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Study Abroad

Study abroad

Why not make your university experience a truly global one by choosing to study abroad?

Choosing to study overseas opens up a world of possibilities, enriching your academic journey in countless ways. This is your chance to step outside your comfort zone, broaden your perspectives, and create memories that will last a lifetime!

What's in it for you?

Study at a leading university

Warwick partners with universities in more than 40 countries across the world, located in Europe, North America, South America, Australasia and East Asia to help deepen your knowledge and expose you to inspiring course content and teaching methods across the globe. Please note that allocations are agreed on an annual basis.

Develop your personal strengths

Living abroad requires you to be organised, proactive, and to grasp new opportunities.

It will also increase your confidence as you welcome new and unique experiences you would not encounter elsewhere.

Immerse yourself in a new culture

Whether you study at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona or at one of Monash's campuses in Melbourne (Australia) or Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), you will be able to embrace the food, lifestyle, and atmosphere of a different culture whilst making cherished memories.

Unique and educational experiences

“Studying abroad has been an exhilarating experience. The experiences I've had have been unique and educational in so many different ways, from class field trips to independent travel. It's been great to get ideas for my dissertation as well as test myself academically.”

Meredith, Sociology and GSD Alumni

How can I study abroad?

Study abroad in terms 2 and 3 of your second year

Spend terms 2 and 3 of your second year studying abroad at one of our Department's partner institutions; Monash University (home to the Monash Sustainable Development InstituteLink opens in a new window) or Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Our integrated programme is specifically structured so you can spend time abroad without having to extend the overall length of your course.

Your academic achievements abroad will also count towards your degree awarded by Warwick, meaning your studies will be both rewarding and rewarded! You'll continue to pay your course fees in full to Warwick and you will also continue to receive your student loan (if eligible).

Year-long study abroad

You may alternatively choose to spend an intercalated year at one of Warwick's many other partner institutions across the world. You'll spend your first and second years at Warwick before studying abroad at your chosen institution in your third year before returning to Warwick to finish the final year of your degree.

  For this option, your year abroad won't count towards your final degree mark, but will be recorded on your Higher Education Achievement ReportLink opens in a new window, giving you the freedom to take chances with your module choice and push yourself outside of your comfort zone with your learning. Read more about the intercalated study abroad opportunityLink opens in a new window.

Where can I study abroad?

Integrated Programme  

About Monash University

Monash University is home to the Sustainable Development Institute, a world-leading centre for multi-disciplinary research into and education for sustainability.

Bringing together scientists, lawyers, economists, psychologists, biologists, engineers, health professionals, and training experts to tackle the globe’s biggest problems, the centre aims to “envisage and create the world of the future”.

By travelling to Monash as part of your GSD course, you will gain invaluable access to this leading research centre, broadening your ideas and imagination as you complete your second year studies and prepare for your final year research.

Monash University, Australia (Clayton campus)

Clayton is the largest of Monash University's campuses and is approximately 20km from Central Melbourne.

The Sustainable Development Institute has been selected by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network to lead solutions on global sustainable development in the Australia/Pacific region.


Intercalated Year

The GSD Department will support an application for an intercalated (non-credit bearing) year abroad placement.

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience living and studying abroad. You would undertake your study abroad year between the second and third year of your studies at Warwick.

Each year, the list of host institutions and the number of places available changes in accordance with Warwick's international partner agreements. For more information please visit the Warwick's Student Mobility website.

Fees and funding

Integrated Study Abroad Programme

Full fees paid to Warwick; Student loan available if eligible.

Students studying in Melbourne typically find the cost of living higher than the UK. The cost of living is significantly cheaper in Malaysia and Barcelona.

Funding the cost of flights, accommodation, and living expenses remains your responsibility. Health insurance is mandatory for an Australian study visa.

Intercalated Study Abroad (at a university-wide partner institutions)

Reduced fees paid to Warwick, and no tuition fees paid to your host institution. If you are eligible for a student loan, you will continue to receive one, and may receive a higher amount as a result of studying abroad. Funding the cost of flights, accommodation, and living expenses remains your responsibility. Many countries stipulate health insurance as a required condition of a visa.

Grants & Scholarships

Various schemes are run annually to support you on your time away from Warwick.

These can vary from travel subsidies to a monthly grant to supplement living costs.

Awards vary from year to year and have strict eligibility criteria.

See what our students say about study abroad

Josefa, GSD and Business Studies student who participated in an Integrated study abroad program at Monash University

Josefa, GSD and Business Studies student, Integrated study abroad at Monash

Living abroad has certainly benefitted my attitudes

Living abroad has certainly benefitted my attitudes, mostly due to the interaction with very international people. Although both Warwick and Monash attract many international students, very few students at Monash are European. Instead, the great majority come from India, China, Canada, and the US. This leads to the interaction with very different cultures and points of view, and the desire to understand these more profoundly.

My free time at Monash was characterised by plentiful excursions to Melbourne, and to the beaches and the wildlife around Victoria. I went traveling before going to Monash, leaving home a month early, and backpacking with two friends through Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. After the semester, I went to Northern Australia (Cairns) to see the Great Barrier Reef, which must be understood as one of the most pressing signs for how much needs to be done at present to reverse or at least halt further global warming.

Monash University, Australia (Clayton campus), where GSD graduate Katharina has studied for a few months.

Katharina, Philosophy and GSD student, Integrated study abroad at Monash. She travelled to Monash and was recalled home after just two months due to Covid-19.

There was a lot of support in place

The modules that I chose at Monash focus more intensely on a specific subject than I was used to at my GSD-home department. This allowed me for instance to delve more into an economics-oriented module on energy markets and expand on my global knowledge by comparing Australian jurisdiction and policies to European ones.

When Monash decided to transition the semester to online-teaching, there was a lot of support in place and I can even still get to know course mates virtually. The change of time zones, together with Monash’s apparent preference for various small assessments spread across the semester, does make the situation challenging for the three of us. Through the various “check-in” assessments as well as our high interest in the course content, we are being pushed to stay on top of this odd semester and to learn intensely about our own work and study habits throughout this challenge. This sense of independence and re-thinking of time and learning makes it a whole new and ultimately rewarding cross-cultural study experience.

Meredith, Sociology and GSD alumna who participated in an Intercalated year abroad at Queen's University, Canada

Meredith, Sociology and GSD alumna, Intercalated year abroad at Queen's University, Canada

I've found and loved every minute of studying here so far

Studying abroad in Canada so far has been an exhilarating experience. I'm studying at Queen's University, in Kingston (ON), as part of my joint degree of Sociology and Global Sustainable Development. The experiences I've had have been unique and educational in so many different ways, from class field trips to independent travel around Canada.

I've been able to take a range of subjects that weren't available at Warwick, such as an Indigenous studies class and a Global Mental Health course, but all classes I've had have taught me something to take back home and been really relevant to GSD. It's been great to get ideas for my dissertation as well as test myself academically. Outside of classes, I've been lucky enough to represent the school as a Gael (their student athletes) and take part in all sorts of events including conferences on Health and Human Rights. The focus on interdisciplinarity has been something I was hoping for, much like the GSD department, and I've found and loved every minute of studying here so far.

The University of Freiburg, Germany

Rowan, Economic Studies and GSD student, Intercalated year abroad at the University of Freiburg, Germany

The experience so far has been unforgettable

For the past few months I have been studying in Freiburg, or the “Green City”, and so far it has proven itself as a fantastic place to be a student.

At first, the language barrier was difficult, but most students here speak English and I am doing my best to learn some German, so it hasn’t been a major problem. Despite not studying Liberal Arts and Sciences back at Warwick, I have felt at ease with the cohort because of their open-mindedness and switched-on view of the world.

The nightlife is brilliant, with a multitude of bars and nightclubs, and the international community is also very active. Being right next to the mountains, and extremely close to the borders of France and Switzerland, means that travelling and hiking during the weekends is also super easy.

Overall, the experience so far has been unforgettable, and I look forward to what the rest of the year will bring.