The opportunity to genuinely immerse yourself in another culture and be more than just a visitor in a particular country is a rare one. Studying abroad provides you with not only unforgettable experiences and memories, but also personal contacts that you can benefit from for years to come.

The decision to study abroad is an important one, not least because of the increased financial demands of living abroad. It is important to make the decision with a clear idea of the individual benefits to you personally. Each individual student will have a different set of priorities, these priorities will help in making the decision of whether studying abroad is right for them.

For some students the opportunity to study their subject in a different academic environment is key, and for others the opportunity to live in another culture and interact with students of different nationalities is the real attraction.

Being able to travel at the weekend and explore the host country after a hard week of lectures is another benefit to studying abroad. Most students return from their time abroad as more mature, focused individuals and evidence suggests that their renewed motivation helps them achieve better marks in their final degree.

Take time to think carefully about the available the courses/modules you want to register for during your time abroad. Bear in mind that while Northumbria University may operate in a similar way to your home University there will inevitably be distinct differences.

Often a greater degree of independence is expected of students in in the UK and you should not expect to receive the kind of personal tutorial guidance provided at your home University.  Classes may be large and anonymous with little contact with teaching staff, though large lectures are usually followed up with smaller seminars.

Students will generally have 12-15 contact hours per week, but there is a greater reliance on self-directed study outside of class time.

Assessment is usually in the form of written assignments or exams at the end of each semester, and all students are expected to be present in Newcastle for the exam periods (which run in January and May).

Think about what you hope to achieve during your time abroad and how this relates to your academic and personal development. Identifying priorities before making a decision is a key element in any planning process and will assist you in making the right decision for you. Some ideas to think about:

• Would I prefer to be in a large or small town?
• Will I be happy being the only student from my home University at Northumbria?
• Do I enjoy a challenge?
• Am I able to adjust to situations outside my comfort zone/normal routine?

Life in Newcastle

Click here to find out more about life in and around the city of Newcastle upon Tyne

Alumni benefits

All students who have participated in the Exchange & Study Abroad programme are classed as Northumbria University alumni and can benefit from the 20% alumni discount for Postgraduate study.

Please see the Alumni website for further details.

All students will need to have a minimum of one-year study at Higher Education level and we will refer to a copy of your most recent transcript or results for a decision on this.

The below table has selected criteria we also use to assess the minimum level of achievement for entry to Exchange or Study Abroad study.

If your country does not feature in the table please contact the Exchanges & Study Abroad team for further clarification on this.

 English Language Requirements

For Incoming students travelling to Northumbria using an EU passport: the minimum English Language proficiency requirement is an equivalent to level CEFRB2.

For Incoming students travelling to Northumbria using a non-EU passport the minimum English Language proficiency requirement is as follows:

If applying for undergraduate non final year modules

• UKVI IELTS: overall 6.0 (with minimum of 5.5 in each component)  
• TOEFL IBT: overall 79 (with minimum R18, W17, L17, S20)
• Pearsons: overall 54 (with minimum of 51 in each component) 

 If applying for Undergraduate final year modules

• UKVI IELTS: overall 6.5 (with minimum of 5.5 in each component)  
• TOEFL IBT: overall 89 (with minimum R18, W17, L17, S20)
• Pearsons: overall 62 (with minimum of 51 in each component)   

Click on the Constructing Your Programme link to find out which modules were available for the Exchange & Study Abroad programme in 2018/19 and how to construct your timetable.

We are currently updating the modules for 2019/20 and the updated modules will appear on the above link as they are approved.

Credit Conversion

Northumbria University uses the standard UK conversion of credits where 2 UK credits = 1 ECTS

Accommodation

Click here for information on the University's Accommodation Office

Meet and Greet

Click here for information on our Meet and Greet service

Fast Friends

Click here for information on our Fast Friends programme of exciting events and activities for all students