Undergraduate year abroad

This page provides an overview of undergraduate student exchange links. The lists which appear are firstly by region and secondly by country. The departments at Imperial for whom a link is relevant are given. Please note that these lists are for active partnerships in 2024-25 and therefore the lists as a whole can change from year to year.

Let's start off though by quoting a study abroad participant from Imperial College: "My year abroad has made me reflect on what I am studying and re-ignited my love and passion for my subject. I am not the only one that has said this, going abroad makes you see your subject in a different light. You are faced with a challenge and you have to find solutions to problems. I have thoroughly improved my French and met some really amazing people. At the end of the day, it's up to you to make your time abroad what you want it to be."

Imperial College has offered whole academic year study abroad opportunities since the late 1980s.

• Currently, all departments, except the School of Design Engineering, the Dept of Materials, the Imperial College Business School and the School of Medicine, offer a "year abroad" type degree. This includes "language for science" degrees in the Dept of Life Sciences.
• All current exchange agreements (2024-25) operate on bi-lateral terms with the partner university, with students being able to apply to the Turing Scheme (via Imperial).
• Undergraduate student exchange agreements with two Swiss HEIs (ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne) operate under a generously sponsored Swiss government scheme (Swiss-European Mobility Programme or SEMP) which normally allows our students access to a Swiss funded mobility grant. This scheme is expected to be in operation up to and including 2024-25. Accessing the Turing Scheme for funding in place of SEMP funding can also be considered, but a student cannot hold both a Turing and a SEMP grant.
• Other exchange agreements exist to service opportunities for students (depends on the department as to which links are relevant) in Australia, Canada, Singapore, USA and Hong Kong.
• See TABS below for full list of undergraduate year abroad exchange links expected to be active in 2024-25 (with notes added where necessary).
• Departments offering the year abroad will provide guidance during Year 1 and 2, with selection taking place from the autumn term in the year preceeding the year when the actual "year abroad" is scheduled. Individual departments set their own requirements for participation (for this and other matters related to how the year abroad operates in a department first check your undergraduate programme handbook or VLE, e.g. Blackboard, resources for further details).
• Guidance on language preparation for the year abroad (where relevant) can also be obtained from the student's department. Please also see the Year in Europe webpages of the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication.
• If a student has a query about information on this page they can contact the Registry (Adrian Hawksworth) at a.hawksworth@imperial.ac.uk

Other useful information concerning the Year Abroad at Imperial

The following is a non-exhaustive list of useful pointers.

• All study placements abroad are covered by Imperial's policy on placement learning, and as well as the general good practice for placements there is additional/specific good practice for the year abroad. These documents can be accessed here.
• The year abroad is currently undertaken in Year 3 (Chemical Engineering, Earth Science and Engineering, Life Sciences, Mathematics and Physics) or Year 4 (Aeronautics, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computing, Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Mechanical Engineering).
• Aeronautics may also send (additional year) in Year 4 of a 5 Year MEng.
• There are also 5 year degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry that combine a year abroad alongside a year in industry (Mechanical Engineering : normally Year 3 in industry, Year 5 abroad; Chemistry: Year 4 in industry, Year 5 abroad).
• In Computing a MEng student attending the University of California would do so only for terms 1 & 2 in Year 3 ahead of undertaking the mandatory industrial placement from April in Year 3. A whole year away from Imperial as opposed necessarily to it being a whole  "year abroad".
• In Materials there is an autumn term only study abroad option in the final year (limited places) at MIT, USA.
• In all cases the year abroad is currently a replacement year for a year which would otherwise have been undertaken at Imperial (MEng/MSci degrees), except in the case of the Dept of Life Sciences where their BSc degree system requires it to be undertaken as an additional year (3+1) and the aforementioned new Aeronautics 5YR option.
• The Registry at Imperial supports departments who offer a "year abroad" degree with the production of a Study Abroad Handout in January/February each year for the specific use of students who are planning to study abroad the following academic year. The Handout links to the Placements Abroad Handbook. For example, the Handout and Handbook advise on matters such as "financial matters", "insurance" and "immigration to the host country", the latter being of importance to a greater number of students now that the UK has exited the EU.
• The Assistant Registrar (Placements), as the University's advisor on student exchanges, is available for 1:1s with students or to attend departmental briefing sessions.
• Home/Ireland students (by fee status) who undertake an academic year away from Imperial as part of their degree (e.g. year abroad) are currently eligible for a substantial tuition fee discount (fees payable to Imperial for the year spent abroad). This is subject to change.
• UK Student Finance can still be applied for by relevant students. Detailed advice on this matter is provided in the Study Abroad Handout.
• Overseas students who undertake an "additional" year as their year abroad (Life Sciences; one of the Aeronautics year abroad options) are currently eligible for a tuition fee reduction. This is subject to change.
• All students who undertake their year abroad via a student exchange agreement do NOT pay tuition fees to the host university for the year spent abroad. However, registration fees are permitted (often providing subsidised benefits) as are occasionally miscellaneous fees where normally paid also by students of the partner university. Students planning to undertake a year abroad should consult the information provided by the partner university.
• Students who go to the USA on a year abroad should expect to pay for health insurance, normally an insurance policy offered by the host university. The cost of this insurance is currently in the region of $1.5K and $3.5K. Home students should note that means-tested financial support for insurance is available to apply for through the UK Student Finance system. The Turing scheme might also provide a source of financial support for extraordinary costs associated with travelling abroad.