QUICK TIPS:

• Tell your advisor you want to study abroad. Speaking to your advisor about your interest in studying abroad during the transfer process will help you to determine the best time for you to go abroad.
• Attend a First Step Meeting. First step meetings are informational sessions that explain the basics of planning for studying abroad.
• Consider taking GVSU-Specific General Education courses abroad. You can take General Education courses abroad and it may be easier to find a program that is a good fit if you save some of these courses for your time abroad. Even if you are transferring in General Education credits, there are still GVSU-specific General Education requirements to fulfill, such as Issues.
• Meet with a study abroad advisor to explore your options. Make an appointment to meet with an advisor in PIC to discuss your interests and explore your options – it is NEVER too early to start planning!

Students must attend one semester, full-time, at GVSU to establish a GPA before studying abroad. Students will not be approved to study abroad their first semester at GVSU. Students are welcome to submit a study abroad application during their first semester with the goal of studying abroad during their second semester.

Yes- You are not limited to one study abroad experience! You can spend up to four semesters (maximum) abroad. Even your last 30 semester hours toward a baccalaureate degree can be taken abroad. 

Students can study abroad at any time up to the point of their degree being processed. This means students can study abroad during their last semester as a GVSU student.

Students will be required to maintain their enrollment at GVSU during the semester they will be abroad. Details will be provided to students during the pre-departure orientation. Since students are enrolled at GVSU during the semester they are abroad, they maintain their residency status, and thus, can complete their last 60 credits abroad.

Students who transfer to GVSU under the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MARCO) agreement or the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) satisfy the Foundations category of the General Education Program, as well as one SWS course. Transfer students still must complete one SWS course, the General Education Cultures requirement consisting of 2 courses and the two-course Issues requirement.

While students cannot transfer their Issues courses from an outside institution, these courses can be fulfilled easily through study abroad. Please see Issues Abroad under the General Education tab.

If you have already declared your major/minor, you should be able to see your appointed academic advisor on MyBanner (MyBanner > Student > Student Records > Student Profile). You can also search for your general academic adviser on the University-wide Academic Advising page. We recommend that you schedule an appointment as soon as possible with one of these advisors so that they can help you lay out your future class schedule.

Independently, you can browse your general education/major/minor requirements on MyPath (My Banner > Student > Student Records > MyPath). Being aware of these requirements and when you will take each class in the future can really help when browsing study abroad programs.

When planning the sequence of courses you'll take during your time at GVSU, you'll want to pinpoint the semester(s) that would work well for you to spend abroad. This can be done with careful planning and input from your academic adviser. So talk with them now about carving out a semester(s) to spend abroad and planning for specific classes to take abroad.

While it's possible to find most general education/major/minor requirements abroad, there are certainly some classes that work better for study abroad than others. 

General Education Requirements

• You will automatically fulfill your Global Perspectives General Education requirement by taking at least 3 credits abroad and you can easily fulfill your General Education Issues requirements (6 credits) by studying abroad and completing a short reflection upon return. For this reason, we recommend delaying taking these courses until your study abroad program.

Major/Minor Course Requirements

• You may take major/minor course requirements while abroad. There may be more flexibility with certain major/minors than others, but in general, major/minor elective courses are typically ideal to focus on while abroad. Thus, "saving" these electives for study abroad can be strategic and can give you more study abroad program options.

BA Cognate Requirements

• All students earning a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)  degree are requires a third-semester proficiency in a foreign language. You may consider completing one or more of these courses abroad.

All GVSU students who study abroad are required to apply online through the Study Abroad Application Portal (Via TRM) including students who choose to participate in an external program. 

This is necessary for you to maintain your GVSU student status, earn credits toward your GVSU degree and have access to your GVSU Financial Aid package. 

Please follow the Study Abroad Application Portal (Via TRM) for a walk-through of how to apply. 

It is ideal for students to have 2 references from GVSU. We understand that this may pose challenges to transfer students, so we will allow a new transfer student to use one faculty reference from their previous institution and one GVSU faculty/staff member recommendation.

Students can begin building a rapport with GVSU faculty or staff by participating in class discussions and activities, attending office hours, and participating in related on/off campus events. We recommend that students introduce themselves to colleagues' on campus who might work with them during the course of their academic career at GVSU. This may include academic advisors, student organization advisors, a major advisor, or colleagues who work directly with students to support them in the pursuit of their academic and personal goals. It is recommended that you meet in person with a faculty and/or staff member to describe your goals for studying abroad so they have an opportunity to get to know more about your interests. This faculty/staff member should then be a perfect Faculty Recommendation for your Via TRM application.

Get your passport!

• Do you have a valid passport? If you do have a passport, make sure you check the expiration date. US passports issued before the age of 16 are only valid for 5 years. 

Talk early with your academic adviser

• Talk to your academic adviser to determine when you should study abroad and what degree requirements you should focus on while abroad. You should begin the study abroad planning process no about a year before physically departing for your study abroad destination. 

Get familiar with your general education/major/minor requirements

• Explore your MyPath and meet with an academic adviser to start thinking about what classes you want to take abroad. Being familiar with your general education/major/minor requirements will help a lot when you start searching for a specific study abroad program!

Absolutely! The Padnos International Center is devoted to helping you through every step of your study abroad. To start familiarizing yourself with the study abroad process, we recommend...

Attending a First Step Meeting:

• Study Abroad First Step Meetings are weekly informational sessions that go over all the basics of studying abroad.
• First Step Meetings are offered during the fall and winter semesters. every Wednesday 5 PM-6 PM via Zoom. Click here for a list of dates and the Zoom links. 

Scheduling a One-on-one advising appointment with a study abroad peer advisor:

• You can schedule an online study abroad advising appointment to meet with a peer advisor for tailored one on one advice regarding your study abroad plans (all peer advisers have studied abroad, so feel free to ask them about their experiences and any concerns you might have regarding study abroad)