How to apply

To be eligible to study at the University of Surrey as an international or Erasmus+ exchange student or a fee-paying study abroad student under one of our inter-institutional agreements, you must:

• be a registered student at one of our exchange or study abroad partner institutions.
• have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on the 4.0-point scale, 3.75 on the 5.0-point scale, 5.25 on the 7.0-point scale, or the equivalent.
• meet the English language requirement for your main degree programme at Surrey if you are a non-native English speaker. English requirements vary between courses - see the Entry Requirements section of the relevant undergraduate (bachelor's) or postgraduate taught (master's) course page. Students who need to apply for a Student visa (stays of over 6 months or working whilst studying for 6 months or less) must submit one of our accepted English language qualifications at the required level for your Surrey course with your application. Students applying for a Standard Visitor visa or entering the UK as a Visitor (stays of 6 months or less; no work) can either submit one of our accepted English language qualifications or a letter from your home institution confirming that you meet the English language requirement of your chosen Surrey course and providing your CEFR level.
• be studying in an appropriate subject area and at the level specified in our exchange agreement (undergraduate/postgraduate/doctoral). Some agreements are university-wide and open to students in most of our subject areas, and others are subject-specific. The exchange office at your home university will be able to provide guidance on eligible subject areas and levels.
• be able to identify a suitable, full-time study programme for the period of your exchange. For taught courses, a full-time study load is 60 Surrey credits/30 ECTS credits - typically 4 modules of 7.5 ECTS each - per semester. Students who are soon to graduate and don't need a full study load may take 22.5 ECTS/typically 3 modules). For those following a taught programme at Surrey, please check our Programme/Module Catalogue (selecting the academic year of your stay) to see whether we offer modules that fit with your study programme at your home institution and that they run when you will be at Surrey (Semester 1 runs mid-September to end January; Semester 2 runs early February to mid June - see dates). Discuss your module options with your home department. You must choose modules that they approve for credit transfer back to your degree. If you need more information or advice on module content or whether you have enough background for a particular module, email the appropriate Surrey Academic Exchange Coordinator for your subject area, attaching your transcript of records. Students applying for a research traineeship/placement at Surrey should identify an appropriate academic to supervise your project with help from your home department and the relevant Surrey Academic Exchange Coordinator. Email the academic to ask if they will supervise your work and agree the details of your project with them. You will need to arrive at Surrey at the same time as students taking taught courses.

If you don't quite meet our academic requirement at the time of applying, we may be able to give you a conditional offer based on your grades/GPA improving after your next set of results. We will ask you to email us a copy of your transcript at the end of your next semester.

If you don't need a Student visa, we can accept a letter from your home institution confirming that you meet the English language requirement for your main course at Surrey and confirming your CEFR level.

If you need a Student visa and don't have one of our accepted English language qualifications at the appropriate level for your main course at Surrey, you will need to book one of our accepted English language tests as soon as possible. 

Whilst we prefer English language evidence to be uploaded to your application before the application deadline, if this is not possible, we can accept your certificate if it is uploaded within a few weeks of the deadline.

Most of our partner institutions have a formal student selection procedure for exchange or study abroad places. Find out details of your institution’s selection procedure and application deadline as early as possible, and apply or register your interest with their international or study abroad office by their deadline. 

Most students will need to complete an application form with your destination preference(s); your academic record and, if relevant, your English language level will be considered, and you may be asked to provide a written motivation statement about why you want to come to Surrey. You may also be invited to a selection interview.

You cannot nominate yourself to Surrey - your home institution must officially nominate you via our nomination form. 

Their nomination will include your:

• first name
• surname/family name
• subject area of your degree (or proposed main subject area at Surrey if different)
• level of study at Surrey (bachelor's/master's/doctoral)
• period of your stay (semester 1 (Sep-end Jan) / semester 2 (Feb-Jun) / full year / other dates)
• student email address

Once we have received your nomination, we will email your home exchange or study abroad coordinator to confirm acceptance of your nomination. We will then send you our application guidance and the link to our application form.

Most of our inter-institutional exchange and study abroad agreements are for students to come and take taught courses at Surrey, whilst some are for students to come and do a research project under the supervision of a Surrey academic.

Taught Courses

You should choose taught courses (modules) that fit with your degree programme requirements and appropriate to the subject(s) and level(s) of the exchange or study abroad agreement with Surrey.

You should aim to select:

• 4 modules, totalling 60 credits/30 ECTS credits (unless you only need 45 credits/22.5 ECTS/3 modules)
• at least one alternative (back-up) module for each in case any modules aren't possible. 

Modules must be approved for credit transfer back to your degree by your academic department at your home institution before you apply to Surrey. Once approved, you can list the modules on your Surrey Learning Agreement. Our Academic Exchange Coordinator in the relevant academic department(s) at Surrey will provide us with feedback on your module choices and ultimately approve them.

The maximum study load you can take at Surrey is 30 ECTS per semester, unless you are coming for both semesters and wish to take one of our full-year extracurricular Global Graduate Award modern languages, sustainability or global citizenship modules (7.5 ECTS). 

Avoid choosing modules from different programmes and years of study as this can result in timetable clashes, particularly in subjects with laboratory classes (e.g. engineering and biological sciences). We recommend that at least 3 of your modules are chosen from the same programme and study year to avoid clashes. Students who normally take electives may choose one elective, and students taking a major/minor or joint degree may choose up to two modules relating to their minor/other degree. 

Descriptions of each degree programme and its English language requirements are on our Undergraduate and Postgraduate course overviews. For more comprehensive programme and module descriptions, visit our searchable online Programme & Module Catalogue and select the academic year when you wish to come to Surrey. 

Select modules appropriate to your level of study - undergraduate module codes have 1, 2 or 3 after the first three letters to denote the year of study (e.g. SOC3044 is a 3rd year Sociology module) and postgraduate/Master's module codes have an M after the first 3 letters (e.g. PHYM053 is a Master's-level Physics module). 

Take care also to only select modules running in the academic year and the semester in which you will be at Surrey (1 or 2) - the semester is clearly indicated in the programme and module descriptions.

Research Projects

Once you have been selected for nomination, we recommend you start getting your supporting documents ready to submit as part of your online application. Missing documents could result in delays to your acceptance so it is worth planning ahead. We do not require any hard copies of your documents. 

Supporting documents to upload to your online application (in pdf format):

• Official university transcript of records (covering each year of your higher education study (in English - most institutions can provide this; if not, you will need to get a certified translation).
• A copy of your current passport photo page (passport must be current, valid for at least 6 months after the end of your stay, with at least one blank page for your visa/entry stamp - if your passport does not meet these requirements or you do not have one, apply now to avoid delays with your acceptance).
• Learning Agreement form - for Studies (taught courses) / for Erasmus+ Traineeships (clinical placements or Erasmus research placements) / for (non-Erasmus) Research Placements, as appropriate (please indicate your main programme at Surrey; the first section must be completed and signed by you and your home exchange coordinator - your Surrey Academic Exchange Coordinator will sign it and return a copy to you once you have been accepted).
• Further Information form (including your current modules or internship details; your previous courses that meet any module prerequisites for taking our courses, as indicated on the catalogue module description; your reason for needing particular modules that have a cap (small class size))
• Evidence of your English language proficiency - non-native English speakers only (must meet the requirement for your Surrey course and be appropriate for your visa/entry permission; if not yet available, please upload a note of when you expect to be able to provide it).
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree certificate, as appropriate - postgraduate and doctoral students only (if not yet available, please upload a note of when you expect to be able to provide it).
• Police check certificate - Nursing/Midwifery/Paramedic Science students only (you will also be required to provide your immunisation record at a later stage of the process).

You will need to complete and upload to your application the Learning Agreement form appropriate to your study programme at Surrey:

• Surrey Learning Agreement for Studies form (students taking taught modules at Surrey)
• Erasmus Learning Agreement for Traineeships (clinical placement students/Erasmus research placement students) 
• Learning Agreement for Research Placements (non-Erasmus research placement students)

The following information will help you complete your learning agreement and avoid issues and delays later:

• Students doing a research project rather than Surrey taught modules should provide the title of your research project and your Surrey supervisor's name in Table A, if you know them. 
• Our Exchange Guide, which we will provide with our application documents, has a section listing programme and module exclusions and important things to note in each subject area - please make sure you read the notes for each department in which you choose modules.
• If you are taking taught modules at Surrey, these should be listed in Table A of your learning agreement in order of preference and semester.
• Make sure you include: the module code, module title, semester in which it is running and the ECTS credits (most are 7.5 ECTS, but full-year and project modules can be 15 ECTS or more). 
• If any module is a requirement for your course progression - i.e. it is essential you take it during your stay at Surrey to continue onto the next stage of your degree programme - please asterisk (*) the module code so we are aware in case we need to swap any of your modules later due to timetable clashes.
• List your 4 top, 'preferred' modules in Table A (totalling 60 credits/30 ECTS credits), ideally from one degree programme and year of study to avoid timetable conflicts. If you are due to graduate after your stay at Surrey or you need to take a compulsory module by distance learning from your home institution while you are at Surrey, you may list and take just 3 modules, but please write 'only 3 modules needed' or 'distance learning module', as appropriate, in the fourth row.
• Aim to choose all, or at least three, of your modules per semester from one programme and year/level to reduce the chances of timetable conflicts. For biosciences and engineering courses, we strongly recommend choosing ALL of your modules from one degree programme and year as the timetables vary each week to fit in laboratory classes and multiple clashes are inevitable otherwise.
• List at least one alternative (back-up) module for each of your preferred modules in the lower section of Table A in case any modules are not approved or you have timetable clashes. If you need to choose modules from more than one degree programme and/or year of study, please provide two or three alternatives for each.
• Make sure all of your modules on your learning agreement - preferred and alternatives - are approved by your home institution for credit transfer back to your degree.
• The maximum number of credits you can take per semester is 30 ECTS, unless you are a full-year student and wish to take one of our free, full-year, extracurricular Global Graduate Award modules in addition - choose from 11 modern languages (various levels available from beginner to advanced), Sustainability, Global Citizenship or Entrepreneurship (7.5 ECTS each). 
• To see full descriptions of each degree programme and module, visit our searchable online Programme Catalogue, select the appropriate academic year of study (top right) and your subject area on the Undergraduate/Postgraduate page, as appropriate. The modules in each programme are listed towards the bottom of the programme page, by year and semester.
• Modules listed as 'compulsory' on the catalogue are not compulsory for exchange students but we would recommend choosing the prescribed combination of compulsory and optional modules, if possible, to avoid timetable conflicts.
• Only select modules appropriate to your level of study - undergraduate module codes have 1, 2 or 3 after the first three letters to denote 1st, 2nd or 3rd year of study (e.g. SOC3044 is a 3rd year Sociology module) and postgraduate/master's module codes have an M after the first 3 letters (e.g. PHYM053 is a Master's-level Physics module). Undergraduates may only take M-level modules in very exceptional circumstances; master's students may take one or two undergraduate modules if they are approved by your home institution. USA students: please note, you should typically choose modules in your major from the year below your current year (e.g. a junior should take 2nd year classes at Surrey).
• Students who normally take electives as part of their degree and who need to take one or more at Surrey should choose first year modules only and provide two or three alternatives for each. We recommend selecting modules from our business, politics, sociology, media & communication or psychology courses. Final places on sociology modules will be confirmed according to need after study timetables have been released.
• Take care to only select modules running in the semester in which you will be at Surrey (1 or 2) - the semester is clearly indicated both in the programme and module descriptions. Australian students: please note, our semesters are the other way round to yours, so our semester 1 runs Sep-Jan and semester 2 runs Feb-Jun.

Further Information form (pdf) - please list: 

a) the modules you are currently taking this semester (they don't always appear on transcripts of results but they can help us approve your module choices) or state 'internship' if you are doing a placement this semester.

b) modules you have taken that you feel may meet any prerequisites for our modules (previous study requirements), and provide links if possible to the relevant course descriptions on your home institution's website.

c) any of your Surrey module choices that have a very small cap (a small class size, as stated at the top of the module description - e.g. many of our English Literature and third year Psychology modules) and give your reason for selecting those modules. Priority will be given to students taking a relevant degree or who need to match Surrey modules with required modules at their home institution.

English language evidence (pdf) - non-native English speakers only:  

• Students coming for longer than 6 months or coming for 6 months or less but wanting to work as well as study will require a points-based Student visa and must submit with your exchange application one of Surrey's accepted English language qualifications at the required level for your main Surrey programme (see the Entry Requirements section on your main Surrey Undergraduate or Postgraduate course page for the course's English language requirement). NB. We can not accept qualifications which do not meet the minimum requirement for your course and can generally only accept your most recent test results. Make sure you get your English language qualification in good time to apply to Surrey. If you already have a language qualification, make sure it has not expired - IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity, Pearson and Duolingo tests must be no more than 2 years old at the start of your Surrey course. 
• Students coming to Surrey as Visitors for 6 months or less and only studying may either submit one of our accepted English language qualifications or a letter from your home institution confirming that you meet the requirements of your chosen Surrey course(s) and giving your CEFR level.

Postgraduate and doctoral students only: bachelor’s or master’s degree certificate, as appropriate (pdf)

Nursing/Midwifery/Paramedic Science students only: police check certificate (pdf) - you will also be required to provide your immunisation certificate and have a DBS check done at a later stage.

The Further Information form provides us with additional information about the courses you will have studied by the time you come to Surrey and your course requirements, so it helps us review and approve your module choices.

It consists of three sections:

a) You must complete this section. List the modules you are currently taking this semester (they don't always appear on transcripts of results but they can enable us approve your module choices) or state 'internship' and provide brief details if you are doing a placement this semester.

b) List any modules you have taken that you feel may meet any module prerequisites (previous study requirements) listed in the module description on our catalogue. Please provide links if possible to the relevant course descriptions on your home institution's website or if not available online, provide a brief summary of the course content.

c) List any of your Surrey module choices that have a module cap (small class size) indicated in the module description on our catalogue (e.g. many of our English Literature and third year Psychology modules) and give your reason for selecting those modules. Priority will be given to students taking a relevant degree or who need to match Surrey modules with required modules at their home institution.

If there are any issues with your application or module choices we will contact you by email.

Once we are satisfied that your application meets our eligibility criteria and is complete and you have a suitable provisional study programme, we will send you a formal acceptance email and ask you to forward a copy to your home institution's international/exchange/study abroad office. 

As long as there are no outstanding issues with your application or module choices, acceptance emails and any conditional offers are sent to applicants, via your home institution student email address, in 

• June for September entry 
• November for February entry. 

You will need to drop us an email to let us know you are ready to upload any missing documentation or evidence that you meet our requirements as soon as it is available. We will then send you a final acceptance email, module feedback and a visa support letter (if required).

Once you have been accepted, we will email you:

• feedback from your Surrey academic department(s) on your module choices (as appropriate) to confirm which have been provisionally approved (subject to timetables being compatible) - you may be asked to provide a few more alternative module choices if you don't have enough.
• a CAS number (Student visa applicants) or a visa support letter/formal acceptance letter (Standard Visitor visa applicants/Visitor entry without a visa).
• details of our pre-arrival webinar

and nearer the time of your arrival:

• links so you can check out our range of student services and facilities and to our Welcome website so you can complete your online pre-registration, activate your Surrey IT/email account and purchase your bedding pack (if needed) well before your arrival.
• information about how to spot and resolve any timetable clashes you may have if you have mixed modules from different programmes and years of study.
• your 2-day Exchange Orientation programme.