Exchanges

Broaden your horizons and study internationally during your Oxford Brookes degree

We have many agreements with partner universities worldwide in Australia, USA, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and many others to enable you to enhance your student experience, acquire additional transferable skills and make you stand out from the crowd with a much more impressive CV!

Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

“My exchange in Japan was such a life-changing experience. I was really fascinated with the country, the most striking things were definitely the people I met there and the culture, its environment and atmosphere. It felt like home.”

Chandra Jayasuriya, Criminology and International Relations student, who completed an exchange at APU (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University), Japan

Frequently asked questions

How can I apply, and when do applications open?

Find out how to apply for an exchange.

Most students go on exchange during the second year of their degree. The first round of applications (exchanges taking place in the academic year 2023/24) will open on 12 January 2023 and close on 18 February 2023 (11:59pm).

Who can go on exchange?

Most undergraduate students can apply to go on exchange with approval from their Exchange or Subject Coordinator. Most students study abroad during year 2 of their degree.

You will need a GPA of 2.5 in your studies by the application deadline. Language students need to obtain a pass.

Where can I go?

Please visit our Exchange Partners pages for information on what each university has to offer. It is important to check if the university of interest offers the appropriate number of modules relevant to your subject area. 

Europe
European universities are linked with specific subjects areas at Brookes. 

Outside Europe
Oxford Brookes has exchange agreements with universities in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand, Uruguay, the United States and Vietnam. Universities in these countries are open to all subjects unless specified. The only Japanese partner university open to non-Japanese studies students is Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU).

Is the exchange programme part of my degree?

Your programme at Brookes is credited with the study you undertake at the host university. You do not normally have to increase the length of your programme. However, some courses require students who wish to study abroad to do so by adding an additional year to their programme. This is non credit-bearing. 

Find out more about modules and credits

What are the tuition fees and costs?

Before you leave, you will need to pay your tuition fees to Oxford Brookes or to confirm with Oxford Brookes that your Student Loans Company will contribute towards your fees as usual. You might be also entitled to a tuition fee waiver. You do not have to pay any tuition fees to the host university.

You will be responsible for costs such as travel and accommodation. Other costs you need to consider are health insurance and visas. Students with finance based on household income may qualify for a travel grant from Student Finance England.

Please note that if you are going on exchange for one semester only, you will be responsible for finding someone to take over your accommodation in the UK.  If you are unable to do this, you will have to cover the cost of your accommodation commitments at home, as well as abroad.

Find out more about fees and costs

Will I need a visa?

European exchanges

As part of your planning, you should consider the impact of Brexit on the immigration rules for entry to your host country. Information about this may be provided by host universities, or work placements. Information can also be found on the relevant embassy websites.

If you are an EU student you will not need to apply for a visa to go on a European exchange.

International exchanges

You will also normally receive information on the visa process with the acceptance letter from the host institution.

As part of the visa application you might need to:

  • Demonstrate your English language level if you are a non-native speaker of English. We recommend discussing this with the Exchanges Office at your host university immediately after nomination to ensure that you have time to take a test if needed. Sometimes the test you took in order to study at Oxford Brookes might be sufficient, or if you went to school in a native-speaking country prior to your university studies. Should you need to retake a language test, you are responsible for the costs.
  • Complete medical records at your GP. If you have spent most of your life outside of the UK you may need to get some medical documents from your home country. If these are issued in another language you will need to have them officially translated into English.
  • Complete criminal checks by the police and get the documents officially stamped by The Foreign and Commonwealth Office or another authority. The procedures will vary depending on your host country and your nationality. You are responsible for any costs.

There will be more information about the visa procedures, time frames and costs on the relevant embassy's website. To ensure you allow enough time for this process you should check the details as soon as you have been nominated by Oxford Brookes Exchanges Office. You will also be able to include the costs in your budgeting.

What insurance will I need?

It's important to be aware of the travel and health insurance options and requirements. Find out more about insurance for your exchange.

I am doing a combined degree - can I still go on exchange?

Some students doing combined degrees are able to go on exchange to one or two of our partner universities as long as your academic department(s) approve those choices. Discuss this with the relevant member of staff in your faculty.

If I don't speak any other languages than English, can I still go to non English speaking countries on exchange?

If the institution is in a country where English is not the official language you will need to check whether they teach in English. In some case it is essential to have a good knowledge of the language of the country.

Full-time undergraduate students can take one free language module per year at Brookes. Find out more on about studying our free language modules.

What if I don't meet the GPA requirements?

If you do not get the required 2.5 GPA in time for the application process in February – don’t panic! You can apply once your Semester 2 results have been released in June as a late applicant, providing you have the GPA then. We will still have a number of places left at partner universities for semester 2 only, so email us to see if you could be eligible as a late applicant.

What happens during my exchange?

Find out more about what to expect during your exchange.

What happens after my exchange?

Find out more about what to expect after your exchange.

I'm interested - what next?

Contact the Brookes Global Mobility and Engagement team for an informal chat or meet the team in the Forum, John Henry Brookes Building (Headington Campus) during drop-in sessions. The sessions will take place in the Forum between between 13:30 and 15:30 on the following dates:

Tuesday 17 January 2023
Monday 30 January 2023
Tuesday 7 February 2023
Monday 13 February 2023

Details of the sessions will be announced shortly. Applications close on 18 February 2023.