International Student Exchange

• Look through our ISE university options in the FIU Study Abroad Portal.   

• Pay attention to the program dates, cost, and variety of courses.

• Ask questions about what courses you have remaining in your degree plan that may be satisfied abroad.  

• Bring your Academic Pre-Approval Form for them to sign as well, if appropriate (you can access and upload this in your ISE Advising Application; see Step 4) 

• Complete your ISE Advising Application in the FIU Study Abroad Portal which includes:  
  • [ISE: Attend Study Abroad 101] 
  • [ISE: Advising Video & Quiz] 
  • [ISE: Academic Information]  
  • [ISE: Upload Academic Pre-Approval Form] 
  • [ISE: Personal Recommendation]  
  • [ISE: Academic Advisor Recommendation] 
  • [ISE: Eligibility Verification] 
  • Input your top 3-4 university choices by clicking “Add to Programs of Interest” on each program page.

• Complete your ISE Pre-Decision Application in the FIU Study Abroad Portal which includes:  
  • [ISE: Interview Preparation]  
  • [ISE: Back Up Options]  
  • [ISE” Academic, Conduct, Image Releases] 
  • [ISE: Non-Refundable $195 OEA Fee] 
  • [ISE: Upload Nomination Form]  
  • [ISE: Passport Information & Upload] 

• Once you receive an invitation to interview from the Office of Education Abroad, please follow the steps to schedule your interview.  

• Prepare for your interview using the materials in your application in the FIU Study Abroad Portal under the “ISE - Interview Preparation” requirement.

• You will receive an email from the FIU Office of Education Abroad alerting you of your exchange school approval/nomination.  

• Your final nomination is time-sensitive and will require swift action. The due date to accept/deny your nomination will be identified in your offer letter.

This meeting is mandatory; you will have the opportunity to meet other ISE students and receive the next steps to prepare for your program.  

• Complete all outstanding requirements in your FIU Study Abroad Portal application; most importantly:  
  • [ISE: Upload Medical Information Form] 
  • [ISE: Budget and Financial Declaration Form] 
  • [ISE: Upload Course Equivalency Form  
  • [ISE: Placeholder Course Request Form]  
  • [ISE: Upload Visa Information] 
  • [ISE: Contact Information Abroad] 
  • [ISE: Emergency Contact Information] 
  • [ISE: Attend Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation] 
  • [ISE: Pre-Departure Materials Acknowledgement] 
  • [ISE: Accessibility and Accommodations] 
  • [ISE: STEP Enrollment] 
  • [ISE: International Insurance Information] 
  • [ISE: Upload Flight Information] 
  • [ISE: Upload Host Program Acceptance Letter] 
  • [ISE: Activate AlertTraveler App] 

• Pay the $195 Non-refundable OEA Application Fee in your myFIU portal.  

• Pay your FIU tuition by the payment deadline 

• As you settle into your home for the semester/academic year, be sure to return to the FIU Study Abroad Portal to complete “while abroad” requirements:  
  • [ISE: Upload Enrollment Verification Form] 

*Add/Drop Deadline will be the last chance to modify your ISE Placeholder Course credits

Communicate with your host institution to have your transcript sent to the FIU Office of Education Abroad. FIU will not accept transcripts from students; the transcript must come directly from the host university.  

Contact Information to Send Transcripts:  

In the FIU Education Abroad Portal, complete the following:  

• [ISE: Post Program Survey] 

*This must be completed prior to your transcripts being processed. 

• Share your memories with us & Stay engaged 

• Upload photos of your time abroad in PhotoCircle.  

• Join the Office of Education Abroad as a member on Panther Connect to stay up to date with future international opportunities. 

To get started, you must first create an ISE Advising Application. You can do so by clicking the following link. This application will include:

1. ISE Introduction Prep Video
2. ISE Video Quiz
3. Student Academic Information Questionnaire
4. Study Abroad Academic Pre-Approval Form (completed in consultation with your academic advisor)
5. Select your top-choice university and 3-4 back up options

You can only be considered for the ISE program after completing all five steps of the ISE Advising Application. 

Take a look at the universities we have partnerships with on our ISE Partner Institutions page. Not only will these pages give you general information regarding each university, they also include a link to each university’s official website so you can start browsing around there as well. Keep in mind that certain schools are only available to certain majors or students in particular programs, and for certain semesters.

Make sure that you conduct thorough research on our website, and the foreign university's exchange website, to make a selection based on course offerings, program dates, your major, language, location, etc. 

NOTE: Aside from your top-choice university, you are required to choose 3-4 back up options. Your top-choice university is not guaranteed due to the number of applications and the number of spaces available at each partner university. 

College Academic Advisor 

Make an appointment with your Academic Advisor to discuss your interest in studying abroad and to see if you are academically eligible to participate in ISE. Students should also explore what courses you can transfer in, what courses must be taken at FIU, and what courses you have yet to fulfill within your program. Remember, at this first appointment, your advisor won’t be officially approving courses, it’s just for you to get a better idea of what courses you need so you’ll know what to look for in a potential host institution.

Office of Education Abroad 

If you have any questions regarding the program, the application process, or if you’d like to meet with a Education Abroad Coordinator, please visit our virtual office hours. 

Once you’ve narrowed down your top choice university and 3-4 backup options, click on each school’s official link and navigate your way to their course offerings. Check to see if any of the courses offered could apply to your degree requirements. Remember, while abroad you should take courses towards your major, minor, or elective requirements. What’s important is that the courses taken abroad somehow fulfill requirements towards your degree. 

NOTE: OEA cannot guarantee a particular university will have all the courses you need. Also, course selection will start after your acceptance to the ISE program. Please keep in mind that foreign universities won't have their future course list available by the time you begin your ISE applications. You should have access to the courses after acceptance to the foreign university.  

After you submit your ISE Advising Application, OEA will review for eligibility and will be able to grant you access to apply to one of our partner universities. The application process is rolling admissions and OEA collaborates with FIU departments to determine students eligibility. We kindly request and appreciate your patience. You will hear back via your FIU email with more information regarding your application and eligibility.

You will then be able to access the Pre-Decision ISE Application. 

NOTE: Please note that placement in your Top Choice University is not guaranteed as many programs are competitive with limited availability. 

Submit all application materials of the Pre-decision ISE Application by the appropriate deadline. This includes: 

1. Personal Information questionnaire 
2. Statement of Purpose 
3. Signature Document - Academic Standing and Student Conduct Information
4. Signature Document - Non-Refundable $195 OEA Fee Information
5. *Academic Advisor Recommendation 
6. *Academic or Non-Academic Recommendation 
7. Schedule your ISE Interview before 5pm on the deadline day (last step). 

Deadline: 

Fall/AY - Mid March 
Spring - Mid September

*For the letters of recommendation, once you input your recommender’s contact information into the application, they will receive an email with instructions on how to submit the questionnaire survey directly through our system (Please note that formal letters will not be accepted.)

Once you complete all other required items (materials, questionnaires, recommendations – 11/12), the Office of Education Abroad will contact you via your FIU email address with further instructions on how to schedule your ISE Interview. This will give our office a chance to get to know you better, ask questions, and give you a chance to familiarize yourself with the rest of the application process.

Please keep in mind that interviews will take place the week after the ISE deadline. However, you MUST schedule them before the ISE deadline. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis. 

Failure to schedule an interview by the application deadline will mark your application as incomplete, and you will not be considered for the International Student Exchange program. No exceptions will be granted.

Once your interview is scheduled, the OEA staff will mark this task as complete.

Based on your application materials and interview, you may be conditionally accepted to the ISE program and moved forward to the Post-decision phase of your application. The Office of Education Abroad will provide you with a nomination decision and next steps via your FIU email.

If you decline your nomination, you can:

• Apply again during the next application cycle the following semester (your top-choice is not guaranteed)
• Look into an alternative program such as Third-Party Programs (TPP) or FIU Faculty-Led Programs 

You will be required to attend a Mandatory Post-Acceptance Meeting where you will not only have the opportunity to meet other ISE students, but will learn more about the post-decision process. At this point, there are a number of OEA documents that must be completed and submitted to the OEA Portal. These include: 

• Medical Information Form
• Budget Form 
• Course Equivalency Form 
• Passport Copy - passports must be valid for six months beyond the start date of your program. 

Once you’ve been accepted, you will work with your academic advisor/faculty designee and have them fill out and sign off on your Course Equivalency Form to find out how the courses abroad will transfer into FIU. You’ll need to bring the host instruction's syllabi of the courses that interest you to this meeting so that your advisor/faculty designee can determine an appropriate FIU equivalent. Ideally, you’ll want them to sign off on more courses than you actually plan to take, just in case some of the courses you wanted to enroll in are full or aren’t being offered. 

NOTE: Make sure that you update your Course Equivalency from once you are enrolled in courses at the foreign university. This will ensure that your foreign transcripts will be processed in a timely manner upon your return to FIU. 

Your host institution will provide you with an Acceptance Letter to help you get your visa. Our office can provide you with a Consulate Letter upon request (3-5 business days in advance). However, it is your responsibility to find out whether you require a student visa and to apply for and obtain a student visa on your own. 

NOTE: If the embassy/consulate of the foreign country require proof of international health insurance beyond what we offer to students, it is your responsibility to fulfill their criteria.

Before you leave on your program, you will be required to attend a Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientationwhere you’ll be given pre-departure information to prepare you for your trip. We will send you all materials via email following the meeting. 

1. Is advising mandatory? Yes, all FIU students who study abroad must attend an "OEA Study Abroad 101" Information Session. 

1. How do I pick programs/universities of interest? Students should review all current exchange programs by visiting the FIU Education Abroad Portal HERE. Review programs based on (1) the courses that the student still needs to take and could be satisfied by the course offerings of the host university, (2) destination, (3) cost of living in the destination, (4) experience with/relation to the destination, and (5) anything else that you know will influence your experience abroad. 

1. How do I begin the application process? To start an application, students must first complete the "ISE Advising Application". Think of this as a "Pre-Application" to help the student and our office determine whether ISE is the right option for a student. 
2. How is my application processed once submitted? Once a student complets the "ISE Advising Application", the Office of Education Abroad will review the application, approve eligible Programs of Interest, and invite the student to begin the "Pre-Decision" (Pre-Acceptance) phase of the application. In the Pre-Decision phase, students will submit recommendations, Academic Advisor forms, among other assignments. The last step of the Pre-Decision phase is for students to interview with the ISE team in OEA. After the interview, students will receive a notification if they have been nominated to a university; the student will have a pre-identified period of time to accept or deny their nomination. Once a student accepts their nomination, they will be invited to attend a mandatory "Next Steps" meeting as well as a mandatory "Pre-Departure Orientation". From there, the student and OEA will work together to complete remaining assignments leading up to departure for the program. 
3. How many Programs of Interest do I have to list? You will need at least 3 primary Programs of Interest as well as at least 3 back-up options. You will provide this list in the application. 
4. What types of questions will be asked in the interview? Students will be asked to share about how the ISE program will benefit their personal, professional, and academic development, why they have selected their Programs of Interest, their experience with intercultural communication, emergency and conflict management, as well as about preparataions they are making for the program. 
5. What are my odds of getting placed at my top choice university? There are several factors that go into nomination decisions - GPA, academic alignment, the interview, intercultural communication abilities, spot availability, etc. This is why it it important that students have several Programs of Interest in case they are not placed at their top-choice university. We encourage students to explore partner universities in Asia and Latin America as these typically have a higher placement rate. 
6. What happens if I do not get the nomination that I want? As mentioned in the previous response, there are a variety of factors that go into placing students. If you do not get into your primary choice, you may ask the ISE team if they are able to place you on a waitlist (not guaranteed). If you are able to be placed on a waitlist, you would be forfeiting your back up options as other students may take those seats before we are able to know if we can offer you a seat on your primary choice. 

1. How will I know if the courses I take abroad will transfer back to FIU? All students on ISE or TPP programs must complete the Course Equivalency Form which requires the collaboration of the student, academic department faculty/designees, and the student's Academic Advisor to identify courses from the host institution that could satisfy the remaining degree requirements at FIU. This form becomes available to students once they have been accepted into the program. 
2. How will my ISE courses impact my GPA? Courses taken abroad do not imapct a student's GPA for the semester that they studied abroad. The letter grades that were earned abroad will be reflected on the FIU transcript next to the course titles. Students should keep in mind however that some graduate schools or fellowships will ask for original transcripts. 
3. Do I need to stay at my host university until the re-sit exams are complete? If you are not taking re-sit examinations, you generally do not need to stay at the host university until the examinations are complete as this process typically takes several weeks past the end of the semester; however, students should verify the last day of their program with their host university directly. If a student is taking re-sit examinations, depending on the requirements of the host university, the student may need to be physically present or the student may work with the FIU Testing Center to coordinate the re-sit exam once back in the U.S. FIU OEA is not able to proctor re-sit examinations. 
4. How many courses do I need to be enrolled in abroad? 12 U.S. credit hours. 
5. What happens if I cannot find at least 12 hours worth of degree-applicable courses at my host university? Students should first discuss their options with the ISE team however in some instances, students must withdraw from the program if there simply are not enough eligible courses or they transition over to a Third-Party Program (TPP) instead. 
6. I had to enroll in a course abroad that I did not originally plan for, what do I do? Once a student returns from their program, OEA processes their transcript, placeholder course request form, and Course Equivalency Form together. Each of these forms must match eachother. If the student needs to take a course that they did not originally include in their Course Equivalency Form, they will need to create a new Course Equivalency Form and follow the same process to have the new course approved in order to make transcript processing faster at the end of the program. 

1. Is there a fee to apply? Yes, all students who apply for any study abroad program at FIU are subject to the $195 OEA Fee.
2. How does paying tuition work on ISE? Students will continue to pay their regular tuition and fees to FIU just as if they were still on campus. 
3. How does paying other living expenses work on ISE? All other living expenses, excursions, travel, etc. will be paid for by the student directly to the relevant party. FIU does not pay any partner organizations or universities on behalf of the student. 
4. How can I budget for my program? In the virtual brochure, students will have access to the Budget Planning Worksheet which allows them to enter in customized amounts for their particular travel. Additionally, OEA recommend utilizing Numbeo to compare the cost of living between the U.S. and the study abroad destination. 

1. Do I need to speak another language to participate? The language requirements of the host university will vary from program to program. Some university partners will offer a select catalog of courses available in English that exchange students will be restricted to; others will offer their entire catalog of courses and students have the choice to take courses in both/solely English or the local language. The ISE team does not recommend taking all courses in another language as students may not perform well given the change in location, routine, language, food, transportation, etc. and may easily become overwhelmed. 
2. Do the partner universities offer housing? Some partner universities will offer on-campus housing, however, please note that on-campus housing is not common at universities outside of the U.S. Instead, most partners will provide a list of recommended neighborhoods and/or apartment buildings for students to coordinate housing themselves. Sometimes, partner universities will contract third party housing companies and offer that service to their exchange students. 
3. How do I submit my "ISE: Contact Information Abroad" requirement? Either right before departure or immediately after arriving, students should return to the FIU Education Abroad Portal to complete the "ISE: Contact Information Abroad" requirement which provides OEA with the most up to date information to reach a student if needed. 
4. What do I do if I want to leave the program earlier than planned? Students must reach out to the FIU ISE team via email at outboundise@fiu.edu to initiate the withdrawal process. Students should not withdraw from the program with their host university until the FIU ISE team has been in touch and provided directions. 
5. When should I book my flight? Students should not purchase their airfare until they receive an official acceptance letter from their host university. FIU OEA recommends that students clarify with their host university when they should arrive/depart from the program; additionally, students should consider purchasing a flight ticket that allows for changes. If you are needing to book a flight, you can check out our partner, ScholarTrip. 
6. Do I need a Passport? What if my Passport is about to expire? Yes, all students who study abroad must have a valid passport. A passport must be valid for at least 6 months past the last day of your program. If your passport is approaching expiry, work with the FIU Passport Office to renew asap. If you being your ISE application with a passport that will be expiring, you will need to provide the updated version as well once you have it, and prior to departure. 
7. Do I need a visa? In most cases, students traveling abroad will require a visa as their travel will last longer than 90 days. You may check the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory website to see available information regarding visa requirements. You will work with your host university once approved to apply for a visa. If you possess valid citizenship of the country in which you are studying abroad, you will not need a visa. If you hold EU citizenship, you will not need a visa to study in another EU country.