This page contains information for UCL Computer Science undergraduate students who are interested in studying for a period abroad as part of their degree programme. Students from other universities who are considering studying for a period at UCL should consult the page for affiliate students. If, having read this information, you have any questions please contact:

• The departmental Study Abroad Tutor: Dr Jens Krinke (for departmental queries)
• The UCL Study Abroad Office (general advice)

Please also see the Study Abroad Website, particularly the UCL Study Abroad Student Handbook.

UCL Computer Science is very pleased to be able to offer a variant of its MEng programme to include a study abroad year. This year is taken in place of the third year, offering you the opportunity to:

• continue advanced education in computer science;
• experience education in a different cultural and/or linguistic setting;
• access high level teaching and research expertise from outside UCL.

The MEng degree is awarded to students who successfully complete the programme including usually no less than two units of project work. In other words, you normally need to complete the equivalent of a unit of project work while abroad in your third year.

We have a range of partner institutions, all 'elite' institutions with excellent academic reputations in computer science:

European countries on Erasmus agreements with the Department:

• Italy: Universita di Pisa, Polytechnico di Milano

• Germany: Technische Universität Dresden, Universität Paderborn, Universität Duisberg-Essen

• Spain: Universitat de Valencia, Universitat Politecnica de Cataluna

• France: University of Montpellier II, Ecole Polytechnique (Paris)
  

Other countries on agreements at a Faculty or UCL level

• Australia: University of Melbourne, University of Western Australia

• Canada: McGill University, Ecole de Technology Supérieure (Montréal), University of British Columbia, University of Toronto

• United States: Caltech, Rensselaer Polytechnic, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Columbia University, Rutgers - State University of New Jersey, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgia Institute of Technology

• Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University Hong Kong

• Japan: Waseda University (Tokyo), Yamaguchi University

• Singapore: National University of Singapore

• Mexico: Tecnológico de Monterrey

Ideally, you should have registered your interest by email to the department's Study Abroad Tutor, Dr Jens Krinke, giving details of your first year grades and the reasons for wanting to study abroad by the end of the Summer Term in your first year.

You then have to go to the Study Abroad Fair <http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/international-students/current-students/ucl-students-abroad/study-abroad-fair> (1st November 2012) organised by the Study Abroad Team. Immediately after the fair you have to apply to transfer to the International Programme and meet with the department's Study Abroad Tutor, Dr Jens Krinke. If it your application is approved, you can transfer to to the International Programme.

If your application is successful, you will be registered in the Study Abroad Preparation Programme which is running in the spring term.

If you are already on the International Programme, you have to follow the same procedure. In the case that your application to the Study Abroad Team is not successful or your performance in the second year is not sufficient, you will be transferred to the normal MEng Computer Science Programme.

You have to have a 2.1 average in the first year to be able to transfer to or stay on the Internationale Programme. You also have to maintain a 2.1 average in your 2nd year or risk not being allowed to go abroad.

If you wish to study in a language other than English, you must be able to demonstrate linguistic competence through qualifications and/or following UCL Language Centre courses. The Department may ask the Language Centre to assess students seeking to study abroad.

UCL's Access Agreement includes support for students on programmes which include a year abroad. Further information about finance is available from the Study Abroad web site.

Students studying abroad must follow a programme that is to the fullest extent possible agreed in advance with the Study Abroad Tutor. The programme MUST:

1. be overall of equivalent depth to that of the UCL 3rd year MEng Computer Science programme;
2. be substantially composed of courses in computer science or closely allied disciplines such as electrical engineering and mathematics;
3. have a significant engineering orientation (as defined by UK-SPEC), be compliant with the QAA benchmark framework;
4. be of equal workload to that of the UCL 3rd year MEng that is, using accepted equivalence measures, be of 4 course-units;
5. be formally assessed by the host institution and the results of the assessment independently reported to the  Study Abroad Tutor;
6. include taught courses/units, that is should not consist solely of project work;
7. be formally documented by the student in an up to date written study plan, signed by the Study Abroad Tutor and kept by the Departmental Tutor.

The UCL Study Abroad Office monitors attendance. You will be required to submit an attendance form signed and stamped by the host institution (one for each term/semester you are on placement).

You MUST follow the guidance of the UCL Study Abroad office and the British Embassy with respect to personal safety and conduct while overseas. You must also adhere to the disciplinary rules and requirements of your host institutions. You will be required to report any circumstances that might affect your academic progress, such as illness or other problems, immediately to both UCL and the International Office of your host institution. The Department will arrange for at least one visit during the study abroad programme from a member of staff. You are required to make yourself available for such a visit.

The Study Abroad Office organises preparatory courses and briefings. Completion of these, and the accompanying UCL Study Abroad Passport, is a required element of this programme.

Equivalence of courses and marks is to be determined based on UCL practice covering the European Credit Transfer Scheme (ECTS) as currently used in the on-going pilot scheme, and other credit transfer schemes as from time to time approved by UCL.  The results reported will be reviewed by a panel consisting of the Chair of the Board of Examiners, the Departmental Tutor and the Study Abroad Tutor, reporting to the Board of Examiners.

On returning to Year 4, you must have your option courses agreed by the Study Abroad Tutor and Departmental Tutor in order to ensure that any possible gap in subject coverage caused by attending an overseas institution, is duly filled. Particular attention will be paid to coverage of the 3 compulsory courses in Year 3.