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International study mobility

Please note that the content on this page is under review following a restructure into new faculties and schools. We will update this page shortly with the latest information.

At Birkbeck, University of London, we believe the chance to study abroad greatly enriches your personal and professional development and we are proud to support students with international study opportunities.

The Turing Scheme (for Birkbeck students wanting to study abroad)

The Turing Scheme is the UK government's new scheme to provide funding for international opportunities in education across the world and is available to Birkbeck students.

If you wish to undertake international mobility as part of your study at Birkbeck, please discuss it with your department in the first instance. The majority of Birkbeck students who study abroad are studying on languages programmes with international experience. Students on other programmes can undertake international mobility if an agreement has been established with the receiving institution.

The Turing Scheme grant  

  • Students who undertake international exchange may receive support through the Turing Scheme. You do not have to pay back the grant (unless you fail to complete your study abroad or withdraw before completing the minimum requirement).
  • Turing Scheme funds are applied for by the institution rather than by individuals. We submitted the application in Spring 2022 for the funds for students undertaking international study placements during the 2022-23 academic year.
  • The grant is to be taken as a contribution to your living costs and is not to be relied on to cover your travel or accommodation. The amount you will receive will depend on whether your destination country is defined by Turing Scheme as having High, Medium or Low cost of living.
  • The Turing Scheme funds projects that are a minimum of 4 weeks and maximum of 12 months
  • In 2022-23 placements lasting four to eight weeks, students in Group 1 destinations will receive £136.25 per week and students in Group 2 or 3 destinations will receive £120 per week. 
  • In 2022-23 placements lasting between nine weeks to twelve months, students in Group 1 destinations will receive £380 per month and students in Group 2 or 3 destinations will receive £335 per month. 

Students from underrepresented backgrounds

  • Students who are from disadvantaged backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply for international exchange opportunities and may be entitled to additional funding. The Turing Scheme defines disadvantaged backgrounds as:
  • Students with an annual household income of £25,000 or less
  • Students receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits
  • Care leavers and students who are care experienced. This refers to anyone who has been or is currently in care, or from a looked-after background at any stage of their life, no matter how short
  • Students who have caring responsibilities. A carer is anyone who has a commitment to providing unpaid care to a family member or friend who could not cope without their support
  • Estranged students. Those who are irreconcilably estranged from their parent(s). To be considered irreconcilably estranged, the student won’t have had any written or verbal contact with either parent - usually for 12 months or more - and this is unlikely to change
  • Refugees and asylum seekers.
  • If one or more of the categories of disadvantage applies to you, you may be able to receive an additional £110 per month to cover living costs, as well as a contribution towards your travel costs.
  • Travel grants are available to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The grant amount is dependent on the distance between London and your destination country:
    • 100 to 499km: £165  
    • 500 to 1,999km: £250   
    • 2,000 to 2,999km: £325   
    • 3,000 to 3,999km: £480   
    • 4,000 to 7,999km: £745   
    • 8,000 to 12,000km: £905   
    • 12,000km+: £1,360. 

Additional funding for people with Special Educational Needs or disabled students

  • Students with special educational needs or disabled students who receive DSA support may be eligible to receive funding to continue their support while on placement abroad. Funding to support SEND-related costs will be in addition to underrepresented background funding, if students are eligible to receive both. 

Fees

  • Turing Scheme placements are based upon reciprocal student exchange agreements between Birkbeck and the partner institution. You will not have to pay any tuition fee to the host institution, but they may charge a small fee for registration or using certain facilities.
  • Undergraduate students who spend an academic year studying abroad for at least 24 weeks will only be liable for 15% of their Birkbeck tuition fee. However, those who study for one term abroad will be charged the full programme fee. Postgraduate and MPhil/PhD students will be charged the full fee.
  • . 

Student loans and Grants

  • Students who are eligible to apply for loans from Student Finance England or other government funding should apply for this in the usual way, but indicate your international exchange on your funding application, to ensure that you receive the appropriate amount of support. 
  • If you are awarded an international mobility place after you have obtained funding for the academic year in which the exchange will occur, you will need to notify Student Finance England or the relevant authority. 
  • It is especially important that you organise your funding before you leave for your international exchange, so please apply as early as possible to receive your student loans and grant. 
  • .
  • Full details of the grant schedule will be confirmed to you before you leave on your international mobility.

How to apply

Incoming international students who want to study at Birkbeck

We also welcome students from partner institutions to study at Birkbeck, whether they are supported through Erasmus+ or through other partnership agreements.

How to apply

  • If you would like to study at Birkbeck as an international exchange student, first check our list of partner institutions to find out if we have an agreement.
  • If we have a valid agreement with your university, you should contact your university's international study coordinator first, who will advise you if you are eligible to apply. Once we receive your nomination, we will send you an application form to complete.
  • Your application should be submitted together with your proposed learning agreement, to indicate the courses you intend to study. You must also provide the following documents (in English) to support your application:
    • your CV
    • a recent academic transcript
    • a copy of your IELTS results
    • an academic reference in support of your application
    • a copy of the photo page of your passport .

Application deadlines 2022-23

  • 31 May 2022 for term 1 (Autumn) and full-year students
  • 31 October 2022 for term 2 (Spring) students

Arrangements you need to make before you arrive

  • Visa: before coming to study at Birkbeck, please ensure that you hold a valid passport and/or relevant visa. 
  • Fees and funding: as an exchange student you will not be expected to pay tuition fees to Birkbeck if your institution has an inter-institutional agreement with Birkbeck. Please liaise with your international study co-ordinator in your home institution regarding fees and funding. 
  • Accommodation: Incoming exchange students studying full-time at Birkbeck for the whole academic year can apply for nominated rooms in partner halls, and students studying for shorter periods can apply for the short-term options

Partner Institutions

Birkbeck has partnered with the following institutions to offer study abroad opportunities.

Université Lumière Lyon 2

  • Country: France
  • Number of student mobilities: 4 students
  • Duration of study:  5-9 months
  • Study cycle: 1st/UG, 2nd/PG
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics

Université de Strasbourg

  • Country: France
  • Number of student mobilities: 4 students
  • Duration of study: 5-9 months
  • Study cycle: 1st/UG, 2nd/PG
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

  • Country: Germany
  • Number of student mobilities: 4 students
  • Duration of study: 5-9 months
  • Study cycle: 1st/UG, 2nd/PG
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics

Universität Potsdam

  • Country: Germany
  • Number of student mobilities: 4 students
  • Duration of study: 6 months
  • Study cycle: 1st/UG, 2nd/PG
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics

Universidad de Alicante

  • Country: Spain
  • Number of student mobilities: 2 students
  • Duration of study: 10 months
  • Study cycle: 1st/UG
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics

Universidad Pablo de Olavide

  • Country: Spain
  • Number of student mobilities: 2 students
  • Duration of study: 9 months
  • Study cycle: 1st/UG
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics

Università degli Studi di Palermo

  • Country: Italy
  • Number of student mobilities: 2 students
  • Duration of study: 10 months
  • Study cycle: 1st/UG, 2nd/PG
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics 

Leuphana Universitaet Lueneburg

  • Country: Germany
  • Number of student mobilities: 2-4 students
  • Duration of study: 6-12 months
  • Study cycle: 1st/UG, 2nd/PG
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies 

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

  • Country: Germany
  • Number of student mobilities: 2 students
  • Duration of study: 6 months
  • Study cycle: 3rd/PhD
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Management 

Hokkaido Education University

  • Country: Japan
  • Duration of study: 11 months
  • Study cycle: 1st
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies

Hosei

  • Country: Japan
  • Duration of study: 11 months
  • Study cycle: 1st
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies

ICU

  • Country: Japan
  • Duration of study: 11 months
  • Study cycle: 1st
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies

Kansai University

  • Country: Japan
  • Duration of study: 11 months
  • Study cycle: 1st
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies

Nanzan University

  • Country: Japan
  • Duration of study: 11 months
  • Study cycle: 1st
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies

Ochanomizu University

  • Country: Japan
  • Duration of study: 11 months
  • Study cycle: 1st
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies

Sophia University

  • Country: Japan
  • Duration of study: 11 months
  • Study cycle: 1st
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies

Waseda University

  • Country: Japan
  • Duration of study: 11 months
  • Study cycle: 1st
  • Birkbeck department: Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies

Birkbeck school and department exchange partnerships

Some Birkbeck schools and departments have additional partnerships with universities worldwide, enabling our students to live and study abroad.

Department of history, classics and archaeology

  • PhD research students in the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology can visit:
    • Columbia University, USA
    • Queen's University, Canada
    • Università di Pisa
    • University of Verona
    • European University Institute (EUI), Florence, Italy (one-term exchange, preferably Autumn or Spring term).
  • If you are interested in applying to the scheme, speak to your supervisor (students interested in visiting EUI should ).
  • PhD students from these institutions can also apply to spend part of their studies at Birkbeck.
  • If you are a PhD research student at an institution not listed here, and you would benefit from visiting Birkbeck, please .

School of Arts

  • Learn more about the Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics Japanese Exchange Programme which is run in conjunction with universities in Japan.
  • The Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics Summer School Programme offers you the opportunity to study abroad for a short period, to improve your language skills and enjoy new cultural experiences. The programme enables you to study your chosen language, interact with international students from around the world, and attend events and socialise.
  • Students must apply independently and will be responsible for paying course fees, accommodation and living expenses unless a student is entitled to a scholarship. Most institutions will accredit you for your completed project, however, these credits do not count towards your overall Birkbeck degree.
  • In conjunction with our partner institutions, we offer a number of courses over the summer:
    • Universität Bremen, Germany: The University of Bremen is one of Germany’s top eleven universities of excellence and is renowned for its reputation as the science centre of Northern Germany. If you're interested in this course, learn more or contact .
    • Universite de Catholique Lyon, France: Université Catholique de Lyon, France is home to the French Language and Culture Institute which specialises in teaching non-native speakers French through a range of programmes they offer.
    • Centre International d'Etudes de Langues de Strasbourg, France: The CIEL is a department of the Chamber of Commerce of Strasbourg and was created to promote the French language via modular-style courses of either two or four weeks. Strasbourg is located on the border of France and Germany, so the cultural activities will have both French and German influences.
    • Ochanomizu University, Japan: The Ochanomizu University was founded in 1875 as Japan's first higher education institution for women. The Japanese Summer Programme is aimed at students already learning the Japanese language. Both men and women can participate. Courses enable students to learn the Japanese language or study Japanese culture and society in English.
    • Fundacion de la Lengua Espanola, Spain: The Fundacion de la langua Espanola (The Foundation for the Spanish Language) is a private language institution in Valladolid, created to promote the language and culture of Spain. The Foundation offers basic, intermediate and advanced Spanish courses.
  • If you have any questions about study abroad programmes within the School of Arts, please email us.

Information for disabled students who want to study abroad with Erasmus 

. You may be entitled to extra funding to cover associated costs on your Erasmus+ placement.