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Year Abroad!

This an amazing opportunity to spend an academic year at one of our partner universities around the world studying modules to help you learn about your host country and/or related to your degree subject in Liverpool.


What is the Year Abroad?

The Year Abroad is an incredible opportunity to spend one academic year at one of our partner universities expanding your academic and cultural horizons. Your degree will extend by one year, so, for example, a standard 3 year BSc programme will take 4 years. You’ll have your time abroad recognised in your degree title too, to help you stand out in the employment market after graduation.

View the table below for a summary of the Year Abroad programme:

DurationDoes it add time to my degree?Will I study modules from my subject area?Will it count towards my degree?
1 academic year Yes - degree extended by 1 year

It's up to you! You can study either:

  • A majority of modules related to the history/culture/language of your host country
  • A majority of subject-related modules (but they don't have to be directly in your discipline at Liverpool)
  • A combination of the above
No - it's marked on a pass/fail basis

The programme is designed to be flexible and suit your interests, so it's a fantastic opportunity to learn in-depth about your host country and/or learn new and exciting knowledge that will complement your degree studies back in Liverpool.


How will it fit in to my degree?

  • The Year Abroad is marked on a pass/fail basis, so won't count towards your final degree mark (although the mark you achieve for each module will appear on your transcript)
  • Your degree will extend by one year if you participate in the Year Abroad, e.g. extending a 3 year programme to a 4 year programme
  • The title of your degree would change to 'Subject' with a Year Abroad (e.g. BSc Physics with a Year Abroad)
  • If you don't pass the Year Abroad, you'll revert to your original programme

When would I go?

If your application is successful, then when you would go depends on your degree:

  • If you're on a three year degree programme, you'll go between 2nd and 3rd year (and apply in 2nd year)
  • If you're on a 4-year integrated masters or a 5-year clinical programme, you can go either between Year 2 and 3 (apply in Year 2) OR Year 3 and 4 (apply in Year 3)

The start date of the Year Abroad would depend on your host university, with the earliest departures in July 2024.


Where will I be able to study on the Year Abroad

Wherever we can, we have Year Abroad places at the majority of our partners. Have a look on our Global Opportunities search tool to see where you could spend your Year Abroad.


How do I apply for the Year Abroad?

You apply through the Global Opportunities Team, once applications open. See How Do I Apply? for more information.


If I apply, am I guaranteed a Year Abroad?

We want to make sure that you’ll thrive whilst abroad and many of our partner universities have minimum academic requirements in place. For that reason the eligibility requirements are as follows:

  • 50% average or above in your Semester 1 exams
  • Maintain 50% average or above in your Semester 2 exams
  • Have no fails and/or re-sits in the August re-sit period

The programme is competitive, so we can't guarantee a place to everyone who applies. We'll score and then rank applications - you can see how we do this here.

It's also important to note that not all our partner universities will accept an academic average of below 60% - you can see in the Search Tool which universities you will eligible for if your academic average is between 50% and 59%. When we review applications, we will only allocate successful applicants to universities that match their current academic average.

Because this programme is a full academic year, unfortunately we can't operate a waitlist for students who don't reach the 50% average but have extenuating circumstances. This is because the release of Semester 2 marks and re-sit marks (where applicable) would come too late to nominate you to the partner and/or after the start of term at the majority of our partners. 

If you aren't offered a place on the Year Abroad, don't forget that most students can apply for the Year in China in the final year of their degree!


Who can apply for a Year Abroad?

The Year Abroad is open to ALL undergraduate degree programmes except the following:

  • Any programme that already includes:
    • A Year in Industry
    • A Year in Research
    • A Year Abroad (i.e. a degree which includes a Modern Language or Law with a Year Abroad)

  • The following degrees from Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences:
    • LLB Law

Can I apply for more than one global opportunity?

 

It is technically possible to do a Semester Abroad, as well as the Year Abroad (and perhaps Summer Abroad AND Year in China too!). But be aware that in the allocation process, students who have not already participated in a Global Opportunity will receive priority.

 

You will also only receive funding for one Global Opportunity during your degree. The only exception to this is students who meet our WP criteria who were previously funded for a Summer Abroad of 6 weeks or less will be funded for an additional opportunity of 12 weeks or longer.


How can I fund the Year Abroad?

For Home students and EU students who started their degree before July 2021, you will pay a reduced tuition fee for the Year Abroad of £1,385 (for AY 2024/25). International students and EU students who started their degree after July 2021 will pay 50% of your normal tuition fee. Most students will have access to additional funding via the University as well as other bodies such as Student Finance and further pointers on financing your global opportunity can be found on our Funding page. You should also check out our Budgeting Basics sessions that we'll host throughout Semester 1.