The Year Abroad

The Year Abroad is a compulsory academic component of the MMLL and HML Tripos. It takes part during the third academic year, during which students must spend at least 8 months studying and/or working in countries where the languages they studied during their first 2 years are spoken.  

The Year Abroad forms an integral part of your Cambridge course. It is worth spending time and effort in planning it so that it fulfills your expectations and requirements. Detailed information is available via the Year Abroad Moodle site, which you will gain access to at the end of your first year, and the Year Abroad Handbook, which students will receive at the start of their second year. The Faculty Year Abroad Office is also here to help, so please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Studying at a university abroad gives you the chance to experience different intellectual traditions and teaching styles, all in the target language. Students who choose to study abroad can spend one or two semesters studying at a partner university in Europe, via an exchange arrangement with your College, or at a non-European approved institution.

European Study Placements

Cambridge has established formal academic exchange agreements with certain European universities and students choosing this route are not required to pay tuition fees at the host institution. Allocation of European study placements is coordinated by the Year Abroad Office. For further information on how we allocate European study placements, see the Year Abroad Moodle site, which you will gain access to at the end of your first year, or your Year Abroad Handbook, which you will receive at the start of your second year.

College Exchange

Some Cambridge Colleges also have exchange agreements with certain universities. For more information, contact your College DoS/Tutor.

Non-European Study Placements

If you are planning to spend all or part of your Year Abroad studying in a Slavonic studies, Latin American or other Portuguese-speaking destination country, you must choose from a list of institutions approved by the Faculty Board. Cambridge has no formal exchange agreement with these institutions and students should apply as a fee-paying free-mover/visiting student, but please note tuition fees will be fully reimbursed by the Faculty. See the Year Abroad Moodle site for details of current approved institutions. 

It is your responsibility to organise employment, but once you've been granted access to the Year Abroad Moodle site at the end of your first year, there are plenty of useful resources to help you such as the Employment Opportunities archive with internship advertisements and contacts, as well as previous students' Year Abroad Reports on work placements.

Work placements can be paid or unpaid and must meet the following requirements:

• A minimum of 25 hours of work per week
• Activities related to the work placement must not take you outside of the town / city where your office is located
• At least 60% of the language spoken in your job must be in the foreign language (although, given the aims of the Year Abroad, you should aim for as high a proportion as possible)

Work placements must be approved by the Faculty. For more information, see the YA Handbook, which you receive at the start of your second year.

You can also contact the University Careers Service for advice, listings on employment possibilities and networking opportunities.

British Council’s English Language Assistantships offer students the opportunity to teach English in a school overseas on a paid six-month or one-year placement. British Council placements are considered paid work placements but do not need to be approved by the Faculty. They are organised by the British Council, which has its own deadlines - please refer to the website.

*Students must make sure an appropriate visa is obtained before commencing any internship* 

See The Year Abroad Experience recording.