First, find out when you can go abroad as part of your degree. You may have the option of going abroad for one semester or a full academic year depending on your subject of study. If a semester or year abroad feels too long for you, consider a short-term opportunity over the summer.

This is the most important step. First, explore the list of exchange partners for your School, and also the Faculty and University exchange partners who will consider applications from your subject area. Follow the links listed to explore our the websites of each university. 

It is very important you research the partner universities before you apply. It is your responsibility to make sure it will be a good fit for you.

You should research and consider:

• how easy the destination is to travel to, and the cost of travel
• the cost of living there
• that there are enough modules suitable for you
• that there are enough modules taught in English or another language that you understand
• student support services available, especially around mental health and additional needs if appropriate
• how LGBTQIA+ friendly a destination might be. You might like to read this useful article, The ultimate guide to studying abroad as an LGBTQ student.

Please note:

• Some partner universities have limited places, often one or two, so use all five of your application choices and be prepared not to get your first choice
• Exchange partners can withdraw from participation at any time and with short notice
• Some countries are more popular than others, try to select alternative options from different countries
• Capital cities are often very popular so don’t rule our locations you may not have heard of

We recommend that you ask a family member or trusted friend to help with this process. It can help to discuss these considerations with someone else and get their input. Alternatively, make an appointment with a member of the Global Opportunities team to talk through your options.

If you have any additional support needs, we encourage you to speak with our Student Health and Wellbeing Services team to ensure your physical and mental health is considered through this process and necessary support can be put in place for you. 

Once you have decided on which partner universities to apply to, make an appointment to see your School Exchange Coordinator.

Discuss the available modules to make sure they meet the requirements of your degree programme. This is particularly important if you are going abroad for a semester since your credits will transfer back to Newcastle. If you are doing a full year abroad, you may have more flexibility in your module choices.  

As part of your application to go abroad, you'll be asked to write a personal statement outlining your motivations for applying to the exchange partners you're interested in.

It's important that you take the time to write the best application you can. Many of our exchange partners are very popular and, with limited places available, competition can be high. We will score your personal statement based on this assessment criteria. We rank all the applications we receive and use this to allocate students to our exchange partners. The higher your score, the more likely you are to get one of your top choices.

Personal statement advice and guidance

Each year, our Global Ambassadors run online personal statement workshops and offer drop-in clinics. You can register to attend workshops and drop-in clinics here.

If you can't make any of our sessions, you can still look at the presentation our Global Ambassadors produced with guidance and advice on writing your personal statement.

What happens next

If your initial application to Global Opportunities is successful, we will allocate you one of your chosen exchange partner universities. Allocations are based on:

• the quality of your personal statement

• your preference order

• the number of exchange places available at each of our partners

 

You need to submit an internal application to the Global Opportunities team the year before you plan to go abroad. So students hoping to go abroad during the 2025/26 academic year must submit an application by 23:59 on Friday 3rd January 2025. Applications will open on Tuesday 22 October 2024. Late applications are not usually accepted.

Different deadlines apply to students studying a language as part of their degree in the School of Modern Languages and the Business School. Please contact your School Exchange Coordinator for more information.

Your application will include several sections. You'll be asked to:

• Read important information and confirm you understand it.
• List your five chosen exchange partner universities, ordered by preference. Make sure you've checked where you can apply.
• Provide a personal statement, outlining your motivations for applying to these exchange partners.
• Indicate modules you're interested in at each exchange partner you are applying for.
• Request a reference from your School Exchange Coordinator

Recommendations and advice

• Research your chosen destinations to make sure the university and location will suit you academically and personally.
• Take the time to write the best application you can. Many of our exchange partners are very popular and, with limited places available, competition can be high. We will score your personal statement based on this assessment criteria. We rank all the applications we receive and use this to allocate students to our exchange partners. The higher your score, the more likely you are to get one of your top choices. See the previous step on how to prepare your personal statement, and the support on offer.
• Bear in mind that even if an exchange partner university is listed on our website or in our application portal, they may not offer modules suitable for you, or teach in a language you comprehend. You must check. 
• Some of our exchange partners have strict academic requirements. While we don't consider your academic performance when assessing your application, you should check that your choices are viable for you. Your School Exchange Coordinator may be asked to comment on your suitability. 
• Our team is constantly onboarding new exchange partners and renewing agreements. Sometimes exchange partnerships are discontinued. We aim to advertise opportunities that are open to you, but occasionally we may find one of your choices is not possible after the deadline.

What happens next?

Once you have submitted your application, it will be reviewed by your School Exchange Coordinator and the Global Opportunities team.

We aim to email you with the outcome of your application around the start of February. If you are an Modern Languages student, allocations are made by your School - for further information please contact the Modern Languages Year Abroad team.

If you have been successful, we will allocate you one of your chosen exchange partner universities. Allocations are based on:

• the quality of your personal statement
• your preference order
• the number of exchange places available at each of our partners

If your application has been unsuccessful, we may discuss alternative placement options with you.

If your application to Global Opportunities is successful, we will nominate you to your allocated exchange partner university. You will then need to complete an application directly with that partner. This is just an administrative process to make sure that both you and your host have all the information needed for your placement.

We will send you instructions on how to apply to the partner. This will usually happen between March and June, depending on the partner’s deadlines. Each university will have a different application process and deadline. You will usually be asked to submit a transcript, a personal statement, and a list of courses you would like to study. 

You should start preparing for your placement straight away since some processes such as applying for a visa can take a very long time.

Most non-EU institutions will ask you to provide evidence of financial support during your exchange. In some cases, you may also need to provide health certificates and other supporting materials or documents. Global Opportunities will help you complete this process.  

The partner university will notify you once your application has been accepted. 

 

Once you have received confirmation of your acceptance, you can start preparing to go abroad.