Step 2: Choose a Destination That Fits Your Degree
It can be tempting to choose an exchange university simply because the country looks exciting.
But your academic programme should come first.
Suppose you study computer science.
A university with a beautiful campus and an enticiing city might not be useful if it doesn’t offer courses that fit your degree.
So, Instead, look for institutions offering courses that match your academic requirements.
The ideal exchange destination should give you both:
A good international experience + academically useful courses.
This is where the course catalogue becomes extremely important.
Step 3: Compare Course Content Before Applying
Do not rely only on course titles.
Two courses can have similar names while covering completely different material.
For example:
Home university: Financial Management II
Host university: Advanced Corporate Finance
Those courses might be compatible—but you need evidence.
Compare:
- Course description
- Learning outcomes
- Topics covered
- Number of credits
- Assessment method
- Academic level
- Prerequisites
- Contact hours or workload
The more information you have, the easier it becomes for your department to determine whether the course fits your programme.
Erasmus+ guidance emphasizes transparent course information and learning agreements precisely because recognition should be established before mobility begins.
Step 4: Create a Preliminary Course Plan
Once you have found courses that appear suitable, then create a preliminary list.
For example:
Host university course↔Credits↔ Possible home equivalent↔Recognition
International Finance⇒6 ECTS⇒Financial Management⇒Pending approval
Digital Marketing⇒5 ECTS⇒Marketing Elective⇒Pending approval
Business Analytics⇒5 ECTS⇒Business Analytics⇒Pending approval
European Business⇒4 ECTS⇒General Elective⇒Pending approval
Notice the phrase “Pending approval.”
And Don’t describe a course as approved until the appropriate person at your home institution has actually approved it.
Step 5: Get Pre-Approval for Credit Transfer
This is probably the most important step in the entire process.
Before leaving your country, have the proposed courses reviewed by the relevant academic authority.
Depending on your university, this could be:
- Department coordinator
- Faculty dean
- Academic adviser
- International office
- Head of department
- Programme director
Ask them to confirm in writing which courses will count toward your degree.
In formal Erasmus+ mobility, this is handled through the Learning Agreement. The agreement sets out the study programme and recognition arrangements and is approved before the exchange begins.
The European Commission’s guidance also states that institutions should fully recognize the agreed credits successfully completed during mobility according to the approved agreement.
This is what makes the phrase “full credit transfer” meaningful.