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International opportunities

We have one of the largest student mobility programmes in the UK, supported by a global network of world-class partners. The breadth of our global opportunities reflects the diversity of our students’ needs and interests as well as the quality of our academic expertise.

Global opportunities

Around 25% of our full-time undergraduate students take part in an international experience such as studying abroad, overseas work placements, field trips, volunteering and research exchanges.

  • On average, over 800 Leeds students undertake a full year of study overseas. Our student exchange partnerships span the globe providing Leeds students with opportunities in destinations including Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, South Africa and Latin America.
  • More than 1,300 incoming exchange and study abroad students study with us each year.
  • Around 200 Leeds students go to partner summer schools hosted in Europe, Asia or Latin America.
  • We work with international partners to offer overseas work placements, research exchanges and bespoke programmes such as our Leeds to South Korea Leadership programme.

Preparing students for the global employment market

The University is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2025). We’re also 4th most targeted University in the UK for the Times Top 100 companies students want to work for (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research). Our graduates are working all over the world from New York to Singapore.

We have dedicated international employability staff who support students to look for work opportunities in the UK and overseas. This, combined with our breadth of international opportunities, sets up our students for success after they graduate.

Our dedicated international employability staff work closely with employers from all over the world and have hosted employer presentations from companies such as JP Morgan Asia, the UN, Standard Chartered Bank, Deloitte and ByteDance.

Workshops on a range of career and employability topics, such as Writing a CV for the UK Market, Networking & LinkedIn and Personal Branding, are delivered regularly and exclusively for our international student cohort by both qualified careers professional and various visiting employers.

We also work with a specialised immigration and employment law firm who deliver live webinars each semester on visa matters.

Summer campus study opportunities

We welcome international students for a short-term summer study experience with us. 

Opportunities include: 

Leeds International Summer School

Each year we welcome hundreds of students to our international summer school. Our flexible programme offers the chance to study short academic modules alongside cultural and social activities for an immersive experience in British culture. Credit transfer of up to 10 ECTS credits is possible for students completing the programme. 

Summer language programmes

We offer a range of general English, pre-sessional and IELTS preparation programmes during the summer, delivered by our Language Centre. These cater for a range of ability levels and are accredited by the British Council.

Global opportunities for researchers and staff

We also encourage our postgraduate students, researchers and staff to engage in mobility opportunities. We regularly welcome visiting researchers and PhD students to Leeds and host international research fellows and visiting professors through a range of schemes and partner agreements. To talk to us about short term opportunities for your students please email the International Office via internationaloffice@leeds.ac.uk.