Study exchange

Students from higher education institutions outside the UK can come and study at the University of Surrey for one or two semesters under an established student exchange agreement between their home institution and the University of Surrey.

Why do a study exchange?

The University of Surrey is a welcoming and supportive place to come to as an Erasmus or international exchange student, and we seek to provide an outstanding experience for all students.

A study exchange is an opportunity to:

experience a different educational system and new cultures
improve your interpersonal, communication and language skills
challenge yourself and increase your resilience
enhance your employability.

How does it work?

Our exchange partner institutions around the world send some of their students to us for a short period of study on our degree courses or a research or training placement, and in return we send our students to the partner.

Depending on whether your home institution has a subject-specific or university-wide exchange agreement with us, you can study one or more subjects at Surrey, at the level specified in the agreement (undergraduate/postgraduate/doctoral).

Depending on your programme and how many places your home institution has available for Surrey, you can come for one semester or two.

Exchange students from our partner universities do not pay tuition fees to Surrey but may need to pay a small administrative fee to their home institution.

At the end of your stay you receive a Surrey transcript of records and your study credits are transferred back to your degree at your home institution.

View our partner universities and agreements

What are the entry requirements?

To be eligible to study at the University of Surrey as an exchange student or a fee-paying study abroad student, you must:

be a registered student at one of our partner institutions.
have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on the 4.0-point scale, 3.75 on the 5.0-point scale, 5.25 on the 7.0-point scale, or the equivalent.
meet the English language requirement for your main degree programme at Surrey if you are a non-native English speaker. Requirements vary between courses and you will find the requirement for your course in the Entry Requirements section of the relevant undergraduate (bachelor's) or postgraduate taught (master's) course page. Students who need to apply for a Student visa (stays of over 6 months or working whilst studying for 6 months or less) must be able to submit with your Surrey exchange application one of our accepted English language qualifications at the required level for your Surrey course. Students applying for a Standard Visitor visa or entering the UK as a Visitor (stays of 6 months or less, study only) must submit one of our accepted English language qualifications or a letter from your home institution confirming that you meet the English language requirement of your chosen Surrey course and providing your CEFR level.
be studying in an appropriate subject area and at the level specified in our exchange or study abroad agreement (undergraduate/postgraduate/doctoral). Some agreements are university-wide and open to students in most of our subject areas, and others are subject-specific. The exchange office at your home university will be able to provide guidance on eligible subject areas and levels.
be able to identify a suitable, full-time study programme for the period of your exchange (30 ECTS credits per semester - typically 4 modules of 7.5 ECTS each - though students who are soon to graduate and don't need a full study load may take 22.5 ECTS - typically 3 modules). For those following a taught programme at Surrey, please check our Programme/Module Catalogue (selecting the relevant academic year) to see whether we offer modules that fit with your study programme at your home institution and that they run when you will be at Surrey (Semester 1 runs mid-September to end January; Semester 2 runs early February to mid June - see dates). Discuss your module options with your home department. You must choose modules that have been approved for credit transfer back to your degree. If you need more information or advice, email the appropriate Surrey Academic Exchange Coordinator for your subject area. For those applying to do a research project only, please identify an appropriate academic to supervise your project with help from your home department and the relevant Academic Exchange Coordinator at Surrey. Email the academic to ask if they will supervise your work and agree the details of your project with them.

Studying at Surrey

We recommend choosing your modules (or at least three out of four per semester) from one degree programme and one study year/level (undergraduate Year 1/FHEQ Level 4, Year 2/FHEQ Level 5, Year 3/FHEQ Level 6, or postgraduate/master's Level M/FHEQ Level 7) to avoid timetabling issues.

Choose a degree programme - start by checking out our undergraduate / postgraduate programme overviews to identify the programme most similar to your degree programme. If you are not a native English speaker, also check each programme's English language entry requirement on the programme overview (given as an IELTS test score - for other equivalent English language test scores, see here).

See our detailed programme descriptions - go next to our interactive Programme and Module Catalogue, select the appropriate academic year for your stay at the top, search for the relevant Undergraduate/Postgraduate programme description(s), and scroll down to the programme's module listings. These are arranged by study year (undergraduate Years 1, 2 and 3) and by semester (semester 1/semester 2/year long). Australian students: please note, our semesters are the opposite to yours - semester 1 runs Sep-Jan; semester 2 runs Feb-Jun.

Choose your modules - Try to select at least three but ideally all of your modules in each semester from one degree programme and one study year/level to reduce the risk of timetable clashes. This is particularly important in the biosciences, physical sciences and engineering subjects where the timetables are busier and vary weekly to accommodate laboratory/practical classes.

Please only select modules appropriate for your level of study: undergraduate module codes have 1, 2 or 3 after the first three letters to denote the study year (e.g. SOC3044 is a 3rd year Sociology module) and postgraduate/Master's module codes have an M after the first 3 letters (e.g. PHYM053 is a Master's-level Physics module).

Click on each module title to see a full module description. The description includes the school/department running the module, detailed module content and contact hours, the semester(s) in which it is available (most run only once a year), the method(s) of assessment, any prerequisites (previous study requirements or exclusions for exchange students), any caps (class size restrictions), and whether the module is compulsory or optional for Surrey students. Exchange students are not obliged to take compulsory modules but are less likely to have timetabling issues by taking the prescribed combination of compulsory and optional modules in each study year. Please do not select modules with (DUFE) at the end of the module title as these run at our campus in China.

Choosing alternative modules - We also ask students to select at least one alternative, back-up module for each of your top module choices (if possible), particularly if you have chosen from more than one programme or study year. This is in case any of your top choices are not approved (e.g. you don't meet the module prerequisite or you don't have enough relevant background in the subject) or any capped modules are oversubscribed or, when the study timetables are published just before your arrival, you find you have unresolvable timetable clashes.

Integrated master's - If you are an advanced-level undergraduate student in your own educational system, we may be able to consider you for certain master's/M-level modules from our integrated master’s degrees – eg. MMath, MEng, MChem. Please consult the appropriate Academic Exchange Coordinator before listing these on your learning agreement. You must have a subject-specific cumulative GPA of 3.0 on the 4.0-point scale or the equivalent, and a minimum of 3 years of subject-specific study.

Electives - if you need to take one or two elective modules from another programme or department to fulfil requirements at your home institution, please choose Year 1 modules only (the first number in the module code should be '1' e.g. SOC1037 is a Year 1 sociology module) as you won't have the necessary background for higher-level modules. Please provide a few alternative choices, in preference order, in case any are full or have timetable clashes.

For electives in more technical subjects and modern languages, you will need to provide evidence of previous study in the subject, even for Year 1 modules. For modern languages, you may have an oral test in your first week at Surrey to ascertain the appropriate level for you.

Minor/joint degrees - if you need to take one or more modules towards your minor or your joint degree, you will probably need to select lower-level modules as you won't have the necessary background for higher-level modules.

Timetables and timetable clashes - study timetables are published just before the start of each semester so if you have timetable clashes, we will aim to replace one of your clashing modules with one of your alternative choices before your arrival (starting with your first alternative). If your alternatives don't work or you haven't provided any, we will need you to get approval for one or more new replacement modules just before or after your arrival.

Some modules or programmes may not be available to exchange students.

Semester - Most modules are only available once a year, in either the first or second semester. A small number of modules are year-long and run over both semesters. Take care to only select modules that will be running when you will be at Surrey. On the Catalogue, the semester is indicated next to each module title on the programme descriptions and at the top of each module description under ‘Module Availability’.

DUFE module availability - Modules with '(DUFE)' at the end of the module title are not available to exchange students as these are running at our campus in China.

Prerequisite/Co-requisite modules - Some modules require prior study of one or more other modules or the equivalent at your home institution (prerequisites). Others should ideally be taken alongside a related module (co-requisite) unless you have already taken a similar module. These will be indicated in the 'Prerequisites/Co-requisites' section of the module description.

Capped modules - Some modules have a deliberately restricted class size. The maximum number of students on the module is indicated under 'Module cap' on the module description. Most capped modules are on our English Literature, Creative Writing and Year 3 Psychology optional modules. Priority for these will be given to students taking a relevant degree, so capped modules may not be available as electives or to students studying a different degree, and places will be confirmed nearer the time of your arrival.

Module and Programme exclusions - Module and programme exclusions are detailed in our guidance document 'Important Tips for Choosing Modules', so please read relevant subject-specific section(s) carefully. The main programme exclusions are: acting and musical theatre, film & video production and creative music technology, a few of our master's business programmes, health sciences programmes outside subject-specific exchange agreements (nursing/midwifery/paramedic science), our pathway programmes (the first number in the module code is '0') and continuing professional development courses. Places on our chemistry programmes are also very limited.

Popular modules - we may restrict the numbers of exchange students on modules that are popular as electives (e.g. sociology) to maintain a balance in the classroom and to avoid them becoming oversubscribed. Places on these will be confirmed after the timetables have been published.

How to apply

Your home institution must officially nominate you to Surrey before you can apply to us.

Nomination and application deadlines

Nomination deadlines:

For semester 1 / autumn / mid-September entry: 15 April
For semester 2 / spring / early February entry: 15 September

Application deadlines:

For semester 1 / autumn / mid-September entry: 15 May
For semester 2 / spring / early February entry: 15 October

You and your exchange/study abroad office will receive an email in April/September with information about applying to Surrey and a link to our online exchange application form.

Supporting documents

In the meantime, please note the supporting documents below that you must upload as part of your online application. We recommend that you start preparing these well in advance.

Please note: Please submit all supporting documents as PDF files.

Transcript of records covering each year of your degree so far, in English (most institutions can provide this)
A copy of your passport photo page (must include all your details; if you don't have a passport or it is due to expire within 6 months of the end of your stay, please apply for a passport as soon as possible. NB. We no longer accept EU national identity cards)
Surrey Learning Agreement form. Students taking taught courses should list 4 preferred modules (totalling 30 ECTS credits), plus at least one alternative (back-up) module for each in case any modules aren't possible or you have mixed programmes/study years and have timetable clashes. It is only possible to take 30 ECTS per semester, unless you are coming for both semesters and wish to take one of our full-year extracurricular Global Graduate Award modules (7.5 ECTS). At least 3 of your modules should be from the same programme and study year/level. Modules should be listed on your learning agreement in order of preference and in semester order.
Further Information form (pdf) - please list a) the modules you are currently taking this semester; b) if your Surrey module choices have prerequisites (required previous study), list any modules you have taken that meet those prerequisites, c) if any of your Surrey module choices are capped (have a limited class size), give your reason for selecting those modules.
Non-native English speakers only: a) Students coming for longer than 6 months or coming for 6 months or less but wanting to work as well as study will require a points-based Student visa and must submit with their exchange application one of Surrey's accepted English language qualifications at the required level for your main Surrey programme (see your chosen undergraduate or postgraduate course page for the course's English language requirement). NB. We can not accept qualifications which do not meet the minimum requirement for your course and can only accept your most recent test results. Please ensure you get your English language qualification in good time to apply to Surrey. If you already have a language qualification, make sure it has not expired - IELTS, TOEFL and a few other certificates must be no more than 2 years old when you start your Surrey course. b) Students coming to Surrey as Visitors for 6 months or less and only studying may submit either one of our accepted English language qualifications or a letter from your home institution confirming that you meet the requirements of your chosen Surrey course and giving your CEFR level.
Postgraduate/doctoral students only: Bachelor’s/Master’s degree certificate, as appropriate (pdf)
Nursing/Midwifery/Paramedic Science students only: police check certificate (pdf) - you will also be required to provide evidence at a later stage of certain immunisations.
All of these supporting documents should be uploaded and submitted with your online exchange application to Surrey by the application deadline. Missing documents will result in delays. On submission, students will receive an automatic application receipt acknowledgement email.

Submit your online application and supporting documents

All of the supporting documents should be uploaded and submitted with the online application. Incomplete applications cannot be considered. On submission, students will receive an automatic application receipt acknowledgement email.