How to complete the Learning Agreement

What is the OLA document?

The Online Learning Agreement (OLA) is an electronic document completed via the OLA platform.

However, it may happen that some partner universities have not yet implemented the OLA system. In such cases, the Learning Agreement must be completed in the traditional (paper) format.

Before departure every student is required to prepare the Online Learning Agreement on the platform https://learning-agreement.eu.

Next, the OLA should be submitted electronically to the Faculty Erasmus+ Coordinator at the University of Gdańsk for approval.

In the following step the OLA will be forwarded to the Coordinator at the receiving institution responsible for approving the proposed study program.

How to Properly Complete the OLA Document and Which Subjects to Include?

Students who have been selected for the Erasmus+ program are required to complete a study program corresponding to their field of study/specialisation, as outlined in the Learning Agreement (OLA) and Internal Addendum. These documents must collectively include 30 ECTS credits per semester.

Students going for a semester abroad must ensure that the subjects they select will enable them to earn a total of at least 30 ECTS credits.
Students going for a full academic year must ensure they will earn a total of at least 60 ECTS credits.

Important:

Students are not allowed to choose subjects that they have already completed at the Faculty of Economics.

Passing of general and specialized subjects

In Table A, students should list the courses they will take at the partner institution abroad under the Erasmus+ program. These courses should correspond in content and learning outcomes to those included in the study program at the University of Gdańsk for their field of study. This means that it is advisable to find equivalent courses for both general and specialised subjects.

To ensure completing of the semester, the selected courses must guarantee that the student will earn at least 30 ECTS credits per semester or 60 ECTS credits per academic year at the host institution.

In Table B, students should list the courses they will complete at the Faculty of Economics as part of the mandatory study program at the University of Gdańsk.

Table B and the Internal Addendum must include all courses scheduled in the University of Gdańsk study program for the relevant semester or academic year during which the exchange takes place.

The selection of courses must be discussed and approved by one of the Erasmus+ program coordinators.

Passing of foreign languages at the Faculty of Economics

Each student is required to select a foreign language course that they will complete during their studies. This rule also applies to students who have been selected for an exchange under the Erasmus+ programme.

There are three possible ways to pass foreign language course:

1. Postpone the course to the next semester
   The language course and its final exam should be listed in the Internal Addendum. The student is also required to submit a request to the Deputy Dean for Student Affairs and Education to postpone the course to a later semester.
2. Maintain regular online contact with the language instructor, and take the final exam upon returning
   In this case, the language course should be listed in the Learning Agreement, and the final exam should be listed in the Internal Addendum. Before leaving, the student must contact the language instructor to inform them about the Erasmus+ mobility and discuss whether this option is feasible.
3. Complete the foreign language course at the host institution
   Students can choose any number of foreign language courses during their exchange. However, these courses will be credited by the Faculty of Economics for a maximum of 6 ECTS credits.

Passing of physical education (PE) classes

Physical Education courses do not carry any ECTS credits; however, according to ministerial regulations, students in full-time Bachelor's degree program are required to complete 60 hours of physical education during their studies.

The Physical Education course should be listed in the Internal Addendum. The deadline for completing the course is considered as a declaration to defer the course to the following semester and it obliges the student to complete the course upon returning. There is no need to submit a request to defer the course’s completion.

Passing of the diploma seminar

Students starting their diploma seminar are required to enroll in the seminar.

The diploma seminar is not included in the Learning Agreement, as there is no possibility to take an equivalent course at the host institution.

The seminar should be listed in the Internal Addendum.

Both students starting and continuing their diploma seminar must inform their supervisor about their planned Erasmus+ exchange and:

• Discuss the method of communication (online, platform, etc.) and the requirements for passing the semester.
• Adapt to the supervisor's requirements in order to achieve the expected learning outcomes and semester evaluation.

The seminar does not count towards the total ECTS credits earned during the exchange.

Participation in the Erasmus+ program does not exempt students from submitting their thesis by the deadline specified in the University of Gdańsk Study Regulations.

Passing of elective subjects

Elective courses should be listed in the Learning Agreement. However, for these courses, it is sufficient to enter “Elective Course” instead of specifying the exact course names.

Completing the LA and contacting coordinators
The agreement on the Learning Agreement should only be made during consultations with the coordinators and students must come prepared (consultations are held both in-person and online). This means you should bring a draft of your Learning Agreement and syllabi for the courses you wish to propose as equivalents from the host university. Requests for approval of selected courses in the Learning Agreement sent via email will not be processed without prior consultation.

Due to the numerous mistakes made in the completed OLAs and emails, the following procedure must be followed when preparing the Learning Agreement:

1. Prepare proposed equivalents for the courses you will take (make sure to have the syllabi for the courses you wish to propose as equivalents from the partner university).
    
2. Present your proposal during in-person consultations (or online, by prior arrangement) with one of the Erasmus+ Faculty Coordinators.
    
3. Fill out the OLA only after this consultation.
    
4. Do not send emails requesting a consultation on your Learning Agreement – contact the coordinator during scheduled consultations.
    
5. Email contact (regarding the Learning Agreement) is acceptable only after the consultation if additional clarification is needed.

Contact:
Coordinators at the Faculty of Economics, University of Gdańsk

The Learning Agreement must be approved by one of the Erasmus+ programme coordinators, and then by the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Economics, according to the following deadlines:

• No later than June 15 for students leaving for the winter semester or the entire academic year.
• No later than November 15 for students leaving for the summer semester.