Visiting students
If you would like to come and study at the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý of Sheffield for a short period without enrolling on a course, and you're currently studying towards an undergraduate or postgraduate degree elsewhere, you may wish to consider applying as a visiting student.
A visiting student is anyone who studies a module or selection of modules, a semester or a full year of a taught course, or who conducts research at the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý, but who doesn't undertake a full degree course and therefore doesn't qualify for the award of a ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý of Sheffield qualification. The maximum duration of a period of visiting study/research is normally 12 months.
How to apply
- Applying as a visiting undergraduate student
What can you study?
You can find details of the modules currently offered by the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý in our Directory of Modules:
This directory contains a list of the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý's academic schools. Click or tap on a school to see the modules it offers and their credit values. Visiting students can study a maximum of 120 credits in a year.
Modules where the code begins with a 1, 2 or 3 are those studied by Sheffield undergraduate students. The number indicates the year of study in which Sheffield students normally sit these modules, so modules with codes beginning 3, for example, usually require considerable prior experience in the subject area.
If you'd like more information about a particular module, contact the school that offers it:
How to apply
You can apply to study at Sheffield as a visiting student using our online application form:
Alternative Routes and Programmes Online Application Form
Please include with your application:
- Certificate(s) confirming your most recent academic achievements in any qualifications you have already completed
- Transcript/partial transcript confirming your results so far at your current institution
- Certificates/transcripts confirming your English language qualification(s), if required (see below)
If any of your certificates or transcripts have been issued in a language other than English, you should include with them official, authenticated English translations.
You can attach supporting documents to your online application, either when you apply or by logging back into the form using your email address and password. You can log in to your application at any time and add additional documents, even after it has been submitted.
Your application will be considered by the relevant academic school(s). When they've made a decision we'll write to you to tell you what this is.
If we're able to offer you a place, we'll send you an offer letter confirming the details of the study for which you've been accepted, including the period of registration at the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý and the tuition fees.
Attendance and assessment
As a visiting student you'll be able to attend all the classes associated with the agreed programme. If you wish, you can also be assessed in the same way as students studying for a ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý of Sheffield qualification, for example through coursework or examinations. Some schools may include as a condition of their offer the requirement that you complete assessments.
When you've finished, upon request we'll provide a certificate of attendance and/or a transcript confirming the modules you've studied and the results of any assessment. These can be either issued to you or forwarded to your own institution.
Tuition fees
Fees for visiting students are charged pro rata of the standard Sheffield fee (Home or Overseas as appropriate). Sheffield students study 120 credits per year. Therefore if you study, for example, 60 credits you will be charged half the full-time fee for one year's study.
Standard tuition fee rates are set out on our Student Fees webpages:
- Applying as a visiting postgraduate taught student
What can you study?
You can find details of the modules currently offered by the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý in our Directory of Modules:
This directory contains a list of the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý's academic schools. Click or tap on a school to see the modules it offers and their credit values. Visiting students can study a maximum of 120 credits in a year.
Modules where the code begins with a 4, 5 or 6 are those studied by Sheffield postgraduate taught students, but visiting postgraduate taught students can choose modules from both our undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.
If you'd like more information about a particular module, contact the school that offers it:
How to apply
You can apply to study at Sheffield as a visiting student using our online application form:
Alternative Routes and Programmes Online Application Form
Please include with your application:
- Certificate(s) confirming your most recent academic achievements in any qualifications you have already completed
- Transcript/partial transcript confirming your results so far at your current institution
- Certificates/transcripts confirming your English language qualification(s), if required (see below)
If any of your certificates or transcripts have been issued in a language other than English, you should include with them official, authenticated English translations.
You can attach supporting documents to your online application, either when you apply or by logging back into the form using your email address and password. You can log in to your application at any time and add additional documents, even after it has been submitted.
Your application will be considered by the relevant academic school(s). When they've made a decision we'll write to you to tell you what this is.
If we're able to offer you a place, we'll send you an offer letter confirming the details of the study for which you've been accepted, including the period of registration at the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý and the tuition fees.
Attendance and assessment
As a visiting student you'll be able to attend all the classes associated with the agreed programme. If you wish, you can also be assessed in the same way as students studying for a ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý of Sheffield qualification, for example through coursework or examinations. Some schools may include as a condition of their offer the requirement that you complete assessments.
When you've finished, upon request we'll provide a certificate of attendance and/or a transcript confirming the modules you've studied and the results of any assessment. These can be either issued to you or forwarded to your own institution.
Tuition fees
Fees for visiting students are charged pro rata of the standard Sheffield fee (Home or Overseas as appropriate). Full-time Sheffield masters students normally study 180 credits per year (including the dissertation/research project). Therefore if you study, for example, 90 credits you will be charged half the full-time fee for one year's study.
Standard tuition fee rates are set out on our Student Fees webpages:
- Applying as a visiting postgraduate research student
You have to be registered on a PhD at another institution to undertake research as a visiting student.
In the first instance you should contact the academic school in which you'd like to undertake research to discuss your plans. When you're ready to submit a formal application, you can do so using our online application form:
Alternative Routes and Programmes Online Application Form
When you've submitted the form it will be considered by the relevant academic school(s). When they've made a decision we'll write to you to tell you what this is.
If we're able to offer you a place, we'll email you an offer letter confirming the details of the research for which you have been accepted, including the period of registration at the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý and the tuition fees, where applicable.
When you've finished your period of registration, upon request we'll provide a certificate of attendance.
Tuition fees
You can register for up to three months without a tuition fee being charged. Subject to school and faculty approval, in exceptional circumstances the fee-free registration period may be extended to a maximum of twelve months, providing you are either:
- Part of an existing collaboration, or part of a plan to develop one, with an overseas academic or group; or
- Part of a school strategy to develop recruitment links with an institution or country
If this is not the case, you'll be required to pay tuition fees for the registration period beyond the initial three months.
Fees for visiting students are charged pro rata of the standard Sheffield fee (Home or Overseas as appropriate). For example, if you study for another six months after the fee-free period, you'll be charged half the full-time fee for one year's study.
WUN Research Mobility students
ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý welcomes applications from incoming Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) visiting research students under the Research Mobility Programme (RMP) to join us for short study periods of up to three months.
English language requirements
All visiting students are required to demonstrate that they have sufficient English language to study at the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý. For International students, this is also a requirement of the visa application process.
English language requirements for undergraduates
English language requirements for postgraduates
Visa requirements
If you require a visa to study in the UK, the type of visa you apply for depends on how long you will spend in the UK.
Visiting students studying in the UK for more than six months must apply for a Student visa. To apply for this type of visa, students need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number. The CAS number is arranged by the institution where the student intends to study, and confirms that they have accepted an Unconditional offer of a study place. You can find information about how and when the ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý of Sheffield will arrange your CAS number, and what you need to do, on our CAS application webpages:
Visiting students studying in the UK for six months or less can choose to apply for a Student visa or a Visit visa. The Admissions Service will email you after you've accepted an Unconditional offer with information about each type of visa so you can decide which one best suits your needs.
ATAS requirements
Visiting students studying in certain science and engineering schools may require ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance from the UK government before they can arrange their visa to study in the UK. We'll let you know if this applies to you.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme
Accommodation
Visiting students are able to apply for ÀÖ¾ºÌåÓý accommodation, although we can't guarantee them a place. We'll tell you more about this if you accept an offer of a study place.