Elective placements

The elective placement is an integral part of the University of Nottingham Nursing, Midwifery and Health Promotion and Public Health degree curriculums, enabling students the opportunity to arrange a placement to gain experience in a particular area of interest.

The SoHS are currently in the process of piloting international elective placements for their Nursing, Midwifery and Health Promotion and Public Health BSc programmes. The university will confirm whether students can go abroad on electives during 2025/2026 – this decision is expected in October 2025 so please do not arrange any overseas electives until this has been confirmed.

Please also note additional eligibility criteria for international placements will apply.

Eligibility

The elective placement weeks are allocated on the academic year planner for each applicable programme. The elective is self-arranged and can be taken overseas (tbc October 2025) or in the UK. All placements require a formal learning agreement between the university and provider and should not be confirmed until these are in place. For international placements students must access this via an approved provider, meet additional eligibility criteria (tbc in October 2025) and are subject to approval from the Global Engagement Lead (Dr Maria Holden).

International summer schools

Summer schools are open to all undergraduate University of Nottingham students, and offer opportunities to take taught courses at one of our partner universities. 

Summer schools range between one and six weeks. As these programmes are offered during holiday periods, credits are not transferred back to Nottingham and in most cases you are free to study whatever is of interest to you.

There are a number of summer schools and short-term programmes available to students at the University of Nottingham based in various institutions worldwide. Available programmes vary from year to year, however we traditionally offer various programmes across East and Southeast Asia, Europe and North America.

International summer schools application information

School contact

Please see below for the relevant contacts:

School contacts

Contact
Dr Maria Holden

International exchange

Eligibility

BSc/MSci Biology, BSc/MSci Genetics, BSc/MSci Zoology, BSc/MSci Biochemistry (including Biochemistry "and" courses) BSc Pharmacology and BSc Sports and Exercise Science.

BSc Pharmacology and BSc Sports and Exercise Science apply in first-year to study abroad for the full year of second-year.

All other courses apply in first-year to study abroad for autumn semester/full-year/spring semester of second-year. 

Minimum 60% academic average required to be considered.

International exchange application information

MSci Neuroscience Placement Year

Eligibility

Apply in second year for the full year of third year.

Minimum 60% academic average required to be considered.

The main aim of the placement year is to provide students with extensive research experience, normally within a laboratory situation relevant to a future research career in the field of Neuroscience. The academic advisers at Nottingham approve the laboratory project to be undertaken and it is intended that this will be related to neuroscience, neuropharmacology or physiology.

The placement year is formally assessed (three compulsory modules) as part II of the four year MSci Neuroscience degree. In addition to completion of the compulsory assessments, it is expected that all students on placement will achieve the following objectives and transferable skills.

• Obtain experience of laboratory work thereby gaining competence and confidence
• Take responsibility for a project defined by discussion with their placement supervisor and agreed by their academic supervisor and/or placement convenor so that they gain experience of the process of research
• Learn and execute the basic rules of good laboratory practice to include safety and legal requirements (eg, Animal Care or Home Office Licence procedures, safe use of radioactive materials, safe operating procedures etc.) as appropriate and as directed by the placement supervisor
• Carry out research work within a team but execute individual responsibility within that team
• Write research reports and scientific communications as agreed with the placement supervisor. These will be additional to the written assessments required for the MSci
• Make oral and/or poster communication as agreed within the research group and directed by the placement supervisor. Some of these may be formally assessed

Some existing university partners have routes by which students can apply to undertake a undergraduate research placement. You must check with your academic adviser to see if an existing partner offers such opportunities. 

The University of Adelaide, Australian National University, The University of Queensland, Swiss Federation of Technology, Lausanne, University of British Columbia and several other Universities may accept undergraduate research placement students but this is through a separate scheme to International exchange.

You must discuss such applications with the school placement co-ordinator and will need to apply to these partners directly and will in most cases be classed as a visiting researcher, not an exchange student.

Life Sciences Overseas Field Course

Eligibility

Biology, Genetics or Zoology Degrees only. The course takes place towards the end of the summer holiday of second year and involves taking the Tropical Environmental Field Course run from our Malaysia campus. The course is a 10 credit weeklong residential field course in Tioman Island. 

Inter-campus exchange

University of Nottingham Malaysia

Eligibility

BSc/MSci Biology, BSc/MSci Biochemistry, BSc/MSci Genetics, BSc/MSci Zoology:
Apply in first year for the autumn/spring semester of second year.

A minimum 55% academic average is required.

Inter-campus application information

International summer schools

Summer schools are open to all undergraduate University of Nottingham students, and offer opportunities to take taught courses at one of our partner universities. 

Summer schools range between one and six weeks. As these programmes are offered during holiday periods, credits are not transferred back to Nottingham and in most cases you are free to study whatever is of interest to you.

There are a number of summer schools and short-term programmes available to students at the University of Nottingham based in various institutions worldwide. Available programmes vary from year to year, however we traditionally offer various programmes across East and Southeast Asia, Europe and North America.

International summer schools application information

School contact

For questions about academic matters relating to study abroad, please contact the study abroad academic advisers for the relavant degree:

School contacts

Degree	Contact
BSc/MSci Biochemistry	Dr Alistair Hume
BSc/MSci Biology,  BSc/MSci Genetics and BSc/MSci Zoology	Dr Ying Zhang
BSc Pharmacology	Dr Richard Roberts
MSci Neuroscience Placement Year	Dr Marie-Christine Pardon Amy Hurst
BSc Sports and Exercise Science	Will Tyne

Elective abroad

The university will confirm whether Medicine students can go abroad on electives during 2024/2025 – this  decision is expected in September so please do not arrange any overseas electives until this has been confirmed.

The elective placement is an integral part of the University of Nottingham curriculum, enabling students to demonstrate specific competencies while studying an area of interest.

Eligibility

The elective takes place towards the end of the final year, is self-arranged and can be taken overseas or in the UK (subject to approval from the electives lead, Dr Mark Glover). 

International summer schools

Summer schools are open to all undergraduate University of Nottingham students, and offer opportunities to take taught courses at one of our partner universities. 

Summer schools range between one and six weeks. As these programmes are offered during holiday periods, credits are not transferred back to Nottingham and in most cases you are free to study whatever is of interest to you.

There are a number of summer schools and short-term programmes available to students at the University of Nottingham based in various institutions worldwide. Available programmes vary from year to year, however we traditionally offer various programmes across East and Southeast Asia, Europe and North America.

International summer schools application information

School contact

For questions about the elective abroad, please contact the School of Medicine.

International summer schools

Summer schools are open to all undergraduate University of Nottingham students, and offer opportunities to take taught courses at one of our partner universities. 

Summer schools range between one and six weeks. As these programmes are offered during holiday periods, credits are not transferred back to Nottingham and in most cases you are free to study whatever is of interest to you.

There are a number of summer schools and short-term programmes available to students at the University of Nottingham based in various institutions worldwide. Available programmes vary from year to year, however we traditionally offer various programmes across East and Southeast Asia, Europe and North America.

International summer schools application information

School contact

For questions relating to study abroad placements, not related to International Summer Schools, please contact the Veterinary Placements Team.