Application process and placement allocation

Undergraduate (UG) Year 3 and above, Postgraduate (PG) and Doctoral (PhD) students from our partner universities are welcome to apply for a research placement at the UCL School of Pharmacy, via our Erasmus/Exchange scheme. The placements are undertaken as part of UG/PG studies or a PhD project at the students’ home university.

Students from non-partner universities should visit our Independent Applicants page for separate instructions on how to apply.

Please note the following restrictions for all incoming (affiliate) students:
•   We do not offer any taught courses via Erasmus/Exchange
•   We do not offer any practical training for licensing purposes
•   We do not participate in the Erasmus Traineeship scheme (with one exception - click here for more information)

Erasmus students looking to apply via Traineeship scheme should contact sop.studyabroad@ucl.ac.uk.

Click on a relevant link for more information on:

• Placements
• Deadlines
• English language proficiency
• Credits
• Erasmus learning agreement
• Application process and placement allocation
• Accommodation, travel, induction, student life and support

Placements

We always try to allocate students to the department of their first choice, however, this may not always be possible due to pressures on laboratory space and limited supervisor availability.

Incoming students will be offered a placement within one of our research departments, either:
•   laboratory-based
•   theoretical / computational
•   data mining / mathematical modelling / clinical trial simulations

For further information about our research themes, please also check our research clusters.

The minimum placement length is 90 days (3 months), and the maximum is 12 months. Placements can be undertaken at any time of calendar year, including summer holidays. When planning your placement, please note:
•   To be eligible for 30% student discount for travel on London Underground and buses, your placement must not be shorter than 14 weeks (98 days).
•   The months of September to November may be particularly difficult to find accommodation in London. You will find more availability from January onwards.

Deadlines

We expect to receive your full application documentation at least 3-4 months before the proposed placement begins. There is some degree of flexibility with this and late applications may be considered, however, we strongly advise you to apply well in advance to avoid disappointment with admission and housing.

English language proficiency

To meet the UCL entry requirements, all students whose first language is not English must demonstrate adequate proficiency in English language (even if they do not need to apply for a visa).

It is required that Exchange students and recommended that Erasmus students meet the UCL Standard level of English (equivalent to an IELTS score of 7.0 overall with a minimum of 7.0 in any subtest). For more information, please see the relevant column in the ‘Application’ table below and follow a link to the lists of evidence required and other qualifications accepted by UCL.

Nationals from what UK Visas and Immigration (UKV&I) considers as a majority English-speaking country can be exempt from this requirement.

Credits

Please note that you will not be assessed at UCL, therefore, it is your home university that awards credits for your placement. If your university requests that your project must have specific elements incorporated in order to receive a particular number of credits, then please discuss it with your allocated project supervisor before your placement begins, so that we can attempt to accommodate your request.

Erasmus learning/training agreement

We will sign your learning/training agreement after we find a placement and a supervisor for you and are able to confirm your start and end dates. Please use our correct contact details when preparing your learning agreement.

Application process and placement allocation

I. Nomination

Please contact your home university to see if they have an Erasmus or Student Exchange partnership agreement with the UCL School of Pharmacy. If they do, they will help you with the formal process and administration. Once you have been accepted onto the Erasmus/Exchange programme by your university, they will notify us of your nomination on your behalf. We will then contact you to invite you to apply for a placement. If you do not hear from us following your official nomination, please contact us.

II. Application

To make a formal application, please click on the links below. Once you have submitted your application, this will reviewed by the UCL Admissions Office and School of Pharmacy. 

III. Placement allocation

When we receive your application from the Admissions Office, we will try to find a place for you in one of our research departments. Finding a project supervisor can be a lengthy process, therefore, you may not hear from us for several weeks during which we will contact our researchers and pass your CV and motivation letter on. You will be contacted by us when we find a supervisor for you or if we need more information.

IV. Approval and offer letter

When placement allocation is completed, we will inform the Admissions Office that your application has been approved. The Admissions team will then send you an official offer notification by email, which will include an Offer Reply Form that must be completed and returned by email. An official copy of the offer letter will be sent out by post at the same time.

V. Accommodation advice and useful information

Once you have formally confirmed your offer with the Admissions Office, please refer to our Accommodation, Travel, Induction, Student Life and Support page for advice on how to apply for accommodation and on matters such as commuting within London, student life, etc. Accommodation in London for Incoming Students

If you need to find accommodation at the beginning of Year 4 (before your departure), please visit UCL Accommodation aimed at the students coming to UCL from abroad, as the advice for them would be exactly the same as for you in respect of renting short-term accommodation in London. If you are unable to secure a place in University Accommodation, please visit Private partner providers.