Study Abroad Guide

www.lboro.ac.uk/sbe Study Abroad Guide

Contents 3 Introduction 3 What is study abroad? 3 Why study abroad? 4 When can I study abroad? 4 Where can I study abroad? 5 Academic requirements 5 Language 6 Fees and finance 9 Application process 10 Types of exchange 11 Accommodation 11 Visas 12 Appendix partner list 15 Further questions 15 Contact details 2

Introduction This guide is designed to be generic and informative and cover many of the general questions that we are asked regularly. There is more specific information available from the International Relations Office, as well as on the Learn pages in module BSZ204. What is study abroad? Study abroad (sometimes referred to as international exchanges) allows you to spend part of your degree studying at a partner university in a different country. We have many different partner institutions across the world. You mix with other students from many different backgrounds and cultures and may even choose to learn a new language. Why study abroad? Studying abroad is a fantastic opportunity to experience life and study in another country and to develop skills to make you more employable. Studying abroad allows you to develop your cultural understanding and knowledge, showing adaptability, resilience and a flexible way of working. Similar to those students taking part in placements, recent studies show that students who study abroad are more likely to gain a higher degree classification, to be in employment after they graduate and to earn a higher salary (Gone International: mobile students and their outcomes). 3

When can I study abroad? Part I students: All SBE students can opt to study abroad during Part I (third year). This can either be instead of a work placement or combined with a work placement. You can study abroad for: The full year - spend the whole year abroad (instead of doing a work placement), either studying for the full year in one place or one semester each at 2 different partners. One semester - Another option is to study for one semester (first or second semester) and do a shorter work placement - this is often called 6+6. Part B students in International Business: If you are an International Business student you can opt to spend semester 2 of Part B (second year) at a partner institution, provided you can take equivalent modules. Modules count towards your Part B mark. You then have the same options as above in your Part I year. Currently study abroad in part B is only available to International Business students. Please see the additional FAQs document for more information on this option. Where can I study abroad? We have a range of partners around the world where you may be able to study. Please see the appendix for the current list of partners. 4

Academic requirements and recognition When you study abroad there are a range of academic requirements, both at your host university and at Loughborough. Module choices: you must choose modules relevant to your degree when studying abroad in Part I. The Academic Exchange Co-ordinator for the School of Business and Economics is Petros Vourvachis (p.vourvachis@lboro.ac.uk). You must discuss your module choices with him and he will be able to advise you on the academic aspects of studying at your host university. You must study a full-time work-load whilst abroad, which is 60 UK (Loughborough) credits per semester. Many host institutions use ECTS credits, where 30 credits per semester is a full work load. DIntS: As an exchange student on Part I you will gain a Diploma in International Studies (DIntS) for your Part I year, provided that you fulfil the requirements. This will be recorded alongside your degree when you graduate. Please see the Learn page BSZ204 for further details. Language All of our partners teach in English so you do not need to speak a foreign language to study abroad. However, some basic knowledge of the language would be helpful for everyday tasks, to meet new people and to settle in. Loughborough has language classes at the University Language Centre that you may wish to participate in before setting off to study abroad. Often, our partners in non-english speaking countries will also offer an introductory language class during induction. If you are studying French, German or Spanish as part of your degree, you can apply for a place as a British Council English-language assistant in a French, German, or Spanish-speaking country. The Placements and International Opportunities Team within the School of Social Sciences manages this scheme and can be contacted on: Socsci.International@lboro.ac.uk. 5

Fees and Finance Tuition fees During your Part I year you pay tuition fees to Loughborough and not to the host institution, as you are studying as part of the exchange programme. If you are an International Student, your fee is 3000. If you are a UK/EU student, the fees that you pay depend on whether your study or placement is under the Erasmus+ scheme (please see the appendix for more details). Part I option Tuition fee The Part I year includes study or work through Erasmus+ 1385 The Part I year does not include study or work through Erasmus + 1850 Student Finance Please note that if you are entitled to funding through Student Finance England for your tuition fees, you will continue to receive this support during your year abroad. You are also entitled to a maintenance loan for the year that you study abroad. You apply for this through Student Finance. Student Finance Travel Grant Students may be eligible for a means tested travel grant. The travel grant covers the cost of all necessary qualifying travel, minus the first 303. The student must fund the first 303 of travel in all cases. The grant also covers any necessary incidental costs (e.g. visas, vaccinations and medical insurance) of study abroad. Students apply for travel grants initially in the main application for full-time student finance. 6

A travel grant claim form is mailed to eligible students, and this is used to list and demonstrate actual incurred costs against which the entitlement is then assessed and paid. More information available here: www.gov.uk/travel-grants-studentsengland Some further funding is available, depending which partner university you study at: SBE Bursaries: Students participating in a non-erasmus exchange with a school partner university can apply for a bursary of (up to) 500 per semester. You apply once your place has been confirmed. Erasmus+ Grant: Students participating in an Erasmus+ exchange can apply for an Erasmus Grant. This is calculated based on your individual placement and circumstances but students may be entitled to 300-350 per month, with an additional 120 per month for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Please note that funding is not guaranteed. Switzerland is not part of the Erasmus+ but does have a different funding scheme, the Swiss European Mobility Programme, which students can apply for. University-wide grants: Students going to a university-wide partner can apply for a Widening Participation Bursary to contribute towards the cost of studying abroad. For more information on the Erasmus+ Grant or University-wide grants please contact exchanges@lboro.ac.uk for further information. 7

Other financial considerations Please note that the cost of studying abroad is likely to be more expensive than studying at Loughborough. The cost of living may be more expensive abroad meaning that personal expenses are higher, and the exchange rate may make certain countries more expensive than others. As well as the costs that you would have to pay for at Loughborough (accommodation, food, tuition fees, study materials) and you may be required to pay for: Flights and travel costs Visas Insurance (including medical insurance) So you should consider all of these when budget-planning. Your host university should be able to provide you with an idea of what local and likely costs will be. 8

Application process Applying to study abroad usually takes place in 2 short stages: an internal application and then an application to the partner institution. The information is available on your Learn page and a brief overview is below. Activity Research partner institutions and choices for study abroad Approximate timeline As soon as possible until February Meet International Relations Team and/or attend and information session October-January Meet Academic Exchange Coordinator Complete and submit application form Applications are considered by relevant team and students informed of outcome Accept study abroad place December-February University-wide deadline: 9 th February School deadline (including Erasmus): 23 rd February February-March February-March Staff nominate students to relevant partner Ongoing from March Apply to the partner institution following their application process Ongoing from March 9

Different types of exchange On the final page you will see our list of partners, as well as the subject area that they cover and the type of exchange agreement that we have (Erasmus+, School, University). The SBE International Relations Office is responsible for applications to Erasmus+ and school partnerships. The application forms and further information can be accessed via the Learn page BSZ204. The Exchanges team within Academic Registry are responsible for those partnerships classed as University-wide and their application form and further information on their process is available on their web page: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/international/erasmus/outgoing/apply/ Please note that you generally require grades at 2:1 to be offered a place via the University-wide scheme. You can apply via the University-wide scheme and simultaneously to school/ Erasmus partners to increase your chance of being placed. If you are applying for work placements and study abroad at the same time we ask you to let us, and the Placements team, know. Exchange places. We try our best to allocate students to their first choice study abroad institution wherever possible. However, there are limited numbers of exchange places at each partner. If there is more demand than places available, we will allocate places based on academic achievements and personal statements. This is why we ask you to chose 3 institutions and list them in order of preference. If your chosen partner institution is not a suitable academic fit, we will not be able to offer you a place. 10

Accommodation The range of accommodation options differs greatly between different countries and partners it could be on-campus in a shared flat or in private accommodation off-campus. Your host university will provide further information on accommodation options, but some partners will guarantee accommodation and some are not able to. We recommend that you research the accommodation options as part of your wider research into partner institutions. You can find each partner s fact sheet available on your Learn page BSZ204. Your host will let you know how to apply for accommodation if it is available. Please note that it is your responsibility to explore accommodation options and, whilst the IRO team can support you, we cannot find accommodation for you. Visas You may be required to apply for a visa to study in your host country although EU/EEA nationals do not require a visa to study within the EU. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have understood the correct immigration requirements for you, and you apply for your visa in enough time. Usually, your host institution will be able to advise you, and will also issue documents that you may require as part of your visa application process. You should also check the advice and guidance on the relevant Embassy s web pages. Please note that some countries require you to visit their UK embassy in order to receive your visa. If you are an international student at Loughborough wanting to study abroad, you should check with Student Services that this is possible as part of your UK visa. 11

Partner Universities Erasmus+ partners in Europe Country Location Institution 12 B or E Karl-Franzens- Austria Graz Universität Graz (B&E) Denmark Aarhus Aarhus University (B&E) Finland Helsinki Hanken School of Eco- (B&E) France Angers or Paris ESSCA Group (B) France Lille or Nice EDHEC Business School (B) France France France Grenoble (B) Marseille (or Bordeaux) Kedge Business School (B) Université Catholique de Lille Lille (E) Toulouse (or Toulouse Business France Barcelona) School (B) Italy Milan Università Bocconi (B&E) Grenoble Ecole de Management Netherlands Amsterdam Vrijie Universiteit (VU) (B&E) Germany Cologne Universität zu Köln (B&E) Germany Munich Ludwig-Maximilians- Universität München (B&E) Portugal Lisbon Catolica-Lisbon (B&E) Spain Barcelona Toulouse Business School (B) Spain Barcelona Pompeu Fabra University* (B&E) Universidad Carlos III de Spain Madrid Madrid (B&E) Spain Valencia Universitat de Valencia (B&E)

School-wide partners (outside of Europe) Country Location Institution Australia Perth University of Western Australia (B&E) Canada Montréal HEC Montréal (B&E) Canada Montréal UQAM (B&E) Chile Santiago Universidad de Chile (B&E) The University of Nottingham China Ningbo Ningbo (B&E) China Shanghai SILC Business School (B&E) China Zhejiang Zhejiang University (B&E) China China Hong Kong Hong Kong City University of Hong Kong (B&E) (B&E) Hong Kong Baptist University Switzerland Lausanne HEC Lausanne (B&E) Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Zurich Taipei Bangkok ZHAW School of Management and Law National Chengchi University Chulalongkorn University (B) (B&E) (B&E) Uruguay Montevideo University of Montevideo (B&E) B) = Business programmes; (E) = Economics programmes; (B&E) = all programmes. * At these universities you can only study for the full year abroad single semesters are not possible. 13

University-wide partners Country Location Institution Australia Brisbane University of Queensland (B&E) Australia Perth Curtin University of Technology (B&E) Australia Sydney University of Technology, Sydney (B&E) Japan Osaka Kansai University* (B&E) Singapore Singapore Nanyang Technological University (B&E) USA Indiana Purdue University (B&E) USA Oklahoma Oklahoma State (B&E) (B) = Business programmes; (E) = Economics programmes; (B&E) = all programmes. * At these universities you can only study for the full year abroad single semesters are not possible. 14

Further questions Please see the Learn page BSZ204 for more information. You can also contact the IRO via email at sbe.international@lboro.ac.uk with any other questions you may have, or come along to the International Relations Office. We are in BE0.14, and normal office hours are 10am to 4pm for student enquiries. The University s Academic Registry Office also provides information for Loughborough University students who are considering a study experience overseas at: Erasmus and International Exchange Programmes. Contacts Academic Exchange Co-ordinator: Petros Vourvachis p.vourvachis@lboro.ac.uk International Relations Office: Eduarda Castro, Claire Walker, Lucy Dixon Sbe.international@lboro.ac.uk 15

Cover photo: Jordan Allan, Snapshot of Akihabara, Tokyo, Kansai University, Japan, Semester 1 2016-17. Above photo: Caterina Giunchi Singapore a city of contrasts, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Semester 1 2017-18. 16