Guidelines for US Exchanges

Overview:

• The relevance of the researcher’s work at the host university to his/her own research at the EUI is of the utmost importance for the US exchange programmes.
• Any application to one of the universities cited should be submitted with a deep sense of commitment since the exchanges are an integral part of the Institute’s doctoral programme. 
• Applications are for one semester (i.e. four to four and a half months).
• The semester should be chosen carefully to take place in the second or third year of the programme in the light of the progress of one’s thesis and any researcher who will be beyond the third year of study at the time of the exchange is not eligible to apply. 
• Competition is extremely keen. Candidates are therefore encouraged to be precise and exhaustive in their application, and to respect the Institute deadline of 21st January
• Applicants accepted for the programme will also be required to fill in specific forms (information to be supplied by the Academic Service) after the Institute’s Admission Committee’s decision in early February and must start the procedure for obtaining their US visa at the same time.
• When preparing their application, candidates must also bear in mind that their statement of intent and letter of reference will be examined not only by the EUI department and Admissions Committee, but also by a similar faculty or university examining board at the host institution. This means that applications submitted by the EUI may not necessarily be accepted by the US university target department.
• Candidates must submit an application to one U.S. university only.
• Applications will first go to examination by the candidate’s department, then by the EUI Admissions Committee. 
• Criteria for selection for the programme vary amongst departments and prospective applicants should contact their departments for further details on this.
• More generally, admission to the programme hinges very much on a convincing statement of intent from the applicant as well as on a strong letter of support from the researcher’s supervisor.
• Law students’ attention is drawn to the fact that the deadline for presentation of their application is 29th November, and that specific conditions must be fulfilled. Refer to the department’s internal regulations (Guide to the Law Department, Chapter 10).
• The Institute’s decision on the applications is taken by the Admissions Committee at its meeting in early February.
• Generally, by Mid-April or early May the final result is known apart from New York University where participants following the Spring Semester will only be informed in the Autumn.

• If, after approval of the exchange by the Admissions Committee, a researcher wishes to change the period of the visit, s/he must first obtain departmental approval and inform Academic Service. The request for the change of dates will be communicated to the host institution, which must also agree.
• Taking into account the long visa procedures necessary for the visit, researchers who need to change the period of their visit must submit their request within one month of the Admissions Committee decision (i.e. by early March).
• All researchers who participate in the US exchange must have adequate health insurance cover during their stay. Their regular national or private cover is generally not enough to cover them in the USA, and host universities will either refuse to complete registration or bill researchers for the host university health insurance. 
• All researchers, upon return from the US, must submit a short report (3-4 pages) about their stay and the programme. One copy of the report will be kept at Academic Service and one copy will be sent to the relative Head of Department