13. Programmes with study abroad or industrial placement

Definitions

13.1.    This policy applies in undergraduate programmes where either: 

a.    study abroad is a part of the degree programme (‘study abroad year’)

A student studies abroad for a year of study for the award of credit.  Completion of the study abroad year is reflected in the title of the programme, for example, MSci Chemistry with Study Abroad or MSci Chemistry with Study in a Modern Language. The study abroad year is only available in the third year of a degree programme. 

b.    study abroad by unit

A student studies at another institution for credit, for part of the year of study, replacing the units that the student would normally have taken at Bristol. Arrangements are not an essential part of a programme but are recognised in the student’s transcript. Studying unit/s abroad cannot be taken in the first or final year of a degree programme. 

c.    industry placement is part of the degree programme

A student is on an industrial placement for part of or an entire academic year for the award of credit. The completion of the year is reflected in the title of the programme (for example, BSc Biochemistry with Study in Industry). The industrial placement year is only available in the third year of a degree programme.
All other arrangements where students study away from the University or take on a research project with an external partner for experience (not for credit) are not covered by this policy.

Arrangements for programmes with study abroad or industrial placement

13.2.    Any formal period of study abroad or in industry must be for credit and contribute to the award of the degree.  

13.3.    The units in any formal period of study away from the University are set to be at a level of study permitted by the University’s credit framework. 

13.4.    The formal period of study away from the University equates to:

• a semester abroad: 30 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credit points and 60 credit points at the University of Bristol
• an industrial placement: 60 ECTS and 120 credit points at the University of Bristol  
• a study abroad year: 60 ECTS and 120 credit points at the University of Bristol

13.5.    For the study abroad year, students must take at least the equivalent of 100 (and no more than 120) credit points of units at the partner institution during the Study Abroad Year, or equivalent for units taken abroad. A credit conversion process is available to ensure that students take an appropriate workload that is equivalent to the amount of credit they otherwise would have taken at Bristol.

Progressing onto the study abroad year

13.6.    As set out in 31.3, students are permitted the opportunity to meet the requirements for progression or transfer from year 2 onto the study abroad year by reassessment or supplementary assessment during the reassessment period, unless one or more of the following applies: 

1. travel to the study abroad partner for the start of study is earlier than the University’s re-assessment period (in which case, see 13.7) 
2. the student has not achieved 40 credit points at the first attempt (as 30.4)
3. the amount of outstanding units exceeds 80 credit points (as 30.14).

If one of a-c above applies or the student does not meet the requirements for progression by the reassessment exam board, the student is not permitted to undertake the study abroad year in the next academic year.
In accordance with University policy (see 17.9), students are not permitted to take assessments that are arranged at the University of Bristol overseas. 

13.7.    Students who are due to travel abroad for a period of study at another institution but whose progress onto that year cannot be confirmed ahead of them travelling to begin study at the study abroad partner (i.e. due to the student having completed reassessment and/or an earlier start date), may be permitted by the Chair of the Complex Outcomes Exam Board (see 31.31) to commence the study abroad year where:   

1. They are required to travel to arrive in time for the start of study at the study abroad partner before the progression outcome from the Board is published 
2. The student is judged likely to achieve the academic requirements for progression, by there being no more than 40 credit points of outstanding units
3. The student has sufficiently engaged with the teaching in those units that are being reassessed
4. Any reassessment or supplementary assessment has been completed or if it is yet to be completed, the assessment can be completed without the student being required to be in attendance at the University of Bristol 
5. The student has been informed and understands the risks of travelling before progress has been confirmed. 

If one or more of these conditions have not been met in the judgement of the Chair of the relevant Complex Outcomes Exam Board, students are not permitted to undertake the study abroad year. 

If the conditions are met and a student is permitted to start the study abroad year pending confirmation of progression onto the year, but subsequently does not meet the progression requirements following reassessment, the study abroad year is halted and the student is required to transfer to the equivalent degree without the study abroad year. 

Assessment and marks from a study abroad or industrial placement year

Study abroad

13.8.    Any mark(s) from a period of study abroad are reached, solely or in combination, by 

• assessment set by the University of Bristol (such as, by assessing what a student has learnt during their experience) and/or
• the conversion of marks that have been gained at the partner institution. 

13.9.    Where a mark is obtained by a combination of assessments set by Bristol and the partner institution, how the mark is calculated and the expected input of the student to each assessment is set out in the study abroad unit specification.

13.10.    A student’s performance on a study abroad year is reflected by a single overall mark for the learning done across the year, unless the programme is structured so that students are assessed at differing levels of study.

13.11.    For the study abroad year, the marks from units taken while abroad, equivalent to at least 100 credit points, count towards the year mark.

Industrial placement

13.12.    Any marks from an industrial placement are reached by assessment set by the University of Bristol.

Award of credit and progression from a study abroad or industrial placement year

13.13.    A student must achieve at least the pass mark for the study abroad or industrial placement unit to be awarded the credit.  

13.14.    If a student fails a ‘must-pass’ unit (for example, deemed by the faculty to be a core part of the programme) during a semester abroad, a reassessment is arranged at the University of Bristol.

13.15.    A student is permitted to progress from the study abroad year or industrial placement year when they achieve 120 credit points with an overall year mark of at least 40 out of 100. Only the overall unit mark should be considered when determining progression to the next year of study (not the student’s performance in individual units at the partner institution). 

13.16.    A student is transferred onto the appropriate point of an equivalent degree programme (determined by the relevant exam board) if they:

• do not achieve the pass mark for a study abroad or placement unit and/or 
• do not achieve the necessary criteria for progression.

In cases where a student’s results from their study abroad year are not yet available by the time of the exam board, see 30.31

Contribution to degree classification

13.17.    The Study abroad year and Industrial placement year are each weighted as 10% of the overall programme mark for classifying a degree (see section 31b. Academic outcomes in undergraduate modular programmes - final year 2 for the weightings to calculate classification).  

For new entrants from 2025/26 to relevant programmes in Engineering and Computer Science, the Industrial placement year is pass/fail for the award of credit and therefore does not contribute to the calculation of the degree classification.

Conversion of marks gained from a study abroad year

13.18.    Structures and standards in the marking process in other institutions and countries vary. Therefore, marks achieved during a period of study abroad are mapped to the equivalent academic standard of the University by a mark conversion process.

13.19.    Marks from study abroad are converted using an evidence-based approach, based upon the following principles: 

• there is a single conversion for each country using the ECTS conversion tables, unless evidence indicates this is not appropriate 
• where there is evidence a country-based approach is not appropriate, an institution-wide approach is adopted, i.e. presume that the institution is internally consistent, unless evidence indicates this is not the case
• only where there is actual evidence of inconsistency in marking with a single institution, different disciplinary rules are permitted
• variation from the common conversion method only occurs where there are exceptional circumstances in particular cases.

13.20.    The mark(s) awarded after conversion for the study abroad period, are reviewed by to the School Study Abroad Academic Director, or equivalent, to ensure they are correct. 

13.21.    The overall mark from study abroad year is calculated by averaging all the contributing weighted marks from the host institution and, if necessary, any weighted marks awarded by the University of Bristol. 

If the partner institution:

• uses a linear marking scale, the conversion provided in the reference table is applied to the overall mark.
• does not use a linear marking scale, each of the individual marks are translated before being averaged.

13.22.    The conversion of the overall mark is mapped onto the 0 to 100 scale, so it aligns with the University’s method for determining student progression and degree classification. 

13.23.    Where there is evidence that the marks gained from the host institution is not an accurate reflection of the student’s performance, the relevant exam board can exceptionally disregard any relevant marks from units taken at the host institution or adjust the marks from those shown in the conversion table.  

13.24.    A student’s transcript displays the University of Bristol translated mark for the study abroad period. 

13.25.    The University Academic Quality Committee is responsible for overseeing the methods for converting marks from partner institutions. This includes any new partnership arrangements.

Academic support for students during a study abroad or industrial placement year

13.26.    Each school must maintain regular contact with the student, and with an identified industrial contact for industrial placements, when the student is studying away from the University. The academic tutor must maintain support for the student.