late January 2016. You immediately need to confirm your interview by email to the email address mentioned in the notification email.

At the time of the interview, the Selection Committee has already intensively studied your application form. You will be asked more questions about why you want to go on exchange, such as your reasoning for choosing the three specific destinations.

The interviews will be held in English, although BA students can do their interview in Dutch if they prefer.

• We advise you to bring a copy of your completed application form for your own use as reference.

• There is no formal dress code, as long as you feel comfortable in what you wear.

• Try to avoid using generic terms such as “high rankings” and “great location”.

Matching of students and exchange spots

When all the interviews are completed, the Selection Committee will proceed with the selection and placement of the candidates. The committee will take the sequence of preferred universities into account but it is often difficult to match preferred destinations with the available exchange places.

The committee starts with the selection for the most competitive destinations, which have many applications and few available places. This way they go through the various destinations, in declining order. Because of the tough competition among students, the selection process for certain destinations will be more rigid than for other destinations. Therefore, the opportunities for students who have lower scores on the selection criteria to be placed are limited. Students that do not get their first choice will compete for placement in their second choice destination, and so on.

A study experience abroad always involves additional costs such as language course fees, visas, insurance, airfare and other travel expenses. The total amount of additional costs depends on the destination and your personal expenses.

Please do make sure that you make a realistic budget overview for yourself before deciding where you would like to go. Do not calculate receiving possible scholarships or grants within this budget overview as you can never be sure if you will actually receive them. If you do, see it as extra spending money.

For example:

Some universities in countries such as the USA or Australia need proof that you have enough funds to support yourself during your stay at the host university. Selected students for these universities need to show evidence at the time of application (around February) at the host university that they have the equivalent of approximately $ 5000 or more on their or their parents’ bank account. In some cases, grants and scholarships are available.

As an exchange student selected by RSM’s International Office, you don’t have to pay any tuition fee at the host university.

The following information may also help to you to reduce your extra costs.

Subletting your room during your exchange

Subletting your room during your exchange period can reduce exchange costs, and using your room will help us to accommodate incoming exchange students.

There is always a shortage of rooms from September to December. Students who want to rent out their room temporarily can use the housing webpage: www.HousingAnywhere.com. This webpage was developed to bring student accommodation supply and demand together; and it operates student-to-student, without using intermediaries.

You can also check out the Facebook group “RSM Exchange Students 2017-2018” and interact with international students coming to Rotterdam for their exchange who may want to rent your room. This page will be launched after the selection in 2016. If you sublet your room via HousingAnywhere, post the link to your room here on Facebook.

Student grants and loans & reimbursement of OV student card

Dutch students will continue to receive student grants and loans while abroad. Students who receive a student grant from DUO and who take components of their Dutch university studies abroad are entitled to receive approximately ¤ 100 per month instead of their OV student card. Leisure travel time before or after your exchange programme is not calculated in this period. To receive timely reimbursement you should submit your request to DUO at least two months before departure. Request forms are available at the Erasmus Student Service Centre (ESSC) in the E-building, and on DUO’s website: www.duo.nl/particulieren/reizen/buitenland.asp. The International Office of RSM can sign this form.

ERASMUS+ (Formerly known as Lifelong Learning / Erasmus Programme)

The new European education programme is called Erasmus+: The EU programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport. It is the successor of the Life Long Learning Programme. This programme financially supports students who will be exchanged to universities in any EU and EEA/EFTA country. Students can not send in an application for this grant individually. Therefore, after the exchange selection, the International Office makes sure that the Department of Student Affairs/Internationalisation (responsible for the administration of the Erasmus+ programme) receives a list of all selected students eligible for this grant. The Department of Student Affairs will inform those students how to proceed with their application for the Erasmus+ programme grant.

Part of the Learning Agreement consists of filling in the courses you would like to attend at the partner school. The International Office of RSM will need to sign for this. Please make sure that you get RSM’s approval for these courses by sending us your conversion proposal first. Only then will we sign the Erasmus+ Learning Agreement.

 www.nuffic.nl/studiebeurzen/leven-lang-leren-erasmus/erasmus-for-all (only in Dutch)

If you have any questions, please send email to erasmusbeurs@eur.nl.

A.A. Van Beek Fund Scholarship

Students who have been enrolled at the Erasmus University Rotterdam for at least two years can apply for this scholarship. Information and application forms can be found here: www.aavanbeekfonds.nl and www.eur.nl/studyabroad

The International Office’s letter of confirmation is sent to you after selection, and can serve as evidence that your exchange period counts towards your degree at RSM. This proof is necessary for the application for his scholarship.

FIND MORE GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

The websites www.wilweg.nl and www.wilweg.nl/financiering/beursopener of Nuffic (Netherlands organisation for international co-operation in higher education) are for students, researchers and staff looking for grants, scholarships and funds for a study, work placement or research abroad. Also check out www.scholarshipportal.eu

International Student Identity Card (ISIC)

The ISIC card allows students worldwide to prove their official student status to gain access to student benefits and discounts across nearly 130 countries. The services go far beyond travel alone. ISIC cardholders benefit from the more than 42,000 products, services or experiences in every stage and area of student life, including entertainment, software, travel, food, museums, educational courses and sports activities. For more information: www.isic.org

Please check out the website of Study Financing DUO, https://duo.nl/particulier/student-finance/

The admission requirements depend from your educational background:

• Students who have completed the RSM bachelor programme
  Your weighted grade point average (GPA) of your bachelor programme must be 7,0 or higher OR you must have a GMAT score of 600 or higher. The GMAT test must be done by 15 July 2016 and the result must be sent to the RSM Examination Board viaec@rsm.nl.
• Students who have completed the RSM pre-master programme
  You must have completed the MSc compulsory course for the MScFI which is Corporate Finance and you must have a GMAT score of 600 or higher and proof of English proficiency for students from the Dutch-language pre-master programme
• Students who have completed a non-RSM bachelor programme
  You must meet the admission criteria as explained on the RSM site Finance & Investments. After the registration deadline, the RSM Admissions Office will check whether you meet the criteria and will inform you about it by end of May 2016.