Non-EU Exchange Programme 2019/20

Application Guidelines for Partner Institutions and Students

Student Nominations

As a partner institution you will be provided with an Excel sheet which you should complete with the details of your students applying to Newcastle and submit to studyabroad@ncl.ac.uk. We can only consider applications from students who appear on this submission.

You will also be issued with the secure link to our online application portal and the password required by your

students to access the portal. Please pass these details on to your students as we do not give access to the

portal directly to students.

You need to ensure that your nominated students complete the online application and submit all of the

supporting documents (listed below) via the portal by the stated submission deadline.

Newcastle University reserves the right to refuse admission.

September 2019 Application Submission Deadlines September Entry 30th April 2019

Important Notice The Application Portal will be closed at the end of the day (UK time) on this

date and no further applications can be submitted beyond this time.

Contact Details Studyabroad@ncl.ac.uk

English Language Requirements

International students must submit a valid English language certificate with a score of IELTS 6.5, PTE 62 or TOEFL

iBT 90 (Overall Score).

Additionally, if they intend to apply for a Tier 4 Student Visa, they need to ensure they have the following minimum

score in each subsection which is equivalent to level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for

Languages (CEFR):

IELTS: 5.5 in all four components of the test

PTE: 51 in all four components of the test

TOEFL iBT: Reading: 18; Writing: 17; Listening: 17; Speaking: 20

The English test must have been taken within 2 years of the course start date. If a student has taken or is planning

to take an English language test that does not appear on our list, you can contact studyabroad@ncl.ac.uk to check

if we will accept it.

Visa Regulations

Full Year Students

Non-EU Exchange students who study at Newcastle University for more than 6

months will require a Tier 4 Student Visa to enable them to study in the UK. The

Student Mobility Team will issue Non-EU Exchange students with the necessary

documents required to apply for a Tier 4 Student Visa. Applicants should ensure that

they are fully aware of what they will need to do in order to successfully apply for a

Tier 4 Student Visa. Further information can be found at:

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/international/visa/

Visa Regulations (Cont.)

Semester Only Students

Non-EU students who study at Newcastle University for less than 6 months

can apply for a Short-Term Study Visa. The Student Mobility Team will issue

semester only Non-EU Exchange students with the necessary documents

required to apply for entry clearance under this Short-Term Study route.

All visa nationals must apply for entry clearance before entering the UK on a

Short-Term Study Visa. You can check on the Home Office website to see if you

must apply for entry clearance first. If you are a non-visa national it may not be

compulsory for you to apply for entry clearance in advance, however we

recommend that you apply for entry clearance under the Short-Term Study

route in your home country to avoid any immigration problems occurring

when you enter the UK. A student who applies on arrival will be issued with a

single entry Short-Term Study Visa only.

Students on a Short-Term Study Visa cannot

work (including on a work placement or work experience) or carry out

any business

extend their visa

bring family members (‘dependents’) with them - they must apply

separately

Special Requirements Newcastle University welcomes applications from all students and our Wellbeing Service is able to offer support to

students who may require specialist assistance to help them during their studies at Newcastle. Certain specialist

requirements (e.g.: accessible accommodation etc.) need prior planning and we would appreciate notification prior

to application in order that we have a suitable timeframe to assess and organise the requirements.

Arrival International Welcome Week

International Welcome Week will take place from Monday 16th September to Friday 20th September 2019 and

involves a schedule of information sessions. We inform students about the practicalities of being a new student at

Newcastle University and hold social activities to help them make new friends. It also includes our Meet and Greet

Service from Newcastle International Airport.

Induction

An induction session specifically for incoming Non EU Exchange students will take place on Wednesday 18th

September 2019. It is compulsory that students attend this session, so they should arrive in Newcastle in time to

ensure attendance at the session. Precise details of the session will be provided in the student’s acceptance letter.

Application Guidance

Completion of Online

Application

Applicants will require a link to the online application portal and a password to

access the portal. These details will be forwarded direct to partner universities in

order that they can pass them on to their nominated students.

Applicants must complete all sections of the online application form.

Applications which are not fully complete cannot be submitted – the portal software

will prevent this.

The applicant will receive an automated email if the online application has been

submitted successfully.

Supporting

Documentation

Applications must be accompanied by all of the supporting documents requested on the

form:

Transcript(s) of studies

English Language Certificate

Personal Statement (minimum of 500 words – portal software will not allow less)

Module Choices

Colour scan or copy of Passport (page containing personal details).

Module Choices

It is important that applicants read the Module Catalogue Guidance Notes before using the

catalogue as it explains the terminology and indicates exclusions.

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/mobility/newcastle/module-catalogue/guidance/

Students may only study the subjects listed in the Bilateral Agreement with the partner

institution. The online Module Catalogue can be found at:

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/mobility/newcastle/module-catalogue/

The School of Modern Languages offers several modules to Exchange students that are of a

general nature and taught and assessed in English. The below modules are a sample of

what is available for Exchange students to study, subject to availability:

HSS2001 British Culture

SML1021/1121/1221 Introduction to International Film

SML1022 Introduction to Cultural Studies

SML2011 Cities in East Asian Cinema: Culture, History and Identity

CHN1005 Introduction to Chinese Culture

JPN1005 Introduction to Japanese History and Culture

FRE2005 Classic French Cinema

SPA1019 Introduction to History, Culture and Society of the Iberian Peninsula

Period of Study

Applicants must state their requested study period on the application form.

Semester One: Monday 16 September 2019—Friday 24 January 2020

Full Year: Monday 16 September 2019—Friday 12 June 2020

Application Guidance (continued)

Academic Assessment Applicants must be aware that they must undertake all the academic assessments required

by the modules which they study.

Acceptance Applicants will be informed if they have been accepted to study at Newcastle University

and receive the relevant documentation in late May.

Accommodation

Applicants who wish to apply for University accommodation can apply online but only after

they have been offered a place of study at Newcastle University.

Please be aware that semester only accommodation is extremely limited and we cannot

guarantee that students will be housed in University accommodation. Semester only

students who are offered a place in University accommodation will be informed of their

offer in early September.

If we are unable to allocate a place in University accommodation, we will provide

information and guidance on how to look for accommodation in the private sector.

MODULE GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS FROM PARTNERS OF THE SCHOOL OF

MODERN LANGUAGES

GENERAL GUIDANCE

Students from institutions whose partnership is with the School of Modern Languages at Newcastle

University must follow stipulated regulations as to what subjects they can choose to study and how

many credits they can study in each subject.

Each student must study 60 credits per semester (thus 120 credits for a full academic year). You may be

able to take those modules in the School of Modern Languages.

Alternatively, students registered for a full year can choose up to a maximum of 40 credits in the

following Schools/Departments (with a maximum of 120 credits in total):

Department of Fine Art (Art History modules only)

Department of Media, Culture, Heritage

Department of Music (Music Theory/History modules only)

Department of Planning

School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics

School of Geography, Politics and Sociology

School of History, Classics and Archaeology

School of Philosophy

Newcastle Business School

Students registered for one semester can choose up to a maximum of 20 credits in the above Schools/

Departments (with a maximum of 60 credits in total).

Students must attend all the lectures/seminars/laboratory workshops of their chosen

modules. University timetables are fully finalised only after the registration period, therefore applicants

need to be aware timetable clashes (where classes for one chosen module may be delivered at the same

time as those of another chosen module) may occur. If a clash does occur then students need to be

aware that they will have to choose a different selection of modules. It is advisable that students have a

list of first choice and second choice modules they would like to study in case they encounter a

timetable clash. The more schools from which modules are chosen, the more likely there will be

timetable clashes.

Students must sit the University English Language Assessment (UELA) as part of their registration

process. It is a compulsory part of the registration process for non-native speakers of English. Following

this assessment students will be informed whether or not it is recommended they take one of the In-

Sessional English Language courses.

Studying Modules in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics (SELLL)

Students wishing to study English Literature modules in SELLL must take a ‘Streaming Exercise’ on arrival. This

exercise helps identify which level of Literature modules is most suited to an individual’s experience and needs.

Depending on the level of language skills and literary analysis demonstrated by the individual in the exercise, it

will be decided whether they will be allowed to take Stage 2 or Stage 3 modules, or whether they will be

directed to the two Stage 1 modules only.

For more information on studying English Literature modules please see:

Annex 1: SELLL Module Guidelines for Exchange Students

Annex 2: Brief Guide to the English Literature Streaming Exercise Results

Annex 3: Marking Criteria for English Literature Streaming Exercise—Separate Attachment

Annex 4: English Literature Streaming Exercise Sample Paper – Separate Attachment

Annex 1: SELLL Module Guidelines for Exchange Students

English Literature and Linguistics / English Language

School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics

Students are reminded that studying Literature involves a lot of reading during the semester, as well as writing essays

and engaging in weekly seminar discussions. Therefore, students who want to study Literature modules will be expected

to have strong English language skills and prior experience of studying English Literature in order to study Stage 2 or

Stage 3 modules.

To help identify which level of Literature modules is most suited to an individual’s experience and needs, students whose

first language is not English will be asked to complete a short timed exercise designed by the School. This exercise focuses

on reading comprehension and the analysis of a short text – the kind of text that might be studied as part of one of our

modules. Depending on the level of language skills and literary analysis demonstrated in this English Literature Streaming

Exercise, some students will be able to take Stage 2 or Stage 3 modules, while others will be directed to the two Stage 1

modules:

SEL1003 – Introduction to Literary Studies 1 (Semester 1, 20 credits; 10 ECTS credits)

SEL1004 – Introduction to Literary Studies 2 (Semester 2, 20 credits; 10 ECTS credits)

As part of the teaching on the SEL1003 and SEL1004 modules, the School is pleased to offer International Student

Seminar Groups for students who we believe would benefit from them, based on the level of language skills and literary

analysis demonstrated in the English Literature Streaming Exercise. These enhanced learning International Student

Seminar Groups involve more contact time (longer classes), and therefore provide more opportunity for close analysis

and discussion of texts and of the relevant historical and cultural contexts, as well as more advice and guidance from

seminar tutors on the preparation of module assignments.

For Linguistics and English Language modules offered by the School, students are not required to complete a streaming

exercise. The Linguistics and English Language modules offered at Stage 1 are:

SEL1007 – The Nature of Language (Semester 1, 10 credits; 5 ECTS credits)

SEL1012 – Language Through Time: Introduction to the History of English (Semester 2, 20 credits; 10 ECTS credits)

SEL1027 – Shaping Sounds and Syntax (Semester 1, 20 credits; 10 ECTS credits)

SEL1029 – Language Across Space: Introduction to English Dialects (Semester 1, 10 credits; 5 ECTS credits)

Exchange students who wish to take modules in Linguistics and English Language offered at Stage 2 or Stage 3 should

discuss their suitability for the course with the Linguistics staff representative at the Module Fair for Incoming Study

Abroad and Exchange Students. This will involve demonstrating prior experience of studying linguistics courses at

university level. Students should note that the Linguistics and English Language modules in the School of English are

about the nature, structure and use of language; they are not focused on improving spoken or written English.

Some Stage 2 and Stage 3 courses in the School may have limited numbers, but for most modules the School is prepared

to allow numbers to exceed the limit by up to 5 in order to accommodate exchange and study abroad students.

Annex 2 : Brief Guide to the English Literature Streaming Exercise Results

Result Description

Stage 1 (IG)

International Student Seminar Group

You may have demonstrated a sound understanding of the extract, as well as promising written and interpretive skills, but would benefit from further work on developing an argument and critical analysis

You can take the Introduction to Literary Studies modules (SEL1003 in Semester SEL1004 in Semester 2), joining one of the International Student Seminar Groups. These groups provide more contact time (classes are 2 hours long, rather than 1 hour), more opportunity for close analysis and discussion of texts and of the relevant historical and cultural contexts, as well as more advice and

Stage 1 You have demonstrated the ability to develop a reasonably cohesive argument, which contains some evidence of critical analysis, and are ready to manage the fast pace of learning and assessment with native-speakers

You can take any Stage 1 Literature modules which are available

Stage 2+ You have demonstrated strong critical and academic writing skills

You can take available English Literature modules from any Stage (1, 2 or 3)