The Liberal Arts and Sciences Year Abroad

You are free to apply to any of the 250+ universities across the world with which the University of Birmingham has an exchange agreement! During your Year Abroad, you will study modules in the host University but you will remain a student of the University of Birmingham.

Learn more about destinations and the role of the International Office.

Applications are submitted online by the end of November of your second year. You will be asked to list your preferred choice of institutions and your application must be supported by a personal statement which explains why you have chosen them.

The International Office will then allocate students depending on a range of factors including:

• Academic need - students may have to attend a particular institution because they need to acquire subject-specific credits for their degree.
• Personal interests - this may involve participating in sporting or cultural activities.
• Specific personal needs.
• Academic performance - there will inevitably be stronger demand for certain institutions and your academic performance (i.e. your Year 1 grade average) will be used to determine who will be offered places in those institutions.

Allocation of students to partner universities will normally be made by the end of January.

No-one is guaranteed a place in any particular institution and you should give careful consideration to your preferred choices. If you choose a range of universities from among the most popular destinations, you run the risk of not being allocated to any of them and being allocated to one for which you have not expressed a preference.  

As the Year Abroad is an integral part of your degree programme, UK students continue to receive financial support for fees and students loans as in other years of study. You will only pay 15% of the student fees applicable for that academic year to the University of Birmingham. You will have no financial obligation with the host university.

However, as is the case while studying at Birmingham, you will be responsible for your own travel and subsistence costs. This is something you should consider carefully before making your final decision about where you would like to go.

Learn more about funding

Given the wide range of choices available to you for your Year Abroad, you need to think very carefully about the choices you make. The School and colleagues in the International Office are here to help, but we cannot answer detailed questions about all of the programmes and modules in all of our partner institutions. This means that you will have to spend a significant amount of time researching the possibilities.

In making your decisions, you should take the following factors into account:

• Academic requirements of your major(s) which you should discuss with the relevant department and your tutor.
• Range of programmes and modules available at the universities to which you are interested in applying.
• Travel and living costs.
• Term dates.
• Your first year average mark.

Remember that International exchange students at Birmingham, as well as returning year abroad students, are an excellent source of information to help you make your decision.

The key timetable of events leading up to you going on your Year Abroad is as follows:

Year 1 - Exam Term - Preliminary Meeting - a general introduction to the Year Abroad, and to invite you to begin to do some research about where you might like to go in preparation for the decisions you have to take in the first semester of your second year.

Year 2 - Semester 1 - Presentation from a member of the International Office about the process of selection and general advice about the Year Abroad. You will also attend an Individual Tutorial Meeting to speak with your tutor. You will then submit your Year Abroad Application to the International Office for International Exchanges.

Year 2 - Exam Term / Summer Vacation - Before you leave to begin your year abroad, you will be asked to complete and submit a Year Abroad Learning Agreement, which lists the modules you will register for and which have been agreed by the host university.

While abroad, you can stay in contact with our staff by email. You will also be expected to take part in a Skype meeting with your personal tutor once a month at a time suitable to you both. This will help to assure us that you are doing well and assist you in getting the most out of your time abroad.