Visiting students:

• do not study for, and cannot be awarded, credit.
• do not undertake formal assessment.
• are not administered by the International Office, i.e. are not on a recognised exchange or study abroad arrangement.
• are normally registered as a student at another higher education institution.
• normally visit Bristol to carry out research (at postgraduate level) or to undertake an undergraduate project (not for credit).
• are not included in data returns to external agencies (e.g. HESA and HEFCE).

Admissions process and entry requirements

If you wish to apply to come to the School of Geographical Sciences as a visiting student, you must first secure the agreement of a member of academic staff to act as your supervisor for the duration of your visit. Please see our research pages to find members of staff whose research area matches your interests. You should contact them directly, using the contact details given.

Once you have secured the agreement of a potential supervisor, and have agreed dates for your visit with them, please complete a visiting student application form (Office document, 138kB) and return it to the Faculty Office at sci-undergrad@bristol.ac.uk. You must include a current degree transcript, a letter of support from the home institution and, in the case of students whose first language is not English, evidence of English Language proficiency.

Please note that we will require up to 4 weeks to process a complete application. Applicants are therefore advised to complete their application form as early as possible to ensure enough time to process the application, secure the relevant supervisory approvals and make the necessary pre-arrival arrangements.

Please note that you are responsible for all costs associated with your visit, including accommodation, subsistence, travel and leisure costs. We do not currently offer any bursaries or other financial support for visiting research students.

• If possible, we recommend that visiting undergraduate students bring a laptop computer with them.
• Once your application has been processed you will be issued a formal offer of study letter which will confirm your supervisor(s), visiting student duration and fees liable. You will be asked to formally respond to this offer of study letter.

Please note, applicants whose first language is not English are also required to demonstrate that they meet the English language requirements for the programme. The supervisor must have interviewed the student and confirmed that their level of English is acceptable.

Visa requirements

All visiting students from outside the UK require a visa, regardless of length of study. Some students will need to apply for this visa in advance, some can travel through eGates on arrival. For visits six months of less, please read the short-term visa guidance. For longer visits, a Student visa is likely to be needed, and you must meet the eligibility requirements for this.

If you are already in the UK on a Student visa (and you are visiting from another UK institution) you need to be studying at a partner institution or agree to the visit as an agreed temporary location. You should contact Student Visa Services for advice. Please also note that most visa types will require ATAS, if the course needs ATAS. Some nationalities are exempt from the ATAS requirement.

Contact

If you have any questions about the application process for visiting students, please contact us at sci-undergrad@bristol.ac.uk.