Advice for UK students on studying abroad
UK students studying abroad
Opportunities for work or study abroad as part of a UK degree
If you are studying for a degree in the UK you may be able to study or work in another country as part of your programme, for anywhere from a few weeks to a whole year.
The main routes are:
- study or work abroad for 3-12 months via the ERASMUS programme
- bilateral exchanges between institutions (many universities have long established links with European, US, Canadian and Australian universities, and links with Japan, China and other destinations are increasing)
- language assistantships which allow students (usually of foreign languages) to work in schools abroad for a year
- vacation placements
- The IAESTE scheme is for students of science, technology and engineering degrees. Most placements are from 8- 12 weeks between June and September
- AIESEC facilitates international exchange of thousands of students and recent graduates each year in a range of paid and volunteer placements
- summer schools including language and/or academic studies, for example the UK government funded Study China Programme
The international or study abroad office at your home institution is likely to be the best source of information about what opportunities are available to you.
Study or work abroad sometimes involves an extra year in the degree course, but it need not. European programmes generally require that the work you do abroad should receive full academic recognition from your home institution, and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) has been developed to facilitate this.
If you go abroad on an exchange (including Erasmus) you won't pay fees at the host institution. What's more, the fees you pay to your home institution may be reduced or waived for a period of study or work abroad, for instance from 2013-14 home fee paying students at English universities will pay a maximum of 15% of the tuition fee. Check with your institution to find out what fees would apply to you.
