SELCS

Course choices at university abroad


These notes apply both to students on Erasmus and other exchanges, and to students making independent applications to university.

Participation, attendance and assessment

Students must attend and engage fully with all courses they take, including the full assessment. Failure to do so will mean a failure to obtain the UCL course units required for the Year Abroad.

Course load

Students at university abroad will take courses to an overall value of 45-60 ECTS credits or equivalent over the full year. This total of ECTS credits / course load is not negotiable under normal circumstances.

Students who are at university for one semester only must take 23-30 credits.

Students at a university outside the ECTS system, e.g. in Latin America, will find that there are ways of converting the credits taken there into ECTS credits, so they can check whether they have the right number of credits. In the first instance, students should check whether the host university can advise on how to do this: this is often the case. If not, please ask the Year Abroad Tutor for advice.

Students applying to university independently

Students applying independently to university must apply to faculties, departments and programmes which will allow them primarily to study their target language and culture during the semester in question, according to the instructions below.

Course choices at host university

In the first instance, students must follow the requirements of their home department at UCL and their host university in terms of their course choices. Within these requirements, students must observe the following points.

  • All courses that count towards the ECTS required must be serious academic disciplines.
  • All courses taken must be taught and assessed in the target language, with the exception of courses taken by Combined Honours students studying two modern foreign languages, where they may take courses in their other language (see below).
  • Unless they have been given specific permission by the Year Abroad Tutor, students may not take any courses taught and/or assessed in English.
  • Students may not take any English, British or American Studies courses (except Modern Languages Plus students who are reading a SELCS language and English: see below)
  • Students should take at least 50%, and up to 100% of their courses in the study of the target language and culture for the semester in question.
  • In addition, students may choose courses if desired (and if possible) in any academic area of interest, up to 50% of the total course load, as long as these courses are taught and assessed in the target language for the semester in question. However, Combined Honours, Modern Languages Plus and BA Language and Culture students are urged in particular to consider choosing courses in their other subject as outlined below.
  • Combined Honours, Modern Languages Plus and BA Language and Culture students Combined Honours and Modern Languages Plus students are encouraged to to take at least one course, and if they wish, up to 50% of their courses in their other subject. BA Language and Culture students are encouraged to take at least one course, and if they wish, up to 50% of their courses in their minor language.
  • Exceptionally, Modern Languages Plus students who are reading a SELCS language and English may take a limited number of courses in English, British or American studies, as long as the course/s in question is /are taught and assessed in the target language.

Advice on course choices.

If students are still in doubt about the suitability of a particular course, they should contact the Year Abroad Tutor.