Introduction
The guide to introducing a study abroad opportunity can be found on the OQSP part of the Portal:
This document outlines the following steps you need to take. In summary these are:
1. Gain College Leadership Team support for the proposal
2. Obtain Subject Committee, External Examiner and, if required, PSRB support
3. Forward to College Academic Affairs Committee to approve the proposal
4. Approved paperwork is sent by Officer of CAAC to POG for noting (if proposal is for an International Study Year and/or alternative programme titles) and to Academic Affairs Committee for endorsing.
Year Abroad
The year abroad is an optional element that is usually taken between Year 2 and Year 3 of the student’s programme; this is to ensure that students have a thorough grounding in their home subject before embarking on an international experience. A student taking this route will normally follow a negotiated curriculum comprised of credit bearing modules of study that are delivered by the receiving institution. Often students will use this opportunity to broaden their knowledge by studying modules that are complementary to those that form part of their University of Lincoln programme. The receiving institution will, at the end of the year, provide the student with a transcript of modules taken and results awarded. The credit obtained through the Year Abroad does not contribute towards the student’s degree classification. The successful completion of the Year Abroad will be recorded on the degree transcript of a graduate who has followed this route.
You can find an example “Study Year Abroad” module on APMS here: https://lincoln.worktribe.com/record.jx?recordid=5849644. This is the School of Life Sciences module; it is written in a general style so that it can be included in a range of different programmes offered by the School. The Study Year Abroad is credit rated at Year 2 of the University of Lincoln programme. Although predominantly an academic activity, the international Year Abroad can be designed to include other components such as work or volunteering. The learning outcomes of the module can be developed to provide this flexibility.
Taking a Year Abroad will add 12 months to the end point of the student’s programme. Many students who are entitled to a student loan from SFE will part-finance their Year Abroad by accessing maintenance funding for this extra year. As long as a student passes all other levels of their programme without requiring a “retake year” they will have access to funding for this additional year of study.
Here is an example of the Pharmacy year abroad: https://lincoln.worktribe.com/record.jx?recordid=6029288
Semester Abroad
The semester abroad is an integral part of a programme that is usually taken as a replacement for the normal Semester A or the normal Semester B in Year 2 of a three year undergraduate programme. The student will follow a prescribed curriculum at the receiving institution that has been mapped against the modules being replaced in the University of Lincoln programme to ensure a good match in module learning outcomes, level of study and workload. The receiving institution will at the end of the year provide the student with a transcript of modules taken and results awarded. The credit gained contributes towards the student’s degree classification; an algorithm will be developed to establish how the credit reflects in the calculation of the overall degree classification. The successful completion of the Year Abroad will be recorded on the degree transcript of a graduate who has followed this route.
Here are four examples of modules that facilitate a “Semester Abroad”
Journalism: https://lincoln.worktribe.com/record.jx?recordid=1225750
History: https://lincoln.worktribe.com/record.jx?recordid=1395801
Design: https://lincoln.worktribe.com/record.jx?recordid=1890455
Engineering: https://lincoln.worktribe.com/record.jx?recordid=6138646
Taking a semester abroad does not extend the duration of a programme so students following this route will be completing their programme in the normal timeframe. Students undertaking an exchange are entitled to additional funding from the Turing scheme to support themselves on their Semester Abroad.
So, important next steps are:
- Locate and authenticate your prospective partner. They will be hosting part of a University of Lincoln degree programme and contributing to the student experience so they need to meet a quality threshold. As well as using your network of contacts and links, the Global Opportunities team and OQSP can help you with these steps
- Ask your Head of School to take the proposal to your College Senior Leadership Team for approval
- Create a study abroad module for a) credit transfer semester abroad and/or b) optional year abroad
- Find out when your next Subject Committee Meeting takes place? You need to present the proposal there and get student approval
- Send the proposal to your external examiner to get their approval
- Contact Professional Bodies where relevant and check out any implications of introducing a semester abroad.