How to Apply
1. Contact your exchange coordinator
i) To be eligible for an exchange with the University of Surrey, you must be a registered student at one of our partner institutions. Many of our exchange agreements are subject-specific and for a specific level of study, so check that the agreement with Surrey is in your subject area and at your level. The exchange office at your home university will be able to provide you with help and advice.
ii) Identify a suitable study programme. For those following a taught programme, please check our Provisional Module Catalogue to see whether we offer modules that fit with your study programme at your home institution. Discuss your module choices with your home department. If you need more information or advice, email your Departmental Exchange Coordinator at Surrey. For those applying to do project work or laboratory work, please identify an appropriate academic, email them to ask if they will supervise you and agree the details of your project or laboratory work with them.
iii) Most of our partner institutions have a formal student selection procedure for exchanges. Find out when your home institution’s application deadline is and apply/register your interest with the appropriate Exchange Coordinator. This may be the Departmental or Institutional Exchange Coordinator if you are in Europe, or the Study Abroad or International Office if you are outside Europe. You must make your application in conjunction with your university as there are usually a specific number of exchange places available.
iv) Your home institution must officially nominate you by email before you can apply to Surrey. The nomination should be sent to our Incoming Exchanges Administrator, Mrs Zoe Stevenson
z.stevenson@surrey.ac.uk and include your full name, gender, subject area, level of study at Surrey, whether you wish to come for semester 1/semester 2/full year/other specified dates.
Nomination deadlines:
For autumn entry (late September): 30 April
For spring entry (early February): 30 September
2. Submit your application
i) Once we have received your nomination and it has been approved, we will email your Exchange Coordinator inviting you to apply.
ii) Please read the Guidance Notes for Applicants before completing the Application Form and the appropriate Learning Agreement form below:
• Application form
• Learning Agreement for Taught Courses OR
• Learning Agreement for Project Students
Your application must include:
• Application Form, with your personal details and information about your studies, signed by you and your Exchange Coordinator
• Learning Agreement for Taught Courses, with your provisional module choices in order of preference OR, for project students, the Learning Agreement for Project Students with your proposed project title/a description of the laboratory work you intend doing and the name of the Surrey academic who has agreed to supervise you.
• Transcript of Records of your degree studies so far, in English, including details of your current courses (grades for these can be provided when available) and evidence of your English language competence
• A copy of your Passport/Identity Card photo page
• 2 passport-sized photographs
• IELTS/TOEFL certificate (Tier 4 Student Visa applicants only)
Please note: we will not be able to process your application unless it is complete.
iii) Your Exchange Coordinator must approve your completed application and then send it to us by email (as a pdf) AND by post.
Application deadlines (email):
For autumn entry (late September): 31 May
For spring entry (early February): 31 October
3. Approval
i) You will be sent an email acknowledging receipt of your application.
ii) Once we have approved your application and provisional study programme, we will send you an acceptance email and postal acceptance pack in May/June for autumn entry or October/November for spring entry.
iii) If you are a non-European Economic Area national and require a Tier 4 Visa to study in the UK, we will email you a CAS number for your Tier 4 visa application, OR, if you simply require a Student Visitor Visa, we will enclose a visa sponsor letter with your postal acceptance pack. Please read the section in our Guidance Notes on Visas and if you need advice, email our International Student Office: international@surrey.ac.uk
4. Applying for Accommodation
i) Your acceptance email will contain your Student Number, which you will need to apply for university accommodation. We will email you in July/November with details of when and how to apply.
ii) The Accommodation Office will confirm room allocations by email in July/August for autumn entry and November/December for spring entry. They can also assist students with finding accommodation in the private sector.
5. Preparing for your arrival
i) After this stage, we will be in contact with you about our airport Meet & Greet service, our Buddy Scheme, setting up your Surrey email account and completing our online pre-registration form. Your postal acceptance pack will contain a Student Exchange Guide which has lots of useful information about coming to study at the University of Surrey. However, if you have any other queries, please email our Incoming Exchanges Administrator, Mrs Zoe Stevenson: z.stevenson@surrey.ac.uk.
ii) You will be emailed an Orientation Programme a couple of weeks before your arrival.
