Cardiff University has a long and proud history of welcoming students from the United States. There are currently over 80 students studying at Cardiff University and a further 60 that participate in our Study Abroad programme for a semester.
We also run active exchange programmes with universities in the USA. These include, but are not limited to, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Miami, the College of William and Mary and Rutgers University. Additionally, the University has many research links with elite institutions across the USA.
Undergraduate courses
You will be required to have a US High School Diploma with a GPA of 3.0 or above in key subject areas.
This is an addition to either: SAT 1 score of 1800 (minimum Math: 600, Written: 600, Verbal: 600); or a composite score in the ACT assessment of 27 or above; or other evidence of a high level of academic achievement.
You can also apply with 2-3 Advanced Placement tests. This is particularly relevant where there is a specific subject requirement for the particular course you have applied for.
If you have not completed any Advanced Placement Tests, you are encouraged to submit the results of at least SAT II tests at 600 or above.
Cardiff University also accepts a wide range of UK and international qualifications such as the A-Levels and International Baccalaureate.
Postgraduate taught courses
The majority of postgraduate qualifications at Cardiff University, and in the UK, are one year in duration and generally combine a mixture of taught courses and research.
You will be required to have a bachelor's degree with good grades from recognised Universities and Colleges in the United States to be considered. A minimum GPA of at least 3.0 is usually required and admissions tutors will pay special attention to key subject classes.
Postgraduate research programmes
If you have a bachelor's or master's degree with good grades from recognised Universities and Colleges in the United States, you will be considered for Cardiff University's postgraduate research programmes. A minimum GPA of at least 3.0 is usually required and admission tutors will pay special attention to relevant classes taken during the degree.
If you are unsure of your qualifications or entry requirements please contact the International Office.
Miss Rose Matthews will be in the USA this April and will be doing university visits during this time. If you are a prospective student and wish to set up an appointment, please email us.
Independent Educational Consultants Association Conference
Venue: Chicago
Date: 10th -12th April 2013
Forum on International Education Conference
Venue: Chicago
Date: 3rd -5th April 2013
Global Engineering Education Exchange (GE3) Conference
Venue: New York City
Date: 8th -10th April 2013
NAFSA Conference
Venue: St. Louis, Missouri
Date: 27th - 31st May 2013
Mrs Cerys Bartlett from the International Office will be attending the NACAC fairs in Texas and Tennessee this April 2013.
Dallas / Ft. Worth National College Fair
Venue: Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas
Date: Monday, April 8th 2013
Time: 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Austin National College Fair
Venue: Austin Convention Center
Date: Tuesday, April 9th 2013
Time: 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Houston National College Fair
Venue: Reliant Center
Date: Thursday, April 11th 2013
Time: 12:30pm - 2:30pm, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Greater Memphis National College Fair
Venue: Agricenter International
Date: Tuesday, April 23rd 2013
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Date: Wednesday, April 24th 2013
Time: 9:00am - 12:30pm
Nashville National College Fair
Venue: Belmont University
Date: Thursday, April 25th 2013
Time: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Students who are interested in attending the fairs will need to register here.
If you would like to meet our representatives, please contact us.
US Government Federal Family Education Loan Programme
Cardiff University is a participating institution in the US Government Federal Family Education Loan Programme (FFELP). US students seeking Federal Stafford Loans for overseas study can study at Cardiff University.
Cardiff University's Federal School Code is G10157 and the OPE ID code is 01015700. The code number used depends on the application form.
Download the information sheet containing full details of how to apply for the loan: FAFSA Guidelines
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. At least forty Scholars are selected each year to study either at graduate or occasionally undergraduate level at an UK institution in any field of study. Each scholarship is held for two years. More information can be found at: www.marshallscholarship.org
There are two main types of award available:
- Graduates: awards are available to US graduates for pre-doctoral study in the UK. Awards are made on a competitive basis with preference given to academically or artistically outstanding students. There are no age or subject restrictions. The awards cover air fares, tuition fees and maintenance grant.
- Scholars: these are available for lecturing or advanced research for a minimum of three months.
More information can be found at: www.fulbright.co.uk/awards/us
Fulbright also offers a Cardiff specific award for students undertaking Post-doctoral Research in a number of subjects. Further information can be found at www.fulbright.co.uk
Further information
If you wish to find out more about transferring loans outside the USA, please click here to see these web pages specifically set up to provide useful information and advice.
Hans Baumann
Course Title: BSc Human Geography and Planning
Country: United States of America
Year of Graduation: 2007
Current Employer: Harvard University
Graduating with a first class honours degree from Cardiff University is one of the many accolades that Hans has won. Achieving also the Penny White Travelling Fellowship and the ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) Honor Award, he is now a teaching assistant in Harvard University and calls his experience in Cardiff University an ‘outstanding one’.
As a Student at Cardiff University
Why did you choose Cardiff to do your Bsc?
Cardiff is an amazing institution. If you look at the amount of faculty in the School of Planning and Geography, it’s incredible! The array of ideas and knowledge at your disposal is unprecedented. I don’t think even Harvard’s Graduate School of Design has that many people assembled in one place. You have people studying geographical theory, mapping techniques, public policy; the diversity of specializations is truly impressive.
When you couple this with the cost of education, I’m not sure why more Americans aren’t doing this.
Getting a degree from a world-class institution like Cardiff and not being constrained by student debt gave me a lot of freedom in deciding what I wanted to do after my BSc. Cardiff’s proximity to London and other European cities was also a huge draw. My passport from my Cardiff days expires this year and I realised that I filled nearly every page with stamps from all of the travelling I did while I was there.
Do you think Cardiff equipped you with the necessary skills for your job?
Absolutely. There is no doubt that I was hired at my first job coming out of school because of the specialised knowledge I was able to acquire through my BSc thesis research. The self-discipline required to undertake a year-long thesis was critical to my development and my employer saw that. Few students can have a Bachelors degree and claim to have some area of expertise. Cardiff allows that to happen.
Tell me a little about your time here. Did you learn a lot that was useful to your later work?
Intercultural experience is increasingly a prerequisite for high-profile jobs in any industry. Undergraduate studies in the US are generalist enough that you are not falling behind your peers by learning in a foreign country. In my experience, studying in Wales and everything it entailed has only helped me. It remains a talking point on my resume and employers appreciate the diversity of knowledge that I was able to acquire by studying at Cardiff.
Life after Graduation
You’ve had quite a career and now you’re a teaching assistant in the Harvard Graduate School of Design. What does your job entail now? What are your responsibilities?
My role as a teaching assistant encompassed numerous responsibilities, many of which varied according to the class, its goals and its needs. I specialise in ecology and technology-related courses and so I was interfacing with a core group of faculty, helping them with the instruction of a sequence of core courses/modules.
Because I was at a design school, there is an emphasis on translating this technical knowledge into something that can be applied into a design. So besides knowing the content (ecology, etc.) and how to implement it in the design process, you ultimately need to impart students with an understanding of how to articulate the value of natural systems that most people do not understand. I like to think that students leave these courses not so much with specific facts but with a framework to articulate their own design goals and an understanding how to apply them in whatever they end up doing after school.
You’ve also done research and had papers and articles published. What’s been the most rewarding part of that process?
For me, this process is most rewarding when I can identify an understudied or overlooked research subject and develop results that are of genuine value for others. Research is a process of exploration and I love the idea that I can synthesize an array of knowledge into a unique and significant whole.
Given that you’ve done a wide variety of work (being an editor, teaching assistant, researcher, high school instructor, critic, etc!), which part of it do you enjoy most? And why?
Any day that I engage with knowledge is a good one! There is so much to learn and discover and one should never stop. If the world appears charmless, uninteresting or small, you need to expand your vision. In 2011, four new species of sharks were discovered. I find that incredible. Our current understanding of so many things, but especially the natural world, is much more limited that our dominant cultural narratives indicate.
Reflections
Do you have any words of wisdom to share with prospective students who are thinking about coming to Cardiff?
All of my friends from Cardiff are doing remarkable things right now, so while I can only speak to the merits of the School of Planning and Geography, I do believe the accomplishments of my peers indicates the quality of the institution as a whole. It is so rare to find an institution with legitimate research capabilities and a commitment to teaching, but Cardiff has both. Given this, the cost of education, and the school’s location in the UK, I would strongly encourage students to study at Cardiff University.
It is so rare to find an institution with legitimate research capabilities and a commitment to teaching, but Cardiff has both.
Our guide for students contains information on the benefits of studying in the UK, applying through UCAS, entry requirements and financial information.
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Our guide for High School counsellors contains information on the benefits of studying in the UK, UCAS, entry requirements and financial information.
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