Lancaster Environment Centre

For over 20 years Lancaster University has operated a successful exchange scheme with Universities in the USA and Canada, and this has now been expanded to include Universities in Australia and New Zealand. The year abroad is not an add-on to your degree, it is fully integrated so that you can complete your BSc in just three years. Or if you prefer a shorter period, why not spend three months in Europe on an Erasmus exchange?

Why study abroad?

• Gain experience of life and culture in another country
• Benefit from a wider range of teaching and research expertise
• Study different natural and man-made environments
• Enhance your job prospects - stand out from the crowd!
• Take advantage of opportunities to go travelling, skiing, scuba-diving...

What opportunities are available?

• A full year in North America, Australasia or Iceland
• 3 months in mainland Europe on an Erasmus exchange

What our students say about studying abroad

Rosemary Wilson, BSc Environmental Science/Study Abroad, spent 2011/12 at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

Studying abroad in Australia gave me opportunities that I never thought I would have. As well as diving in the Great Barrier Reef, bungey jumping in the rainforest and swimming at the Cataract Gorge, I have met so many amazing people from all over the world. I have definitely grown in confidence and independence. I had excellent environmental and geoscience lecturers at Macquarie University, and there were plenty of field trips which really helped to cement the lecture content and put it into context.

Lucy Wooldridge, BA Geography/North America, spent 2011/12 at the University of Colorado, Boulder, USA.

It may sound cliched but my year abroad was the best year of my life! I met so many great people, saw so many amazing places from travelling around the States and learnt so much about myself. It was great to experience a new way of teaching and have the opportunity to study subjects not offered in the UK. All the teaching staff were very supportive and approachable if we needed any help. The International Office were great at organising events and helping us to settle in straight away. I have absolutely no regrets about choosing to study abroad.

Kate Rimmer, BSc Conservation Biology/Study Abroad, spent 2011/12 at Griffith University in Australia

I really enjoyed my study abroad experience. It helped me to tackle problems and overcome challenges which taught me valuable skills that can be applied in university and in my scientific career to come.

Darren Axe, BSc Physical Geography/Australasia

I took a place at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and it really has lived up to expectations. There is always something going on, whether it is clambering around on Volcanoes, tramping around the temperate rainforests and glaciers of the South Island or watching the All Blacks with a pint. There is the opportunity to take a wide range of Geography and Earth/Environmental Science courses through the year so whether your year will involve the golden beaches and Outback Safaris of Australia or the wild, wet and rugged Middle Earth that is New Zealand it is sure to be fantastic

Nicola McDivitt, BA Geography/North America, spent 2011/12 at the University of Calgary in Canada.

My year abroad was even better than I could have hoped for. The University of Calgary was very accommodating and I settled in very quickly. The city itself is a great place to be, so much so that I stayed after my study abroad year finished, and worked there for the summer too. I would recommend Calgary to anyone considering a year in Canada.

Louise Smith, BA Geography/North America, spent 2011/12 at Michigan State University in the USA.

My year abroad at Michigan State University was definitely the best year of my life. MSU is rated as the top study abroad institution in the USA which is fully deserved. Both academic and social life were brilliant. I felt comfortable and safe in the university housing which was well managed, cafeteria access was brilliant and public transport to and from shopping and recreational areas were excellent. I met some of the best friends I have made in my life, and got to visit so much of the US.

North America, Australasia or Iceland

Students applying through UCAS to the following degrees will have an exciting opportunity to spend a full year studying at an overseas university.

3 year degrees, with the 2nd year spent abroad:

• F800 BSc Geography / North America
• L701 BA Geography / North America
• C102 BSc Biological Sciences / Study Abroad
• C151 BSc Environmental Biology / Study Abroad
• C153 Conservation Biology / Study Abroad
• C182 Ecology / Study Abroad
• F902 BSc Environmental Science / Study Abroad
• FF6V BSc Earth and Environmental Science / Study Abroad
• F141 BSc Environmental Chemistry / Study Abroad

4 year degrees:

• F847 BSc Physical Geography / Australasia (3rd year abroad)
• C155 MSci Environmental Biology / Study Abroad (2nd year abroad)
• F143 MChem Environmental Chemistry / Study Abroad (2nd year abroad)

A-level entry grades are slightly higher for our study abroad degrees compared to our 'standard' degrees. However, you will automatically be offered a place on the equivalent standard degree as a back-up, so there is no need to apply for both.

If, at any time during your first year, you decide that you no longer want to go abroad, you can simply switch to one of our standard degree schemes. So it is worth applying, even if you’re not sure that you want to go abroad, to keep the option open!

How does it work?

You will spend a full academic year abroad, studying courses comparable to those that you would have taken at Lancaster. The grades that you are awarded abroad will count towards your Lancaster degree.

You will become a full member of your overseas university during your year abroad, but you will also have a dedicated study abroad advisor at Lancaster who will monitor your progress and help resolve any difficulties encountered.

Accommodation is arranged at the host university; usually you will be offered a room on the university campus.

Advisors in our International Office will help you to complete all the relevant paperwork, such as application forms and visas.

Note that your year abroad will start a little earlier than the academic year at Lancaster (late July for Australasia, or August/September for North America and Iceland), and will finish between April and June the following year.

There will be lots of opportunities to go travelling during weekends and holidays, and you may also be able to stay abroad a little longer at the end of your placement to do research for your final year dissertation.

Where can I go?

The choice of destinations varies slightly from year to year, and also depends on your degree. The table below shows which destinations may be available and suitable for each degree.

In your first term at Lancaster you will attend a series of briefings about studying abroad, and have the opportunity to chat to students who have recently returned from a year abroad.

You will need to decide in December whether you definitely want a place abroad, and if so, where you would prefer to go.

Your academic advisor will then allocate provisional places (conditional upon getting good grades in your first year), and help you to select appropriate courses.

We cannot guarantee that everyone will get their first choice of destination. However, past experience has convinced us that, wherever you are placed, you will have an excellent educational experience and a fantastic time socially!

How much will it cost?

Lancaster University will waive 85% of the tuition fee for the year abroad, a saving of £7,650 for students admitted to Lancaster in 2013/14. There are no additional tuition fees payable to your overseas university.

There are some extra expenses associated with studying abroad, such as flights, insurance, extra books and obtaining a visa - and you will probably want to do some travelling while you are there...!

Subject to means-testing, financial help may be available from:

• A tuition fee loan
• An enhanced maintenance loan (£6,535 in 2012/13, which is £1,035 more than the standard loan)
• A Government Travel Grant to cover travel expenses and insurance (but you pay the first £303).
• An Erasmus grant of around 270 Euros per month (for placements in Iceland only)

You can also work part-time during your year abroad if you wish, although there may be restrictions on where and how many hours you are allowed to work.

Who to contact for further information

Dr Emily Heath, (LEC Study Abroad Co-ordinator)

Email: e.heath@lancaster.ac.uk, Tel: 01524 594209.

3-month research placements in mainland Europe

We currently have Erasmus exchange agreements with the following universities in Europe:

• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
• Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, Netherlands
• Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
• University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

You can spend three months at one of these universities, doing practical research as part of your dissertation project - for example, lab work, field work or computer modelling.

Your three months abroad will be during the summer towards the end of your 2nd year at Lancaster (May/June to August/Sept).

You will be working with an English-speaking research group and supervisor - so being able to speak a foreign language is not essential.

How to apply

There is no special UCAS code - placements are organised on an individual basis early in your 2nd year at Lancaster, and you will spend part of the summer term and summer vacation abroad.

Placements are available for students on any degree based in Lancaster Environment Centre, and students of any nationality are welcome to apply.

How much will it cost?

Because Erasmus exchanges are reciprocal, there are no extra tuition fees to pay.

You will receive some financial support in the form of an Erasmus grant - currently 270 Euros (approx £220) per month. However, this is unlikely to cover all of your extra expenses (travel, accommodation, etc).

Living costs vary from country to country, but are very low in Croatia and the Czech Republic, making these destinations particularly attractive for students on a tight budget.

Who to contact for further information

Dr Emily Heath, (LEC Study Abroad Co-ordinator)

Email: e.heath@lancaster.ac.uk, Tel: 01524 594209.