Planning your Study Abroad Programme

Choosing Modules & Module Level

In principle, subject to any prerequisites and timetable restraints, students may choose any of the modules at undergraduate level as advertised on the Study Abroad Modular Description pages.  Subject to these constraints, and to the requirement that your workload must be equivalent to that undertaken by a Reading undergraduate (60 ECTS over 3 terms), modules may be chosen from any faculty.  

As a prospective study abroad student you may not be able to identify easily the precise level at which you should be studying. The first numeral of the module code indicates the level of the module: 1 is first year (Certificate), 2 second year (Intermediate), 3 third year (Honours).

In general, study abroad students follow mainly second-year modules, with the addition of some first and third-year work in appropriate cases.  Note that first-year modules are in many cases well suited to the needs of study abroad students and should not be dismissed as 'low level'.

You must choose your modules in advance, by the application deadline, with the help of your own academic adviser.

JYA and non EU students

Students from the USA are normally expected to have completed their sophomore year by the time of entry.  You will need to demonstrate an academic standard in your major subjects which is sufficiently high to enable you to pursue a modules at Reading. Students from the USA are expected to have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. 

If you wish to get the best from the programme you should choose your major early, and you will need to think carefully about the subjects you take.  This should not be a great problem - most student advisers will expect you to do this anyway.  It is recognised, though, that some kinds of major are not available in many American universities until the third year.

NB - Please note that if you have a specific academic requirement to take a certain amount of classes and therefore need to study particular modules for diminished credit, we will require an official signed and stamped letter from your Home University stating what it is you need. If we do not receive official notification with your Learning Agreement, students will be unable to request to take modules for less than full credit.

There will be changes to UK entry regulations for certain countries who did not previously require students to get visas to study in the UK, including the US.
Attached is a link to the advance notification to US citizens of this change, which will come into effect on November 13, 2003 and will affect US students wishing to stay in the UK longer than 6 months:

http://www.britishcouncil-usa.org/learning/clearance.shtml (opens in new window)