MU Directive No. 8/2011
Rules for Recognition of Results of Study Periods and
Work Placements of Masaryk University Students Abroad
(in the wording effective from 1 September 2011)
In accordance with Section 10(1) of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., On Higher Education
Institutions and on Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (Higher Education Act), I
issue this Directive:
Section 1
Subject of Regulation
This Directive regulates the procedure of recognition of courses and credits obtained
during short-term study and work placements1
abroad of Masaryk University (hereinafter
referred to as “MU”) students.
Study Periods Abroad
Section 2
Principle of Recognition of Short-Term Study Abroad
1) A study period abroad may only take place on the basis of a Learning Agreement.
2) The below documents, issued and confirmed by the institution abroad where the
study took place, form a basis for the recognition of study abroad:
- Learning Agreement (see Section 3)
- Transcript of Records
- Confirmation of Study Period
Section 3
Learning Agreement
1) The Learning Agreement specifies the titles of courses to be studied at an institution
abroad, including the number of credits awarded (according to ECTS, or the system
used by the receiving institution) and the method of recognition at MU (see Section
4).
2) The Learning Agreement must be signed before the departure to the study period
abroad.
3) The Learning Agreement is concluded by and between the student, MU, and the
receiving institution.
4) The Learning Agreement is signed on behalf of MU by a person authorized by the
dean (hereinafter referred to as the “Authorized Person”), the mobility programme
coordinator at the Centre for International Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as
the “CIC”) in case the programme is administered by the CIC, or the head of the
unit or an employee authorized by the head of the unit which is in charge of
international relations at the faculty concerned (in all other cases).
5) The Learning Agreement may be amended upon agreement of the contracting
parties in the course of the study period. All amendments to the Learning
1
Short-term study period / work placement abroad = a period longer than 14 days
Agreement shall be made in writing and signed by all the contracting parties. The
deadlines for amendments may be determined by the mobility programme.
6) By the signature of the Learning Agreement, the Authorized Person confirms that
he/she agrees with the student’s study plan and that the courses specified in the
Learning Agreement shall be recognized by MU upon arrival, provided they were
successfully passed at the institution abroad.
7) A period abroad whose content is work on a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or doctoral thesis
is considered a study period and shall be organized on the basis of a Learning
Agreement.
Section 4
Method of Recognition of Study Abroad
1) Study abroad must be fully recognized to the student on the basis of the Learning
Agreement, i.e. all courses specified in the Learning Agreement, approved by MU
and the receiving institution, must be fully recognized.
2) The student is entitled to apply for a “course for course” recognition. This method
applies to compulsory courses and selective courses (in Czech: povinně volitelné). If
the student wishes to obtain the “course for course” recognition, he/she must
submit all documents required by MU.
3) In case the student does not apply for the “course for course” recognition, all
courses and credits shall be recognized in accordance with the Learning Agreement
and Transcript of Records issued and confirmed by the institution abroad. Such
courses shall be recognized as selective (povinně volitelné) or elective (volitelné).
4) The method of recognition of individual courses must be stipulated in the Learning
Agreement.
5) In case the “course for course” recognition under Section 4(2) applies, the course
shall be recognized under the MU study plan, i.e. the number of credits shall be
assigned according to the credit value of the course in the MU study plan. Course
grading shall be recognized in accordance with the grading obtained abroad.
6) In case the recognition under Section 4(3) applies, the grading together with the
credit value (if ECTS is used) of the course shall be recognized. The credit value
must not be decreased or increased. This does not apply to credits with a decimal
place, where rounding-off is recommended.
7) In case the institution abroad does not use ECTS, grades and credits to be
recognized shall be calculated according to a conversion table, which must be
attached to / incorporated in the Transcript of Records. In other cases, grading and
number of credits to be recognized shall be decided by the Authorized Person.
8) Processing an application for the recognition of courses and credits awarded during
study abroad is contingent on recording the study period in the MU Information
System (hereinafter referred to as the “IS”) under Section 8 hereof.
Section 5
Conditions of Recognition of Study Abroad
1) The student participating in a study period abroad must obtain the minimum
number of credits stipulated by the mobility programme and by the MU Study and
Examination Regulations in the course of the study abroad.
2) If the condition of the minimum number of credits is set, its fulfilment is assessed
primarily according to the Transcript of Records confirmed by the institution abroad
or according to the number of recognized credits.
Work Placements and Other Traineeships Abroad
Section 6
Principle of Recognition of Short-Term Work Placement Abroad
1) A short-term work placement abroad may only take place on the basis of an
agreement on the work plan (hereinafter referred to as the “Training Agreement” or
“Work Plan”).
2) The Work Plan and confirmation on the work placement, its results and length – the
Confirmation of Placement Period, issued by the receiving institution abroad, forms
the basis for the recognition of credits obtained for such placement.
Section 7
Work Plan
1) The Work Plan must contain at least the following information:
- length of work placement
- job description
- expected outcomes (new knowledge, skills and competences)
2) The Training Agreement must be concluded before the student’s departure to the
work placement abroad.
3) The Training Agreement is concluded by and between the student, MU, and the
receiving institution.
4) The Work Plan is signed on behalf of MU by a person authorized by the dean, the
mobility programme coordinator at the CIC in case the programme is administered
by the CIC, or the head of the unit or an employee authorized by the head of the
unit which is in charge of international relations at the faculty concerned (in all
other cases).
5) The Work Plan may be amended upon agreement of the contracting parties in the
course of the work placement. All amendments to the Work Plan shall be made in
writing and signed by all the contracting parties. The deadlines for amendments
may be determined by the mobility programme.
6) Upon fulfilment of the approved Work Plan by the student, the work placement shall
be recognized either in the form of credits or through an entry to the Diploma
Supplement, or in both ways. The method of recognition may be determined by the
mobility programme.
7) In case credits are awarded for the work placement, the information about the
number of credits to be awarded to the student for the work placement shall be part
of the Work Plan.
8) In case the work placement is recognized by the award of credits, their number
shall be decided by the Authorized Person. The number of credits should correspond
to the length of the work placement and demands of the Work Plan.
9) By signing the Work Plan, the Authorized Person confirms that he/she agrees to the
Work Plan and that the student shall obtain the given number of credits if the Work
Plan is fulfilled.
10) Credits for the work placement may be recognized as compulsory, selective, or
elective.
11) Processing an application for the recognition of credits awarded during the work
placement is contingent on recording the work placement in the IS under Section 8
hereof.
Common Provisions
Section 8
Records of Study Periods and Work Placements in the MU Information System
1) Each student who took part in a study period or work placement abroad in the
duration of more than 14 days, shall record the period/placement in the IS. Any
proposals for an amendment shall be submitted to the IS by the student prior to the
departure abroad; the amendment is then confirmed by the Office for Studies on the
basis of the Learning Agreement / Training Agreement that is either complete or at
least signed by MU (see Sections 3 and 7).
2) In case the student takes part in a two-semester study period or work placement
abroad, he/she shall be enrolled at MU also in the semester following the semester of
the beginning of the period/placement, although according to the study records
he/she has not met the preconditions for enrolment in the next semester under the
MU Study and Examination Regulations. The student shall subsequently submit all
documents proving the entitlement to such enrolment.
3) Study periods / work placements abroad are recorded in accordance with the
methodological instruction of the CIC Director.
Section 9
Recognition Procedure
1) If required by the mobility programme concerned, each student who took part in a
study period or work placement abroad in the duration of more than 14 days shall
submit an application for recognition of courses/credits from the study period or work
placement after return from abroad, no later than within 30 days of the receipt of
Transcript of Records or Confirmation of Placement Period.
2) The courses and credits must be recognized without undue delay, however, no later
than within 3 months of submitting the application for recognition of the study period
or work placement abroad.
3) Credits awarded for the study period or work placement abroad shall be included into
the total number of credits which constitute the precondition for enrolment in the next
semester, and they shall also be recorded for the purposes of assessment whether
the minimum credit value of studies has been achieved.
4) The courses/credits must be recognized for the semester in which the study period or
work placement took place. In exceptional cases, the courses/credits may be
recognized for the semester immediately preceding or following the study period or
work placement, or to another semester in case the courses/credits are recognized in
the “course for course” method.
5) The student submits the application for recognition of courses/credits from the study
period or work placement through the IS application. The application is processed by
the Office for Studies on the basis of a signed Learning Agreement (and all its
amendments – see Section 3(5), Transcript of Records and Confirmation of Study
Period in the case of a study period, or a signed Training Agreement (and all its
amendments – see Section 7(5) and Confirmation of Placement Period in the case of a
work placement.
6) The application for recognition of courses/credits from the study period or work
placement abroad is processed in accordance with the methodological instruction of
the CIC Director.
Section 10
Student Charter
1) Each student taking part in a short-term study period or work placement abroad shall
obtain the Student Charter for study periods and work placements abroad.
2) The Student Charter contains basic rights and obligations of students on short-term
study periods or work placements abroad.
Section 11
Final Provisions
1) I authorize the Vice-Rector in charge of study affairs in Bachelor’s and Master’s
degree programmes to interpret the individual provisions hereof.
2) The compliance with this Directive shall be inspected by the CIC Director, and the
head of the Office for Studies at the Rector’s Office of Masaryk University.
3) This Directive shall enter into effect on 1 September 2011.
In Brno on 30 August 2011
Petr Fiala
Rector