Study abroad programme

MPharm students at the UCL School of Pharmacy can undertake their Year 4 research project at our partner universities abroad.

MPharm students can undertake their Year 4 research project at our partner universities abroad for approximately 3 months (12 weeks). The Year 4 research project usually starts in mid-September and ends mid-December.

The purpose of the placement abroad is to broaden your experiences, enhance your career prospects and make new friends and contacts while learning key skills in a scientific-based workplace.
For students considering going abroad to undertake their research project, this is your chance to gain a glimpse of what opportunities await you - see first-hand what other UCL students say about their Study Abroad Experiences

Click on a relevant link for more information on:

• Eligibility
• Funding
• Application process
• Preparation for placements
• Accommodation 
• Contact and support

Eligibility

There are certain eligibility criteria which students must meet in order to apply, such as maintaining a minimum 2:1 average (across studies or at least in Year 2). At some of our partner institutions, a good working knowledge of the host country's language may be needed.

Funding

The School of Pharmacy Study Abroad grants and the EU grants are not means-tested.

Application process

Each year we organise an introductory Study Abroad presentation for the Year 3 students, welcoming students to apply and undertake their Year 4 research project overseas. 

Application is a multi-stage process:

I. Application

First, you need to be accepted onto Study Abroad programme by submitting an application form to the Teaching & Learning Office (T&L). The deadline for this will be determined by the School of Pharmacy and is usually around mid-December. The application form and additional information (such as details of partner universities and feedback from former MPharm students) are on Moodle. The applications process will open as soon as the Study Abroad presentation takes place.

II.  Informal interview

When we receive your application form, we will check if you meet the eligibility criteria and if satisfactory invite you to attend a brief interview with the SOP Study Abroad Tutor (Dr Gary Parkinson) and Study Abroad Administrator (Lisa Weston) in order to discuss any potential issues. We will want to hear why you would like to go to a particular place (or places) and what you hope to gain from a placement there.

III. Outcome

Based on your application, grades, enthusiasm for studying abroad and your destination preferences, we will allocate you to a particular institution.

Unsuccessful applications will not be reconsidered and the decision will be final. There is no appeal process.

Successful students will be asked to accept or reject their allocation by a deadline. During that time we will also consider any swap requests or requests to be moved to unfilled places.

Students who do not respond to accept their allocation by the deadline, will be treated as those who wish to withdrew from the Study Abroad programme. It will not be possible to re-join the scheme.

IV.  Nomination

Once your allocation is confirmed, we will send your details to the central UCL Study Abroad Team. They will contact you and send you the relevant information and forms which need completing before your placement begins. We will also send your details to the allocated institution to inform them that you are nominated to apply for a research project there. 

Once your details are passed on, we will not be able to consider any further requests for changes to your allocation.

V. Project allocation (external supervisor allocation)

It is important to understand that the School of Pharmacy is unable to secure a particular project at host universities; we can only secure a place at a particular destination. The host institutions may not be able to meet all expectations and preferences of the incoming students (although they are always committed to try), therefore, it is essential to be open-minded and flexible.

Your host institution should contact you shortly after your details are passed on to them and inform you about their local admission process and project allocation procedure, which you will need to follow. These processes vary between the universities and may change every year (therefore, we can only advise on what was practised by each partner university in the previous year):
•  Some students will be offered a particular project or choice of projects.
•  Some students will be allocated to a specific department or a supervisor but the exact project title may not be known until arrival.
•  Some students will be expected to directly approach the researchers within their allocated university to find a placement (this usually involves sending a CV, a motivation letter and a transcript of grades, and asking to join their lab for a 11-13 week unpaid research placement, adding that you have been nominated for a placement via the Study Abroad Exchange partnership with UCL).

If the allocated institution is unable to offer any suitable projects or find an available supervisor, the students will be able to choose a different Study Abroad location from a list of unfilled places at our partner universities (depending on their deadlines) or to undertake an internal project at the School of Pharmacy.

VI.  Project approval (internal supervisor allocation)

Once the projects are assigned by the host institutions and approved by the Study Abroad Tutor (Dr Gary Parkinson), each outgoing student will be allocated an internal project supervisor at the School of Pharmacy, who they should liaise with regarding working on and submitting their project.

Preparation for placements

• All UCL students going abroad as part of their studies are required to complete the Study Abroad Preparation Programme organised in spring by the UCL Study Abroad Team. 
• There will also be an additional pre-departure preparation session organised by the School of Pharmacy towards the end of the summer term, to help with preparations for the project.
• More details, including relevant forms, are made available to the successful applicants by e-mail and via Moodle.

Accommodation

Contact and support