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Module Title
LI Year in Continental Europe (Biosciences)
School
School of Bioscience
Department
School of Biosciences
Module Code
03 27764
Module Lead
Dr Luisa Orsini
Level
Intermediate Level
Credits
120
Semester
Full Term
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions
Students must have obtained an overall year mark of 50%. They must obtain a mark of 55% or better in an appropriate language qualification at B1.2 or above at the end ofthe Year 2..
Exclusions
Description
This module has the main aim of providing students with the opportunity to learn and refine a foreign language and acquire time management and independency skills.
Living abroad has many advantages, such as being exposed to different cultures in an international context. While spending a year in Continental Europe, the students will learn to be more independent, to manage their time in more effective way, to learn the ways other countries function and, last but not least, to learn a foreign language. The latter is increasingly required to apply for jobs at international level.
In addition, the students will be offered modules that are likely different than the ones offered at the University of Birmingham, providing them with the opportunity of widening and deepening their biological education.
The students are briefed by the Erasmus coordinator and the international office before leaving and provided with support and information before and during their stay abroad. The Erasmus coordinator in Biosciences becomes the students' tutor during their stay abroad and it is the first point of reference. The students are de-briefed upon their return to the UK and invited to attend a briefing meeting with the next cohort of students going abroad. The returning students share their personal experience and provide practical tips to the outgoing cohort. This is done to establish a personal relationship between successive cohorts and enhance peers support.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Be fluent in the foreign language of choice (German, French or Spanish)
Have knowledge in the academic subject and improved learning skills
Appreciate how science is approached in another European country and in the context of another educational system
The students prepare a learning agreement that is approved by the sending School (Luisa Orsini), the International Office at the UoB and the receiving University. In the learning agreement the students choose modules for 60 credits (120 Birmingham credits) available at the receiving University in the field of Biology, Natural Sciences, chemistry and biochemistry. In addition to those modules they are allowed to choose a language module to improve their language skills or practicals and individual projects which can contribute to the 60 credits. Of the modules listed in the learning agreement they are required to pass modules for a minimum of 45 credits to earn the label YiE and receive the Erasmus grant.
The module mark will be calculated based on the marks for the best 45 credits received while studying abroad scaled to convert to the UK marking system.
