Short-term options: Study Abroad and Exchange

There are two ways of studying in Australia or New Zealand as part of a UK or Irish degree - Study Abroad and Exchange

STUDY ABROAD

Study Abroad allows UK and Irish university students to enrol at an Australian or New Zealand university for one or two semesters, and transfer the academic credit they earn back to their home degree. 

How does Study Abroad work?

You choose the overseas university you want to go to, and shortlist the courses you’d like to take there.

Make sure you discuss your plans with an advisor at your home university before making your application, so that you are clear on exactly what subjects they require you to cover during your time away. Then, choose your Study Abroad courses carefully, making sure they meet the requirements of your home degree. When the Australian or New Zealand university confirm which of your course choices have been approved, we’d advise you to confirm with your UK university that they will be transferable to your home degree.

This may sound like a lot of pre-planning, but having your home university approve your study plan in advance means you can head off overseas safe in the knowledge that the courses you take are definitely going to be credited to your home degree when you get back. So you get all the advantages of studying abroad, but can still finish a degree in the time originally planned.

 

What’s good about Study Abroad?

It allows you to incorporate an overseas study experience into your degree, and can add real breadth to your studies. Choose courses that may not be available at your home university, or which are taught from a different perspective, to take full advantage of the opportunity. It also gives you all the benefits of studying abroad – the chance to experience a different culture; make yourself and your CV stand out from the crowd; travel and try new things; develop initiative and self-confidence – all without having to commit to doing your whole qualification abroad.

 

What do I need to apply?

The majority of Australian and New Zealand universities require Study Abroad applicants to have done one year of degree-level study in the UK (there are some exceptions). Study Abroad can also be undertaken by postgraduate students, studying by coursework or research.

 

Could I do a Study Abroad semester straight from school?

Some (but not all) universities will consider Study Abroad applications from school-leavers. Please bear in mind, however, that it is unlikely you’ll get academic credit for that study from a UK university unless you have confirmed with them in advance which courses you need to take to meet the requirements of your chosen UK degree. If you are not awarded credit, Study Abroad would add an extra semester to your UK or Irish university study, rather than forming part of it. 

 

What are the costs?

Study Abroad semesters are charged at a flat rate, so the fee is the same whether you take a normal course load (usually three or four courses per semester) or more. Fees do vary, but per term, in New Zealand expect to pay around NZ$10,000, in Australia AU$7,000 to AU$10,000.

 

When is best to go?

The southern hemisphere academic year runs February to November.

Option 1: July – November.

Finish your first year in the UK in June, and go straight over to your Study Abroad. You’ll finish that in November; be home in December.

Option 2: February – June

Finish the first term in the UK at Christmas with everyone else, then, as they go off back to UK university, you’d be heading Down Under. You would finish in July, not long after UK universities.

NOTE: You may have more course options if you go with option 2, as not all courses can be started in the second semester (July).

 

How do I apply?

Through Study Options. If you’d like more information about Study Abroad programmes, please contact us – we’ll give you details of what’s available and guide you through the application process.

 

EXCHANGE

Exchange programme are run through specific bi-lateral university relationships. If you want to apply for an exchange place, you must first check to see what agreements your UK university has with Australian or New Zealand institutions.

The advantage of going on an exchange programme is that you will continue to pay domestic tuition fees to your UK university for your study at the overseas university, which means you avoid paying international fees. The other advantage is that there will be an established cross-crediting arrangement already in place, so transferring the study you do overseas back to your UK degree should be straightforward.

The disadvantage of an exchange programme is that you are limited in your choice of overseas universities – you can only apply to the ones that your UK university has formal relationships with.

The other potential drawback is that places may be limited, and therefore very competitive. Generally speaking universities can only send as many students out as they receive in return, which sometimes means that while a UK university may say it has many exchange options, it might only have a few places available for each programme. Check this out carefully! 

If you wanted to apply for an exchange programme you would do so through your UK university. Most students would go on exchange during the second year of their degree. This would mean applying after, or towards the end of, your first year of university study.