Study Abroad
Most students can apply to undertake a period of study abroad at one of our partner universities. Depending on your degree programme this could either be for a full academic year or a single semester. Eligibility isn’t wholly based on academic achievement, but we expect students to have no outstanding resits at Lincoln, have good attendance, and engaging with their programme.
If you are unsure if you course is eligible for study abroad, please contact the team for further information.
The deadline for applications is 7th December 2026.
Single semester opportunities typically take place in Semester B of the second year of your programme. This means that after the Christmas break instead of coming back to Lincoln you would head off overseas to continue your studies at our partner university. Some courses allow for students to go and study at one of our partners in Semester A.
The marks for essays and exams are transferred back to Lincoln and will be included as part of your second-year assessment.
If your programme offers a full academic year abroad this is an additional year and takes place between year 2 and year 3; this means that it will take 4 years for you to complete your degree. When studying abroad for a full year the marks awarded don’t count towards your degree classification, but you are expected to pass the year to be able to continue to your final year of studies.
Accommodation
When considering a semester abroad or year abroad, it is important to consider your accommodation arrangements.
Accommodation at Lincoln
The University of Lincoln Accommodation team offers semester only contracts with the University halls of residence. You can contact them at accommodation@lincoln.ac.uk and they will be able to advise further.
Private landlords or halls of residence within the city may also offer semester only contracts, and the SU lettings team may be able to advise on the options available with the city. You can visit their website https://ulsuhousingaccreditation.com/ or email accreditation@lincolnsu.com.
Please be mindful of the legally and financial obligations of your accommodation contracts before signing if you are planning to go on a semester or year abroad.
If you are going on a year abroad, you will not need accommodation in Lincoln for the academic year that you plan to study abroad.
Accommodation at Partner University
Once students are nominated to the host university, the partner university will be able to advise on the available accommodation options for you and what these may be like.
Not all accommodation at host universities is a single occupancy, ensuite room like most University accommodation and the facilities may be shared with other students.
Most students can stay in the host universities halls of residence, but some may offer private housing which previous exchange students have used. The accommodation offered will be an extra cost and not provided for free as part of the exchange.
VISAs
Each country has its own immigration rules, and you will need to research the requirements for where you want to travel. There may be different rules depending on how long you plan to stay and the reason for your visit. You will need to identify the visa requirements. Please be advised that Global Opportunities cannot provide visa advice, but we can offer guidance. The best team to speak to are the Advice team in Student Support – advice@lincoln.ac.uk or the VISA team at your host university. For more information on VISAs, Immigration and Travel Insurance, please refer to the information below.
Language Support
Most of our partners offer modules taught in English, however we do strongly recommend that you learn some of the language basics prior to your departure. This could include learning key phrases and conversational language.
Some of our partner Universities will require a certain language proficiency for some of their modules and will only offer a small selection of modules in English. Please check this with your study abroad co-ordinator and Global Opportunities
It is good to consider cultural differences and research this prior to departure.
Financial considerations when studying abroad
Budgeting
Budgeting whilst overseas can be challenging at first, but it is also very important to ensure that you have sufficient funds to enable you to cover your costs. Always try, where possible, to allow for some contingency funds in the case of emergencies or any unexpected expenses. There may be some funding available to assist with living and accommodation costs, please read carefully to find our more.
Living costs and general expenses will vary by country, so there is not a ‘one-rule-fits-all’ approach. How much it will cost will also depend on your choices and the way you choose to live whilst overseas. For example, if you eat out all the time, rather than cooking, this will cost you significantly more.
A good website to use is numbeo.com, the world’s largest cost of living database (please note this doesn’t include ‘student’ prices). Try to calculate your average expected expenditure before you go. You may find useful information on either on the host university’s website, fact sheet or by searching on Google.
- You may be required to pay for things such as meal plans (e.g. in the USA), compulsory health insurance (common in Australia, Canada, USA and Japan), and some host universities may have registration or administrative fees. Research beforehand so you are aware of any immediate payments you may need to make before, or upon arrival.
- You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements, visa costs, booking and paying for your accommodation (including any initial ‘down-payments’/deposits) and keeping on top of regular rent instalments.
For more information, check out our FAQ.
Where can you go?
We have over 50 partners globally that all host unique opportunities. Find out more about each partner below on our Global Partners list and on the map below.