Mini-Guide to the International Exchange Programme. Programmes in the Department of Sociology

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1 Mini-Guide to the International Exchange Programme Programmes in the Department of Sociology

2 The International Exchange Programme An overview Travelling, studying and working abroad is a valuable part of your education and the university provides many opportunities to students to experience the world beyond the campus. This guide has been designed to provide undergraduate students with an outline of the International Exchange Programme that runs within the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences and how to apply for the various schemes. We have two different types of exchange opportunity within the Department: You can apply to spend part or all of your second year abroad. You can apply to spend half of your professional placement year studying abroad The specifics of these opportunities differ by degree programme. Within this guide, you will find detailed information on the opportunities available to you, how to choose your destination and the time-line that applies up to and including submission of your application. Should your application be successful you will be sent further guidance from the International Relations Office or your Exchange Coordinator, supporting you through the application process to the Host University and throughout your time abroad Financial support Students participating in exchange do not pay additional tuition fees to the Partner University. These fees are waived as part of the exchange agreement. If you decide to go on exchange you may be able to take advantage of one of the various sources of financial support. As part of the Erasmus+ programme, students studying in another part of Europe are eligible for an Erasmus grant. Currently this is per month, with an additional monthly grant of 100 being available to students whose household income is below 25,000. The amount may change for 2015/16. Your application form for exchange will automatically act as your Erasmus grant application form and you do not need to fill in another form. There are also scholarships offered by external organisations for students attending Universities in Canada, South Korea, Singapore,, New Zealand and the US. Students with means-tested loans from the Student Finance Company are also able to apply for reimbursement of the cost of travel, medical insurance and visa expenses. Further details on sources of financial support can be found on our website. surrey.ac.uk/exchanges 3

3 International exchange during your second year Maryland The Department currently has an agreement with the Departments of Sociology and Criminology & Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland. Students studying BSc Sociology, BSc Criminology & Sociology, BSc Criminology and BSc Media, Culture & Society can apply to spend the whole of their 2nd year at the University of Maryland. The University of Maryland is positioned near Washington DC and has existed since It has an eminent staff; including Nobel Prize and Pulitzer winners. Maryland is also one of the top schools in America for employers to recruit from. Whilst at Maryland you will study a range of compulsory and optional modules. The credits and the marks will count towards your Surrey degree. Because of differences in the way the two countries approach assessment, your marks will be converted using the formula below: US Mark UK Mark A+ 80 A 72 A- 67 B+ 62 B 60 B- 57 C+ 54 C 52 C- 48 D 45 D- 42 F 27 You can find more about the University of Maryland here: ccjs.umd.edu socy.umd.edu You can also look at the types of courses offered here: ntst.umd.edu/soc International exchange during your second year Tübingen Students who are studying BA Media Studies can apply to spend one semester of their second year in Germany at Tübingen University. Surrey students will most commonly exchange to Tübingen in Semester 2 (mid-april-mid-july). With this exchange the credits count towards your degree (but not marks). Your one semester in Surrey is double weighted. Tübingen offers the same mix of practice and substantive modules which students experience at Surrey. It is situated in the centre of Europe and is one of Europe s oldest Universities. It is one of eleven German Universities in the top excellent class. As part of the Erasmus+ programme, students studying at Tübingen are eligible for an Erasmus grant. Currently this is 350 per month, with an additional monthly grant of 100 being available to students whose household income is below 25,000. More information can be found here: uni-tübingen.de Studying abroad in Maryland has enabled me to grow on both an intellectual and cultural basis. It has allowed me to make friends with people I would never have the chance to in England, and opened my eyes to an array of places to visit, hobbies to develop, and career paths to research. I have become an adult while being abroad as it is a difficult but liberating experience as you are able to grow as an individual and discover yourself away from the comforts of home. Priscilla McGregor-Kerr 4 surrey.ac.uk/exchanges 5

4 International exchange during your Professional Training Year Thinking things through Where can I go? The Professional Training Year programme includes the option of spending 50 per cent of the year working and 50 per cent of the year studying abroad. If you chose to participate in this 50/50 model, you should be looking to broaden your study experiences and we would look at choice of University and modules on an individual basis. All our partner Universities teach in English. Current partners are: Department of Sociology European (Erasmus) Partners for PTY University Copenhagen University Country Denmark Participating in an international exchange programme is an exciting opportunity and one that builds confidence and skills in participating students. However, if you are thinking about taking part in the Exchange Programme you need to be aware of the costs involved. These may include all or some of the following: Travel (including flights) Accommodation (you do not pay for Surrey on-campus accommodation whilst you are away) Living expenses Insurance (although you will be covered by the Surrey insurance policy in most cases) Visa expenses Immunisation expenses (for International destinations) Proof of finances (for International destinations) Department of Sociology International Partners for PTY University North Carolina State University Country University of Central Florida University of Cincinnati Texas Tech University of North Texas Nanyang Technological University Singapore Singapore Management University Singapore Seoul National University Korea Brock University, Ontario Canada Monash University La Trobe University Swinburne University of Technology University of Sydney University of Victoria, Wellington New Zealand 6 surrey.ac.uk/exchanges 7

5 Academic Requirements Choosing your Destination Studying abroad is an extremely rewarding but challenging experience. Adjusting to a different culture and academic environment can be difficult. As such, students wishing to take part in the exchange programme must demonstrate that they are coping well with their studies here at Surrey, so that they will be able to manage the additional rigours of undergraduate study abroad. Applications are submitted at the end of January, with decisions made in February. Should you find that you have to re-sit examinations/assessments following the end of the spring semester, you will not be permitted to continue with an exchange. Once at the Host University you must enrol on a specific number of modules and/or credit. Deciding where to go on exchange is about more than just listing places you would like to visit. You need to make sure that your destination is going to suit you in terms of study options, finances, environment and the extra-curricular activities on offer. The more informed you are before you apply the better. Even if you are used to travelling and have visited the country before, we advise you to research the University you are interested in and the surrounding area before making your final decision: Look at the list of Partner Universities in this guide and check the weblinks Look at the International and Erasmus Exchange Programme website to find out more about each University (surrey.ac.uk/exchanges) Research your chosen destination and the surrounding areas online to get an idea of the kind of place you could be living in. Look at the FCO website (fco.gov.uk/en) for advice regarding travelling and living in your destination country. Look at Partner University websites and become familiar with the pages created specifically for inbound exchange students. Look at the Partner University module catalogues online to view modules taught in 2014/15. Buy or borrow a guidebook e.g. Lonely Planet or Rough Guide Speak to students who have previously taken part in the Exchange Programme. Attend the International Relations Study and Work Abroad Fair I hadn t realised how much potential I had until I studied abroad at Maryland University Khulani Gavin Nyathi Michelle MacDonagh discusses her experiences on exchange 8 surrey.ac.uk/exchanges 9

6 Making an application Useful contacts Once you have completed your research we advise you to talk to family and friends about your decision to study abroad. You also need to make an appointment to meet with your Erasmus/ Exchange Coordinator to discuss the exchange and possibly ask them for a reference in support of your application. Your coordinator will need to sign your application form. We suggest you do this before the Winter Vacation. The application form is available on the exchange website from December onwards. The form asks you to list three Universities in order of preference as the destination for your exchange. The deadline for completing and submitting the application form is the end of January. Your application should be submitted to the International Relations Office located in Senate House. Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences Associate Dean, International Sociology International/Erasmus coordinator Head of Europe and International Mobility Outbound Exchange Administrator Professor Marie Breen-Smyth [email protected] Dr Annette Kratz Ms Sandra Hedley-Boxall What happens next? We aim to have a firm list of candidates for each university by mid-february. If there are more suitable candidates than places for individual universities we will operate a selection process and a reserve list. You will then have to accept your place within a given time frame. Once you have accepted your place the International Relations Office will nominate the selected students to the partner universities. Once you have been nominated, you will then need to apply to the partner University. The International Relations Office along with the Department of Sociology will give you instructions on how to do this. This will vary depending on the partner university as will the timeline. You may need to write a personal statement, provide evidence of financial support and provide an interim transcript. You will have access to a module called Let s Go Abroad in SurreyLearn, where you will find information specific to your destination and partner. For ERASMUS exchanges (Tübingen or Copenhagen) you will be required to complete a European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) Learning Agreement. You must arrange to discuss your module choices with the Erasmus Coordinator. In the Department. You may be required to complete a host organisation Learning Agreement if your application for study is online. It is your responsibility to ensure that the Learning Agreement is signed by your Erasmus Coordinator at Surrey and the appropriate person at the host organisation. Once the Learning Agreement is completed and signed it should be returned to the International Relations Office. If you are uncertain about any aspect of the application process speak with the International/ Erasmus coordinator for the department and visit the International Relations Office (IRO) to discuss your application. You will be able to ask any questions you have, and find out about the next stages of the application procedure. This year s Study and Work Abroad Fair will take place on Wednesday 13 November 2013 in SPLASH from 2-5pm 10 surrey.ac.uk/exchanges 11

7 University of Surrey Department of Sociology, International Exchange Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK surrey.ac.uk/exchanges facebook.com/surreyexchange twitter.com/uniofsurrey youtube.com/universityofsurrey Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this brochure at the time of going to press. The University reserves the right, however, to introduce changes to the information given including the addition, withdrawal or restructuring of degree programmes. The University is reviewing the structure of undergraduate modules which may result in some amendments to module titles and content. April