Semester Abroad

Yes! Students on any undergraduate degree programme at Bath Spa University can apply to spend one semester studying abroad as part of their degree.

This will not add any time to your overall degree and you'll study the same number of credits abroad as you would do if you were at BSU. You'll not study the exact same modules, as these vary from university to university, but what you study abroad will be within your subject area.

You'll need to be enrolled as a full-time student and apply within your first year of studies. You must have good attendance and good academic standing to be eligible (achieving 2:1 or above).

Your placement will be for one semester during the second year of your undergraduate degree. You'll study at your host institution on a full-time basis.

Some universities, especially in the US and Canada, start their semesters at the beginning of January. This means there might be a cross-over of dates if you're undertaking a semester two exchange. If this is the case, we encourage you to speak to your module tutors to ask how this may impact on your submission/participation in assessments.

Depending on the country you go to, you may be required to apply for a residence permit or a visa. It is usual, as part of this process, to prove you have access to sufficient funds in a bank account. Your host university will support you throughout this process to ensure you're able to study in your host country.

Most universities in the US and Canada require students to purchase mandatory health insurance. If you're in receipt of student finance, then you may be able to be reimbursed for these costs through the Travel Grant.

Regardless of where you study abroad, you'll continue to pay your tuition fees to Bath Spa University. No tuition fees are paid to your host institution.

You'll need to do some research about your financial position and the cost of living in your destination of choice to work out if you can afford to do the placement that you're interested in. Costs will vary depending on where you are going, as well as your own lifestyle.

As a budget starting point, you should factor in the cost of:

• Travel (airfare; train/bus/taxi within host country to university)
• Fees for passport and visas
• Health insurance
• Local daily transportation
• Accommodation costs in host country (including refundable deposits and utility fees)
• Accessories for housing if not provided (linens, kitchen supplies)
• The cost of meals
• Additional course fees, books and supplies (not tuition fees)
• Additional living expenses (travel around the country, shopping and going out)

Most of our partner universities offer help and guidance in estimating your living expenses prior to your departure, but we also encourage you to do your own research to ensure that you'll be able to fund your period spent abroad.

Please be aware that whilst BSU can provide you with free travel insurance, there are some countries where you will also need to purchase additional health insurance, such as Australia, USA and Canada where specific health insurance is needed as part of the visa application.

We'll let you know how much money you may be eligible to receive through the Turing Scheme, which is additional grant money that you can be paid, in addition to the money you receive through Student Finance. We also recommend looking at the Scholarships and Bursaries page to see what you may be eligible to apply for.

You'll need to notify Student Finance of any changes in your circumstances. This includes spending a semester studying abroad. If you're in receipt of a student loan, this will usually be adjusted to help facilitate the placement financially. Depending on your household income, you may also be able to apply for Student Finance's Travel Grant to help towards your travel costs.

Your studies abroad will be a continuation of your degree at BSU. You'll return with the equivalent number of academic credits that you would have achieved if you’d stayed in the UK. You need to acquire the equivalent of 60 BSU credits per semester.

Different universities have different credit systems. If you're going to Europe, for example, 60 Bath Spa credits is equivalent to 30 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credit points.

The modules you study abroad will be graded on a pass/fail basis. This means the final classification for your degree only be based upon the modules you take at BSU, in second and final year.

The vast majority of our partner universities teach in English. There are some partner universities that teach in their native language but we can inform you of these before you apply.

If you're going to live in a country where English isn't the official language, then we would highly recommend that you learn the basics. There may be funding available for you to take language lessons too.

In the host country:

Your host university will provide accommodation options for you. This varies from university to university.

You could be offered on-campus accommodation, a shared student flat or house in private rented accommodation, or living with a host family. You'll receive further information from your host university once you have received an official acceptance letter.

At Bath Spa University:

Most students on the Semester Abroad Programme choose to live with friends in private rented accommodation in Bath during second year.

You could either try to get a short-term contract, or sub-let your room whilst you're abroad. However, if you decide to sub-let, you must have written confirmation from your landlord.

There might be the option of a short-term contract with Bath Spa-managed accommodation, but this is not guaranteed, and it'll depend on which semester you're in Bath.