David Magee stood in front of a sign for Big Bend National Park

Study Abroad

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Broaden your horizons by spending a year studying in the US, Australia, or Europe as a part of your Engineering degree. Your studies abroad count towards your final degree classification and so you take modules which fit into Lancaster’s scheme of study.

Our Study Abroad students benefit greatly from their experiences abroad and often find it life-changing. It’s a great opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop an understanding of different cultures and values, as well as provide you with a chance to become more independent.

But not only will studying abroad develop you on a personal level, it can also help you develop your potential career opportunities. An overseas experience can add a distinctive element to your CV, demonstrating your ability to live and work flexibly and adapt to new situations.

If you’re not sure whether this is the degree for you, our advice is to apply for the Study Abroad scheme - it’s easier to drop out of it than to apply for it once you’re here!

An adventure for David

Even before I started at Lancaster, I had always dreamt of working in the US after graduation. When I heard about the Study Abroad programme during Welcome Week, it immediately grabbed my attention. It seemed like an amazing opportunity to go to the US for a year and get the chance to develop myself both professionally, so I switched to the Nuclear Engineering with Study Abroad programme.

I ended up at Texas A&M University, and what I enjoyed the most was getting to meet new people and explore a whole new culture - including attending a college football game in the University's stadium, which was a really cool experience! I'd highly recommend getting involved in as many societies as you can whilst you're at your host university as it helps you to make friends and network with people. I joined the American Nuclear Society, which has allowed me to attend some really fascinating talks from a range of specialists within the nuclear industry.

Whilst I was in Texas, I also managed to secure myself a part-time job relating to my degree as a Radiological Safety Technician through the Environmental Health and Safety Department at the University. In this role, I get the chance to survey radioactive labs, which is giving me some excellent hands-on experience within the field.

The whole experience has really solidified my desire to move out to the US and my passion for the nuclear engineering industry. Studying abroad has changed my life for the better, so if you're thinking about applying to a study abroad scheme, my advice would be - go for it!

David Magee, MEng Nuclear Engineering (Study Abroad)

David Magee, stood in front of a large lake in America.

A journey for Kayman

When I started at university I essentially said to myself that I wanted to take as many opportunities as possible, and studying abroad seemed like an amazing option in order to broaden my horizons, get out of my comfort zone and keep university fresh going. So, I decided I was going to apply to do a year abroad in the States, and ended up at the University of Iowa!

I would easily say that my study abroad year was by far the best year I had at university, thanks to the travel, the people and the freedom. Getting off the plane with all your baggage and as you walk out of the airport that feeling of “10 months, here we go”. It will open your eyes to the big world, and it's so much more than just going on holiday somewhere. Living somewhere, even as a student, takes you a few layers deeper into the experience.

What really struck me about the US was the diversity of lives people lived. I knew people that would go out hunting at the weekend to feed their families, whilst others wouldn’t even dream of even going down the meat aisle at the local Walmart. Others would go on road trips for multiple weeks, but the best part was, all of them were more than happy to take you along on every adventure. I also got the opportunity to travel a lot whilst I was there, both with friends and with complete strangers. It gave me the ability to see a path I want to walk down, instead of having to wait for someone else to want to go down that path too. I am confident to explore it on my own, whether that be going on a holiday or getting a job that takes me away from home.

Studying abroad has changed my life, by making me hungry for more adventure. I no longer want to get a job in the place I am from and settle down immediately - I want to go out into the big world, not just in my personal life, but in my professional life. I firmly believe it was one of the main enabling factors that gave me the confidence and desire to join the Royal Navy as a Commissioned Officer in the Weapons Engineering branch. My job now keeps my life fresh and just outside of my comfort zone, and helps me become comfortable with being just a little uncomfortable.

Kayman Lewis Johnson, MEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Study Abroad)

Kayman Lewis Johnson, stood by the Hudson River in New York

Affiliated Universities

Lancaster University is affiliated with dozens of universities across the globe. As these change yearly, we cannot guarantee that a specific destination will be available year-on-year, but below is a selection of recent universities that our Engineering students have studied at during their year abroad:

  • Oregon State University

    Founded in 1868, Oregon State is Oregon’s leading public research university, with $308.9 million in external funding in the 2015 fiscal year, Oregon State’s impact reaches across the state and beyond.

  • University of Kentucky

    Situated in the vibrant bluegrass city of Lexington, Kentucky, the University of Kentucky strives to advance the lives and livelihoods of all those who call Kentucky home through excellence in education, research and creative work, service and health care.

  • Iowa State University of Science and Technology

    Iowa State University, founded in 1858, excels in science and technological research and is home to one of the ten US Department of Energy science research labs.

  • University of Iowa

    With just over 31,000 students, the University of Iowa is one of America's top public research universities, a member of the Big Ten conference since 1899, and an Association of American Universities member since 1909.

  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln

    A proud member of the Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Academic Alliance, Nebraska-Lincoln is a world-class research institution.

  • Texas A&M University

    With over 70,000 students, Texas A&M is the largest university in the US, and was the first public higher education institute within the state of Texas.

  • Montana State University

    Montana's largest university, Montana State is top-tier research institute surrounded by wilderness and an hour's drive from Yellowstone National Park.

  • Purdue University

    In the top 10 public universities in the US, Purdue University is a world-renowned, public research university that advances discoveries in science, technology, engineering and maths within the state of Indiana.

  • North Carolina State University

    The largest university in both Carolinas, North Carolina State University has over 35,000 students across its three campuses.

  • University of Twente, Netherlands

    One of the top 200 universities in the world, the University of Twente in the Netherlands is home to numerous state-of-the-art research institutes and lab facilities.

  • The University of South Australia

    Founded in 1991 and ranked Top 50 Under 50 in both the QS and THE world rankings, the University of South Australia is a new university with a long history of excellence.

  • McMaster University, Ontario

    Ranked in the top 80 in the world, McMaster University is a world-leading university situated in Canada that prides itself on its cross-disciplinary approach to tackling some of the world's toughest challenges.