The UK’s European university
GO ABROAD!
Study or work abroad as part of your degree
Go Abroad!2
Why go abroad? 3
What our students say 4
Which degrees offer time abroad? 6
Do I need any language skills? 7
Where can I go? 9
What support do I get? 12
How to apply 14
Fees and funding 15
“Academically, the year abroad has beenfantastic and I have really enjoyed bothstudying new things and learning adifferent approach to material I havestudied at Kent. A great experiencewhich I would recommend.” Georgia KellyHistory and Philosophy of Art
CONTENTS
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abroad, you have an opportunityto develop a range of professionalskills and make useful contacts.
A number of our undergraduateand postgraduate degrees offeran option to go abroad. But evenif you haven’t registered on oneof those degrees, a placementabroad may still be possible.Please ask our Go Abroad teamfor more details by [email protected]
We make sure you receive excellentassistance in finding the right placeand support you throughout yourtime abroad. For details of the typesof placement you can choose from,and where you can go, see p9-p11.
There is a whole world withinyour reach!
We have many prestigiouspartners around theworld, both in academiaand in industry. As a Kentstudent, why not tap intothis global network bygoing abroad as part ofyour degree?
Going abroad, either on a workplacement or to study at one of ourpartner universities, is an amazingopportunity and a chance for youto develop academically, personallyand professionally. The fact thatyou have spent time abroad is alsoa distinct advantage when yougraduate and look for a job.You are likely to develop manyskills and attributes that willenhance your CV.
For instance, being in a newenvironment allows you todevelop your problem-solvingand intercultural communicationskills. You are also likely to makehuge gains in terms of your self-awareness, independence andconfidence. In addition, you developthe ability to adapt to new situations,experience life in another countryand possibly develop your languageskills, all of which can give youa broader cultural awareness.
If you are thinking of studyingabroad, the time you spend atanother university is a great wayto broaden your view of yourchosen subject and gain newperspectives. If your aim is toundertake a work placement
www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
WHY GO ABROAD?
DID YOU KNOW?Students who take partin mobility* score highly incharacter traits includingcuriosity, confidence, serenity,decisiveness and vigour;98% of employers in NorthernEurope said that these traitswere important in therecruitment and professionaldevelopment of theiremployees. Erasmus Impact StudyRegional Analysis 2016 Source: European Commission
*studying or working abroad as partof a degree
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY
Studying in Indiana, USA
“Purdue University has givenme the opportunity to expandmy knowledge in both televisionproduction and sound design.The facilities are incredibleand I have already completedseveral projects that have mademy portfolio a lot stronger. “I am a member of the NationalBroadcasting Society and Itake trips around the States,networking with professionalsand increasing my knowledgewithin broadcasting. With thescholarship from Santander,I have been able to take partin these field trips and havejust returned from a weekendaway in Washington, DC. “With the skills I have learntat Purdue, I will definitely becomposing music for theatre,film and radio shows whenI return to Kent.”Jenna WildDrama and Theatre Studies
Language assistantin Poitiers, France
“My advice would be to enjoyevery second that you are therebecause it goes by in a flash.Homesickness was somethingthat I worried about before Iarrived but, apart from my firstday, I have felt so at home andcomfortable in Poitiers andaround the people I have met. “Take every opportunity thatcomes your way and try tovisit as many places as possible.As a language assistant, you getschool holidays, which is great!Make the most of the free timeand travel. There will alwaysbe someone around to help youif you are unsure of anything– don’t be afraid to ask! Andhave fun!”Maria PerryFrench and History
Working in Thailand
“I have spent my year inindustry working in Thailand.I had not really travelled much,apart from the occasional familyholiday in Europe, so travellingacross the world has been atotally new experience andone that I will never forget.You aren’t expected to learnthe language but I have.People really appreciate myefforts and always offer to help. “I am sure working or studyingabroad will be one of your mostmemorable experiences whileat university, and maybe oneof the most important. Everyonefeels a small amount of fear atthe beginning, but don’t endupmissing what could be thetime of your life.” Stephanie AshendenForensic Biology with a Year in Industry
4 Go Abroad!
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Studying in Hong Kong
“Hong Kong’s location in Asiais perfect for travelling to othercountries in the continent.I have already been to Beijing,Shenzhen and Macau. As theworld is becoming increasinglyglobalised, I felt that it would bebeneficial to come to Hong Kongas it is such a global hub, witha good mix of East and West. “The Santander Scholarshiphas been a blessing and hasgiven me financial assistanceto prepare for my year abroad.My time in Hong Kong hasopened my eyes to anotherway of life. It has made memore confident and allowedme to step out of the box andlive and work abroad; thereare so many opportunitiesavailable – all I need to dois find them.” April-Louise PennantSociology
Studying in Bologna, Italy
“I think the year abroad isa highly rewarding experiencethat every student should try.I have become more culturallyaware, and the experience Ihave gained will look amazingon my CV and be beneficialfor my future career. I havedeepened and enriched myknowledge outside the areaof film, and really broadenedmy understanding of my mainstudy subject. “To sum up, the whole studyabroad experience is life-changing and providesacademic, personal, careerand social benefits. It isdefinitely worth doing.”Kristina Juodisiute Film Studies
Studying in Prague,Czech Republic
“Quite frankly, this has beenthe most remarkable andinteresting learning experienceof my life. I can’t really put intowords how much I have learnt,not just academically but alsoabout myself and about Europein general. I have taken greatpains to travel as frequently aspossible in order to soak up therich culture offered by Europeas a whole. I cannot recommendthis experience enough to allwho have the opportunity.”Jack Nicolaou European Legal Studies
www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
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WHICH DEGREES OFFERTIMEABROAD?
If you want to spendtime abroad, we havea wide range of degreesfor you to choose from.Some of them offer youthe opportunity to studyabroad; others enable youto go on an internationalwork placement.
Language programmesSpending time in another countryis an integral part of some degreecourses, such as French, German,Italian or Hispanic Studies. Thistime abroad allows you to developfluency in the language you arestudying and gain first-handknowledge of the country’s peopleand culture. Some students chooseto study at a partner university.Others choose to take a workplacement; a popular option isto work as a language assistant,teaching English in a school.
‘Year Abroad’ programmesDegrees with a ‘Year Abroad’in the title allow you to spenda full academic year at one ofour partner universities. All theuniversities are chosen for theiracademic standards and for
their courses, which complementyour studies at Kent. Our partnersinclude highly prestigiousuniversities, a number of whichare ranked within the top 100institutions in the Times HigherEducation World UniversityRankings.
Faculty of HumanitiesprogrammesWithin the Faculty of Humanities,all undergraduate programmesoffer you the option to applyto study for a year/term abroador take a year’s work placement.
Postgraduate programmesThere are a number of opportunitiesfor study and research abroadwithin postgraduate programmes.
These include international doubleaward programmes and optionsunder the Erasmus programme.
Further informationFor details of degrees that offerthe option to work or study abroadand eligibility criteria, seewww.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
Even if you have not registeredon one of the degree programmeslisted on our website, it may stillbe possible to add a term or yearstudying or working abroad toyour degree. Please emailthe Go Abroad team to discussyour options: [email protected]
Go Abroad!
DID YOU KNOW?Another option open tosome overseas studentsis to take a work placementin their home country. Thisallows them to work in theirnative language.
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Work or study inanother languageDegree programmes at Kent thatinclude language studies allowyou to reach a level of fluency thatenables you to work or study abroadin the local language. Please bear inmind that to apply for such a degreeat Kent, you need to have an A level,GCSE or equivalent in the chosenlanguage or a related Europeanlanguage. Entry requirements vary;see www.kent.ac.uk/ug for details.
Remember, the choice ofdestinations available to youmay be wider than you think. Forexample, students taking Frenchhave the option to go to Canada,not just Europe.
The language skillsneeded depend on thekind of study or workplacement you choose.Some placements onlyrequire English; othersprovide an opportunityfor you to develop thelanguage skills you havelearnt during the firsttwoyears of your degree.
Study or work in EnglishYou don’t need to be able tospeak another language to takeadvantage of the opportunity togo abroad. We have many studyopportunities in English-speakingcountries such as the USA orCanada, as well as destinationswhere tuition is in English, suchas the Netherlands, China, HongKong or Japan.
English-speaking employees arein demand all over the world andsome overseas employers offerwork placements where Englishis the only language you will need.
Bear in mind that you often pickup quite a lot of the local language,even if you are studying or workingin English. You may be able to takelanguage classes at Kent beforetaking up the placement, or whileyou are there.
www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
DID YOU KNOW?Five to ten years aftergraduation, the rate ofunemployment among mobilestudents is lower than thatof non-mobile students. Erasmus Impact StudyRegional Analysis 2016 Source: European Commission
DO I NEED ANYLANGUAGE SKILLS?
“Going abroad is afantastic way to improveyour language skills and todiscover more about workexperience placements and jobopportunities for the future.”
Marina Ivanova European Economics withEconometrics
8 Go Abroad!
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Working abroadIf you are taking a work placement– usually called a ‘Year in Industry’,a ‘Placement Year’ or a ‘SandwichYear’ – you may be able to take thisplacement outside the UK. Manyof our academic schools havelinks with well-known and highlyrespected international companies.For language students, we canhelp you to find a placementas a teaching assistant.
It is possible to take a workplacement anywhere in the world,providing you can fulfil the visarequirements and the Foreign &Commonwealth Office approvestravel to the region. For more details,please contact your academicschool. Alternatively, speak to amember of staff in the Go Abroadteam based within InternationalPartnerships, or [email protected]
Erasmus+ programmeThe Erasmus+ programme,funded by the European Union,can offer financial support tostudents participating in anErasmus study or work placement.Under the current arrangements,Kent students can choose to studyor work in the Erasmus+ countriesmarked on the map overleaf. Seep15 for more details of the fundingavailable.
We have many prestigiouspartners, both commercialand academic. They arebased in Europe, theAmericas, Asia, Africaand Australia.
Studying abroadWe already have links withmany partner universities andare continually adding newpartnerships. We only chooseuniversities that have excellentreputations, with courses that cancomplement your studies at Kent.The destinations available dependon your particular degree andlanguage skills. Some are linkedto specific subjects, or may beonly for undergraduate or onlyfor postgraduate students.
See our map (overleaf) or checkwww.kent.ac.uk/goabroad forthe latest details.
www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
WHERE CAN I GO?
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
The University of Kent is pleasedto acknowledge the support of theEuropean Commission under theErasmus+ programme for its Erasmusactivities.
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WHERE CAN I GO? (CONT)
Go Abroad!
USA
CANADA
ARGENTINA
CHILE
PERU
COLOMBIA
SWITZERLAND
URUGUAY
FRANCE
NETHERLANDS
ITALYSPAIN
PORTUGAL
SOUTH AFRICA
BELGIUM
FIN
NORWAY
SWEDEN
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
BRAZIL
11www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
CZECH REPUBLIC
SLOVAKIA
HUNGARY
POLAND
GERMANY
DENMARK
AUSTRIAROMANIA
GREECE
AUSTRALIA
TURKEY
NLAND
CHINA
MALAYSIA
JAPAN
HONG KONG
THAILAND
SOUTH KOREA
Study destinations covered bythe Erasmus+ programme
Study destinations outside ofthe Erasmus+ programme
*Subject to availability, work placements can beundertaken anywhere in the world
SINGAPORE
TAIWAN
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WHAT SUPPORT DO I GET?
We offer excellent supportto help you find a workor study placement.But our help doesn’tstop there. While youare away, you can stayin contact with youracademic school atKent and get practicalsupport from Kent’sGoAbroad team.
Studying abroadIf you are intending to study abroadas part of your degree, the GoAbroad team within InternationalPartnerships can provideinformation on partner universitiesand set up preparatory meetings.They can also advise you on howto apply for a place. You can emailthem at [email protected]
Working abroadIf you intend to work abroad,the Placement Officer within youracademic school provides supportin finding you a placement. Workopportunities abroad are highlysought after and the support ofyour Placement Officer gives youa greater chance of success. Theirinput can range from putting you intouch with Kent’s industry contacts
to helping you with the applicationprocess or improving your interviewtechniques. Your Placement Officercan also advise you on how to makethe most of your placement andother practical and financial matters.
Preparing to goThe Go Abroad team at Kentproduces guidance that givesyou basic information regardingyour stay abroad. We can alsoadvise you on practical matters,such as finance, accommodationand travel arrangements. We hostbriefings in the first and secondyears of your degree course tomake sure you have detailedinformation and support as youprepare to go abroad. We also offeran online module to help prepareyou culturally before your timeabroad.
You often have the chance to meetand talk to students from yourchosen destination before youtravel. This gives you the chanceto learn more about the countryand, where appropriate, to practiseyour language skills.
Visas and work permitsIf you wish to study or workin a non-EU country, or if you arenot an EU national, you may requirea visa or work permit. If you wishto study in a non-EU country, youmay also need to provide a financialguarantee in order to apply for yourvisa/study permit. The Go Abroadteam can advise you on thisprocess.
Go Abroad!
DID YOU KNOW?You can watch videointerviews with Go Abroadstudents at www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad/video.html
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you to ensure that you are gainingthe maximum benefit from your timeabroad, and that you have access tohelp and advice should you need it.
AssessmentThe term/year abroad is currentlyassessed using a pass/fail systemand will not count towards your finaldegree classification. For furtherinformation, contact your academicschool. If you are on a workplacement, the way your year isassessed depends on your degreeprogramme. The Placement Officerin your academic school will be ableto advise you further.
Employability skillsA study or work placement overseasoffers a unique way of enhancingyour personal development andboosting your employability skills.Prepare for the overseas placementbefore you go, so that you are ableto make the most of opportunitiesthat arise while you are there. Usedand reflected upon wisely, your timeabroad will strengthen your CV andyour employment prospects.
During your staySupport is provided by staff at yourhost university, or by your supervisorif you are taking a work placement.You are also able to contact theGo Abroad team at Kent with anyqueries. In addition, your academicschool at Kent keeps in touch with
www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
“I had a lot of support fromKent’s Go Abroad team. As anErasmus student, they sortedout my accommodation beforeI went, by providing a list ofavailable rooms to rent for theyear. While I was in France,they were very good at keepingin touch to ensure that I wasnot struggling.”
Jonathan Brown European History with a Year Abroad
Postgraduate studentsIf you are a postgraduate student,please apply directly to Kent forthe relevant degree programme.You should discuss appropriatestudy/research abroad activitywith the Graduate School andthe Go Abroad team.
Graduate School:T: +44 (0)1227 824089E: [email protected]/graduateschool
Go Abroad team:E: [email protected]
14 Go Abroad!
Work abroad students shouldcontact the Placement Officer intheir academic school during theirfirst year to discuss their options.
Please note: places anddestinations are subject toavailability, language proficiencyand degree programme. For a fulllist, see www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
RequirementsStudents must meet the criteriafor attendance and academicprogression set by their schoolin order to study or work abroad.For more information, visit theGo Abroad website.
You can apply for directentry to a four-yearundergraduate degreecourse that includesstudy or work abroad.Alternatively, you mightbe able to arrange studyor work abroad as anoption once your coursehas started.
Undergraduate studentsIf you want to apply for directentry to a four-year programme,you can apply via UCAS, theUK’s Universities and CollegesAdmissions Service.
If you are a current student andwould like to add a year/termabroad to your degree, pleasecontact your academic schoolto discuss your eligibility.
If you are a current studentregistered on a degree that includesa year/term abroad, your academicschool and the Go Abroad teamwill contact you during your firstyear of study. The Go Abroad teamhost information sessions to giveguidance about destinations,finance and other practicalities foryou to consider over the summer.
Study abroad students are thenrequired to submit an internalapplication to the Go Abroad teamduring the first term of their secondyear, in order to be allocated a placeat a host university. Please [email protected] if you haveany queries.
HOW TO APPLY
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whether a full year or a term.Postgraduate students pay thenormal tuition fee to Kent for theterm or year abroad.
Erasmus+ programmeErasmus+ is a programme fundedby the European Union to promotestudent mobility across Europe.Eligible students spending ayear or term abroad on a studyor work placement may receivea top-up grant from the Erasmus+programme, subject to availability.
Further informationPlease note that all fundingarrangements are subject tochange. Information is correct at thetime of going to press; for the latestdetails, speak to a member of staffin the Go Abroad team, [email protected] or visit ourwebsite, www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
There are several fundingoptions, including ourown scholarship scheme,to finance your timespent abroad.
Kent’s Study AbroadScholarshipThe University’s undergraduateStudy Abroad Scholarship is opento all UK and EU undergraduatestudents applying to Kent for afull-time degree course startingin September 2018 that includesa year abroad. The Scholarshipis worth £2,000 during the yearabroad (or pro rata for the periodof time spent abroad).
To qualify, students must maketheir university application throughUCAS, gain a minimum of AAB(from three A levels) or equivalent,fulfil the normal entry requirementsfor their subject and submit anessay. For details, please search for‘Study Abroad’ at www.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/search
For information on our otheruniversity scholarships forundergraduates, please seewww.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/undergraduate
Tuition feesStudents undertaking a full yearof studying or working abroad paytuition fees to Kent at a reducedrate. Those undertaking a termabroad are expected to pay 100%of the normal fees to Kent. Notuition fees are payable to the hostuniversities for any study placement,
www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
This brochure was produced in July 2017.The University of Kent makes every effortto ensure that the information contained inits publicity materials is fair and accurateand to provide educational services asdescribed. However, the courses, servicesand other matters may be subject tochange. For the most up-to-dateinformation, see www.kent.ac.uk/ug andfor full details of our terms and conditions,see www.kent.ac.uk/termsandconditions
For the University to operate efficiently, itneeds to process information about you foradministrative, academic and health andsafety reasons. Any offer this institutionmakes to you is subject to your consent toprocess such information and is thereforea requirement before we can register youas a student.
FEES AND FUNDING
FIND OUTMOREwww.kent.ac.uk/goabroad
University of Kent, The Registry, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZT: +44 (0)1227 764000 www.kent.ac.uk
DPC 12476407/17PUB948
