The University of Sheffield
Department of Politics

Sheffield students going abroad

Clouds at sunsetStudents taking dual degrees of Politics with a language normally spend a year abroad. However, there are two schemes through which all students in the Department can apply to study abroad. These are the University-wide Study Abroad scheme, which allows students to study in a range of countries outside Europe, and the Erasmus scheme, through which students may study at a European university.

Study Abroad

For the Year Abroad programme, students can apply to spend their second year of study in the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada.

Details of the universities and the applications procedure are available from the International Exchanges Unit or the Academic Study Abroad Adviser.

Students should note that if selected their academic work abroad will count towards their final degree result in Sheffield. The Department requires students to take courses in equivalent areas to their compulsory modules, depending on which degree they are registered for. Students must familiarise themselves with these requirements before they leave Sheffield. To this end, a meeting will take place between applicants and the Department's Tutor for Year Abroad/Exchange Students during the first semester. Students can also approach this tutor individually.

Successful applicants who spend their second year abroad must keep copies of all work submitted for assessment. This should be handed in on return to the Tutor for Year Abroad/Exchange Students and will help the process of converting the grades achieved abroad into our own marking scheme.

Find out more about the University of Sheffield's Study Abroad scheme.

Erasmus

For the Erasmus scheme, students can apply to spend either one or both semesters of their second year at another European university.

All students interested in Erasmus must contact the Tutor for Year Abroad (Dr Nasos Roussias) as early as possible, and no later than the start of March in their first year. Prospective applicants should research the host universities and familiarize themselves with their curriculum and their requirements, as well as the language courses are taught in.

If students decide to apply, they need to fill in the Erasmus application form, which can be downloaded from the top right of this page, and write a statement of purpose (maximum 500 words) describing why they would like to go abroad and what makes them a good candidate. Both should be submitted by March 15 2013 to the Undergraduate Office. Applicants must be in good academic standing and have an average of 2:1 or above.

Students are not expected to know the native language to join the Erasmus scheme, as all our link universities offer several courses in English. However, applicants with a working knowledge of the native language, or with a commitment to study it, will be viewed favourably.

The Department requires students to take courses in equivalent areas to their compulsory modules, depending on which degree they are registered for. Students must familiarise themselves with these requirements before they leave Sheffield. Module selections must be agreed with the Sheffield tutor responsible for exchange schemes (Dr Nasos Roussias).

The Department currently has links with the Universities of:

The Department continuously reviews its programmes with partner universities. Different opportunities may be available in any one year.

Find out more about the University of Sheffield's Erasmus scheme

Details of the application process for Sheffield students going abroad

Contact

Dr Nasos Roussias  (a.roussias@sheffield.ac.uk) 0114 222 1655, G62 Elmfield.