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The University Studies Abroad Consortium is an organization of 33 universities that has been sending students to study abroad for over 25 years. We have 40 programs in 25 countries, in which over 2,700 students participate each year.
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Fill out and submit the application in the back of a USAC catalog or apply online. You must also send an official set of transcripts from each institution of higher learning you have attended, as well as a check or money order for $300, made out to “USAC”. Please mail or deliver this to the USAC Central Office. You can also pay with a credit card in person, over the phone or online. It’s also helpful to visit your study abroad office on your home university’s campus for further information. In some instances the application process may differ if you attend a USAC Member University.
For most programs, any student currently enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in a university who has an overall GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale and who qualifies for admission at a USAC Member University is eligible to apply to a USAC program. Programs with a higher GPA requirement are:
Students who do not meet the above requirements may apply but must include 2 letters of recommendation from professors with whom they have studied in the past academic year.
Most programs have rolling admissions, but we recommend you apply for summer programs by April 1; fall and yearlong application deadlines range from April to June; and the spring program application deadlines range from August to November. A few programs have specific deadlines that are listed in the Important Information section both in the USAC catalog and on the website. Space in all programs is limited to availability, so apply as early as possible. If the deadline has passed, contact the USAC Central office to see if you are still able to apply.
The USAC Central Office will typically send you notification within one week of receiving your application, transcript and deposit. Partnership programs require acceptance of your application not only by the USAC Central Office but also by the host university abroad. Students applying for these programs and who meet the requirements will receive a provisional acceptance by the USAC Central Office. The final decision will come from the hosting university abroad.
Yes. If you are not a degree-seeking student at a USAC Member University, you may apply to one of the Member Universities, receive credit through that university and then transfer the credit to your home university. This is a very simple process and USAC can help you at every step along the way. A large percentage of our students go through this process. Once your application to USAC is approved, we will provide you with forms and information for a USAC Member University for you to apply to for transfer credits. On Partnership programs, you will receive your transcript from the university abroad for your USAC courses and then work with your home university to transfer the credits.
USAC offers two types of programs: Specialty and Partnership. Specialty programs are wholly designed and operated by USAC. Each Specialty program is located on a university campus and has a Resident Director (most of whom have a Ph.D.) who hires faculty, arranges housing, organizes field studies and excursions and assures the general well-being of students overseas.
Partnership programs differ in that students are enrolled in that foreign university and generally have access to that university’s full curriculum and International Programs Office. Most of these are English-speaking countries or countries in which instruction is conducted in English and USAC students participate in that partner’s international student program.
USAC offers two types of programs, Specialty and Partnership. Specialty programs are wholly designed and operated by USAC and located on the host university campus. Each Specialty program has a Resident Director (most of whom have a Ph.D.) who hires excellent faculty (in many cases from the host university), arranges housing for USAC students, organizes field studies and excursions, and assures the general well-being of students while overseas. Specialty programs offer intensive language tracks and cultural studies along with a variety of focused areas of study which takes advantage of the program location (i.e. Business in Bilbao, Art History in Madrid Spain; Sociology/Health Studies in Puebla, Mexico; and Ecology in Costa Rica).
Partnership programs differ in that students are directly enrolled in that foreign university and have access to that university's curriculum. Most of these are English speaking countries or offer courses taught in English and USAC students participate in that university's international student program.
Your students are welcome to participate on any of our programs. Not belonging to the Consortium merely means that you will have to go through the formality of having your students enroll at one of the Member Universities, i.e. the student earns credits and receives a transcript from a USAC Member University to transfer to your university. This process is not at all complicated and we do it with about half of all USAC students. There are some programs where students can remain enrolled at your university, please contact Mary Henry for details.
The USAC Central Office staff is available to work with you in every way; we visit campuses across the country to speak with interested students, we can send you the registration information of your students while abroad, as well as syllabi when requested, and we'll be happy to work with you to best serve the needs of your students as they consider the exciting possibility of studying abroad.
Yes, you can enroll and participate in consecutive USAC Programs at the same or different program sites. Be sure to notify USAC of any plans for multiple programs so we can advise you regarding travel and student visa requirements.
While most universities will allow first-term freshmen to transfer in with summer study abroad credit, many will not allow their students to study abroad for the first full semester or full year; it is best that you check with your home university first. Before studying abroad for a full semester or more, USAC prefers that students have one full term (quarter or semester) of university experience - this allows you to acquire a university academic history and gives you time to get used to university life and all that it entails. Some of our programs, mostly Partnership programs, have advanced academic and class standing requirements that automatically exclude freshmen (please check the Eligibility/Application Deadlines section of the program you are interested in). For more information, email USAC Enrollment staff at enrollment@usac.unr.edu.
While there is no definite age requirement, we prefer students to have completed at least one semester of university and that you are at least 18 years or older.