Complete information about the application process and guidance on how to prepare can be found on the below QMplus page for outgoing student exchanges, open to any Queen Mary student/staff via self-enrolment:
The application deadline for 2024/25 mobility is 22 November 2023 at 11 am. Any requests for 2024/25 mobility managed by the Global Opportunities Office that are received after this deadline cannot be considered.
(*) Not applicable for students enrolled on degree programmes within the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, who will receive separate information during the 2023/24 academic year about when to register their 2024/25 placements.
You can apply for an exchange if:
Please view our Entry Requirements page for additional information, as well as our Terms and Conditions for full participation eligibility.
You may be able to go abroad for an optional exchange depending on your degree programme. If not or if you would rather go abroad on exchange as part of a 'with a year abroad' (WAYA) degree programme, you should speak to your Queen Mary academic Go Abroad Coordinator at your academic department if you are contemplating this course of action.
Do note that restrictions are currently in place for students who wish to be considered for a year abroad on exchange as part of a WAYA programme but who are not currently enrolled on one of these degree programmes when joining Queen Mary. This is due to capacity at our exchange partners abroad. Further information can be found on our Entry requirements page, under the section for current students.
If you are currently enrolled on a degree programme that includes the "with a year abroad" option, you have already made the decision that you wish to go abroad when you selected this and submitted your application on UCAS. Therefore, your academic department expects that you will submit an application with the Global Opportunities Office during your second* year of the four-year programme (as you would be on track to go abroad during the third* year of your course), where you would provide your ranked selection of desired destination/s as well as your personal motivation.
If you are not yet enrolled on a degree programme that includes the "with Year Abroad" option, please see the above section.
(*) This may be a different year for students enrolled on an integrated Master's degree programme or a degree programme that already also includes a year in industry - cbeck with your Go Abroad Coordinator at your academic school.
If you wish to spend a full year abroad on exchange through the Student Exchange Programme during your course at Queen Mary, you will need to select and apply for a degree programme that includes a "with a year abroad" option when you submit your application directly on UCAS (available for most of our programmes).
The application takes place centrally through the Global Opportunities Office.
For full details on how to apply including guidance on how to prepare your next steps, please visit the new QMplus page "Go Abroad, Student Information & Resources" open to any Queen Mary student/staff via self-enrolment.
In addition to the guidance on our QMplus page where you can learn from Queen Mary students about their exchanges in different countries (see Student videos and feedback tab), the following resources may help you to learn more about the countries that you might be considering for an exchange abroad:
If you want to take part in the Outbound Student Exchange Programme, you should be in ‘good academic standing’ with your academic school: this means that you have met all of your academic obligations and are doing well on your degree programme, performing at approximately a 60.0 overall average across all developmental years prior to the exchange with no failed modules (see the section for 'Current students' on the Entry Requirements page).
Places on the Student Exchange Programme are given to students with the highest grades, prioritising students enrollled on four-year degree programmes where an exchange year spent studying abroad is a compulsory part of the degree programme. Places are allocated on the basis of a ranking, on which applications show clear motivation and relevance for the requested destinations and where the academic offering at the partner matches the needs of the applicant's degree programme.
If you are applying to study at a partner institution where courses are not taught in English, you should also be able to show a good knowledge of the relevant local language. Your motivation to go abroad may also influence the decision to award you a place on the programme.
Every department and school has different bilateral agreements deciding for which potential destinations you could apply; please ask your Go Abroad Coordinator for details and recommendations before applying. This should also include preliminary research that many of the modules on offer to you would be relevant for your degree programme.
Your application will be assessed by both your academic department and the Global Opportunities Office and given a calculated ranking (number) out of 100 points on the basis of (4): a personal statement, academic standing, contributions in the community (relevant for your desired destination/s) and successful completion of the "GO Abroad: Get Ready To Apply" E-learning module available on the QMplus page (see below) during the application period (the module is updated by the Global Opportunities team annually in mid-September for the next iteration of students preparing to apply).
Full details on assessment and selection criteria can be found on the QMplus page "Go Abroad, Student Information & Resources."
The Global Opportunities team does not recommend submitting any visa application for your destination country until you have succesfully been made a Conditional offer of an exchange spot on the Exchange Programme.
If your application to go abroad on exchange is successful and you receive a Conditional offer (as noted above), your host institution will advise you on visa requirements once you begin pre-departure preparations; this will depend on your destination country, your nationality and the duration of your exchange. Do note that Queen Mary's Advice and Counselling Service will be unable to provide guidance regarding any visa you might need for your destination country.
If you are not a UK national and need to apply for a visa for your exchange period, please contact us at goabroad@qmul.ac.uk so that we can provide guidance. You may also wish to contact the Advice and Counselling Service for additional information on how a period abroad might affect your current immigration/residency status in the UK.
We want all of our students to be able to enjoy the international opportunities we offer and get the most out of their placements abroad.
If you think you might need additional support – of whatever kind – please let us know when you are considering your application, so that we can help you with your options. It is also a good idea to discuss what additional support you might need on your exchange with our Advice & Counselling Service and/or our Disability and Dyslexia Service. These services are committed to providing you with a wide range of support for any visible or invisible disabilities, mental health and well-being needs; our team liaises closely with these services on a permanent basis throughout the year in support of our students preparing for and completing placements abroad. With your permission, they can get in touch with our office to see how you might be best supported if you are interested in going abroad.
If you think you will need any extra support on your placement, we strongly recommend that you discuss your application with us and plan ahead: depending on your host institution, any adjustments you might need during your exchange/placement may take some time to arrange. Please know that these discussions in no way affect the merit of any future mobility application you may submit; discussing in advance can actually help us to best understand your individual situation and advise you on optimal destinations (or in some cases even plan ahead to see what support may be available at a potential partner institution that you are interested in).
Please contact our team at goabroad@qmul.ac.uk to discuss further in confidence.
Queen Mary is committed to widening participation and increasing the number of mobile students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those less represented in mobility. This commitment aims at promoting equity and inclusion by facilitating the access to participants with disadvantaged backgrounds and fewer opportunities compared to their peers whenever disadvantage limits or prevents participation in transnational activities.
Queen Mary encourages students from all backgrounds to apply, including those from one or more of the disadvantaged background categories below:
Further detail on these definitions is available for consultation: Erasmus+ Widening Participation-Disadvantaged backgrounds [PDF 595KB].