Studying here

You can search the undergraduate prospectus to find out what programmes of study are taught here.

• If you will be an exchange student, you can apply for the department/subject area with which the exchange is held.
• If you will be a visiting student, you can apply to any department which accepts visiting students.

English language

All of our programmes are taught in English. You will need to show that you have a satisfactory level of spoken and written English before you come here.

We offer both pre-sessional and in-sessional courses for improving English language skills.

In-sessional courses

In-sessional courses run during the semester, at the same time as academic programmes.

Exchange and visiting students may choose in-sessional English language courses as part of their academic programme.

Pre-sessional courses

Pre-sessional courses run prior to the beginning of the semester, before academic programmes begin.

Our English Language Centre runs a programme of pre-sessional courses in English language during the summer period.

Please note that tuition fees for these courses are charged to all participants, including exchange and Erasmus students as well as visiting students.

Supervision

All our students are members of one of our departments.

Each department has a Departmental  Exchange Coordinator, a member of staff who will be responsible for your academic mentoring and general welfare.

Teaching methods and UK academic culture

We use a variety of teaching methods including traditional lectures, seminar teaching in smaller groups, team case studies and projects, and laboratory-based practicals.

Academic culture and expectations differ according to subject, level of study and type of institution, but most of all between different countries. Some key aspects of the predominant academic culture in the UK are:

• degree programmes in the UK tend to be specialised; if you are taking a Biology degree, for example, all or almost all the units you take throughout the whole of your programme will be Biology units
• emphasis on private study: students receive guidance and suggestions for further reading, then take these as a starting point to work independently for a significant proportion of their time
• critical judgement: assessing for yourself whether theories are coherent and well supported by evidence is regarded as very important
• academic staff welcome student response and involvement
• students ask questions without embarrassment if there is anything which they do not understand
• in assessments, it is not enough for students to show that they have learned the factual data of their subject. They must also show that they can apply what they know to different examples/situations
• if you use the words or ideas of another person in your work you must acknowledge your source (this process is called "referencing" and your department will explain its preferred style of doing so). Failure to do so is interpreted as plagiarism, that is, as taking the idea of someone else and passing it off as your own. It is considered to be a serious academic offence and severe penalties apply.

Assessments

Units are assessed by a variety of different methods and often by a combination of several elements, such as coursework and examinations. The method/s of assessment for each unit are shown in the Programme and Unit Catalogues.

We require all exchange and visiting students to take all forms of assessment associated with each of their chosen units, including all examinations. Students will therefore normally be required to study here for the full semester - including the examination period.

Exchange students from institutions outside the European Union who will be joining the School of Management for Semester 1 only should contact the School of Management Exchange Coordinator if they require advice on this issue.

It is not normally possible to re-take failed assessments, but departments will consider requests on a case-by-case basis.