Exchange Opportunities

Image of students on exchange


Going on exchange during your time at Western offers you the opportunity to apply learning in a new academic setting and expand your horizons. You can gain valuable skills for succeeding in a global economy. It's also a great chance to learn a different language. Below are some tips for students interested in taking courses on exchange:

  1. Plan Ahead: Allow at least 3-4 weeks to research courses, download course syllabi, and get approval.
  2. Degree Requirements: It is highly recommended that you plan your exchange for your third year of studies in order to ensure you will meet your degree requirements.
  3. Graduation: If you go on exchange in your final year of studies, please note that it may delay your graduation until the fall, depending on when grades are released by the host University.
  4. Approval: When requesting approval for specific courses, it is imperative that you provide the course syllabi. For Political Science courses, there must be evidence of a significant essay component before a course can be approved at the 2200-level or higher.
  5. Research: For Political Science students, some Universities will be better exchange partners than others. In advance of selecting your school, do some extensive research. Find out what courses they offer and whether there are restrictions on certain courses.

Applying for Exchange

  1. Exterior image of universityApply for exchange through the International Exchange Program here.
  2. Upon acceptance into the exchange program, you will receive an exchange form from their office.
  3. Refer to the steps for approval on the Social Science Counselling website here.
  4. Once all courses have been approved by the Departments, you must submit your form and descriptions to Gail Wright, Senior Counsellor in the Dean's Office, SSC 9438 for review and final approval. 
  5. For more information on exchange programs, refer to the Social Science Academic Counselling website and the Student Development Centre's exchange website.

Preferred Exchange Partners

  • Bader International Study Centre (Queen's University), East Sussex (UK)
  • Erasmus University (Rotterdam)
  • Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands
  • St. Andrews (Scotland)
  • University of Capetown (South Africa)
  • University of Copenhagen
  • University of East Anglia (UK)
  • University of Essex
  • Universite Francois-Rabelais Tours
  • University of Leeds

Note: If you are considering going on exchange at Sciences Po (The Paris Institute of Political Studies),  Political Science courses there are limited to a 2200-level equivalency at Western.


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