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STA Student Handbook (Taught Programmes) 2026/27

Study Abroad

STA students on all undergraduate programmes excluding BA Modern Languages (please, see section 6.1) have the option to study abroad as part of our Queen Mary Global opportunities exchange programme. You can do a 4-year BA with Year Abroad and spend your Third Year overseas. This chapter gives further details about the Year Abroad option (4-year BA). Here, you will find information about:

In STA the Study Abroad Tutor - who will be able to answer any questions you may have about the application process and the opportunities available - is: Katie Fleming (k.m.fleming@qmul.ac.uk)


How to apply for a Year Abroad

Applications are submitted online through the Global Opportunities Exchange Programme website. The portal will only become ‘live’ once applications are open. You are required to create an account in advance with Mobility Online which will track your progress through the system. The application consists of four things:

  • A 500-word personal statement (some tips are available here)
  • A list of preferred destination universities in rank order
  • The contact details of a referee (usually your Personal Advisor)
  • Evidence of attendance at a Go Abroad: Get Ready to Apply Workshop

Each application will be scored using a points-based system for each of the above across Queen Mary applicants to determine the offer of study abroad options.

Applications are due in mid-November of your Second Year. You apply the academic year before you would go abroad, so in the second year of your 4-year or 3-year programme. (If you are enrolled on a 3-year programme, then you will need to apply to transfer to the 4-year BA with Year Abroad – see further below.) 

Please make sure you meet with your Advisor to discuss your application well before the application deadline. Please note that places at individual institutions are limited and can be very competitive. You are encouraged to rank as many universities as possible in your application where you would be happy to study abroad if offered a place.

When you are ready, apply here. The application portal will go live each year a few weeks before the applications are due. (Please note that deadlines for the current academic year will be published on this page.)

 

Requirements

To be eligible to study abroad for a year, you must:

  •  achieve a grade average of 60% or higher across your first and second years*;
  • pass all of your modules;
  • attend a Go Abroad: Get Ready to Apply Workshop

*Your average grade will be calculated: EITHER based on the results you achieved in your first year and in the first semester of your second year (in this case the first semester of your second year will be double weighted); OR based on the results you achieved across your first and second years.

 

Finances

A Year Abroad is charged at 15% of QMUL BA fees for the year for UK students and 50% of fees for international students. All grants and maintenance funds are continued through the study abroad year. Important: if you didn’t originally apply to do a 4-year BA, then you will need to change your degree programme and contact student finance to ensure that they are aware of the change (see further below).

  • There is currently one bursary available per year per School. This will be awarded to an applicant already in receipt of bursary funding who has been ranked the highest. This bursary offer is made automatically. 
  • There are government travel funds that it is possible to apply for to support study abroad for students registered with Student Finance England. More information available here: https://www.gov.uk/travel-grants-students-england
  • It is worth exploring other avenues of funding to support your travel abroad.
  • Global Opportunities run Go Abroad: Get Ready to Apply Workshops in Semester 1 to help students plan and budget for this opportunity. Attendance at these workshops counts towards your overall ranking.
 
Marks and Transcripts
  • You will take the equivalent of 60 credits of modules each semester in your Year Abroad. At least 50% of your credits should be in your programme subject or subjects (e.g. Drama for students enrolled on the BA(Hons) Drama).
  •  You will usually choose the equivalent of Level 5 and/or Level 6 modules in your programme subject choices. You may wish to select an introductory module if you are taking a module in a discipline that is new to you. The International Study Tutor will be able to advise you further.
  • Your Year Abroad will be graded pass/fail and zero-weighted in the final calculation of your award classification.
  • If you fail the year abroad (i.e. fail to pass the equivalent of at least 105 QMUL credits), then your enrolment will revert to the 3-year variant of your degree programme. The failed year abroad will not appear on your transcript for the 3-year programme.
 
Research and Preparation

When considering universities and locations to study abroad it is worth doing some good online research, talking to advisors, friends, family, and international students in the School.

Think about where you might want to study and where you might want to live during your time abroad. Be open-minded and don’t rule anywhere out until you have looked into it. There are some extraordinary opportunities available.

You will also need to look at the modules offered for English and Drama at the universities you are considering. You will need to speak to your Study Abroad Tutor to find out if there are specific modules that you need to find equivalents of to take in your Semester Abroad – this varies between the Department of English and the Department of Drama.

 The layout of university websites is not always user-friendly so finding out about modules and other campus opportunities will take some time and effort. It is worth being aware that the terminology is different in different universities. US universities, for instance, use the term ‘course’ where QMUL uses ‘module’. Many universities are organised in Colleges (e.g. of Arts and Letters) rather than Departments, Schools or Faculties.

Do look out for the modules/courses in your discipline that you could take at these overseas universities that you wouldn’t have the chance to study at QMUL, or in the UK.

Some options may have subject ‘pre-requisites’. It may require some contact with the Study Abroad Tutor and Global Opportunities in order to demonstrate that you have fulfilled the equivalent pre-requisite. Some drama practical options may require you to ‘audition’. Personal Advisors and the Study Abroad Tutor in Drama will be able to help and advise with this. These are not high stakes auditions and our students generally secure places on the practical module they are interested in.

 

What happens after I apply?

The Global Opportunities team will get in touch with you a month or two after you apply (i.e. in January/February if you apply in November) to offer you a place on the Study Abroad programme (conditional upon meeting the eligibility requirements). You will then need to accept the offer and consider what modules/courses you want to take during your Year Abroad. You will also need to meet with the Study Abroad Tutor in your home department (English or Drama), during Semester 2, to discuss your plans. The tutor will need to approve your module choices. Finally, after accepting your offer to study abroad, you should begin to make any necessary visa inquiries and financial arrangements to prepare for your time overseas. 

 You will receive further information from the Global Opportunities team once you have received and accepted your offer. 


Choosing your modules for your year abroad:

You will need to meet with the Study Abroad Tutor in your home department (English or Drama) to discuss and confirm your module choices for your Year Abroad and to complete your Learning Agreement Form, which the tutor must sign. In March or April, you will need to submit your overseas module requests to your host university (please note their deadline). The Study Abroad Tutor and Global Opportunities team will be able to advise and support you through this process. The Learning Agreement Form will be due in early May. You will submit it to the Global Opportunities office. 

Choosing your modules in English and Drama (required): 

Even though you plan to spend your third year abroad, you must still complete a Module Preferences Form in the School of English and Drama to request the modules you would want to take should you remain at Queen Mary for your third year. If, for whatever reason, you cannot take up your place to study abroad, then SED would use your Module Preferences Form to allocate you to modules in English and/or Drama. Please ensure that you follow the guidelines for study abroad students when completing your Module Preferences Form. If you have any questions, then please contact the Study Abroad Tutor in your home department (English or Drama). 


Converting a 3-Year BA to a 4-Year BA with Year Abroad

There are four steps to convert your 3-year BA to a 4-year BA with Year Abroad.

(1) Visas

In the first instance, speak to QMUL Advice and Counselling to find out about applying for visas for a year abroad at an overseas university. If you are a British citizen this will probably be straightforward. If you are not the Advice and Counselling Visa experts will be able to advise on and support your application.

(2) Student Finance

You are entitled to funding for the whole of your first undergraduate course, plus one bonus year in particular cases. This means that if you have already been given student finance for an extra year (e.g. started on a different degree programme before changing to your current programme; did a foundation degree etc.) you should check with Student Finance England (SFE) whether your funding can be extended.

QMUL Registry will inform SFE about the change of your circumstances once your Change of Programme of Study Form (from the 3-year programme to the 4-year programme) has been processed. This means, you don’t need to contact SFE separately.

(3) School of English and Drama Change of Programme of Study Form

If you are a student on the 3-year BA, you can also apply to transfer to to the 4-year BA with Year Abroad by completing a Change of Programme of Study Form (see below) . Places on the 4 year programme are in high demand, to ensure there are sufficient spaces abroad for those already enrolled on the 4-year programme students wishing to change from the 3-year BA to the 4-year BA with Year Abroad will need to follow the process below:

If you are a current Level 4 student you will need to wait until your second year of study before applying to change programme. You may then likely to be added to a waiting list and will be contacted if there are places available to study a Year Abroad the following year.

If you are a current Level 5 student please contact sed-international@qmul.ac.uk to record your intention to complete a Change of Programme Form. You will be added to a waiting list and contacted if there are places available to study a Year Abroad for the next academic year.

(4) Apply! 

Apply to study abroad for a year. See above (‘How to Apply’) for details. Please note the eligibility requirements and make sure that you attend the Go Abroad: Get Ready to Apply workshop before you apply.    

After you have confirmed your place to study abroad with Global Opportunities (and met the conditions of your offer), you will need to secure a visa, make financial arrangements for your year abroad and contact Student Finance England. 

 

Your Year Abroad

It is essential that you keep in touch with QM whilst you are studying overseas. You will be required to check in with your personal advisor by email a couple of times each Semester. You are encouraged to write a couple of short blog pieces to describe what your study abroad experience is like for future students considering this option.

When you return to QMUL we will want to record a short interview with you about your time and experiences overseas. We would be very grateful if you would be willing to offer support and advice to younger students considering these options and on open days. We will request one representative to sit on the School of English and Drama’s International Study Sub Committee to represent the undergraduate student experience and ensure that we are offering and supporting the best experience possible.