For prospective candidates who wish to apply to the program
About the Program

Erasmus+ Internship enables you to spend a placement (traineeship) period in an enterprise or organization in one of the Program Countries (i.e. Member States of the European Union, Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway); public or private organizations active in the labour market. The objectives of the program are as follows:

• To help you adapt to the requirements of the EU-wide labour market;

• To enable you to develop specific skills including language skills and to improve your understanding of the economic and social culture of the country concerned in the context of acquiring work experience;

• To contribute to the development of a pool of well-qualified, open-minded and internationally experienced young people as future professionals.

Students should work as an intern in a business enterprise or organization, which is directly related to their own educational field. The internship does not necessarily have to be a mandatory component of the student’s educational program although the economic sector the student works at should be closely related to it. Wherever possible, the traineeships should be an integrated part of the student’s study program.

Traineeship- Blended Mobility:

Blended learning activities are a combination of virtual/online learning activities and physical learning activities. Blended mobility, therefore, is a combination of physical mobility and a virtual activity (or component) before or after physical mobility. As a rule, any mobility that was previously exclusively physical mobility can now be organised as a combination of physical mobility abroad and a learning period online either before or after the physical part.

From the perspective of the participant, there are also two possible scenarios of blended mobility with different durations of physical mobility:

1) Blended traineeship mobility with a long-term physical presence abroad – minimum 2 months of physical presence abroad complemented by any volume of virtual learning before or after the physical mobility

2) Blended traineeship mobility with a short-term physical presence abroad – a minimum of 5 days and a maximum of 30 days abroad complemented by any volume of virtual learning before or after the physical mobility

Applicants have to specify their form of participation in the traineeship mobility program (i.e. physical, blended: short-term physical, blended: long-term physical) in the Acceptance/Invitation Letter received from the host company/institution. If the form of participation is not specified in the Acceptance/Invitation Letter, the mobility will be considered as “physical” participation.

Koc University Erasmus Code: TR ISTANBU17

Where to Intern?

IMPORTANT: Companies and institutions in United Kingdom will no longer be be included in the Erasmus+ Internship applications.

 

Students will have to find their work placements independently.

Students can intern at companies, education institutions/centers, research centers/facilities or any type of organization that is classified as “business enterprise” by the Erasmus+ Program Guide.

Research projects can be considered as training activities. Mobility can be a laboratory work or scientific research. Students need to practice professional activities and internship must be carried out as the economic provisions in the relevant sector. For example, working at a company’s R & D department for product development and working at a university’s research center for a company’s project on product development could be considered as internship. In summary,

Host (receiving) organizations for student traineeships may be any public or private organization active in the labor market or in the fields of education, training and youth. Such organization can be:

  • a public or private, a small, medium or large enterprise (including social enterprises);
  • a public body at local, regional or national level;
  • a social partner or other representative of working life, including chambers of commerce, craft/professional associations and trade unions;
  • a research institute (as described above);
  • a foundation;
  • a school/institute/educational center (at any level, from pre-school to upper secondary education, and including vocational education and adult education);
  • a non-profit organization, association, NGO;
  • a body providing career guidance, professional counselling and information services
  • Activities may not take place at European Union institutions and other EU bodies including specialized agencies, organizations managing EU programs, and national diplomatic representations (embassy and consulate) of the home country of the student.

The following types of organizations are not eligible as receiving organizations for student traineeships:

  • EU institutions and other EU bodies including specialized agencies Organizations managing
  • EU programs such as national agencies

Internship Quota

The quota for each application round will be announced with the application announcements. Students are advised to check the Erasmus+ Internship application announcements for further information about quotas and grants.

Application Method & Criteria

Application Method

 

Application is done via OIP’s online application system: https://kuapp.ku.edu.tr If you have not applied to any of the Mobility Programs offered by OIP via kuapp.ku.edu.tr during your studies at KU before, please first create a “Preliminary Application” for yourself as shown below:

**Please select the Reference Type at the Application Information section as “Internship” Please watch the application demo for more information on the application method:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C2bWQ0dGkc&feature=youtu.be

New and mandatory: All students applying to this program must submit their application through https://turnaportal.ua.gov.tr/as well. A guideline for the application system can be found under “Useful Documents”

The applications which are not entered onto the erasmusbasvuru portal by the deadline will not be considered. However, If students cannot submit their application through https://turnaportal.ua.gov.tr/ due to technical issues, the application on KUAPP will be taken into evaluation and placement.

Students who are facing technical issues on either of these platforms must fill out the forms shared in the application announcements. OIP advisors will contact the students who fill out the form and provide assistance.

 


Who is Eligible to Apply?

 

 

• Students must be registered in a higher education institution and enrolled in studies leading to a recognized degree or other recognized tertiary level qualification (up to and including the level of doctorate).

• The applicants must have not participated in the Erasmus+ & Erasmus+ Worldwide program (study and internship) for more than 10 months in their current cycle (Bachelor/ Masters/PhD). A student may receive Erasmus mobility grants for a maximum of 12 months in any cycle. A student may receive funding within the Erasmus+ program for student mobility (studies and traineeships together) for a maximum of 12 months.

• Traineeships after graduation are possible provided that the application was concluded while the applicant was still registered as a full time student and the traineeship must be concluded at most one year after the date of graduation.

• Undergraduate students must have completed at least two regular semesters (remedial and prep excluded) with a minimum GPA of 2.20. Graduate students must have completed at least one regular semester (remedial and prep excluded) with a minimum GPA of 2.50. Undergraduate students must be a Sophomore student to be eligible to apply. Freshman students cannot apply to the program.

 

 


 

 

Application Requirements

 

• Minimum required CGPA 2.20 for undergraduate, 2.50 for graduate and postgraduate students

•Language Requirement: Koç University Institutional TOEFL*(550 PBT), TOEFL (550 PBT/ 80 IBT) or IELTS Score Card (min. 6.5), KUEPE** (Min 60) Students can apply using their expired language scores as well.

*Students can get their Koc TOEFL scorecards from the Registrar’s Office.  Please keep in mind that it will take a couple of days for Registrar’s Office to issue your TOEFL or IELTS scorecards. You are asked to upload your English Proficiency Proof on the online application form (https://kuapp.ku.edu.tr ).

**Students who wish to apply using their KUEPE scores will need to take a screenshot of their KUSIS homepage, where KUEPE scores are shown. If students have any technical issues with screening their KUEPE results on their KUSIS homepage, they must contact the IT department to solve the issue. Students can also contact the Registrar’s Office and English Language Center to get their KUEPE results as well.

If you do not have an official TOEFL, IELTS or KUEPE scorecard, you have to take a new test. Please note that you need to plan your application accordingly as it takes time to get the result of English Proficiency tests.

Exceptions to the English proficiency tests (TOEFL, IELTS) include only lifetime residents of Australia, Canada (other than Quebec), New Zealand, United Kingdom or the United States (other than Puerto Rico). Students who have recently and successfully completed at least 4 years of rigorous academic studies in one of the countries listed might also be exempted.  Their English proficiency score calculated on KUAPP will be the min. English  Language admission requirement of the program at KU they are admitted. Students English Language Score will be automatically calculated as the equivalent of 80 TOEFL IBT unless the student submits an IELTS or TOEFL score, Placement will be based on 50% GPA and 50 % TOEFL, so the higher scores students have, the better chance of placement students will have.

Graduate students can apply with the GRE Verbal Reasoning (min. 157 is accepted), GMAT Verbal Session (min. 35 is accepted).

 


 

 

Application Documents

 

• Acceptance Letter* (2-month-period acceptance from the host organization: Students are required find their internship and receive an acceptance letter from the host organization in one of the program countries.)

• Most recent transcript* (Minimum required CGPA 2.20 for undergraduate, 2.50 for graduate and postgraduate students)

• A valid English Language Proficiency Certificate* (TOEFL IBT, KOÇ TOEFL, IELTS or KUEPE)

• Resume (CV)*

• Special Needs Statement & Proving documents (if applicable)

• Substitutive documents for children of martyr and veteran people (if applicable)

• Substitutive documents for students who are covered by the 2828 numbered Social Services Law (if applicable)

*Required

 

 


 

 

Selection

 

• Selection is done based on 50% Academic achievement (GPA) + 50% Language score.

Important: Students who receive or whose 1st-degree relatives are registered and receive financial aid as disaster victims from The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) +10 points if proving documents are provided in the application. 1st degree relative information will be cross-checked with KUSIS.

• Previous Participation: In addition to academic achievement and language score, if the applicant has benefited from Erasmus+ mobility scheme while pursuing the same level of academic degree (Bachelor, Master or PhD), 10 points will be deducted for each and every participation (regardless of whether internship or education).

• Disabled students receive + 10 points if proving documents are provided in the application.

• Children of martyrs and veteran people receive +15 points if proving documents are provided in the application

• Students who are covered by 2828 numbered Social Services Law receive + 10 points if proving documents are provided in the application.

• Students who are participating in an internship to enhance their digital skills will receive +5 points for their application

This includes internships experiencing one or more of the following activities: digital marketing (eg social media management, web analytics), digital graphics, mechanical and architectural design; software and code or website development;  maintenance and management of information systems and networks, cybersecurity, data analytics, data mining and visualization; programming, robotics and artificial intelligence training. This does not include general customer service, request creation, data entry or routine office duties. Information on the scope/focus of the internship must be included in the Acceptance/Invitation Letter received from the visiting institution. + Points will be applied based on this information.

• Students who want to participate in mobility programs in their birth country receive – 10 points

• Not attending the required orientation/pre-departure orientations organized by OIP in previous Erasmus+ mobility exchange experience will result in a deduction of 5 points.

* If a student fails to submit the commitment letter to confirm his/her attendance in the Erasmus+ program within the timeframe given by OIP, 10 points will be deducted when the student applies for any Erasmus+ program in the future.

• OIP calculates and lists the average score of each applicant based on the calculation explained above

• All applicants are ranked from the highest to the lowest score and placed according to the Erasmus+ Internship Quota, which is announced to students each application round.

• Results are notified to all applicants via e-mail and the OIP website’s Placement Results section.

 

 


 

 

IMPORTANT: Special Cases

If an application and selection round for Erasmus+ Study and Internship program takes place at the same time, and if a student applies to both programs at the same time, then the following rules apply:

If a student has not participated in an Erasmus+ program before: 10 points are deducted from the student’s overall score for one of the programs (either study or internship), and the student selects the program for deduction to be implemented. The student informs OIP about this decision via a written petition.

If a student has participated in an Erasmus+ program before: 10 points are deducted for the program that the student has participated in before and 20 points are deducted for the other program that the student applies to.

For students who applied and got selected for the program
Before Mobility Procedure & Documents

After you are selected please note that you will be expected to submit the below documents to OIP, by uploading all documents on your KUAPP application page.

 

Erasmus+ Internship Commitment Letter: This letter should be read by the student carefully and signed version should be submitted to OIP.

Learning agreement for traineeship: Students have to fill in all the parts on the Learning Agreement electronically. Hand-written Learning Agreement is not accepted by OIP. Students are asked to fill in the Learning Agreement and sign it. Students should also get the signature of the host company/university’s representative and Koc University Erasmus Institutional Coordinator Dr Yigit Sayın’s signature will be taken by the OIP advisors. Electronically filled out and signed LA should be submitted to OIP office.

Letter of acceptance: You are asked to submit the “Letter of Acceptance” when you apply. However, if you make any changes in dates, then you should submit the revised version to OIP.

Insurance Coverage: Student are required to have an international insurance coverage for the duration of their traineeship. The following coverage is required:

– Health insurance coverage: Usually basic coverage is provided by the national health insurance of the participant as well during his/her stay in another EU country through the European Health Insurance Card. However, the coverage of the European Health Insurance Card or private insurance may not be sufficient, especially in case of repatriation and specific medical intervention. In that case, a complementary private insurance might be useful. It is the responsibility of the sending institution of the student to ensure that the participant is aware of health insurance issues.

Liability insurance coverage: Covering damages caused by the student at the workplace A liability insurance covers damages caused by the student during his/her stay abroad (independently whether he/she is at work or not). Varying arrangements with respect to liability insurance are in place in different countries engaged in transnational learning mobility for traineeships. Trainees therefore run the risk of not being covered.

– Accident insurance coverage: Related to the student’s tasks covering at least damages caused to the student at the workplace. This insurance covers damages to employees resulting from accidents at work. In many countries employees are covered against such accidents at work. However, the extent to which transnational trainees are covered within the same insurance may vary across the countries engaged in transnational learning mobility programs. If the receiving organization does not provide such a coverage (which cannot be imposed if not made compulsory by the national regulation of the receiving country), the sending institution shall ensure that the student is covered by such an insurance (taken either by the sending institution (on a voluntary basis as part of its quality management) or by the participant herself or himself).

Online Linguistic Support (OLS): Once students complete above-mentioned documents, they will be assigned an online language test via e-mail by OIP. This test has to be completed within the timeline provided. If it is not completed on time, sanctions mentioned in the grant agreement will be implemented.

Grant Agreement: Once the student completes and submits all the documents to OIP office, a draft version of the Grant Agreement is shared with the student by OIP. The student is obliged to fill in necessary places (i.e. bank account details, etc.), sign each page of the agreement and sign the signatory part of two copies of the agreement. Student is then asked to submit 2 signed copies to OIP office.

Roadmap for Students with Special Needs: Students with special needs should follow the steps described in the roadmap.

During & After Mobility Procedure & Documents

During Mobility

Documents to be submitted by student upon arrival at the host university:

• If the student wants to make a change on the Learning Agreement, “During” part of the LA should be filled out electronically. The changed agreement should be approved and signed by the Erasmus+ (Academic) Departmental Exchange Coordinator of Student’s college, student and the representative of the host organization. This copy should be submitted to OIP via e-mail.

After Mobility

Following the completion of the program, the student has to take the following steps:

• Submit the Certificate of participation to OIP

• Submit ‘Evaluation of the trainee’ part of the learning agreement to OIP

• Submit “After Mobility” part of LA after getting the required signatures

• Copy of the passport pages that show the entrance and exit dates to the host country

• Complete the 2nd OLS test upon the completion of internship

• Fill online EU Survey: EU Survey is needed to be filled out online. OIP will be sending you the link of the survey through the Mobility Tool.

Recognition of Erasmus+ Internship

IF YOUR INTERNSHIP WILL BE TRANSFERRED AS AN COMPULSORY INTERNSHIP :

• You are advised to get in touch with your faculty before you start your internship in order to register for an internship course at KU before your departure. Please inform OIP if your internship is accepted as “compulsory” by your faculty before starting your internship abroad.

IF YOUR INTERNSHIP WILL BE A VOLUNTARY INTERNSHIP :

• According to the rules of Erasmus+ Program, your mobility must be recognized by Koç University even though it is not a compulsory internship. For that reason, once you finish your internship abroad, OIP will inform the Registrar’s Office about the successful completion of your internship. Registrar’s Office will then take actions to state your Erasmus+ Internship in your Diploma Supplement. Please also check-in with the Registrar’s Office 2-3 months after your return.

Erasmus+ Internship Grant

Overview

The number of grantees is determined by the National Agency in accordance with the grant allocated to the country for the year. Our university will announce the number of grantees for each application round depending on the yearly Erasmus+ Internship budget.

Grants are paid to students in two instalments. 70% of the grant is paid before the mobility, in 30 days following the submission of “before mobility” documents to OIP, and the remaining 30% is paid after the student submits all required documents, depending on the mobility duration as verified by the Certificate of Participation and passport entry/exit dates, and taking into account the student’s level of success and fulfilling their responsibilities. Payments are made in Euros, which requires a Euro bank account in Yapi Kredi Bank.

Grant Amount

IMPORTANT: Companies and institutions in United Kingdom will not be included in the Erasmus+ Internship applications due to UK leaving the Erasmus+ Scheme as a result of Brexit. 

Country Groups Host Countries (2023 Project) Monthly Internship Mobility Grant (€)
1st and 2nd group program
countries
Denmark, Finland,
Ireland, Sweden, Iceland,
Liechtenstein,
Luxemburg, Norway,
Germany, Austria,
Belgium, France, South
of Cyprus, The
Netherlands, Spain, Italy,
Malta, Portugal, Greece
 

750

3rd group program
countries
 

Bulgaria, Czech
Republic, Estonia,
Croatia, Latvia, Hungary,
Macedonia, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia

600

 

Country groups Host Countries (2024 Project) Monthly Internship Mobility Grant (€)
1st and 2nd Group Program Countries Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greek Administration of Southern Cyprus, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Italy Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece 750
3rd Group Program Countries Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye 600

 

Please note that the maximum duration for the grant can be limited based on the budget for the application round. The students will be informed about their grant status when the application results are announced.

 

Erasmus+ Grant for Blended Mobility:

 

1) For Blended mobility with long-term physical presence abroad, the regular Erasmus+ grant amounts will be provided to the participants. (Please see the Erasmus+ grant section)

2) For Blended mobility with short-term physical presence abroad, the following Erasmus+ grant amounts will be provided to the participants

Duration of the physical activity Amount
Up to the 14th day of activity 70 EUR per day
15th to the 30th day of activity 50 EUR per day

 

Grant Deduction and Repayment

Deductions may apply to students who do not fulfil their responsibilities and/or are unsuccessful. Grant deduction may take place in case of the following

• If a student does not stay and work at the host country as a trainee for min. 2 months, then the mobility is considered as invalid and the student has to return the initial grant (70%) to Koç University.

• If a student leaves the host organization/country for more than 7 days (including weekends), student is not paid for that duration. If the student was paid for those days, then he/she is asked to return that amount to Koç University.

• If student does not submit the “Certificate of Participation”, then the mobility is considered as invalid and student has to return the initial grant (70%) to Koç University.

• If a student does not complete the OLS test and/or EU Survey after mobility, 5% deduction on total grant amount is implemented

• If a student returns home country before the end of the traineeship period and/or before the min. required duration (min. 2 months), then sanctions regarding the Erasmus+ grant will be implemented. If there is a “Force Majeure” (mücbir sebep)**, student should immediately get in touch with OIP and OIP will seek Turkish National Agency’s advice and approval on the matter. If Turkish National Agency approves the situation as “compelling”, then OIP will inform student and student will be able to return home before the end of the mobility period. Student will only receive the grant for valid days of mobility. If a student returns home without getting in touch with OIP first, then the mobility will be considered invalid and student will be asked to return the initial grant (70%) back to Koc University. (**Force Majeure (mücbir sebep): Family issues, Health problems, Natural disaster, etc.)

Zero Grant Students

Students are able to participate in Erasmus+ Traineeship program without receiving a grant. However, it should be noted that the student has to go through the same application & selection procedures and also submit the required documents (before-during-after mobility) to OIP.

Erasmus Disability Grant

• Additional grants are available for students with disabilities and health conditions wishing to participate in an Erasmus+ placement and where participation would not be possible without extra financial support.

• The allowance is offered when disabilities or health conditions lead to additional mobility costs, which exceed the maximum grant allocations allowed, and which cannot be recovered from other sources. The grant covers approved actual costs.

• Applications for the Erasmus Disability Grant must be submitted to OIP prior to the start of the mobility.

• Student’s application must include a statement from a doctor or other authority confirming the disability or health condition, its severity, the impact on the Erasmus+ mobility, additional requirements and additional costs to be met. A detailed estimate of costs is required.

• The application should provide information on any other sources of financial support that the student receives and why this is insufficient to cover extra costs.

• If you have any questions please send an e-mail to outgoing@ku.edu.tr

Roadmap for Students with Special Needs

Special Need Support Request Form 

 

Additional Grant Opportunity for Students with Financial Needs

This part is only applicable to students who hold Turkish citizenship

Information is available in Turkish, please contact us if you would require the information in English.

Dezavantajlı katılımcılara, hak ettikleri hibeye ek olarak İlave Hibe Desteği sağlanabilecektir. Söz konusu hibenin verilebilmesi için, dezavantajlı katılımcı, ekonomik ve sosyal açıdan imkânları kısıtlı olan ve aşağıdaki alt kategorilere uyan birey olarak tanımlanmıştır.

1) 2828 sayılı kanuna tabi olanlar (Aile ve Sosyal Hizmetler Bakanlığı tarafından haklarında 2828 sayılı Kanun uyarınca koruma, bakım veya barınma kararı olanlar)

2) 5395 sayılı Çocuk Koruma Kanunu Kapsamında haklarında korunma, bakım veya barınma kararı alınmış öğrencilere

3) Kendilerine yetim aylığı bağlananlar

4) Şehit/Gazi çocukları

5) Kendisine veya ailesine muhtaçlık aylığı bağlananlar (öğrencinin kendisine, anne-babasına veya vasisine Belediyelerden, kamu kurum ve kuruluşlarından (Bakanlıklar, Sosyal Yardımlaşma ve Dayanışma Vakıfları, Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü, Kızılay, AFAD gibi kurumlardan Erasmus başvurusunu yaptığı esnada maddi destek aldığını kanıtlayan bir belge ibraz edilmesi yeterlidir.) Kredi ve Yurtlar Kurumu bursları ve benzeri burslar, başarı bursu niteliğindeki diğer hibe, yardım ve burslar, tek seferlik yardımlar söz konusu maddi yardım kapsamında kabul edilmez. Yukarıdaki kapsama uyan öğrencilere talepleri halinde ve bu durumlarını belgelendirmek kaydıyla, aylık 250 EUR ek hibe almaya hak kazanabileceklerdir.

 

Cancellation

To cancel your application after submitting the Student Commitment Letter, you need to submit the cancellation petition to OIP, by sending their petition in an e-mail to outgoing@ku.edu.tr

You can find the Turkish version here and the English version here.

It should be noted that students who cancel their exchange after the “notice period” provided by OIP right after the announcement of placement results would lose -10 points if they apply for Erasmus+ Program again in the future.

Important Notes & Reminders

• If student has utilized other Erasmus+ activities while pursuing the same degree, total duration of all activities cannot exceed 12 months.

• Students who are selected but not placed in an internship program due to insufficient funds or other reasons do not acquire a “vested right” to be sent the next year. Students are independently reviewed, assessed and selected every time they apply.

• Students may not be selected for an Erasmus+ internship if no host organization is available.

• When a student leaves his/her host institution before the end date and returns with a valid reason, the student will be asked to pay back the amount for the duration between the planned end date and actual return date. The student needs to get in touch with OIP first and the reason will only be considered valid after Turkish National Agency’s approval. In case a student returns before the end date of the program without any valid reason, the student will be asked to pay back the entire amount.

• Students should consult to their academic coordinators if it is possible to substitute the internship with their compulsory internship at Koç. If the internship is recognized as compulsory internship, students should consult to their faculties if they need to select any internship course and get approval from their faculties beforehand.

• If the internship is on voluntary basis, OIP will notify the registrar office about the successfully completion of internship therefore the internship will be stated on the diploma supplement of the student.

• Students are required to obtain Health Insurance, Liability Insurance and Accident Insurance prior to internship

• Students are responsible for passport and visa applications, other procedures for traveling abroad, and finding accommodation.

• Student should apply to Faculty Academic and Administrative Assistants in order to request early final in case exam dates clashes with the internship dates.

How To Find A Position?

It should be noted that students are expected to find their work placements independently. However, you can get help from KuCareerlink.

Click here ,check and see the opportunities by using your KUcareerlink username and password.

Please click here in order to see companies or institutions at which previous participants conducted their internship.

In order to get your CV ready for internship applications, you may get help via www.europass.gov.tr

Contact

For any inquiries regarding exchange programs, please open a track-it by sending an e-mail to outgoing@ku.edu.tr or open a track-it via  https://trackit.ku.edu.tr/

Online Office Hours

You can also contact our Outgoing Student Advisors by booking an appointment on their office hours. You can use audio or video call on Microsoft Teams for advising on exchange programs.
To book an appointment with one of our advisors please click here.