The British Council is committed to eliminating any barriers to inclusion and seeks to make reasonable adjustments to overcome any aspect that could prevent your full involvement. We welcome any information that will allow us to support you throughout recruitment and partcipation.
Students must be enrolled in full-time education college or university in Northern Ireland.
If you are studying at a Northern Ireland Institution and are classified as having Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland or Great Britain residency for tuition fee purposes, you are eligible for the programme. Students classified as having International or EU (excluding ROI) residency are not eligible for Study USA.
Higher Education (HE) Students
- Students from Queen's University Belfast, Ulster University and Union Theological College may apply during their Level 2 year of Study, for participation in the programme the following year. QUB Medical and Dental Students must also obtain permission to participate from their School.
- Students on a four-year BEd programme at St Mary's University College or Stranmillis University College may apply in either Year 2 or Year 3 of their degree programme, with one application opportunity only.
Further Education (FE) Students
- Students studying a full-time Foundation Degree course at a further education college in Northern Ireland should apply in their first year.
- Students attending a further education college studying a full-time undergraduate degree should apply in their second year.
- Students studying Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes are not eligible to apply for the Study USA programme.
Academic Requirements
- Students must have a first year average of at least 57%. In the event of a large number of applications, only those with a first-year minimum average result of 60% or higher may be shortlisted. The exact minimum percentage will be determined by the British Council as desirable criteria based on the number of applications received.
- Participation on the programme requires students to have passed all exams and modules in their current year of study, with no coursework or examinations outstanding by the end of June 2027. This will be verified with the student's institution.
- Where a Northern Ireland institution provides the opportunity to undertake a 'FIRST SIT' re-sit, these cases will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any re-sit and resulting grade must fit within the Study USA programme timeline, which varies by host institution in the United States.
- Participation in the programme is conditional on satisfying your university/college's requirements for participation.
- Students must be permitted by their university/college to participate on the programme, particularly if this will be used as an alternative to an industrial placement.
- Students who have previously participated in a higher education student mobility programme lasting 4 weeks or longer, funded by a Northern Ireland Government Department, are not eligible to apply for the Study USA programme (e.g. Language Assistants, Washington Ireland Programme).
