International exchange for Brunel students

You can add another dimension to a challenging university experience by spending a part of your degree in another country.

The international exchange programme enables students from Brunel to spend a year or a single term at one of our partner institutions outside the EU. The academic work you complete at our partner institution will be credited towards your Brunel degree if we have an exchange agreement in your subject area.  

If your department has an exchange agreement with an overseas institution, they will normally hold an information session in October (for Level 1 students). You will need to reach out to your Academic Exchange Coordinator and submit an internal application in January (latest). Ideally you should be nominated by mid-March, so that you do not miss out on the partner institution’s application deadline. These deadlines can be as early as the end of March in some cases. 

If you would like to participate in an exchange programme, please talk to your personal tutor and your department’s Academic Exchange Coordinator in the first instance to discuss how going on an exchange would fit into your degree programme. For further information, contact the Student Mobility Team.

Eligibility

• Current Brunel full time undergraduate or postgraduate students are eligible to apply.
• All applicants will need to demonstrate to their Academic Exchange Coordinator that a suitable course of study is available at the host institution, which will integrate into their current studies to provide an overall programme of study that is academically acceptable for the award of a Brunel degree. All successful applications must be approved by the applicant's department.
• All offers of admission to the exchange programme will be conditional upon students successfully completing their end of year Brunel University London examinations. Undergraduate students must have achieved a minimum aggregate mark of 60% at the end of their 1st or 2nd year while postgraduate students must have achieved a 2.1 in their undergraduate degree. Students who fail to meet this offer will have their participation reviewed by their academic department at Brunel and the host institution. Either party may withdraw a student from the programme. 

Selection process

Students will be selected by their department on the basis of academic ability plus a personal statement outlining their motivation. 

In order to be considered, students must submit the following to the Academic Exchange Coordinator by applicable deadline:

1. Transcript of records or a list of provisional marks received for modules to date 

2. CV showing study, employment and extracurricular activities

Strong candidates will be interviewed. Final selection will be based on evidence of maturity, stability, adaptability, self-discipline and strong academic motivation. 

For study at a host university where the language of instruction will not be English, candidates should demonstrate a level of proficiency, a minimum of level B2, in the host language.

Application Process

After you have been nominated by your department, you may begin the application process to your host university. You will receive information about how to apply directly from your host university. 

The application deadline will vary so please check with your host university. We advise you to visit the host website on our partner list for further information (i.e. accommodation, list of courses, etc.).

Part of the application process involves completing and submitting the following documents to Brunel:

• Learning Agreement
• Risk Awareness Checklist 
• Travel Insurance Form 

You must meet with your Academic Exchange Coordinator to complete all three documents. Once they are signed and approved by the Academic Exchange Coordinator, please submit the documents to the Student Mobility Team.

Fees and finance

Tuition fees

During your exchange period abroad, you will continue to pay tuition fees to Brunel. The exchange agreements between Brunel University London and its partner universities mean that students are not required to pay tuition fees to the host university. 

The tuition fees for home/EU undergraduate students undertaking exchange (either part or full year abroad) will be in line with the Student Financial Policy.  

Living costs and Funding

Turing funding can be used to contribute towards the costs of living and travel. The grant amount depends on the duration of your study or work placement. 

The grant will not cover the costs of the entire mobilit programme, which is why we advise students to factor in any excess costs for travel, accommodation, living expenses, health insurance, host university camus charge, etc. 

Widening Access Grants 

The Turing scheme recognises widening access opportunities as a key priority. Therefore, students that fall into one (or more) of the following criteria may be eligible for an increased grant rate. 

1. Students with low household income or low socio-economic status (including those with an annual household income of £25,000 or less). 
2. Students receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them, such as child or partner. 

• Students who are care expereinced. 
• Students who have caring responsibilities. 
• Neither of the students' parents can be found or it is not reasonably practicable to get in touch with either of them (estranged students).
• Refugees and asylmn seekers. 

Student Financial Support

Student support can vary, and it is difficult to account for individual students’ circumstances. Students should confirm their personal funding eligibility with Student Finance England prior to committing to an exchange year or term abroad. For information about the fees and funding arrangements, please contact the Student Centre.

Please note that the host university will not provide the required documentation for obtaining your visa unless you can demonstrate that you have access to the recommended amount of funds (personal savings, family support, Student Finance etc.). Therefore, if you receive Student Finance, you should apply as early as possible so that you have evidence of this in good time for your visa application.

Travel grants

If you are studying abroad you might be eligible to apply for an income assessed travel grant from Student Finance England for reasonable travel costs incurred attending an overseas institution as part of the course (this means buying the most cost effective tickets for the most economical form of transport). Please visit the Student Finance England website for details.