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 but want an opportunity to study or work in another country as part of your programme, you will find an increasingly large range of options are available to you. The European Union has some very large and well established schemes to foster this kind of mobility, such as ERASMUS and LEONARDO. However, there are also other options such as exchanges based on bilateral agreements between institutions. Some opportunities are in the form of study or work placements which form part of your degree programme; others may involve vacation placements or summer schools. The International Office 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.

In addition to the EU programmes, a variety of others exist which enable young people and students to spend time abroad working, studying or taking part in cultural and other events. Some involve exchanges between groups of young people offering accommodation in each other's houses in order to keep costs low. Others offer opportunities for work placements. The IAESTE scheme is for students of science, technology and engineering degrees. Most placements are from 8- 12 weeks between June and September. See www.iaeste.org for contact details. AIESEC facilitates international exchange of thousands of students and recent graduates each year in a range of paid and volunteer placements (see www.aiesec.org).

Where can I get more information?