International Office

Mobility Glossary

A

Academic Coordinator: A faculty member responsible for reviewing and approving Study Plans, Learning Agreements, and Credit Recognition. In some faculties, the Academic Coordinator is also the Erasmus Coordinator.

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B

Bachelor's Degree: The first cycle of studies consisting of an organized set of course units, typically comprising 180 to 240 credits and lasting six to eight semesters of full-time study.

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C

Certificate of Stay: Official document signed by the host university specifying the first and last day the student was present at the institution. This document must be submitted by the student within 15 days after the end of the mobility period.

Cooperation Agreement: See Protocol.

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): Developed by the Council of Europe to provide a common basis for developing language curricula, exams, textbooks, and materials. It defines six levels of language proficiency to standardize communication across European education systems. http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp

Course Unit (CU): A teaching and learning unit within a study cycle or program with specific educational objectives, subject to enrolment and assessment, resulting in a final grade.

Credit: A unit of measurement for student workload in all its forms, including lectures, tutorials, internships, projects, fieldwork, self-study, and assessment. At UCP-Porto, one credit corresponds to approximately 27 hours of student work.
Numeric value that represents the workload required from a student to acquire the competencies and achieve the learning outcomes defined for each course unit. This includes:
Number of contact hours in lectures, labs, or fieldwork;
Número de horas destinado a preparação e realização da avaliação no âmbito da unidade curricular em consideração.

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D

Study Plan Document Internal document of each academic unit, related to the academic recognition of courses completed during student mobility and used as the basis for the Study Contract (Learning Agreement).

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E

ECTS Grade: Grade according to the European grading comparison scale.

ECTS - European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System: A system designed to create transparency and facilitate academic recognition by evaluating student workload for course units or academic fields.

Erasmus Mobility Grants for Students: The act of registering for specific course units within a program or cycle of study after being admitted.
Financial Grants awarded to students whose mobility is carried out under the Erasmus Program. The monthly grant amount varies depending on the host country—according to the rules established by the National Agency—and the total grant amount is calculated based on several variables, including previous periods of stay under similar conditions, the level of study, and the proposed period of stay. These are not scholarships. They are intended only to help with additional expenses resulting from studying in another eligible country.

Erasmus Student Charter: Document that defines the rights and duties of the student during the Erasmus mobility period, and which is provided when signing the Erasmus Study Contract.

Erasmus University Charter (EUC): Charter granted to Higher Education Institutions by the European Commission that allows their participation in the Erasmus program.

European Grading Comparison Scale: A percentile-based relative scale proposed by ECTS to compare grades across European higher education systems. It includes five passing grades (A to E) and one failing grade (F):
A – Top 10%
B – Next 25%
C – Next 30%
D – Next 25%
E – Final 10%
F – Fail

ECTS Grading:
A
B
C
D
E
F

Europass: An EU initiative to help individuals present their skills and qualifications clearly and understandably across Europe (EU, EFTA/EEA, and candidate countries). It includes five documents: two self-completed (Europass CV and Europass Language Passport) and three issued by competent institutions (Europass Certificate Supplement, Europass Diploma Supplement, and Europass Mobility). http://europass.socleo.pt.

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F

Freemover in: A student regularly enrolled in another higher education institution who applies directly to UCP-Porto to complete a study period, outside the framework of a mobility program or agreement, and who pays the applicable tuition fees.

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G

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H

Home Institution: The higher education institution where a mobility student is enrolled and registered.

Host Institution: The higher education institution where a mobility student completes their study period under a mobility program and Study Contract, or where a scholarship holder is enrolled.

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I

Incoming Mobility: The movement of students, faculty, researchers, or staff from other institutions to UCP-Porto.

Incoming Mobility Student: A student from another national or international higher education institution completing a study period at UCP for up to one year under a specific agreement or program, with the same rights and responsibilities as a regular UCP student.

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L

Learning agreement (LA): Written document: A commitment between the student — who agrees to study in accordance with the established rules, including assessment — and the institution — which provides teaching and learning conditions to ensure that the intended learning outcomes are achieved within the timeframe outlined in the study plan, leading to the awarding of a degree and its corresponding diploma once the student meets the necessary requirements.

Local Grade: Final grade obtained in a course unit, program, or cycle of study. At UCP-Porto, this is awarded on a 0 to 20 scale.

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M

Master's Degree: The second cycle of studies comprising 90 to 120 credits and typically lasting three to four semesters of full-time study.

Mobility: Mobility: The process of students, teachers, researchers, or staff moving to a host institution without formal attachment. Mobility can serve various purposes depending on the role of the participant.

Mobility Student: A student enrolled in a higher education institution and in a study program, who completes part of that program at another institution.

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N

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O

Outgoing Mobility: The movement of UCP-Porto students, faculty, researchers, or staff to another institution.

Outgoing Mobility Student: A UCP-Porto student completing a study period abroad at another university under cooperation agreements.

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P

Partner University: A higher education institution that has signed a valid cooperation agreement with UCP for student exchange or other collaborative activities.

Protocol: A cooperation agreement between UCP and one or more national or international institutions, signed by responsible parties to collaborate in defined areas. Protocols may include addenda specifying the scope or objectives of the cooperation.

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Q

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R

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S

Student: Any person enrolled in at least one course unit and/or program at UCP.

Study Contract: Written agreement developed for mobility students, aimed at creating a binding commitment among the three parties involved: the home institution, the host institution, and the student, prior to the start of the mobility. The Study Contracts include a list of course units, modules, or other educational components the student intends to take at the host institution, along with course codes and the corresponding ECTS credits or equivalent. The Study Contract, together with the Transcript of Records, ensures full recognition of the study program completed at the host institution. It is the official public version of the study plan, which is an internal working document used as a basis for the Learning Agreement.

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T

Transcript of Records: An official document issued by the host university, containing the student’s academic records and grades earned during the mobility period.

Tuition fee: The fee a student must pay to the higher education institution where they are enrolled.

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U

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V

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X

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Z