Would you like to learn and live in the UK for a short time during your studies? If you are doing a creative degree in your home country, you can come here for some of your course and enjoy all the benefits UCA has to offer.

Not only will you be able to learn from our expert academics using our state-of-the-art facilities, but you'll also be able to improve your language skills, learn more about UK culture and arts, and gain incredible life experiences.

If you're an overseas student you can come to study with us for a semester or a full year. This could be as an exchange student, or as part of our Study Abroad programme.

Exchange students come from our partner universities and do not pay tuition fees. Study Abroad students can come from our partner or non-partner universities and pay tuition fees.

So, how does it all work? Read on to find out.

 

Incoming
student exchange

We'd love to have you spend a semester or a full year with us at UCA!  We have campuses in Surrey at Farnham and Epsom as well as in Canterbury, Kent. Each campus has specialist focuses; your chosen field of study will determine which campus you will attend.

All incoming exchange students must apply through their universities, which must be exchange partners with UCA. Once we receive the nominations, we will get in touch and let you know how to apply directly to UCA.

The nomination and application deadlines are as follows:

Study period

Nomination deadline

 Application deadline

Semester 1: September to January

15 March

5 May

Semester 2: January to June

15 September

15 October

All nominations must be sent by the partner institution to the UCA Global Mobility team at exchange@uca.ac.uk. 

Our academic
partners

Below is a list of our partner institutions. Please check if your home institution is there if so, we look forward to receiving your nomination. Please liaise with your home exchange coordinator to arrange this.

Turkey

Korea

India

Japan

Australia

Belgium

Estonia

France

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Portugal

Spain

Switzerland

Turkey

Canada 

USA

Fee paying
study abroad

We offer a range of credit bearing modules at one of our campuses, which will give you an experience of studying in the UK. 

Study period

 

Application

Semester 1: September to January

 

5 May

Semester 2: January to June

 

15 October

Study abroad

Click on the button below to view our guide for short-term incoming students.

Find out more

Incoming exchange
& study abroad FAQs

For both Incoming Exchange and Fee Paying Study Abroad

You should have completed at least the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject area to the course delivered at UCA. To see a list of the courses and units available to exchange students please see our Undergraduate courses.

We can also accept the English language components of selected European qualifications - to see a complete list please click here.

English Language - If English is not your first language, a qualification is required as evidence that you have the necessary level of English language to succeed in your chosen course. We can accept the following qualifications:

  • IELTS: 6.0 or above (with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component)
  • Pearson PTE Academic: 54 or above (with a minimum of 51 in each individual component)
  • TOEFL 72 or above (with at least 17 in Listening, 18 in Reading, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing)
  • Cambridge English: Proficiency - pass at grade C or above
  • Cambridge English: Advanced - pass at grade C or above
  • International Baccalaureate Higher Level English language at grade 4 or above

Please note that your English language qualification must be no more than two years old at the beginning of your exchange period. We expect you to submit your English language qualification with your application by the deadline given.

BA (Hons) Animation - If you are applying to this course to do the module FANI5003 Short Film you must already be competent in the following software:

  • for CG films – Maya
  • for stop-motion films – Dragonframe
  • for drawn or 2D films - AfterEffects, TV Paint &/or Photoshop

This module does not have any technical workshops attached to it.

Study periods usually last one term (three to five months) and most undergraduate visiting students join the second year of our undergraduate courses for one term (either Autumn or Spring).

It is not possible to do third-year units or combine courses and you can only choose modules from one course.

To find a complete list of the courses and units available please go to the Course Catalogue.

This list may be subject to change so please contact us at exchange@uca.ac.uk to check availability.

For both Exchange and Study Abroad students the application process is the same - but Exchange students need to be nominated by the home university first.

For Exchange students, your home university should send your nomination by email to exchange@uca.ac.uk with the following supporting documents:

  • Scanned copy of passport (front cover and photo page)
  • First-year university results transcript
  • English language qualification certificate

After we have confirmed the nomination, students will be sent a link through which they can make their application to us

For Study Abroad students, email direct to exchange@uca.ac.uk for more information regarding application links. When you apply please attach the following supporting documents:

  • Scanned copy of passport (front cover and photo page)
  • First-year university results transcript
  • English language qualification certificate

Portfolio
For all incoming students, you may be asked to submit a portfolio of work as part of your application. You can upload your portfolio using our Portfolio Upload task on our Applicant Portal after you have submitted your application. We will email you with full instructions on how to do this.

Please note - we do not accept paper portfolios or portfolios on CDs. You must provide your portfolio electronically.

Application deadlines

To study at UCA in the Autumn term (starting in September): 5 May

To study at UCA in the Spring term (starting in January): 15 October

Please note - the start and end date of your exchange may vary from course to course - exact start and end dates will be confirmed in your offer email if your application is successful.

For Exchange students
You are not expected to pay tuition fees to UCA, as it is normal for exchange students to pay fees to their home institution and not their host institution.

You will have to pay for your living expenses (e.g. accommodation, travel costs, etc.).

For Fee Paying Study Abroad students
In addition to paying for your living expenses e.g accommodation, travel cost etc you will need to pay tuition fees as follows:

International Study Abroad fees 2022-2024

  • Undergraduate courses (full year) - £15,250
  • Undergraduate and postgraduate semesters - £7,625

EU Study Abroad fees 2022-2024

  • Undergraduate courses (full year) - £9,250
  • Undergraduate and postgraduate semesters - £4,625

 

If you are a national from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, you will need a short term study visa for your exchange, and you should apply for this before you leave your home country.

The visa pages on the GOV.UK website can help you determine whether you need to obtain a visa before you travel to the UK and we will provide more detailed information about the rules and requirements for student visitor visas if we offer you an exchange place.

Please contact us at exchange@uca.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Starting a new course can feel a little strange at first, particularly if you’re moving away from home for the first time, but we’ll do everything we can to make you feel right at home. From the moment you arrive here, you’ll be part of a diverse and tight-knit creative community.

It’s really important that you find the right accommodation for you so that it suits your needs in every way. Choose from campus halls of residence, privately rented flats and houses or local lodgings.

Find out more about our accommodation

Incoming
staff

We welcome visiting scholars from overseas institutions to spend up to 12 months with us conducting research, a scholarship or professional practice and greatly value the opportunity to collaborate on research projects and share knowledge and experience.

Visiting scholars can observe our teaching practices and understand how we run our courses. It's an opportunity to develop academic networks with university staff and explore possibilities for further collaborative projects.

If you are interested in applying for a visiting scholar position at the university, you will need to complete our application form – which you can get by emailing us at exchange@uca.ac.uk - send a copy of your CV, two references whom we can contact and details of your proficiency in English (you may be asked to take a UCA English language test).

 

Summer School
at UCA

UCA is excited to announce that our International Summer School will be returning for 2024.

Please check back soon for information on our 2024 International Summer School.