Internal and External Application Forms and Deadlines

February 2, 2024 is the internal application deadline for any program abroad to be pursued in summer 2024, fall 2024, winter-break 2024-25, and/or spring 2025. No credit can be awarded for any type of program abroad that has not been approved in advance through this process. Click here to begin the internal advising and application process for 2024-25.

Once students are approved to study abroad through the internal application process, they must submit an external application for admission to the study abroad program. Application forms and deadlines for external programs vary. Consult the particular study abroad program website for details.

Eligibility Requirements

The College Catalog states: “Ursinus College students may spend a semester, a year, or a summer in an approved study abroad program, provided they are students in good standing, are recommended by their major adviser, and, in the opinion of the dean and the faculty, will be worthy representatives of the College and will profit from this experience”. 

• Holistic review. Applications are reviewed by the International Education Committee (IEC) made up of faculty and administrators. The committee takes a holistic approach and looks for evidence of seriousness of purpose in the appropriateness of students’ chosen programs, their learning goals, academic and disciplinary standing, progress toward graduation, and faculty/staff recommendations. 

• Academic record and GPA. In its application review, the IEC considers the student’s entire transcript with close attention to the most recent semesters. In cases of students with lower GPAs, the committee looks for indications of improvement. GPA can determine which programs abroad are open to individual students since programs set their own eligibility requirements. This is especially true of semester and academic year programs which tend to have higher admissions criteria than summer and winter break programs. For this reason, all semester/academic year applicants should have least a cumulative 2.5 GPA. Students whose GPAs are below 2.75 should be aware that their options for study abroad may be quite limited. Summer and winter break program applicants should have at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, though most programs will have considerably higher admissions requirements. Approval by the IEC does not guarantee admission to the study abroad program, just as admissibility to an individual program does not guarantee approval by the College.  

• Disciplinary status. Students must be in good social standing in order for their applications to be considered and in order to maintain their eligibility to study abroad. The application of a student on disciplinary probation will not be reviewed until after the probation ends (if time allows). All students must be in good disciplinary standing during the semester immediately prior to study abroad.

• Class year. Most students study abroad for a semester during their junior year, but regular students may be approved to study abroad for a semester as early as their third semester at the college or as late as their penultimate semester. Transfer students should normally have spent two semesters on campus before studying abroad. Students of any class year may apply for approval to participate in summer or winter break programs. 

• Maximum number of terms abroad.  Students may study abroad up to two semesters if approved by the IEC. Students may be approved for multiple short term (summer or winter interim) study abroad programs.   

• Approved list of programs. The college generously allows all financial aid to travel for semester/academic year study abroad and therefore has a duty to control for both quality and cost. Students wishing to study abroad for a semester must do so in one of our approved programs only. Petitions to participate in programs not included on our approved list will not be entertained. Furthermore, Ursinus College will not grant transfer credit to students who attempt to take a leave of absence to participate in a non-approved program.

  Students participate in short term study abroad at their own expense and therefore, they are not limited to the approved programs only; however, their programs must be reviewed and approved through the normal application process.

• Travel warnings and alerts. Ursinus College students may not ordinarily study abroad for credit in countries under partial or full U.S. Department of State Travel Warning. The USDOS provides consular information sheets for every country in the world. Click here to read about countries under Travel Warning and Travel Alert.

• Appeals. Students who wish to appeal the decision of the IEC must submit a formal letter stating the reasons they believe their applications should be reconsidered to Dean Mark Schneider within two weeks of the decision announcement. Please send your letter as an email attachment c/o Director of International Programs at palvarez@ursinus.edu