Study abroad

We live in an increasingly globalised world where businesses, research and culture thrive on international cooperation. We aim to equip you to excel globally, which will allow you to develop valuable insights into different cultures and ways of working.

Year Abroad programmes

Our study abroad degree programmes (see page 10) give you the opportunity to spend a non-credit bearing year abroad at one of our English-speaking partner universities in the USA and Australia. Astronomy placements in Crete

The top two students on the Astrophysics programme will be offered fully-funded summer internships at the Skinakas Observatory in Crete. These typically happen in the summer after final year exams.

The building housing the 1.3m telescope at the Skinakas observatory in Crete, used by Astronomy students on placement. Credit: Skinakas Observatory

Using international research facilities, students on this placement will spend a month carrying out an extended research project in astrophysics. The project is excellent preparation for a PhD, though the skills developed – such as independent project work and problem solving – could be easily transferred into a range of careers. I enjoyed being immersed in a completely different culture from the one that I was used to. I got to learn how to study in a completely different style and I’ve now got friends all over the world. I fell in love with the American college culture, every day felt like I was the protagonist in the films I watched as a teenager!

As well as this, employers love it. It demonstrates the certain level of independence that is required to study abroad, and shows that you can see the world from a global prospective.

Liam Hartley, MSci Physics, 2017 – studied for one year at the University of Miami, USA