What are my options?

If you are a Royal Holloway student and want to study abroad for part of your studies, there are a number of options open to you.

These options depend on whether you’re a first year, second year or PhD student - see below to find out more. If you’re a third year student or a Masters student, you can’t apply for a year abroad.

Options for first year students to take your second year abroad

You have two options:

Option 1 Students from all departments can apply to spend their second year abroad except those below:

Classics
Electronic Engineering
English
Drama and Theatre Studies
Geography
History
Law and Criminology
Mathematics
Media Arts (with the exception of the BA Film & Television Studies students, who can)
Music
Psychology

If you take this option, you will be assessed on the marks obtained at the partner university. These will be converted and transferred to your Royal Holloway student record. For details on this process, please see the Credit Transfer Guidelines.

Please note: Due to the availability of relevant modules taught in English, you are not able spend your 2nd year abroad in China, Japan or Korea.

Option 2 You can apply for a place on an International Summer school.

Options for second year students to take your third year abroad

You have three options:

Option 1 Students from the following departments must apply to study abroad between their second and final year on ‘An International Year’ pathway

Classics
Drama and Theatre Studies
English
Geography
History
Liberal Arts
Politics, International Relations and Philosophy

Option 2 You can apply to take a ‘Placement Year' pathway between your second and final year

All other second year students must apply to study abroad for a full year as part of options available through the Placement Year. You will be assessed at the end of the year by means of written work set by Royal Holloway which will aim to give you the opportunity to reflect on the skills developed during the year.

Note: With both the 'Placement Year' and 'International Year' pathways, if you are successful in obtaining a place at a partner university, you will transfer onto a 4 year degree. This means your degree title will include ’with an International Year‘ or ‘with a Placement Year’.

Option 3 You can apply for a place on an International Summer school between your second and final year.

Options for PhD students

You have one option:

Option 1 You can apply to do an integral year or a semester on an International Exchange (i.e. your time abroad will count towards your PhD). You must apply in the Autumn term alongside the International Year and Placement Year students. You will be expected to show how your period abroad contributes to your research.

If you wish to take part in an international exchange, you will need to complete a Departmental Approval Form and get it signed by your supervisor(s), your Department’s Postgraduate Research Lead and your School’s Director of Postgraduate Research Education. While you are away, you will be expected to continue to fulfil all requirements for your PhD course including having regular supervisions and taking part in any annual reviews or upgrade meetings that may be scheduled virtually while you are away. Your submission deadline will not be extended because of your placement.

You must be in your second or third year of PhD study to undertake a placement abroad and are not normally encouraged to go on placement during your writing-up (fourth) year unless there are compelling reasons for doing so. Students may audit courses at a partner institution but will not gain credit for doing so.

If you would like to go on a placement abroad, please contact us at studyabroadstudents@rhul.ac.uk and we will enquire as to whether they can accept PGR students. Please note that agreements with European partners are subject specific while International partnerships are College-wide.

How do I apply?

The application process is competitive, taking place through the Autumn term and starting with the the Global Experiences Fair late in October and the Information Evening in early November. The application form will be available shortly afterwards and you must submit your own completed application by the last day of term 1.

The Global Experiences Fair will be in the last week of October and details will be on the RHUL App and on the Event pages through the University and student intranet pages.