Study at Southampton as an exchange student

Study at Southampton as an exchange or study abroad student 

If you are an overseas student, you can come to study with us for a semester or a full year. This could be as an exchange student, or as a Study Abroad student.

Exchange students come from our partner universities and do not pay tuition fees. A list of our exchange partners can be found here. 

Study Abroad students come from non-partner universities and pay tuition fees (with a 5% discount). 

You can also study with us for a shorter period as part of our International Summer School. 

What you can study

You will have the same study options whether you come to us on an exchange or as a Study Abroad student at Southampton.

You can choose modules from our undergraduate and in some subjects, postgraduate taught courses depending on your current level of study.

Find the modules that interest you by exploring our course catalogue. 

Apply to study at Southampton

The application process is different depending on whether you are coming to us as an exchange student or on the Study Abroad programme.

As an exchange student

1. Discuss exchange options with your tutor and exchange coordinator at your university. They will need to nominate you to The University of Southampton.
2. If your nomination is accepted, we will invite you to apply. 

As a Study Abroad student

1. Send an email to studyabroad@soton.ac.uk to enquire about the application process
2. Prepare and submit the required supporting documents as per guidance received from the Study Abroad team

Supporting documents

You'll need to include the following with your application:

• Official university transcript of modules and grades for at least one full academic year.  If your transcript is not in English, you will need to ask your university for a copy of your transcript in English or arrange a formal translation.  
• Evidence that you meet our English language requirements (if applicable) 
• A portfolio (if you are applying to Winchester School of Art) 

Application deadlines

Study period	Nomination deadline (exchange students only)	Application deadline
Full year: September to June	15 March	15 May
Semester 1: September to January	15 March	15 May
Semester 2: January to June	15 September	15 October

After you've applied

1. Your application will be assessed. 
2. If successful, you will receive an offer letter with your student identification (ID). This will allow you to set up an email address and apply for University accommodation. 
3. You need to accept this Offer. 
4. Once accepted, you will receive details about your next steps. 

Tuition fees

Exchange students do not need to pay tuition fees. 

Study Abroad Students receive a 5% discount on tuition fees.  

Other discounts may apply if your institution has an arrangement with us. Check with your home University if you think this applies. 

Accommodation

Information on University accommodation can be found here.

We are unable to guarantee University provided accommodation for incoming exchange and study abroad students.  However, there is a range of accommodation options available and, in the case we are unable to allocate you a University provided room, support is given to source private rented options.

Coming to the UK

There are a few things you will need to think about before you come to the UK to study. These will include visas, funding and what to do when you arrive.