The School of Mathematics & Statistics maintains an Erasmus Programme under bilateral agreements with more than twenty-five Universities throughout Europe. Students on the four-year MMath programme may spend one or two semesters in one of these Universities and more information is givenhere. Under this programme some twenty to thirty students from all over Europe come to Sheffield for one or two semesters to take courses in Mathematics & Statistics. Information for incoming students from our Partner Universities to Sheffield is given below. You should read this first and then supplementary information given on the University's general pages here.

Erasmus students coming to Sheffield under bilateral agreements with other departments (e.g. with Engineering or Economics) who wish to take some courses from the School of Mathematics & Statistics will find information here.

Applications to come to Sheffield should be made on the standard University application form available at a password-protected website. Passwords will be advised once the nomination by your home Erasmus Tutor has been received and approved. Students should contact their home Erasmus Tutor to arrange this.
Applications should be received by the middle of June for Semester 1 entry and by the middle of October for Semester 2 entry.
Applications for entry should NOT be sent before 1 May, as updated course details are not available until that date.

Sums are not set as a test on Erasmus

General Information

Most students come to Sheffield for two semesters; some for only one. If you plan to come for only one semester then it is strongly recommended that you should come in Semester 1 and not Semester 2 since many courses in Semester 2 depend on material in Semester 1. For copies of a presentation about studying Mathematics & Statistics in Sheffield under the Erasmus scheme click here.

In summary, the procedure if you want to come to Sheffield is for your Erasmus Tutor in your home University to confirm your official web-based nomination to the International Exchanges Unit in Sheffield and for you to complete a personal application and provisional module choice form available on a special web site. You will be sent an address and password for this web site once your nomination has been approved.

You will then be sent details of accommodation and you should apply for this quickly. You should discuss the modules you will take in Sheffield with your Tutor in your own University. Links to details of our courses are given below and there are timetables which you should check to make sure that you can take the combination of courses that you want to. Note that you should not write direct to the International Exchanges Unit and you cannot apply for accommodation until you have been accepted by the University of Sheffield. Further details of these steps are given below.

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Application Procedure

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Closing Dates

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Semester Dates

Dates of Standard Semesters - 2011/12

Autumn Semester

Spring Semester

A standard course over one semester has two lectures each week (plus tutorial times) and carries ten credits in the Sheffield system which is equivalent to five ECTS credits. Exceptions are the courses MAS360, MAS412, MAS435, MAS436 which run for two semesters and can only be taken by students who are here for a complete academic year.

It is strongly advised that you register for exactly ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY Shefield credits if staying for two semesters or SIXTY credits if staying for only one. Typically this is SIX standard courses per semester. In exceptional circumstances it may be possible to register for fifty credits in one semester and seventy in the other if you are staying for both semesters. If your home University requires you to take fewer credits than this you must bring with you an offical letter saying this (written in English). The MINIMUM requirements are 40 credits if you are here for one semester or 100 credits if you are here for a full year. You must register for courses in both semesters when you arrive in Sheffield if you plan to stay for both semesters.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU REGISTER FOR MORE THAN 60 CREDITS IF YOU ARE HERE FOR ONLY ONE SEMESTER
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU REGISTER FOR MORE THAN 120 CREDITS IF YOU ARE HERE FOR TWO SEMESTERS

A central registration meeting for all Erasmus students is held in the week before the beginning of each semester. It is very important that you have arrived in Sheffield in time for this meeting and other pre-sessional orientation events. Further details are given on the International Exchanges Unit website.

Most students coming to Sheffield take courses from our Level 3/4 BSc/MMath programme. A .pdf version of the booklet describing the programmes with full details of the courses is available here (550KB). Note that not all combinations of courses are available; some lectures are deliberately scheduled to take place at the same times. We hope that the impossible combinations are ones that would be unlikely to be chosen. Details of which courses are blocked together are given in the booklet and are available separately in the timetable here.
Some students wish to take courses from our Level 2 programme. Details of these courses are given in a booklet available in .pdf format here (340KB). Note that is is particularly difficult to combine Level 2 and Level 3/4 courses in the same subject since many have lectures at the same time (i.e. it is difficult to take both Level 2 and Level 3/4 Statistics courses, but it may be possible to take Level 2 Statistics and Level 3/4 Pure Mathematics. If you want to take Level 2 as well as Level 3/4 courses you must check that the timetable is possible.
The (provisional) level 2 and Level 3/4 timetables are available here. In these W11, for example, means Wednesdays at 11:00.
We do not usually let students take courses from Level 1 as well as courses from Level 2 or Level 3/4. Students wishing to take such a combination should contact the Erasmus Tutor in the Departments concerned.
We will not let you register for courses which have lectures or tutorials at the same times.

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Project Courses

The Level 4 courses MAS400, MAS406, MAS408, MAS409 can be taken to provide opportunities for project work for students who are in Sheffield at different times, if they have suitable prior experience. MAS407 is not available to Erasmus students. MAS408 (10 credits) and MAS409 (20 credits) are special courses for Erasmus students only. They do not appear in the Level 3/4 handbook, but are described in the Directory of Modules available here. The rules for Erasmus students differ from those for ordinary Sheffield students and are summarized below:

For students visiting for a full year
MAS400 (10 credits) + MAS406 (30 credits)

For students visiting for Semester 1 only
MAS400 (10 credits) + MAS408 (10 credits)

For students visiting for Semester 2 only
MAS409 (20 credits) if their prior knowledge of written and oral presentation is sufficient.

As for MAS360 (see above), training in use of appropriate mathematical and statistical packages will be assumed, so these courses are not available to students without the necessary background.

Students should note that there are a limited number of projects and so it is NOT possible to guarantee that students will be able to take project modules. If no project is available, students must change to lectured modules instead. Students should also note that these projects involve extended writing in English. Students without high level language skills might find lectured courses more suitable.

If you intend to take any of the Level 4 project courses MAS400, MAS406, MAS408 or MAS409 then you must contact the Erasmus Tutor Dr Eleanor Stillman as soon as possible, preferably before the end of June. It is possible that there will be information on specific project topics and you may be required to select a topic before you come to Sheffield.

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Examinations

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English Courses

An alternative or additional facility is provided by the Modern Languages Teaching Centre. This is available to native speakers of French, German, Spanish and Italian. You are paired with a native English speaker and you meet once or more a week to have conversations in each other's language - one hour in English and another hour in your own language. The courses are structured and monitored and carry 10 Sheffield credits. Topics for conversation, diaries etc are provided by the MLTC; for part of the assessment your meetings are recorded (on tape and on video). Further details of these Tandem Courses are given here. We strongly recommend that you take one of these courses because we have seen how useful they are, both to you and to our own students who would be your partners. If we know in advance that you are interested in taking a Tandem course then we will try to find a partner from the Mathematics and Statistics students, possibly one who is planning to come to your University the following year. However, it is not possible to guarantee that there will be a partner available wishing to learn your language so it is necessary to register with the Modern Languages Teaching Centre in person when you arrive in Sheffield. Partners for tandem courses are allocated on a 'first come - first served' basis. Unfortunately, every year some of our visiting students are disappointed because there is no available tandem partner for them.

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Erasmus Students from Other Departments

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Visiting Students

Registration of modules

• When do I register for the modules I will take?
  Your formal registration with the University for modules in both semesters will be during Intro Week, the week before the first semester. If you only come to Sheffield in Semester 2 then registration will be in the week before the start of Second Semester.
• What is the purpose of the Module Choices Form that I must submit together with my Erasmus Application Form?
  It is helpful to us to know how many students are expected on each module so we can plan appropiately sized Lecture Theatres etc. The Module Choice Form does not commit you absolutely to taking exactly those modules.
• Do I need to sign a formal Learning Agreement?
  No, The University of Sheffield does not require you to sign a formal Learning Agreement.
  However, you should obtain the agreement of your own home University as to the modules you take in Sheffield and we are willing to sign an agreement if your Home University requires this, subject to the warning that we cannot guarantee until the start of the semester that you will actually be able to do the courses specified in the Agreement.
• If my home University requires a Learning Agreement who will sign it in Sheffield?
  The Erasmus Tutor within SoMaS who has responsibility for maintaining tne bilateral link with your home University and Department, i.e. Dr Eleanor Stillman.
• Why can you not guarantee until the start of the semester that I will actually be able to do the courses specified in the Agreement?
  Because some courses may have to be cancelled at short notice because a lecturer is unavailable (this is extremely rare) or because the number of places on the course are limited and other students have priority. Examples in this category are the Tandem Learning Courses.
• Can I change the modules I have chosen after registration?
  You can change your modules up until the end of the third week of the Semester provided you have the permission of the various lecturers and tutors concerned (including both the Erasmus tutor and your home tutor).
• How do change my choice of modules?
  You should obtain an 'Add/Drop Form' from SoMaS Reception (on G Floor) or the SSiD Desk in the Union.
• Can I register for SoMaS courses with numbers such as MAS6***?
  No. Within SoMaS courses you should select courses with numbers MAS4**, MAS3** or MAS2** which are level 4, level 3 and level 2 courses respectively. Courses which are labelled MAS6*** are postgraduate courses, typically postgraduate version of MAS4** or MAS3** courses, and are available only to postgraudate research students. If you want to take a level 1 courses (MAS1**) then you must contact the Erasmus tutor.
• How many credits should I register for?
  You normally register for precisely 60 credits if you are here for one semester and 120 credits if here for two semesters. If you are here for two semesters then you should register for 60 credits in each semester. In exceptional circumstances and only with the permission of both the Erasmus Tutor and your home tutor, you may be allowed to register for a 70/50 or a 50/70 split between the semesters.
  With written permission from your home Erasmus Tutor you may be permitted to take fewer credits (particularly if you are also required to take some credits at your home university). The MINIMUM requirements are 40 credits if you are here for one semester or 100 credits if you are here for a full year.
• Can I take more than 60 credits if I am here for only one semester?
  NO.
• Can I take more than 120 credits?
  NO.
• Can I register for courses where there is a timetable clash (i.e. two lectures or a lecture and a tutorial class scheduled to take place at the same time) by arranging to do the necessary work independently?
  No.
• Can I register for courses where there is a timetable clash by arranging to do the necessary work independently and by obtaining the agreement of the lecturers concerned?
  No, not even then.
• Is it my own responsibility to check the timetable and make sure that I do not have a timetable clash?
  Yes.
• What will happen if I have already registered for two courses which involves a timetable clash?
  Your registration for one of the courses will be cancelled.

  Tandem and Other Modules outside SoMaS

• How do I arrange to take a Tandem Learning module?
  You must see the Modern Languages Teaching Centre representative at the regbistration meeting in Sheffield to register
  but if you include this module on your Module Choice Form then we will inform the MLTC and we hope they will reserve a partner for you.
• Can it be guaranteed that I can take a Tandem Learning Module?
  No.
• When will I know that I can take a Tandem Learning Module?
  After you have contacted the Modern Languages Teaching Centre after you have arrived in Sheffield and they have confirmed that you have been accepted.
• Can I make arrangements before I come to Sheffield to take a Tandem Learning Module?
  NO.
• Can I take modules in Computer Science or Economics or any other subject outside the School of Mathematics & Statistics?
  You may be allowed to take a maximum of two ten-credit modules per semester in other subjects. Note that the MLTC is counted as a department outside the School of Mathematics & Statistics..
• How do I arrange to take a module in another subject?
  You must see the Departmental representative at the registration meeting when you arrive in Sheffield. That Department may (and often does) say No, they will not accept you.
• Can the SoMaS Erasmus tutors provide details and timetables of courses in Departments outside SoMaS?
  No.

  Certificates of Attendance

• Are Certificates of Attendance provided?
  When you arrive we can provide a letter stating that you are a visiting Erasmus student in SoMaS and which gives the dates of of your registration period. This is intended for use when you open bank accounts, arrange accommodation etc, especially before you get your official student card. If your home university requires a form to be signed then we will sign that as well. We do not provide a final certificate of attendance but we can sign one if your university requires it.

  Examinations

• How will I get my examination results?
  Results for modules in SoMaS are posted on notice boards on Floor H near the School Office about 3 weeks after the last examination in each semester. The list gives Registration (U-Card) Numbers only and not your names. Some time later, you will be able to check your own results on the web. Additionally, the University will send results of examinations in all modules you have taken to you by post to your home address (i.e. the address you gave when you first applied to Sheffield to come as an Erasmus student). This is the Official Transcript of your results. If at some later time you require a further copy of the transcript then you will need to write to the University and they will charge a fee.
• Can I arrange for the results to be posted to any other address?
  Yes, but only by arrangement with the international Exchanges Unit. They will supply details of how to do this during the year.
• Can I change the address the University uses as my Home address?
  This is not recommended. You should choose and address that will be available for the complete period you are in Sheffield and later until at least August after you leave. You should arrange for mail to be forwarded on to you if necessary.
• Can I arrange for the Erasmus Tutors to send my examination results by phone, email or post to either me or my tutors in my Home University?
  No, the University sends your examination results to you and not to your tutors (neither the Erasmus nor your Home University).
  It is your responsibility to present the University of Sheffield transcript to your Home University Tutor.
• Can I take a dictionary to the examinations?
  Yes, but you MUST take the dictionary to the Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) in the Students' Union for authorization before the beginning of the examinations.
• Are all examinations 'Open Book'?
  No. Generally, most (but not all) Statistics examinations are 'Open Book' but no others, apart from project courses which have no examinations.You should check with individual lecturers at the start of each module.
• What does 'Open Book' mean?
  You are allowed to take into the examination any lecture notes (both printed notes distributed to classes and notes you have made yourself) and exercises sheets and solutions. You may not take any books (Statistical Tables are provided for you).

  Non-Partner Universities

• Can I come to Sheffield as an Erasmus student to take a full programme in Mathematics & Statistics if my University has no bilateral agreement in Mathematics or Statistics with the University of Sheffield?
  In general, no it is not possible but a possible exception is when your University has a bilateral agreement with the University of Sheffield covering some other subject area (e.g. Chemistry or History...). In this case you will need to obtain the agreement of the Departments covering that subject area in both Universities. You should contact the International Office in your own University to discover what subject areas are covered by bilateral agreements with Sheffield.
• Can I come to Sheffield outside the Erasmus scheme?
  Yes, you can come as a Visiting Student by paying tuition fees, see here for details.

  Bilateral Agreements

• What is a bilateral agreement?
  It is a formal agreement between two EU University departments in different EU countries to permit exchanges of a specified number of students for a specified total number of 'student x months'
  studying subjects in a specified field of study.
• Who establishes and signs bilateral agreements in Sheffield?
  The Erasmus tutor signs all such agreements, i.e. Dr Eleanor Stillman. In other Unviersties bilateral agreements may be signed by the International Office or even by the Rector but in Sheffield this responsibility is devolved to Departmental Socrates/Erasmus Tutors.
• Do Sheffield bilateral agreements in Mathematics cover Informatics or Computer Science?
  No. Our agreements cover only Mathematics and Statistics (subject areas 11.1 and 11.2). Computer Science is within a different Faculty.
• Is it possible for more students than are specified in the bilateral agreement to come to Sheffield under Erasmus?
  No. The total number of 'students' and 'student x months' may not be exceeded. If more students than this, or if a student wishes to stay for longer than specified in the agreement (e.g. an additional semester), then that student must register as a visiting student and tuition fees are required.

  Non-EU Nationals

• I am not a national of an EU-Member state.
  Can I come to Sheffield under an Erasmus agreement?
  Yes. If you are registered as a full-time student in a University that has a bilateral
  mobility agreement with Sheffield and if your University nominates you under this
  agreement to come to Sheffield then we will accept you.
  There is nothing in the general Erasmus regulations that restricts the scheme to EU nationals,
  the key criterion is that you are a full-time registered student of a university that has an agreement with Sheffield.
  However, some of our partner Universities may interpret the Socrates/Erasmus regulations
  differently so you should check your eligibility with the International Office of your home University.
• Will I need a UK visa if I am a non-EU national and come to Sheffield under an Erasmus agreement?
  In general, Yes. You should check your visa requirements before you commit yourself
  to coming to Sheffield. See here for guidance and it is advisable to arrange an appopintment in person at your local UK Embassy, Consulate or High Commission, preferably in the EU country of your University.
• Can I come as a visiting student to Sheffield if I do not hold EU nationality?
  Yes. However, note that the information on the visiting student page is specific to EU nationals.
  In particular, note that the fees for non-EU nationals are substantially higher
  for non-EU nationals (about GBP1000 per module of 10 credits or GBP13,000
  for a full two-semester programme of twelve modules or 120 credits).
  If you are a non-EU national then you should check the UK Visa requirements.
  See here for guidance and it is advisable to arrange an appopintment in person at your
  local UK Embassy, Consulate or High Commission, preferably in the EU country of your University.
  Although the minimum number of credits for which you may register is 10
  if you require a UK visa this is unlikely to be granted unless you register for
  a full-time programme of study, i.e 60 credits [six modules] for one semester
  or 120 credits [twelve modules] for two semesters.

  Accommodation

• How do I arrange accommodation?
  Links are provided above to Accommodation Services and other information.
• Can I apply for accommodation on-line?
  Yes, but you will need your applicant number which will be sent to you by the Admissions Office (it is not included in the information from the Accommodation Office).
• Can the SoMaS Erasmus Tutors help with problems with accommodation?
  Accommodation problems are outside the expertise of the Erasmus Tutors
  and you are best advised to go to the Student Services Information Desk as the first step.
  In particular, the Erasmus Tutors cannot provide you with any documents to support a case for you to break any contract you have signed regarding accommodation, e.g. if you have to go home early or stay longer.

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Sums are not set as a test on Erasmus
sumsarE no tset a sa tes ton era smuS

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Department of Probability and Statistics		School of Mathematics and Statistics

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This page is maintained by the Dr Nick Fieller and was last updated on 15 June 2010.