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Visiting students for internships or research stays

Version in Spanish

Introduction

International students currently enrolled in higher education institutions at Bachelor and Master level can apply for a traineeship (work placement, internship, etc) at the UC through the procedure described in this website. Applicants' home universities should preferably have signed a bilateral agreement with the UC. Non-Erasmus+ applicants may also participate as bilateral agreement students provided they comply with UC's internal regulations. In the absence of a bilateral agreement, applicants will be considered as "visiting students" and admission or exemption of possible academic fees will not be guaranteed.

In all cases, applicants are required to get their acceptance at the desired University Department, Research Institute, School/Faculty or University Service where they have applied for their traineeship prior to submitting their application to the UC International Relations Office (ORI).


Benefits of an exchange abroad

By doing a traineeship at the UC in the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme, of a bilateral agreement or of an international programme, students/interns can improve not only their communication, language and inter-cultural skills, but also soft skills highly valued by future employers, as well as become more entrepreneurial.


Duration

International traineeships at the UC should preferably last from a minimum of 2 months to a maximum of 6 months and should be preferably finished at the latest by 15th September. However, the traineeship tutor may propose to modify, when accepting the intern and prior to his/her arrival, the starting and finishing dates according to the internship's characteristics.


Recognition

Before the traineeship, Erasmus+ interns, their higher education institution and the UC international co-ordinator must sign a Learning Agreement for Traineeships to ensure a transparent and efficient preparation of the exchange (it is recommended as well for bilateral and visiting students). This document sets out rights and responsibilities of all the parties, a detailed programme of the traineeship, information on insurance, and how the traineeship will be recognised upon successful completion.

After successful completion of the traineeship, the UC may produce a Certificate of Attendance and a Certificate of Mobility.


Application Procedure

Academic and Language requirements

Applicants must contact first the UC University Department, Research Institute, School/Faculty or University Service where they intend to carry out their traineeship. This Department, Institute, School/Faculty or Service will be able to establish the academic and linguistic requirements considered necessary for the correct development of the traineeship and will designate a tutor responsible for the trainee in the UC. In general, a minimum level of B1 in Spanish and B2 in English will be required, but some specific areas such as Medicine may demand a good command of Spanish as a compulsory requirement.


Acceptance

The first step in order to get your acceptance is to get a Letter of Commitment (Carta de Compromiso) signed by your traineeship tutor or the person who accepts you as a trainee and the International Relations Co-ordinator (Coordinador/a de RR.II.) corresponding to your academic area. If you are going to carry out your traineeship at a Research Institute, then the Institute's director signature will be required instead of your International Relations Co-ordinator's.

Please remember that your tutor is the person who accepts and supervises your internship and your International Relations Co-ordinator or the Research Institute Director is an academic responsible for approving your learning agreement. It can be the same person or not, depending on your case. Should you require any further information concerning this, please contact the International Relations Office.


Application: compulsory documents and requirements

In order to proceed with the application procedure, once accepted by the Department, Institute, School/Faculty or Service, applicants must send by e-mail the following required documents to the UC International Relations Office (ORI) *:

  • Copy of your Letter of Commitment duly completed and signed.
  • Application Form (impreso de solicitud) (duly completed and signed by all parties: you and your traineeship tutor at the UC).
  • Nomination of your home university stating that you are currently registered in your university and that you have been awarded a traineeship. An e-mail from the relevant office sent directly to our office would also suffice. If your university requires you to get a convention signed, then this nomination is not necessary and it will suffice with your convention.

  • Photocopy of your Passport.
  • Copy of your Learning Agreeement for Traineeships (Acuerdo de Prácticas) duly signed and stamped by you and your home university.
  • Curriculum Vitae. 
  • Photocopy of your European Health Insurance Card, and/or, for students from outside the EU, a documentary evidence in Spanish or English that proves that you have a private medical insurance (in that case this information is required: name and surname, number of policy, duration of insurance –for the entire stay- and covered guarantees –medical expenses, repatriation and civil liability-). This document can be issued by an insurance company if it is contracted by the student directly or by the home university if it has a policy for its students.
  • Copy of your Civil liability insurance (this document can also be issued by an insurance company if it is contracted by the student directly or by the home university if it has a policy for its students.)
  • Personal data consent.


(*) Exclusively for trainees in the area of Medicine and Nursing: Medical and nursing students must send by e-mail all these documents above, together with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate with one of the vaccines accepted by the scientific community, directly to this e-mail address instead.


Deadline

Applications should be submitted at least two months before the planned start date of the traineeship. Please note that certain Faculties/Schools may have their own deadlines and non-eligible periods for internships.


Beginning and end of stay

Upon arrival you are requested to visit the ORI (Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales) from Monday to Friday and from 10 am to 1 pm in order to submit your original documents if needed or to complete your application in case there are some documents pending to be submitted. Moreover, you will receive a certificate of arrival. The arrival date written in the certificate will be the same as the day you come to the office for the first time provided that you have completed the application procedure.

Once your traineeship is over, please visit again the ORI the last working day that you are going to stay in Santander to request your Certificate of Attendance. It is recommended that you report your visit by e-mail a few days before your departure so that you can have your document(s) on time.


Practical information

Legal aspects


Accommodation


Welcome and Orientation Programme

With the aim of facilitating the integration of all students and, as a first contact with the UC, Santander and Cantabria, the Vice-Rectorate for Internationalization and Co-operation organizes a Welcome and Orientation Programme that includes a Mentoring Programme.

important: this activity is only available at the beginning of each semester, students interested should consult the dates of celebration as well as the application deadlines.


Medical assistance and emergencies

We hope you don't need to use this information, but in case you need to, you can Check this summary.


UC e-mail account and UC smart card (TUI)

If the period of your stay is higher than two months, you can have access to a UC email account and you can apply for the UC University Smart Card (TUI).


Santander and Cantabria


How to get to UC

Page #56 of the UC International Students Guide offers information on the different alternatives that exist to get to Santander. Once in the city, you can choose to use the Santander Urban Transport Service (TUS) to get around.


Student associations


UC Regulations (in Spanish)


Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales (ORI)
Universidad de Cantabria
Facultad de Económicas y Derecho, 1ª planta
Avda. de los Castros s/n. 39005 Santander (Cantabria) - España
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