Studying Abroad

When do I go?
Undergraduates usually go abroad in the 3rd year of their degree, although some language students will go in their 2nd year. It is often necessary to transfer to a 4-year variant of your degree for eligibility. Postgraduates may also spend part of their degree studying or doing research at one of our partner Universities. All Study Abroad opportunities depend on the Erasmus links your department has with partner institutions. See our list of partner Universities.

How much does it cost?
Study Abroad students pay their fees for the year to their home university, they do not pay fees to the host university. For information about current fees for Study Abroad students please see the Students Finance website. Remember to take into account the general cost of living in your host country/town when you are planning your placement. There are websites available that will provide you with comparisions of cost of living between 2 cities, we would recommend that you research this.

Language requirements

If you are you going to a non-English speaking country for your Study Abroad placement you will need to feel comfortable with the level of language that you have. Remember that we recommended that you have a minimum of ‘A’ level standard of language ability in the native language of the host country you are visiting. There are several different ways you can work on improving your language skills:

The Language Centre runs classes in many different languages, set at varying levels of ability. You might want to take the opportunity and do some language classes during the first 2 years of your degree in preparation for your Study Abroad. The world@warwick Society, one of the largest of Warwick’s societies helps in less formal ways by facilitatingLanguage cafes and student-led language teaching or Buddy schemes.

Also, many of our partner universities hold language/cultural training prior to the start of your studies. It may be possible for you to enrol on a course at your host institution, there may be a cost to this but don’t be put off. The advantage of completing the course is that you will gain a better insight into the culture of the people of the country, as well as improving your language skills, you will also be settled into your study abroad location prior to starting your studies allowing you that vital time to adjust.

For some of our partner universities language is not an issue as English is the most commonly spoken language, or they may now doing a large amount of teaching in English. Do remember though, even if the teaching is in English you have to live in the local community, so you will need a certain level of language to be able to complete everyday undertakings

Where will I Iive?
Host institutions will provide some assistance in finding accommodation, some may not be able to offer you options and you may have to live on campus, some may have residential halls for international students, but allow you to live in the local area. You should try to establish what you want in terms of accommodation. For some students the thought of living in a local community with no other students close by as a support network can be daunting and therefore an International residence is a much preferrd option. Others wish to be immerced in the area, to be able to understand and participate in the culture, these students take on apartments within the local town. It is important that you decide what you want from your accommodation and your year abroad so that you select the right accommodation. If your are able, we would recommend that you visit the town of your placement prior to starting your Study Abroad so that you can get a feel for the area. We can also put you in touch with students who have been to, or are currently studying at the same partner university for you to ask for their feedback and advice.

What will I do while I am on Study Abroad?

You need to plan what you will be doing whilst on your placement. Module/course choices for your study abroad must be arranged between you and the academic staff of both the host university and Warwick before you go.

If you are working whilst abroad, make sure that you have a distinct job description or that the institution that are hosting you have completed a training and quality agreement outlining your duties.

In either case it is very important that you are clear about your workload for your study abroad year and that you are confident that completing the placement will allow you to achieve your goals.

How do I find out more?

Each academic department has a Study Abroad co-ordinator who will be able to discuss the options available to you. In preparation you should research the partner universities who have agreements with your department. This would normally happen during the Autumn term of your 2nd year and you will have to follow the individual department application process to apply for your preferred study abroad option.

Visa

If you will require immigration permission to enter and study in your host country, we would recommend that you refer to your host university website or to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. Most of our partners will be able to advise you on what type of immigration permission you will need to study with them, and issue information on where you can apply for your visa. Remember that visa application procedures vary between countries and you need to make sure that you factor in enough time to make your application when preparing to study abroad. The Study Abroad Team will also be holding an information session during the Spring term to give you some general advise on the do's and dont's of applying for visa's.