General Informations

Applicants from universities abroad who wish to spend one or two semesters (term) at the University of Berne find further information on the homepage of the registration office or the International Relations on possibilities and requirements.

As travelling broadens one’s mind, there are good reasons to come to Berne and good reasons to leave Berne and spend a term abroad. The Department of Theatre Studies of the University of Berne is looking forward to integrate students from abroad and expects from domestic students to spend at least one semester at a drama department of another university. A small department like the ITW enables a personal and individual mentoring, as numbers of students in seminars are below the international average. Furthermore the city’s well functioning libraries guarantee direct access to scientific and specialist literature.

Students enrolled in the course in Berne have reasons to spend a year abroad, for our department at the ITW is small and thus can offer only some aspects of a wide range of subjects some larger departments may be better qualified for. In a discussion with your Erasmus coordinator you can find out, whether another department offers a seminar on your main interests.

Erasmus

By reason of Switzerland not being part of the European Community, Switzerland can not officially take part in European Education Programs. However, the University of Berne has signed Erasmus-Sokrates-Treaties with over 120 universities in the European Community. Furthermore, the Federal Parliament provides funds that allow Swiss universities to participate as “silent partners”.

Scholarships are between 200–270 sFr. (130–220 Euro) per student per month. These scholarships are exclusively for students from EU countries. Students from other countries than the EU can unfortunately not count on financial support.

Students who go abroad within the framework of the Erasmus program are first of all speared from a lot of paperwork. Given that their university place is guaranteed (as the institutes concerned have stated in their treaties), they remain enrolled at their home university. The above mentioned scholarships should at least cover the expenses of a change of place. The Erasmus offices at universities as well as the department’s Erasmus-coordinator will help you with uncertainties and doubts and introduce you to other Erasmus students.

Students coming to Berne on an Erasmus programme are welcomed with a one week program with information on the city, the university and the libraries. A welcome drink with the dean is scheduled and going-outs with other Erasmus students and a trip to the mountains is organised.

Erasmus Partner Departments of the ITW Bern

Germany

• Institut für Theaterwissenschaft der Freien Universität Berlin
• Institut für Theaterwissenschaft der Universität Leipzig
• Institut für Theaterwissenschaft der Ludwig Maximilians Universität München
• Institut für Theater- und Medienwissenschaft der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

• Institut für Theaterwissenschaft der Universität Mainz

Austria

• Institut für Theater- Film- und Medienwissenschaft der Universität Wien

France

• Unité d’Enseignement Théâtre de l’ Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis

• Séction Arts du Spectacle der Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis

The Netherlands

• Department of Art, Culture and Media der Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Denmark

• Institute for Art History and Theatre Research der Kobenhavns Universitet

Contact

Students who wish to come to Berne, but do not know the person in charge of their home department can contact our erasmus coordinator.

Our Erasmus coordinator will be able to get you in touch with students that went to the same university you plan to go or came to the University of Berne.

Enrolment

The deadline for the coming academic year is March 1st, that means that students planning an exchange during the winter term 2007/08 and/or the summer term 2008 should contact their coordinator during February 2007. Early enrolement guarantees the full choice of all departments mentioned above. An exchange should ideally be planned early, between the end of the basic studies and before the beginning of the main studies.

Do not hesitate to contact your coordinator even if your plans to go abroad are but a vague idea.

Students coming to the University of Berne are required to fill out an Application Form which can be downloaded with further instruction on the website of the office for International Relations.

Requirements for students from Berne:

• Enrolled at the University of Berne
• Drama Student at the Drama Department of the University of Berne

• Finished basic studies

Requirements for Students from abroad may differ, please contact your local Erasmus coordinator or student advisor.

Last but not least …

Students who went on exchange make both positive and negative experiences with fellow students, the professors or the teaching staff, the city, the food, the weather and so on. The judgement of their stay is seldomly only good, but …

… almost all students think that it was worth it. The change of place and environment gave them new impulses for their life and their studies, in short, they see that the exchange has become an important aspect of their curriculum.