International Exchanges

USI has cooperation agreements in the field of mobility with more than 80 institutions abroad and with all the other Swiss universities. The Bachelor in Communication encourages the mobility of its students because immersing themselves in other linguistic and cultural contexts and discovering different academic realities helps to strengthen their education, open new horizons and develop interests and reflections.

The Bachelor in Communication offers three types of international exchange:

• "Double degree" with the University of Pisa - Students who attend the fifth semester at the University of Pisa and follow an ad hoc programme will, at the end of the course, obtain not only the USI Bachelor's degree but also the University of Pisa's Bachelor's degree in Performing Arts and Communication (B.Sc.).
  This programme is addressed specifically to students enrolled in the Bachelor in Communication, Specialisation in Culture and Communication Technologies.

• "Structured exchanges" - "Packaged" exchanges, where the student follows a pre-established study plan and does not have to deal with the equivalences between the courses provided in USI and those of the host university. These are exchanges with some renowned universities with the aim of developing "dialogue" training programmes, i.e. designed to have a complete pedagogical integration between the courses provided by the two universities.

  • ICSE Programme with Hanken School of Economics – The ICSE programme with Hanken School of Economics and the Faculty of Economics at USI is focused on Intercultural Communication and Sustainable Economics with a special focus on sustainability in business. Students become capable of understanding the economic, societal, and environmental impact of their decisions and gain key skills that will integrate international agility with a firm grounding in the local context. Courses, workshops and other training activities put a premium on problem-solving skills, intercultural competence and extramural exposure to professional work environments. Programme admission is on a competitive basis and students from USI receive a scholarship to participate in ICSE and join students from Hanken School of Economics to study for a semester (their 5th) in Finland. All courses are taught in English and are recognized by both universities as an integral part of USI’s bachelor degree.
    This exchange programme is addressed specifically to students enrolled in the Bachelor in Economics, Management stream, and students enrolled in the Bachelor in Communication, Specialisation in Business, Markets and Society.
  • Media, Management and Technology programme with Shenzhen University –This programme is in partnership with Shenzhen University (SZU), China. USI students will spend their sixth semester (February to June) at Shenzhen University, which is located in the city’s high-tech industrial park, surrounded by emerging tech companies like Huawei and Tencent. The program offers a unique opportunity to USI students as they can learn about a fast-growing country like China, understand Chinese companies in the field of media and communication technology, interact with peers from SZU and other international students. In particular, problems and opportunities offered by digitization, media convergence, globalization, data security, integration of digital markets and competition for technological power will be discussed. Students choose up to 27 ECTS courses in English offered by Shenzhen University and recognized by both universities.
    This exchange programme is addressed specifically to students enrolled in the Specialisation in Media and Journalism.

Free Exchanges 

Partner Universities Portal

• Students who opt for a free exchange must select courses offered by the host university based on three specific areas, which vary depending on their specialisation.
   
  • Students enrolled in the Business, Markets, and Society specialisation will need to complete a total of 30 ECTS credits in courses belonging to the following areas:
    

    Area	ECTS
    Methodologies	6 ECTS
    Marketing and communication	12 ECTS
    Electives/Skills	12 ECTS
    Total	30 ECTS

     

  • Students enrolled in the Media and Journalism specialisation must complete a total of 30 ECTS credits in courses belonging to the following areas:
    

    Area	ECTS
    Methodologies	6 ECTS
    Media studies	12 ECTS
    Electives/Skills	12 ECTS
    Total	30 ECTS

     

  • Students enrolled in the Culture and Communication Technologies specialisation must complete a total of 30 ECTS credits in courses belonging to the following areas:
    

    Area	ECTS
    Audiovisual (cinema, television, music, photography)	9 ECTS
    Humanities (theatre, literature, history, arts, etc.)	9 ECTS
    Electives/Skills	9 ECTS
    Total	27 ECTS