Information for students

• Know who supervises your day-to-day work and who to contact about workplace issues
• Keep a research notebook from the start. Electronic notebooks are acceptable where appropriate
• Submit the project plan before the first visit, normally at least one week in advance
• Prepare for the journal-paper review and oral presentation during the first visit window
• Plan the interim dissertation early; it is primarily a literature review and project-context document
• Write up research as you go so that you leave the placement with a strong dissertation draft.

You should be integrated into a research group, not isolated.

You should learn how the group communicates, sets priorities, handles quality expectations and makes decisions.

You should ask questions, attend meetings, read the literature and gradually take responsibility for your own work.

Contact your visiting tutor, personal tutor, senior personal tutor, module coordinator or research year administrator if you have worries about supervision, accommodation, money, wellbeing, access to facilities, visas or the placement itself.

Early contact is better than waiting until a problem affects an assessment.

• There is the main MPhys page containing information about placements, and other general information, e.g. travel advice, FAQs, that is common to the whole research year
• The PHY3062 page is about year three academic tasks, i.e. the oral assesssment, journal-paper review and interim report
• The PHYM051 page is about assessment in year four, i.e. the final dissertation.

• Can you legally undertake the placement in that country?
• Can you afford the full period if payment is delayed?
• Is the start date realistic given visa and accommodation timescales?
• Is there a named day-to-day supervisor?
• Is the project suitable for an assessed MPhys research year?

You are responsible for your own budget. Some placements provide a salary, stipend or grant but this varies.

Before accepting a placement estimate, rent, deposits, travel, visa costs, insurance, food, utilities, local transport and emergency funds.

Student fees vary from person to person, but at the time of writing you pay full fees in year three and a reduced fee in year four. Explore our funding and financial support pages for further details. Also, check out the Surrey International Engagement Office finance pages and budgeting guide. 

External sources of funding such as the Turing, Erasmus and other UK schemes vary from year to year. Please consult the Surrey International Office and your host for advice.

Find out more about what to do if you need letters from the University or contact The Hive through Surrey Support. You can also email feesandfunding@surrey.ac.uk for student-fee advice.

There are forms which must be filled in prior to starting, e.g. risk assessments and learning agreements, and the International Engagement Office will insist on these. They have an MPhys-specific page.

Start looking early, especially for overseas placements or cities with competitive rental markets.

Check lease length, deposits, guarantor requirements, commuting time and whether short-term accommodation is realistic.

Surrey's Accommodation team should know about the MPhys, and should be able to work around your requirements, but you may have to explain your plans to them in detail. Get in touch with them early because they set deadlines by which you must inform them of your plans.

Plan arrival dates around induction, safety training, access cards and local registration.

Keep copies of booking confirmations, passport and visa documents, and know who to contact if travel is delayed.

Work with Surrey University's International Engagement Office and follow their procedure. Consult the UK Foreign and Commonwealth office advice. Also, make sure you are insured for travel and health purposes.

Visa processes can be slow. Students should begin as soon as a placement is likely and should use host guidance and official government information.

Do not assume that a previous travel visa is sufficient for a research placement. Note that the University of Surrey is not allowed to give advice on visas.