Study Abroad at Lancaster University

If you want to study at Lancaster University for one semester or a full academic year, explore this page to learn more.

Students working in front of the green wall in the Library

We hope to welcome you here soon!

Lancaster is everything a university should be. It's somewhere you can belong, a community to join with a collection of colleges that offer close-knit support, and a proud identity. Our campus is the complete setting for your life and your studies, with sports facilities, shops, places to relax and socialise, and study spaces to suit your mood.

Tab Content: Study details

What can I study?

You can find the modules which are available for students starting in October and January in our Study Abroad Module Handbook.

Please note, 'full year' modules are only available to students starting with us in October and staying for a full academic year.

How many credits can I enrol on?

  • Full Year: 32 US credits / 60 ECTS
  • Michaelmas Only: 12 US credits / 22.5 ECTS
  • Lent and Summer: 16-20 US credits / 30-37.5 ECTS

Module Levels

Undergraduate degrees in the UK take three years to complete, and modules are usually numbered to correspond with the year in which they are generally taken:

  • 100 = first year
  • 200 = second year
  • 300 = third or final year
  • 400, 500 and 5000 modules are at the postgraduate level.

You must have completed a year of undergraduate study at your home university before coming to Lancaster.

Students from North America

  • 100 level modules are usually equivalent to lower-division modules
  • 200 and 300 level modules are usually equivalent to upper-division modules

Tab Content: Term dates

You can study at Lancaster for:

  • Michaelmas term (October - December)
  • Lent & Summer terms (January - June)
  • Full academic year (October to June)
  • You can also study for a calendar year (January - December) if that fits best at your home university.

We also offer Lancaster Global Summer Schools, which complement your stay and are often worth credits.

NB: Postgraduate Erasmus+ students may have different terms. Please check the Erasmus+ postgraduate module handbook.

Key dates for 2024/25

October starters:

  • Students are expected to arrive on Saturday, 28 September, or Sunday, 29 September 2024 depending on their college allocation.
  • Welcome Week: 30 September 2024 - 4 October 2024
  • Michaelmas Term: 6 October 2024 - 13 December 2024

January Starters:

  • Students are expected to arrive on Tuesday, 7 January 2025.
  • Welcome Week: 7 - 10 January 2025
  • Lent Term Dates: 10 January 2025 - 21 March 2025
  • Summer term Week 1: 24-28 March 2025, Week 2 and onwards: 28 April 2025 – 27 June 2025

Tab Content: Tuition fees and other costs

Tuition fees for 2024/25

  • Full Academic Year (October to June) - £26,206 - 32 US semester credits/60 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas term (October to December) - £10,482 - 12 US semester credits/22.5 ECTS credits
  • Lent and Summer terms (January to June) - £15,724 - 16-20 US semester credits/30-37.5 ECTS credits

If you are an exchange or Erasmus+ student, you pay tuition fees to your home university and none to Lancaster University.

Living Costs and Budgeting

  • On-campus accommodation costs vary depending on the kind of room you choose. Rents on campus usually include bills. For off-campus budget £20-25 per week for bills.
  • All students pay a small college membership fee, which supports the running of college events and activities. The fee for visiting study abroad students is £15.
  • Insurance costs vary depending on the cover required. Rent on campus includes limited cover.
  • Entertainment costs are excluded. Please budget for these according to your own needs

You will also need to budget for:

  • health insurance if you are attending Lancaster for less than 6 months
  • visa
  • travel costs to and from Lancaster
  • textbooks
  • vacation and weekend travel
  • entertainment
  • telephone; laundry; cooking and eating utensils; and other personal expenses. These will obviously vary widely according to your budget, tastes and requirements.

You can find budgeting advice and tips on how to get the most for your money whilst at Lancaster on our Managing your money ASK page.

Study Abroad Brochure

Download a copy of our Study Abroad Brochure.

How to apply

Applying to study abroad at Lancaster University is a simple process and all applications are made online. Follow these easy steps to find out more.

Applying to Study Abroad at Lancaster University

To make your online application you first need to be nominated by the appropriate office at your home institution. Once nominated we will send you a link to apply online.

If the staff at your home institution would like more information about the nomination process for Lancaster University, please ask them to email studyabroad@lancaster.ac.uk.

Applications must include:

  1. A Current Transcript (Your transcript needs to be an official copy. If it is not in English you will also need to provide an official translation.
  2. Study Plan: A list of modules you want to study (view available modules here).
  3. English Language: If you are not a national of a country that has been deemed to be a majority English-speaking country, proof of your English Language level will be required.
  4. Passport: A copy of your current passport.

You do not have to provide a personal statement but please share with us anything you think is relevant to your application e.g. module choices, mitigating circumstances, etc.

Academic Requirements

You are expected to have a GPA of 3.0, a credit or grade B average or equivalent. If you do not meet this requirement, or have any questions about whether you are eligible to apply, please contact your Study Abroad Office at your home institution.

You must have completed a year of undergraduate study at your home university before coming to Lancaster.

Language Requirements - Undergraduate students

If you are a national of a country that has been deemed to be a 'majority English-speaking country', you are not required to submit evidence of your English language ability.

Our English requirements are:

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall (with at least 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in the other elements);
  • TOEFL IBT: 87 overall (with at least 22 in writing, 18 in reading and 17 in the other elements);
  • Pearson PTE Academic: 58 overall (with at least 50 in writing and 42 in the other elements);
  • Cambridge CPE: 176 overall (with at least 169 in writing and 162 in the other elements);

The language certificates must have been issued within the past 2 years and be valid on the start date of your studies at Lancaster.

We may also be able accept some of the High School English language qualifications.

Students who have IELTS 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each element) or Pearson PTE Academic 50 overall (with at least 42 in each element) can take part in the short pre-sessional English language course course instead of retaking their tests.

If you are a non-native English speaker studying at an English speaking university, please include a copy of the Secure English Language Test (SELT) certificate, e.g., IELTS, Pearson or TOEFL you submitted when you applied to your home University/College.

Students coming for less than 6 months

If you are coming to Lancaster for less than 6 months, we will still need to review your English Language ability. However, we can accept a wider range of certificates including a written English Language proficiency voucher form signed by your home university. This voucher form will be emailed to you at the time of the application.

Students coming for more than 6 months

We will accept the most recent SELT according to the English Language requirements outlined above or equivalent. We may also be able accept some of the High School English language qualifications.

Students under the age of 18

Any student who is under the age of 18 when they arrive in Lancaster will need to follow the guidelines set by the University's Policy for the admission of students under the age of 18.

If you have any further questions about this, you can email studyabroad@lancaster.ac.uk

Application Deadlines

Full Year and Michaelmas-only (October) entry: 31 May (30 April priority deadline)

For Lent/Summer terms (January) entry: 31 October

Once you have completed and submitted your online application, we will endeavour to:

  1. Review your application within 10 working days;
  2. Send you a formal offer via email when your application has been accepted;
  3. Email you accommodation information after the application deadline has closed.

Summer Schools

We also offer Lancaster Global Summer Schools, which complement your stay and are often worth credits.

Global Summer Schools

What happens next?

After you have been accepted to Lancaster, you will be guided through the steps necessary to prepare you for your time here.

You may find it helpful to consult our list of Frequently Asked Questions on Lancaster's Advice, Support and Knowledge (ASK) portal.

You will initially be given a ‘Friend account’ that will allow you to access some of the services you will need (such as booking accommodation) and some applets within our mobile app, iLancaster.

Your Friend account username is usually the email address you used in your application.

About a month before you are due to start, you will be invited to complete Online Registration. Once this is complete your full student IT Account will be available, giving you access to all the services you will need during your time at Lancaster. Your full student account will have a new username and password and will no longer be based on the email you applied with.

If you have any issues with your Friend Account, please visit Friend accounts for applicants.

Information on how to apply for your accommodation will be sent to you once you accept your offer to study at Lancaster.

Undergraduate (UG) Exchange and UG Study Abroad students are guaranteed a room on campus provided they apply by the deadline.

Accommodation applications are made online from June (for October starters) and late November (for January starters). Emails are sent to students at the start of application period with further information about how to apply.

It is not always possible to accommodate Postgraduate (PG) Exchange and PG Study Abroad students on campus but they are encouraged to apply so that we can offer support in finding accommodation off-campus. It is likely that we will be able to find accommodation with one of our approved partners.

If you wish to make your own accommodation arrangements, we recommend that you use Lancaster University Homes. We also recommend that students live in Lancaster, as a long commute may negatively affect your experience during your time with us.

Students who do not live in University accommodation will still be a member of a College.

Immigration information will be emailed to you after the application deadline closes.

It is important that you obtain the correct student visa to study in the UK. You will be sent detailed information about visas and immigration when you have accepted your offer to study at Lancaster University.

If you have questions or need help regarding immigration matters when you are at Lancaster, you can contact the Visa and Immigration team which can give you advice and guidance about these matters.

Prior to arrival in the UK we will email you your:

  1. Pre-arrival Guide 4 weeks before you arrive to help you prepare for your visit to Lancaster, information will include registration instructions, booking information for the coach transfer from Manchester airport and how to get to Lancaster from other areas
  2. Orientation Booklet outlining your first week at Lancaster, 2 weeks before you arrive.

You can find information and advice to help you pack, plan your travel, what to do when you arrive and what you can expect when you get here on our Coming to Lancaster University webpage. You can also find advice and support about student life at Lancaster on the Portal.

Transcripts: A digital transcript will automatically be sent to your adviser at your home university at the end of your study period at Lancaster. For students leaving in December, transcripts are normally sent by early March. Transcripts for students leaving in June are sent in August.

If you want your own copy, you can request an official copy or copies of your transcript after you have left Lancaster. There is a small charge of £5 per transcript which you can pay using the online transcript request form. Please make sure that you place your transcript order at least 4 working weeks in advance of when you actually need it to ensure it reaches you in good time.

Alumni: After you’ve finished your Study Abroad at LU programme, you can benefit from a wide range of alumni services. Please keep your details up to date so we can stay in touch and invite you to alumni events.

Lancaster University offers a range of postgraduate scholarships to eligible students, find out more on our Scholarships and Bursarieswebpage. You can browse our available the postgraduate programmes at Lancaster University at Postgraduate Options.

Get in touch!

If you have any questions about Study Abroad at Lancaster, we're here to help!

Lancaster University Global Experiences,Welcome Centre, Lancaster University, LA1 4YW