Apply

• Check what summer, semester or full year study abroad opportunities are available within your subject area.
• Speak with your subject Study Abroad Coordinator and / or the Study Abroad Office to find out more.
• Carefully research possible study abroad or summer school destinations and work out what and where you would like to study. The ‘Things to Consider’ section below might help you with this!
• Review the Funding page to learn what financial support might be available to you.
• Review your financial situation using the suggested Study Abroad Budget Calculator (NB: You will need Microsoft Excel or equivalent software capable of opening .xlsx files)
• Attend study abroad presentations and sessions to gain more information and ask questions.
• Read about and listen to other students’ experiences.

Application information for 2025/6 will appear on this page in mid-November 2025.

Please contact studyabroad@reading.ac.uk if you have any questions regarding this.

Once the application deadline has passed, the Study Abroad Office will liaise with Study Abroad Coordinator(s) and partner institutions to negotiate study abroad places.

After this, decisions will be made and places will be allocated to applicants. We aim to notify students of decisions by late February / early March 2025.

Please remember that we cannot guarantee any student the opportunity to study abroad or a particular institution or country.

Students will be given a short turnaround time to accept their offer to study abroad, and the Study Abroad Office will then nominate you as the selected applicant(s) for will need to apply to the partner institution thereafter.

Selection Criteria for Study Abroad

All applicants must be in good academic and behavioural standing to be considered.

For subject-owned partnerships, the selection criteria is set by the academic School / Department.

For university-wide partnerships, the following factors will be considered in the decision-making process, especially if there are more applicants than places:

• Availability / capacity constraints at the partner institution.
• Academic performance (i.e., average grade of 55% or above at time of application or meets partner’s requirements – Part 1 applicants based on submodular grades; Part 2 applicants based on Part 1 grades)
• Duration of Study Abroad placement.
• Spread of subject backgrounds among applicants
• Study Abroad Coordinator comments
• Personal statement

Selection Criteria for Summer Schools

The following factors will be considered in the decision-making process:

• Academic performance (i.e., average grade of 55% or above at time of application – Part 1 applicants based on submodular grades; Part 2 applicants based on Part 1 grades)
• Students who have not participated (or are not due to participate) in study abroad or summer schools previously
• Students from subject areas where Study Abroad is not available .
• Students, from the following groups who:
  • low-income backgrounds.
  • are care givers, care-leavers or care-experienced.
  • have a recognised disability.
  • identify as an ethnic minority.
• A fair spread of participants across subject areas (unless summer school is subject specific)
• Study Abroad Coordinator comments
• Personal statement

Once you have been allocated a place to study abroad, you will then need to complete your allocated host institution’s external application procedures.

The partner is likely to send you the application details direct, and the Study Abroad Office and or your Study Abroad Coordinator can provide you with support to complete. Further details are provided you have formally accepted your offer to study abroad.

All overseas travel is subject to the laws and immigration rules of the jurisdiction to which you are travelling. If you believe you may be prevented from travelling to a particular country, please notify the Study Abroad Office as soon as possible.

There are no right or wrong reasons. It is what you want that is most important. For example, is it a love of a country or culture? An opportunity to learn new things? A chance to travel? Do you want to challenge yourself?

Weigh up the pros and cons of living and studying in another country.

Knowing why it is that you want to study abroad will help in your decision making processes, as well as help you overcome any obstacles that you may face.

Are academic interests more important than the overall experience? Do you want to go to somewhere familiar, or new? Is your potential destination more important than the range of modules available? Understanding this will help you work out which of the available opportunities is right for you.

However, you will need to study whilst abroad no matter where you choose. Therefore please ensure that any institutions you are interested in can meet any academic requirements.

Each university specialises in something different, and you must make sure that the universities you select on your application form offer the subjects or topics you need to study or are interested in. Each partner website should provide you with information about the range of modules available.

We recommend the Study Abroad web-pages of each partner institution will be the best place to start your investigations as often they will have study abroad specific information easily available.

Do you want to live on campus or have a big city experience? Do you prefer to be part of a large or more intimate student community? How important is to you that you live in on-campus halls? Do you want to live in a country where you speak the language, or are you comfortable living in a totally different culture? Knowing this will really help you decide where you want to go.

Whilst there might be funding available to contribute towards the costs of studying abroad, it is still a financial investment. Some places are more expensive to live in than others, and travel costs can vary. Wherever you go, there will be loads of new and fun opportunities available to you (including travel). Therefore please plan non-academic activities into your budget, as well as standard day-to-day living. The Study Abroad Budget Calculator might be able to help you.

We want as many students from all backgrounds and abilities to be able to study abroad. However, we realise that if you need additional support (in whatever capacity) here at Reading then you could have concerns as to whether study abroad is right for you. We recommend that, where appropriate, you discuss your concerns either with the Study Abroad Office, or the team at the University of Reading that provides you with assistance regarding your additional support. They can offer you impartial guidance and help.

If you are a student with a disability, please see the support and disability support pages.

You may have your heart set on a particular destination, but we recommend being open-minded as to what is available. Many students end up studying somewhere different to their initial first choice. Often after researching destinations and costs, and thinking about what it is they are really seeking from a study abroad experience, students realise that a different destination may be better for them. The world is a big place – there are excellent opportunities available to you everywhere.

Don’t exclude those closest to you from the decision making process. Parents and guardians will be able to offer you advice and often they really want to help you – emotionally as well as financially!

They are likely to want to feel part of the process, as you going abroad will also affect them. In most cases you have little to lose and loads to gain by talking it through with them.