Study Abroad

The Erasmus Scheme

You may have already made the big decision to go in for higher education. Of course the UK has plenty to choose from, but if you're leaving home anyway, why not go the whole hog and do part or all of your higher education a bit further afield?

We now have very strong economic, as well as educational links with Europe, and also with the English-speaking countries - USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Studying abroad could improve your chances of employment here and overseas. It improves your confidence and broadens your personal experience too. If you don't want to spend the whole of your studies abroad, all UK universities and many colleges of higher education offer an opportunity to study for part of your degree in a higher education institution in another European country - but not all UK universities offer this in all subjects.

Students in EU countries have the same rights of access to higher education in all EU member states as they do in their home country. As long as you have the relevant qualifications, you can study to degree level in another EU country. Most first degree qualifications gained in EU and western European countries have equivalent status to UK degree awards, but consult the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) in your destination country for more details.

Socrates' Erasmus aims to foster co-operation between universities and gives grants for student mobility. The Erasmus study scheme can include short-term industrial placements opportunities in another country. It is a well-established, Europe-funded programme that promotes mobility within the whole of Europe. Last year about 100,000 students throughout Europe took part, and about 10,000 of these were from the UK.

Erasmus is part of the European education programme known as Socrates - throught which higher education institutions in different countries form partnerships. All of the EU countries take part, plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Poland, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Cyprus. The programme has now been extended to run until the end of 2006.

Spanish Study-Facts

46 public universities including four Catholic and six private.

There are different types of department at each institution, offering degree courses which range from three years of study to six.

In the non-university sector, there are two types of degree programme. The first offers courses in merchant shipping, tourism and sport. The second has different entry requirements.

Trinity College: P.O.Box 608, Fuengirola 29640, (Malaga) Spain - Tel/Fax: + 34-952-667-01