ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

To be eligible to do a study exchange for one or two semesters at the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, you must:

• Be registered on a full-time higher education degree programme at one of our exchange 
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA: 2.6 on the 4.0-point scale, 3.3 on the 5.0-point scale, 4.6 on the 7.0-point scale, or the equivalent.
• Be studying in an appropriate subject area and at an appropriate level. - your study abroad/international office will be able to provide guidance on eligible subject areas and levels.
• Be able to identify a suitable, full-time study programme for your stay at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. For taught courses, full-time study means taking 60 ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ credits/30 ECTS credits per semester - typically 4 modules of 7.5 ECTS each.
• Non-native English speakers must meet the English language requirement for your degree programme at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. Requirements vary between courses - see the Entry Requirements section of the relevant undergraduate (bachelor's) or postgraduate (master's) course overview.
  • Students who need to apply for a  must submit one of our accepted English language qualifications with your application at the required level for your ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ course.
  • Students applying for a or an can either submit one of our accepted English language qualifications or a letter from your home institution confirming that you meet the English language requirement of your chosen ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ course and providing your CEFR level.

If your cumulative GPA or other results are slightly below our academic requirement, you are welcome to email us your transcript of records and a list of the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ modules you are hoping to take, as we may be able to give you a conditional offer based on your next set of results.

If you need a Student visa and do not yet have the required English language evidence needed for your chosen programme, please take one of our accepted tests as soon as possible. If your results will not be available by the application deadline, we can accept them up to one month later. Email us to let us know when you expect to receive your results, then upload your test certificate to your exchange application once available.

Exchange agreements can be either subject-specific or university-wide, which allows you to take elective modules outside your main subject. Most subjects offered at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ are available to exchange students. Your academic department or study abroad/international office at your home institution will be able to give you guidance on your course and module options and any requirements.

• Some students will need to identify similar modules (course units) to those you will be missing at your home institution ('matched modules') and get them approved by your home institution.
• Others will have some flexibility to choose your own study programme ('mobility window' or 'free electives').
• Some partner institutions will have pre-approved lists of modules that you can take at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½.

Our searchable  provides detailed descriptions of each undergraduate and postgraduate degree course and each module that we offer.

Note that our:

• Undergraduate programmes are three-year subject-specific courses, with students taking eight modules/60 ECTS of credits in their chosen subject each year (no electives)
• Postgraduate programmes are one-year intensive courses so study abroad students can only come for one semester.

Exchange students must study full-time at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, which typically means taking 4 modules per semester, totalling 60 ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ credits/30 ECTS credits.

You will study four modules per semester at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ (worth 60 ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ credits/ 30 ECTS) and must submit your top four choices, as well as four alternative (back-up) choices, on your study exchange application. 

Your home university must approve your module choices, and many partner institutions already have pre-approved ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ modules. Please ensure that your preferred modules are available in the semester and year you plan to study. 

Programme and Module Catalogue

For more detailed programme and module descriptions, see our searchable  - ensure you select the relevant academic year at the top first. 

Towards the bottom of each programme page, you can view a module list and click through to module descriptions that include:

• Credits, level of study, module cap (maximum number of students), semester offered, study content, assessment type and any prerequisites.
  • To avoid timetable clashes, select modules from one programme and one year of study (e.g. four modules in Year 2 Business Management, rather than mixing and matching).
• Module codes indicate subject and level (e.g. SOC2046 = Year 2 sociology; ENGM247 = master’s level engineering). Undergraduate students may not choose master's-level/level-M modules. 

Integrated master's degrees

We offer a number of integrated master’s degrees –  e.g. MMaths, MEng, MChem. If you are an advanced-level undergraduate student in your own system, we may be able to consider you for certain M-level modules – please consult the relevant Academic Exchange Coordinator at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ before confirming modules. You must have a subject-specific cumulative GPA of 2.6/4.0 or equivalent and a minimum of 3 years of subject-specific study.

Taking electives

If taking electives outside your main subject, choose Year 1 (FHEQ Level 4) modules unless you can demonstrate prior study in the subject. For electives in more technical subjects and modern languages, students will need to provide evidence of prior study in the subject, even for Year 1 modules.

Some modules or programmes may not be available to exchange students.

Semester - Most modules are only available once a year, in either the first or second semester. A small number of modules are year-long and run over both semesters. Take care to only select modules that will be running when you will be at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. On the Catalogue, the semester is indicated next to each module title on the programme descriptions and at the top of each module description under ‘Module Availability’. 

DUFE module availability - Modules with '(DUFE)' at the end of the module title are not available to exchange students as these are running at our campus in China.

Prerequisite/Co-requisite modules - Some modules require prior study of one or more other modules or the equivalent at your home institution (prerequisites). Others should ideally be taken alongside a related module (co-requisite) unless you have already taken a similar module. These will be indicated in the 'Prerequisites/Co-requisites' section of the module description. 

Capped modules - Some modules have a deliberately restricted class size. The maximum number of students on the module is indicated under 'Module cap' on the module description. Most capped modules are on our English Literature, Creative Writing and Year 3 Psychology optional modules. Priority for these will be given to students taking a relevant degree, so capped modules may not be available as electives or to students studying a different degree, and places will be confirmed nearer the time of your arrival.

Module and Programme exclusions - Module and programme exclusions are detailed in our guidance document 'Important Tips for Choosing Modules', so please read relevant subject-specific section(s) carefully. The main programme exclusions are: acting and musical theatre, film & video production and creative music technology, a few of our master's business programmes, health sciences programmes outside subject-specific exchange agreements (nursing/midwifery/paramedic science), our pathway programmes (the first number in the module code is '0') and continuing professional development courses. Places on our chemistry programmes are also very limited.

Popular modules - we may restrict the numbers of exchange students on modules that are popular as electives (e.g. sociology) to maintain a balance in the classroom and to avoid them becoming oversubscribed. Places on these will be confirmed after the timetables have been published.

The academic year at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ is divided into two semesters:

• Semester 1 (autumn semester):  September-late January.
• Semester 2 (spring semester):  late January/early February-June.

The orientation, semester and vacation dates for study abroad students are available on our key dates for visiting students page. 

UK bank holidays and University office closure dates are available on our key dates page.

Taught courses are normally assessed by a mix of in-person and online tests and examinations, coursework and assignments - check out the module descriptions in the  for details (be sure to select the relevant academic year at the top first).

You will be assessed at the same time and in the same way as the other students on your course, so if assessment is by in-person examination, you must be able to stay at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ until the end of our exam period in late January or May-June (see our key dates). In-person exams can not be taken early or at a student's home institution.  If you need to leave ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ early to resume classes at your home institution or to do an internship, you must select modules assessed by coursework/assignment and provide alternatives in case your top choices are not possible.

Students who have a January semester start date at their home institution are advised to come to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ either for the full year or for our semester 2 (February-June).

We run completely free of charge and you can register online for up to 3 courses per semester. All materials are provided. These are non-credit bearing courses but students can download an attendance certificate at the end of the course.

Our courses for non-native English speakers include grammar, pronunciation, speaking and academic writing.

In addition, we have courses suitable for native speakers who wish to improve their academic writing, presentation or employability skills.

As an exchange student, you won’t need to pay tuition fees to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, though you may need to pay a small admin fee to your home institution. 

You will, however, need to cover all your living costs, such as accommodation, transport, and food plus your travel to the UK, any visa fees, healthcare surcharge for stays of over 6 months, and travel insurance. The UK government estimates that students living outside London need around £1,171 per month to cover living costs and accommodation.

There may be some additional costs associated with your specific course - for details see our additional costs page.

Your home institution must officially nominate you to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ via our online nomination form before you can apply to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. 

Most of our partner institutions have a formal student selection procedure for exchanges as there are usually a specific number of exchange/study abroad places available. Find out when your home institution’s application deadline is from their exchange/Erasmus/international/study abroad office, and apply or register your interest with them.

Your home institution will send their nominations to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ via our nomination form. The nomination includes your:

• Full name
• Email address
• Subject of degree at home institution (or proposed main subject at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ if different)
• Level of study at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ (bachelor's/master's/doctoral)
• Period of stay -  either:
  • Semester 1
  • Semester 2
  • Full year (semesters 1 and 2)
  • Other specified dates (for research project and nursing/midwifery/paramedic science students only).

Once we have received your nomination, we will email your home exchange coordinator to let them know that your nomination has been approved and you may apply.

You and your exchange/study abroad office will receive an email in April/September with information about applying to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ and a link to our online exchange application form.

Application form

As part of your application, you will be asked to list your top, preferred ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ module choices and some alternative modules in case they are not possible, starring any essential modules (*). If your chosen modules have prerequisites (previous study requirements) indicated in their description on the module catalogue, you will need to list similar modules you have taken, and if any modules have a module cap (restricted class size), you will be asked to give your reason for selecting those modules (priority will be given to students on a relevant degree course and for whom the modules are a requirement for progression on your course).

Supporting documents

You will need to upload the following supporting documents to your online application. We recommend you start preparing these well in advance. We will require all documents as full-colour PDF files. 

• Transcript of records covering each year of your degree so far, in English (most home institutions can provide this)
• A copy of your passport photo page (must include all your details; if you don't have a passport or it is due to expire within 6 months of the end of your stay, please apply for a passport as soon as possible. NB. We no longer accept EU national identity cards).
• Non-native English speakers only:  a) Students coming for longer than 6 months or coming for 6 months or less but wanting to work as well as study will require a points-based  and must submit with their exchange application one of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½'s accepted English language qualifications at the required level for your main ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ programme (see your chosen undergraduate or postgraduate course page for the course's English language requirement). NB. We can not accept qualifications which do not meet the minimum requirement for your course and can only accept your most recent test results, apart from IELTS where you can retake the test for one skill. Please ensure you get your English language qualification in good time to apply to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. If you already have a language qualification, make sure it has not expired - IELTS, TOEFL and a few other certificates must be no more than 2 years old when you start your ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ course. b) Students coming to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ as Visitors for 6 months or less and only studying may submit either one of our accepted English language qualifications, a university English exam result or assessment, or a letter from your home institution confirming that you meet the requirements of your chosen ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ course and giving your CEFR level.
• Postgraduate/doctoral students only: Bachelor’s/Master’s degree certificate, as appropriate.

Your supporting documents should be uploaded to your online exchange application before you submit it. However, if you are waiting for any documents - e.g. a new passport, English test certificate, bachelor's degree certificate, etc. - just upload a note with the approximate date you expect to be able to upload it so that we can start reviewing your application. 

Your complete application, including your supporting documents, should be submitted by our application deadline. On submission, you will receive an automatic application receipt acknowledgement email and can download a pdf copy of your application.

Confirmed modules and Learning Agreement

Once your module choices have been reviewed and approved by your ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ academic exchange coordinator in the relevant department, we will send you an email confirming your approved modules and asking you to submit a ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Learning Agreement listing these. Modules should be listed in preference and semester order, and modules that are essential for your progression starred (*).

Withdrawal

If you decide to withdraw your application at any point, please let us know straight away (ieo.incoming@surrey.ac.uk).

Once your ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Department has approved your application and provisional study programme, we will send you a formal acceptance email in early-mid May for September entry or early November for February entry. If there are any issues with your application or module choices, we will contact you before then.

Once you have been accepted, we will then ask you to complete our Learning Agreement for Studies which confirms your provisional study programme and the modules you will be enrolled on.

There are new UK visa rules for study in the UK after 2020. All non-UK/non-Irish students will either need to obtain a visa before travelling or enter the UK as a Visitor, depending on their nationality and length of stay - check if you need a visa . 

• Students coming to study in the UK for more than 6 months or wishing to work as well as study require a  - we will email you a Confirmation of Studies (CAS) number for your visa application once you have been accepted.
• Students studying in the UK for 6 months or less either require a  (visa nationals) or can enter the UK as a Visitor without applying for a visa (non-visa nationals), depending on your nationality - we will either email you a visa sponsor letter for your visa application or a formal acceptance letter to show at the UK border.

For visa advice, contact our International Student Advice team: Email: internationalsupport@surrey.ac.uk.