Life Long Learning | Erasmus
Incoming Students
ISCSP is increasing the cooperation with other European Universities within the Erasmus Programme. This work is especially conducted towards students and teachers mobility. Under the Erasmus Programme, ISCSP has nowadays bilateral agreements with approximately 30 European Universities.
The information that follows is basically for Erasmus students interested in studying at ISCSP - Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas (School of Social and Political Sciences) - on a credit system existing between higher education establishments, known internationally as ECTS (European Credit Transfer System).
Erasmus and ISCSP
ECTS is a project initiated and developed by the European Commission, aimed at guaranteeing academic recognition of studies carried out outside the country of origin. The system enables assessment and comparisons of knowledge gained and transfer between establishments.
One of the system’s fundamental elements is the principle of mutual trust among the higher education establishments belonging to it. It was to strengthen this trust that the system’s rules were laid down, as follows:
- Information on study programmes and student data;
- Mutual agreement between establishments involved;
- Use of credits relative to the volume of work done by the student;
Under these concepts, there are two documents that are vital for smooth operation of the system:
- Erasmus Application Form - should be filled in by the student and his Home University and sent to the University of Destination.
- Erasmus Learning Agreement - should be drawn up jointly between the establishment of origin, the host establishment and the student in question. It describes the study programme to be followed by the student and corresponding ECTS credits. The Contract must be signed by the three people involved. The student undertakes to follow the study programme; the establishment of origin guarantees full academic recognition of credits obtained in the host establishment; the host establishment undertakes to teach the said programme and send the University of Origin, the student’s assessment report and academic results.
What are ECTS?
ECTS credits are granted for an agreed course and have a relatively fixed value; they are essentially values granted to subjects in order to define the workload needed to complete them. They are a result of the effort needed for each subject, taking as a reference, the total quantity of work required over a full year in the institute, expressed as follows: lessons, practical work, seminars, private work - at school or at home -, tests/exams or any other forms of evaluation. Some rules for ECTS credits are:
- One year of study and the respective workload are equivalent to 60 credits;
- One semester represents 30 credits;
- Work experience or optional subjects on a course programme can also receive credits, but this does not negate the possibility of mention subjects with no credits in academic register transcriptions;
- Credits are granted only after lessons have been given and the respective assessments carried out and only if students complete the courses successfully.
Linked to the ECTS credits is a classification scale from A to F. The objective of this is to overcome the problems of existing multiple classification systems in European countries and help establishments interpret classifications gained by students in foreign higher education establishments. However, this grading system is still not available at ISCSP, so we use the following system.
|
Description
|
|
| EXCELLENT |
19-20
|
| VERY GOOD |
17-18
|
| GOOD |
14-16
|
| SATISFACTORY |
12-13
|
| SUFFICIENT |
10-11
|
| INSUFFICIENT |
1-9
|
What do I need to send to apply?
The Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas (ISCSP) is delighted to welcome exchange students from around the world and aims to make their time in Portugal as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. The School staff is available to provide help and assistance from the day students express interest in studying at our School until the day of departure. This includes the application process. There are a number of steps that should be followed by exchange students when planning to apply to ISCSP.
Erasmus students must be nominated by their home university to ISCSP in the first instance. Students on the Erasmus Programme should choose approximately six (6) subjects per semester (approximately 12 subjects per academic year) so they are able to fulfill the requirements of 30 ECTS credits per semester (60 ECTS credits per academic year).
You will obtain academic credits from the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), which you can use for recognition at your home university.
You should follow the application procedure as detailed below:
- Print and complete the Application Form;
- Attach a Transcript of Records which details all your University results prior to applying for study abroad. Your application will not be considered without this transcript;
- Print and complete the Learning Agreement based on subjects chosen from the Incoming Erasmus Student Guide and get it signed by your Erasmus Coordinator;
- Print and complete the Language Course Application if you wish to attend the Portuguese course that takes place at our School. The course is free of charge and it lasts 40 hours (3 or 4 times a week, 2 daily hours).
Send all four documents to the Erasmus Office, by fax/e-mail and by regular post:
Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas
Gabinete Técnico
Pedro Abreu
Rua Almerindo Lessa
Pólo Universitário Alto da Ajuda
1300-663 Lisboa
Portugal
Fax number: +351 213 600 497
@:erasmus@iscsp.utl.pt
The closing dates for completed application forms are:
- 30th June for students wanting to come for the 1st semester or for a full academic year;
- 30th November for students wanting to come for the 2nd semester.
Once your application has been assessed you will receive:
- An acceptance letter, in case you have been accepted, or an e-mail asking for further information.
After arrival at ISCSP, the student must go to the Erasmus Office (Gabinete Técnico) to start his/her enrolment procedures. The student must bring the Identity Card/Passport, two small photos and the Health Insurance European Card.
Choose here your list of subjects...
In Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas (ISCSP) all classes are taught in Portuguese. However, as a large part of the bibliography recommended by lecturers comes from other countries, lecturers and students may be able to come to an agreement on holding assessment tests in another language known by both.
You can choose different courses from different degrees and different years. To see our study plans, with the correspondent ECTS, please check our Erasmus Incoming Students Guide.
Bear in mind that we have 7 Bachelor degrees (Licenciaturas) in ISCSP:
- Anthropology;
- Communication Sciences;
- International Relations;
- Political Science;
- Public Administration;
- Social Work;
- Sociology.
Academic Calendar and Evaluation
Erasmus students should arrive at ISCSP one week before the classes begin, in order to find a place to stay and to get to know the School. In what concerns the academic calendar, please note that the classes begin at:
- Mid September for the 1st semester;
- Mid February for the 2nd semester.
The usual evaluation system is the continuous one, in practical lessons, followed by written and oral examinations. There is not a specific evaluation system for Erasmus students. However, there is some flexibility in the examinations procedures (choice of dates, work papers), as well as in the language used.
The marks are from 1 to 20. The pass mark is 10. We consider 16 a very good result.
Home institutions are responsible for the conversion of the marks obtained by their students after attending ISCSP.
Erasmus ISCSP Key-data
| Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas – Universidade Técnica de Lisboa | Higher School of Political and Social Sciences - Technical University of Lisbon |
| Official Name of Partner Institution | Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas |
| Erasmus Code | P LISBOA 04 |
| Address | Rua Almerindo Lessa, Pólo Universitário do Alto da Ajuda, 1300-663 LISBOA - PORTUGAL |
| Head of Institution | Prof. Doutor João Bilhim (Head of the Executive Board) / Prof. Doutor António de Sousa Lara (Head of the Scientific Council) |
|
Socrates Institutional Coordinator Phone Fax |
Prof. Doutora Alice Trindade + 351 213 600 497 + 351 213 600 497 |
| atrindade@iscsp.utl.pt | |
|
Contact Person Phone Fax |
Dr. Pedro Abreu + 351 213 600 497 + 351 213 600 497 |
| Official Web Site |
How do I get to ISCSP?
ISCSP is located in the centre of Lisbon (Alto da Ajuda, Monsanto) and is well served by a good public transportations network, especially buses. It can be reached by the following buses:
- Nº723: Desterro – Algés
- Nº729: Algés – Bairro Padre Cruz
- Nº60: Martim Moniz – Cemitério da Ajuda
Here are some reference prices for Lisbon:
|
TRANSPORT
|
€
|
| Underground 1 day ticket |
1,30
|
| Booklet of 10 tickets |
10
|
| Single ticket |
0,85
|
| Buses (Carris) 1 day ticket |
2,5
|
| 3 day ticket |
7,5
|
| Single ticket |
1,5
|
| Underground and Carris Monthly pass |
30
|
Where can I eat?
|
EATING
|
€
|
| ISCSP Snack-Bar |
3,5
|
| UTL Canteen |
2,10
|
| Average prices snack bars and restaurants |
5 - 7,5
|
| Higher-class restaurants |
25
|
Where can I sleep?
We have just limited number of rooms in your University residences. In that sense, most of the students will have to find their own private accommodation in the city of Lisbon. Needless to say that the Erasmus Office will provide with all the necessary information and help in the search for a private house or room (about 250 € per month per student), as well as the Students Union. Finding a shared flat with other students is really easy near our Institute. Foreign students requiring ISCSP’s help in finding accommodation should contact the Students Union directly.
In order to help you, we have gathered a list of private accommodation to rent, which you can consult here Private Accommodation (houses or rooms).
Furthermore, you can also find more housing opportunities in the website of the Erasmus Lisboa association. To do so, please check http://www.erasmuslisboa.com/english.htm.
One other opportunity is to take advantage of the low prices in the Alfama Patio Hostel, but just for the first days or weeks. For more information, please click here.
Students can also try to apply to one of following non-University residences available in the city of Lisbon. Please click here and here or check www.lisbonstoryguesthouse.com
Associação de Estudantes do Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas (Students Union)
Address:
AEISCSP
Rua Professor Almerindo Lessa,
Pólo Universitário Alto da Ajuda
1300-663 Lisboa
Portugal
Phone: 21 364 36 68
Fax: 21 362 36 15
E-mail: aeiscsp@gmail.com
Web Site: http://ae.iscsp.utl.pt
Lisbon is waiting for you...
ISCSP is situated in Lisbon and is easily reached by a vast transport network.
Studying in Portugal is a stimulating experience and Portugal is an extremely interesting country. The oldest nation in Europe, it has maintained more or less the same frontiers for around 700 years. Portuguese is one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, with 200 million native speakers. Its landscape and culture are varied, as the name “Portugal” suggests: eight different letters, none of them repeated. Its variety is perhaps one of its main attractions.
Studying in Lisbon as opposed to other centers has natural advantages. Lisbon, as capital, offers a wide range of cultural activities, the National Library, the best museums and a rich collection of ancient royal palaces both in the city and around. From an artistic point of view, the banks of the Tagus boast monuments from the Portuguese golden age - the XVIth century - and fine examples of modern architecture.
A city rooted in antiquity; there are exquisite contrasts between the old and the new. The narrow streets of the “Bairros” or traditional areas, like villages inside a city, offer a journey through time and space and the magic that has surprised so many travelers over the ages. A surprise that continues into the night when the city’s busy and exciting nightlife begins. Its suburbs, just 30 kilometers away or less, also offer a wide variety of landscapes. Cascais, with possibly the highest standard of living in the country, Estoril and Sintra form a big triangle.
See: