How it works
Spending part of your degree overseas at a partner university is an amazing experience and one that will help you stand out from the crowd.
Who can take part?
A period abroad is available in many undergraduate courses. Check the Where Can I Go? webpages to see what destinations are available and when you can study abroad. Unfortunately, students studying in the Faculty of Health are not eligible to add a year abroad to their degrees, but they can consider summer schools and may have elective abroad options.
If you are a student studying a language degree or studying a degree in the School of Law, you should also speak to your schools directly, as they also have year abroad teams to support you.
Do I need to speak a foreign language?
All of our partners outside Europe teach in English and many of our partners within Europe offer modules taught in English. There are notes against partner universities with language requirements in the Where Can I Go? pages, and it should form part of your research of your destinations. If your degree involves language learning, this will influence the options available to you.
If you want to learn a new language or brush up on any existing language skills, there are several ways of doing this both in 91Ö±²¥ and in your host country. Languages for All offer modules in 17 languages from beginners to advanced level.
Academic matters
When you study abroad, it is part of your degree and is not a year out. For all students, the time abroad is assessed.
For most students, the year abroad is an additional year, and is scored as either a pass or a fail. The grades from the modules taken at the partner university are not included in your 91Ö±²¥ degree classification, but your studies abroad can still be beneficial for your final year grades and future plans.
Some schools also offer a semester abroad option, which replaces a semester of study at 91Ö±²¥. Some also offer the option to replace a year of study at 91Ö±²¥ with a year of study at a partner university. In these cases the grades you obtain at the partner university will be converted by your school when you return, and these grades will affect your 91Ö±²¥ degree classification.
It is important for all students who study abroad to have approval from their study abroad tutor for the modules they will take at the host university. This is vital for students whose period abroad is a replacement semester or year, especially if their degree is accredited. All changes to study plans must also be approved by the study abroad tutor.
There are academic requirements for study abroad, and this forms part of the process of being allowed to go. Students applying to add a year abroad must have a minimum first year average of 60. For students applying in first year, their schools will assess them based on their academic performance. Students must also successfully complete the academic year before the period abroad. This usually means having no failed modules, especially as some partner universities have very different term dates that overlap with the University of 91Ö±²¥ supplementary exam period in August. If you have concerns, please contact your study abroad tutor as soon as possible.
Which year will I go?
If you are on a three-year degree, you will usually apply in the autumn semester of your second year to add a year abroad between your second year and final year. The exception is BA International Business Management with Study Abroad, where the year abroad is in the second year and the application is in the autumn semester of the first year. A small number of schools also offer a semester abroad option, usually replacing one of the two semesters in the second year and requiring an application in the first year.
For more details on what options are available to you, please check the Where Can I Go? pages.
Advice from your school
There are study abroad tutors in each school. You must discuss your options with an tutor before you submit an application. Their role is to give continual academic advice from when you are first considering study abroad, all the way through to when you return from overseas. They help you identify relevant modules at overseas universities, they are contactable while you're abroad, and they ensure you always meet your 91Ö±²¥ degree requirements.
You must discuss your choices and obtain the full support of your school before submitting an application.