Studying abroad

Find out what your options are, get guidance and support, and be inspired by students who’ve been there, done that.

The Year Abroad is a key part of many undergraduate degrees in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC). Compulsory for some undergraduate degrees, and optional for others, it’s a year of great change and great opportunity. If you are a postgraduate student, your programme may also include the option to spend some time elsewhere.

Most of our Year Abroad students will study while they're away, and we have exchange programmes with some of the very best universities around the globe. Selected subjects include the option to do a work placement instead, such as a teaching placement with The British Council.

If you're studying two languages to degree level, you'll divide your Year Abroad between two different countries, one relevant to each of the languages you're studying. This is a fantastic way to get even more lived experience of different cultures.

Wherever you go, all student support services will still be available to you, from your Personal Tutor to our Student Support Office.

What to do before you go and while you are away

All the administrative essentials, from risk assessment to keeping in touch.

Student support

Where to get help and guidance, whether at home or abroad.

What if I'm not required to study abroad?

If you are not doing a degree involving languages in your honours years (years three and four), you will not be required to study abroad, but you may still choose to do so through the University's Study and Work Away Service.

Find out more about Study and Work Away options

The Year Abroad Across The Decades: Spain - 1968 | 2019

Graduate Nicholas Rollin and current student Róisín MacFarlane share reflections on their Year Abroad, comparing Granada in 1968 and Valladolid in 2019.