How to choose your units
Find out what you need to know when choosing units for your programme of study.
Before you come to Bristol you will need to choose your preferred units (classes). The following information will help you choose your units for your Study Abroad programme at Bristol. We strongly recommend that you read through this information before you submit your application.
You can see which units are available to you in the Study Guides. You can browse by subject area, if you know what academic area you want to study or you can type in a key word to find related academic disciplines. Please note that only the units listed in the Study Guides are open to Study Abroad students and we cannot guarantee your unit choices, even though we make every effort to place as many students as possible in their top choices.
If you are applying to the Study Abroad (Subject pathway) programme, you must take at least 40 out of 60 credits in your host department each semester.
It is not possible to audit or observe units (classes) without taking the unit for credit and taking all the associated assessments
Here are some things you can check to make sure that your chosen units work for you.
Unit Description
You can click on the link to the unit description in the Study Guides to work out if a unit has the right content for you and if it is equivalent to a unit at your home university.
Each unit description provides:
- a general description of the unit, including required pre-requisite knowledge and co-requisites with other units
- learning objectives
- teaching and assessment methods
- course texts
- the credit point value (Bristol credits).
We cannot provide a syllabus or teaching plan for units, and teaching timetables are made available shortly before term starts. We will work with you to help you find units that can fit together, and will help you find alternative units if there are any clashes.
Open unit status
The open unit status section of the unit catalogue only applies to students studying their full degree in Bristol. You can choose both 'open' and 'not open' units for your programme.
Credit point value
Single Semester
You should take 60 Bristol credits per semester. If you have permission from your home university to take a slightly lighter workload, you can take a minimum of 50 credits per semester.
You cannot take more than 60 credits for a single semester.
Full academic year
You should take 120 Bristol credits for the year, with 60 credits in each semester. However, you may be able to take 50 credits in the autumn semester and 70 credits in the spring, depending on which subjects you have chosen.
If you have permission from your home university to take a slightly lighter workload, you can take a minimum of 50 credits per semester and 100 credits for the full academic year.
European Credit Transfer Scheme (ECTS)
ECTS is a scheme operated throughout Europe that enables you to transfer credits between the different universities you attend.
60 ECTS credits represent a full year of study (equivalent to 120 University of Bristol credits).
Teaching Blocks
Teaching blocks are like semesters:
- TB1 = autumn semester
- TB2 = spring semester
- TB4 = units which start in autumn but take a full year to complete.
You will need to choose units that run in teaching blocks that happen during your planned stay in Bristol.
Assessment Periods
Assessment Periods
The University of Bristol has two main assessment periods:
- December (where assessments are completed for Teaching Block 1 classes)
- April-May (where assessments are completed for Teaching Block 2 classes, or full year units).
All students must stay in Bristol for exams any in-person assessments, and no exceptions will be made. Do not plan your return travel until you receive your exam timetable, which is usually mid-semester. Timed Assessments and coursework can be handed in online, so students are not required to be in Bristol to submit these forms of assessment.
Level of study
Bachelor's degrees (also called undergraduate degrees) take three years to complete.
In the unit description they will be referred to as:
- C/4 = first year
- I/5 = second year
- H/6 = third year
- M/7 = master's.
As a Study Abroad student you can choose units (classes) from all three years, and occasionally master's units.
First year
First-year units are the most suitable for subjects that are new to you or that you have not studied in-depth at home.
Second year
Most Study Abroad students take second-year units (I/5). Year 2 units normally require students to have a background in the subject at university.
Third year
Since our third year is the final year of undergraduate study, we recommend that you only take third-year units (H/6) if you are majoring in that subject area. We advise that you do not take all of your credits from the third year, as this would give you a very heavy workload.
Master's
Occasionally, some departments open up master's level units for Study Abroad students but this is not common. You would need an extensive background in the subject-area to take a master's unit.
Pre-requisites and co-requisites
Some units have pre-requisite conditions listed. You must meet these by doing similar classes at your home university before coming to Bristol.
Check the unit listings for the pre-requisite units and their learning outcomes and compare these to the class you've taken at your home university to make sure that you have the necessary knowledge.
Our Study Abroad Academic Directors will review your academic background shortly before the start of the semester to check your pre-requisite knowledge.
Some units have co-requisites. These are units that are designed to complement each other and will rely on knowledge gained in one unit to support learning in another. If you choose a unit with a co-requisite, you must take both classes.