Erasmus+ Exchange Programme for Students and Staff • SMK

Erasmus+ programme

The Erasmus+ programme is designed to ensure the quality of higher education, promote the mobility of students, teachers, and other staff, encourage multilateral cooperation among higher education institutions and with businesses, and ensure the transparency and compatibility of degrees between higher education and vocational training.

SMK has been granted the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education for the 2021–2027 period (ERASMUS+ ID number: LT KLAIPED04).

Erasmus+ programme, international students, mobility, exchange

Erasmus+, student mobility, international cooperation, education

Erasmus+, international exchange, cultural diversity, education

Opportunities for students

Partial studies at a partner higher education institution / Duration: 3–12 months.
Student and graduate internships in companies (Graduates are selected during their final year of studies and must go abroad within the first year after graduation) / Duration: 2–12 months.

Erasmus+ programme competition

Erasmus+ Programme Competition

The Erasmus+ programme competition is announced twice a year:

In February – for the autumn semester or for summer and graduate internships;
In September – for the spring semester or for training and final internships.

If there are available places, an additional Erasmus+ participant selection may be announced. For calls for applications and exact selection dates, please check the news section on the SMK website.

Students wishing to participate in the competition must choose a foreign university (up to three options) where they would like to study and which meets their study criteria, or choose the country where they plan to do their internship, and complete the Erasmus+ application form.

After the online registration closes, the selection of students is carried out by a selection committee responsible for the final competition results. The selection results are announced no later than one week after the selection process ends.

Incoming students

SMK College of Applied Sciences (SMK) welcomes all the students coming to study under the exchange programmes. We offer Bachelor level courses in the English language in the field of Business and Tourism. Students are required to have a minimum B1 level of English language proficiency according to the European language levels.

All exchange students study at the SMK Vilnius branch.

After being selected and officially nominated by your home University (by sending an e-mail to donata.dulke@smk.lt), containing your name and surname, date of birth, e-mail address, study field, and semester you are going to spend at SMK (Autumn, Spring, or Academic Year), you’ll receive an e-mail with the necessary information, documents and application instructions.

Upon reception of all required documents students are provided with the Letter of Acceptance and the information package which is usually sent to the student’s e-mail after the Application Deadline.

Application and Nomination deadlines

for the Fall semester – June 1st;
for the Spring semester – December 1st.

Institution details

Name: SMK College of Applied Sciences
Erasmus code: LT KLAIPED04
Address: 137E Kalvariju str., Vilnius, Lithuania, LT-08210
Erasmus+ Coordinator: Donata Dulkė, Nemuno st. 2, Klaipeda
Telephone: +370 601 75094
E-mail: donata.dulke@smk.lt

Academic calendar

Autumn Semester usually starts on 1st of September and ends on 23rd of December;
Spring Semester usually starts on the 1st of February and ends in mid-June.

Required ECTS workload for Incoming exchange students is 30 ECTS credits in a semester, 60 ECTS credits in the academic year.

Accommodation

SMK does not have its own dormitory or any other student residence, thus students are responsible for finding the place to stay. There are various dormitories available in Vilnius. Prices are different based on location and conditions offered. A place in a shared room might cost from 120 to 200 euros/month. Private accommodation options are available in the city. SMK staff provides information and assistance in order to find accommodation possibilities for incoming students.

Health Insurance and Visa

International students are required to have medical insurance. Non-EU students are required to obtain visas to enter Lithuania. The SMK International Relations Department assists students in completing all the procedures by mediating with the Lithuanian embassies abroad.

Cost of living

The average cost of living is 250-400 Eur/per month.
Accommodation costs 100-300 Eur/per month.

Student ID cards for special student discounts – ISIC

Orientation Week

Every new student will be appointed a Student Mentor who will start communicating before the arrival and assist in preparation for living and studying in Lithuania.

At the beginning of each semester, orientation events are organized for new International students. During the events, you will get information about Lithuania, comfortable and safe living in Vilnius, SMK study rules and regulations, students’ life, etc.

Outgoing students

Erasmus+ programme allows the SMK students to learn a foreign language and improve cultural knowledge, promote cooperation and enrich the education of students receiving them in an international environment that allows the expansion of overseas experience.

Erasmus+ programme supports:

3 – 12 months mobility for studies abroad at the Higher Education Institutions;
2 – 12 months mobility for internships at foreign enterprises.

Erasmus scholarship opportunities

SMK full-time students who have completed at least one course before starting their studies abroad.
First-year students can go for a summer internship after successfully passing their spring semester exams.

Why participate in the Erasmus+ programme?

Improvement of foreign language skills
Additional academic and professional knowledge
Future career opportunities abroad and in Lithuania
Friends from all corners of the world
Unforgettable travels and exposure to other cultures
Independence and courage
Life lessons and tolerance

Erasmus+ Student Rights

An Erasmus+ student does not pay any academic fees to the host higher education institution (tuition fees, registration fees, exam fees, laboratory or library fees), but continues to pay the regular fees to their home institution during the Erasmus+ study period abroad.

All national scholarships or loan payments for outgoing students cannot be suspended during their Erasmus+ study period abroad.

The results of studies or internships at the foreign higher education institution are fully recognized and credited toward the SMK diploma/degree program.

How to select a university?

Studying abroad is organized through bilateral partnership agreements established between higher education institutions participating in the Erasmus+ programme. When choosing a higher education institution for your study period, please pay attention to the following:

SMK has an agreement with this higher education institution — you can only apply for a study place at a partner institution with which SMK has a signed bilateral Erasmus+ agreement;
Whether your language skills are sufficient for the courses taught at the chosen foreign institution;
Whether the chosen institution offers the possibility to plan a study programme that corresponds to your field of study.

Before selecting a foreign higher education institution, we recommend visiting their websites to check which courses you could take during your exchange. It is also helpful to contact students who have previously studied there and/or the institution’s Erasmus+ coordinators, who can provide valuable information. You can request their contacts from the International Relations Office.

SMK Erasmus+ partners by country

Where can you do an Erasmus+ internship?

You can complete your internship in one of the following countries: Denmark, United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Italy, Netherlands, France, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Greece, Iceland, Spain, Luxembourg, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania.

A suitable company for an Erasmus+ internship is an organization located in another Erasmus+ participating country that carries out economic activity in either the public or private sector, regardless of its legal status, size, or economic sector, including the social sector. This definition also applies, beyond business companies, to higher education institutions, research centers conducting private internships, family businesses, partnerships, and associations regularly engaged in economic activity. If the host organization for the internship is a higher education institution, the student cannot go there for the study period – i.e., the student goes exclusively to gain work experience.

Important: If you are going abroad for a training or final internship under the Erasmus+ programme, it is essential that the host organization and your tasks there align with the requirements of your study program.

Organizations and companies that help find internship opportunities abroad:

Algoos offers internships and traineeships.
AmberJob offers internships in Greece and Cyprus.
Job Trust offers summer employment and internships in Greece and Cyprus, as well as winter employment opportunities in Austria and France.
iPractice Internships Management specializes in tourism and hospitality internship management in hotels and resorts in the Costa Brava region.
Interrex offers internships and jobs in Lithuania and abroad.
ErasmusIntern.org – an integrated platform connecting internship providers and students seeking internships abroad.
Educa International helps students find internships in education, tourism, business, and IT (duration: 2–12 months).
BALTIC UNION advises and helps find internships and job placements.
Placement in Portugal – mediates internships in Portugal.
Spain Internship – offers internships in marketing, IT, engineering, design, tourism, education, communication, and other fields.
TX connects talented students with reliable companies to ensure a quality internship experience for all participants.
Partnership International – mediator for internships in various fields.
European Student Placement Agency Ltd offers internships.
Globalplacement.com can help find internships worldwide.

Eligibility and selection criteria

The selection for Erasmus+ mobility for studies or internships is carried out by a selection committee appointed by the director’s order. The selection committee reviews applications for participation in the mobility program according to the following criteria:

Academic performance in previous years of study
Study program offered by the host institution
Foreign language proficiency
Motivation to study abroad
Involvement in college activities
No outstanding financial obligations to the college

Financial Conditions

Students who win the Erasmus+ selection competition receive an Erasmus+ grant, the amount of which varies depending on the host country.

Countries	Study grant Eur./month	Internship grant Eur./month
Ireland, Denmark, Iceland, United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Finland, Sweden	600	750
Austria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Malta, Netherlands, France, Portugal, Germany	600	750
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary	540	690

Possible Additional Funding

For students with disabilities – students with disabilities or special needs may apply for additional support. To receive funding, students must contact the Education Exchanges Support Foundation directly and complete the required documents: the application and request at least 2 months before departure for Erasmus studies and sign a grant agreement for the additional funding.

For socially disadvantaged students – a social scholarship may be awarded. To apply, students must complete the “Application for Additional Social Scholarship” and submit it with all required attachments to the International Relations Office.

More information and contacts

More information about the Erasmus+ programme:

Consultations for those wishing to take advantage of the programme opportunities:

Donata Dulkė
+370 601 75094
donata.dulke@smk.lt

Incoming staff

Each year SMK welcomes a number of academic and non-academic staff members from its partner institutions. They visit SMK with the purpose of teaching or training. The Erasmus+ staff mobility programme offers excellent opportunities for acquiring innovative teaching methods and exchange of good practices and contributes to professional development.

At SMK the staff mobility programme is implemented and facilitated by the International Relations Department. Teachers and non-academic staff of partner institutions are welcome to contact the SMK by emailing donata.dulke@smk.lt.

All initial inquiries should include information on the preferred dates of the visit, objectives and expected results of the mobility, area of expertise of the mobile staff member, a draft of the visit programme, CV of the staff member.

SMK is organizing Erasmus+ Staff Weeks each year, which are open for staff members of current and prospective partner higher education institutions.

ISN SMK is an international student network, which focuses on international and Erasmus+ students, who are coming to Lithuania to study. ISN SMK’s goal is to make each student feel comfortable and settle down in Vilnius stress-free. The network consists of different departments and deals with any problems students may experience – it could be related to everyday life, culture, accommodation, transportation, or migration questions. ISN SMK also organizes and holds various events to have fun after studies and get to know Lithuania better.

More information can be found on Instagram – learn more here: https://instagram.com/isn_smk

Do you have questions about the Erasmus+ programme? Contact us!

+370 601 75094
donata.dulke@smk.lt