FAQs

UM Study Abroad offers programs as short as one week and as long as an academic year. You may study abroad on a program led by a faculty member, on a UM Semester-on-Location program, or on a UM Partner Program or affiliated university program.

We encourage you to explore what makes each program different by reading about our program types.

There are many opportunities to study abroad in English! Most countries offer a full program of study in English, even in non-English speaking countries.

The earlier the better! Planning for a study abroad takes time. It is not too early for entering freshman to go over their study abroad options with an advisor. Try to plan at least one year in advance for a semester program, and 3-6 months in advance for a shorter term program.

Our office has created a worksheet you can help use to plan out your academic goals during your time on campus.

The answer is different for every student. It depends on many factors, such as major and minor requirements, proficiency of a foreign language (for programs taught in a foreign language), academic progress and student maturity. Talk to both your academic advisor and a study abroad advisor to determine what is best for you.

Students can initiate applications to their program of interest the semester before they intend to study abroad.  Applications open on January 5th for Fall programs and late May for Spring term programs.  Applications for January intersession, spring break, and summer faculty-led programs open on November 1st.

Application deadlines vary across programs and we encourage you to check the program's brochure page for the most up-to-date application deadline, which is located in within the Fact Sheet section of the page.

You are not able to initiate more than one application for a program during the same term.  Within your application, you are able to identify a second choice program.

You can submit your official university transcript(s) showing all work completed and coursework underway by requesting your transcript be sent electronically to studyabroad@miami.edu via CaneLink.  You can find a step-by-step guide on how to order your official transcript electronically here.  Currently, electronic versions are preferred in line with the University's response to COVID-19.

Alternatively, you can submit your official university transcript(s) showing all work completed to the Study Abroad Office located in Dooly Memorial Classroom Bldg. 1111 Memorial Dr., Suite 125 Coral Gables, FL 33146 or have it sent to PO Box 248263, Coral Gables, FL 33124

Mail or deliver in person all application materials to:
University of Miami
Study Abroad
P.O. Box 248263
Coral Gables, FL 33124-2302 
 
Courier Address: 
Study Abroad
Dooly Memorial Classroom Building
1111 Memorial Drive, Suite 125
Coral Gables, FL 33146

Students just starting to consider studying abroad are encouraged to watch or attend our Study Abroad 101 session hosted by our office.  If you have a specific region of interest, please visit this link to see what regions we advise on and when our walk-in hours are.

While acknowledging that all study abroad programs and overseas institutions have their own criteria for admissions, University of Miami students are held to an institutional standard before being allowed to study abroad for credit. Students are eligible to study abroad no earlier than Summer Session I following their first year. The minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) required for students wishing to study abroad is 2.7 on a scale of 4.0. Many programs have a higher GPA requirement as stated on the program brochures.

You may study on non-UM sponsored programs by completing the proper paperwork and filing a petition, available at this link. The program petition must be approved by the Study Abroad Office and you must secure permission from your school or college.

You may be financially responsible for the program; this depends on the type of program, and how far in advance of the program start date you withdraw. You can see the full withdrawal policy, timeline and fees here.

University-related travel must receive prior approval by a supervising dean or vice president. For more information, visit: https://coronavirus.miami.edu/additional-resources/travel-guidance/index.html 

UM will require that all study abroad students book their travel through the University of Miami's Travel Portal.  Instructions and tip sheets on how to use UM's Travel Portal can be found through this link.  Any additional questions about can be directed to the Travel Portal Team by emailing travel@miami.edu or by calling (305) 284-2072

We are still accepting study abroad applications for future terms. 

If UM makes a decision to cancel a program before the program’s official start date, students will receive a full refund of all fees paid directly to Study Abroad. Given the uncertainty of the international travel environment in light of COVID-19, students are encouraged to maintain a back-up plan (enrollment at UM, housing, etc.) for the term of their study abroad program until they receive confirmation from the Study Abroad Office that their program will be offered.  

Should a program be suspended after arrival in the host country, Study Abroad will immediately inform students and their emergency contacts listed in their application. Students will be advised on the recommended process for return home. In this situation, students should plan to work closely with their academic units at UM and with our overseas partners to mitigate to the greatest extent possible the potential impact of the program suspension on students’ academic progress. Where possible, students will complete coursework remotely through the host institution. In the event remote learning is not feasible, the student’s academic unit will work to explore on-campus course options for those impacted by program suspension.  

If a program is cancelled after its official program start date, refunds will be provided for recoverable costs only* and will vary depending on a number of factors.  

* Recoverable costs may include health insurance, ground transportation, excursion costs, etc. This generally applies to UPrograms only. 

Students will not receive any reimbursement or assistance with flights/travel should they need to return to their permanent address. We strongly recommend that insurance for travel be purchased ahead of time. Students on exchange programs will not receive any reimbursement or assistance with cancelling their housing abroad. They will need to work with their landlord/provider/rental agency abroad.  

Students must decline their space on a study abroad program in writing within 2 weeks of acceptance. If a student does not withdraw within this time period, the student will be subject to the withdrawal policy. Students receiving financial aid who withdraw from a program should discuss potential aid implications of withdrawal with the UM Office of Financial Assistance and Student Employment before withdrawing.  

In the event of program cancellation by UM or the host institution/program, students will not be subject to the UM Study Abroad withdrawal policy.  

You can see the full withdrawal policy, timeline, and fees here: https://studyabroad.miami.edu/students/withdrawal-policy/index.html 

Click here for more information about credits.  The grades that you earn abroad will count toward your UM GPA. Click here for more information about academics.

The answer depends on what kind of program you participate in. You can study abroad for a semester at a host university where you may participate in the courses available to regular university students. Shorter programs, such as UM faculty-led programs, will offer specific courses for the participants.

If you would like to have the courses count toward your major, minor, or general education requirements, you must obtain approvals, called “course equivalences.” After you choose your courses overseas, you will obtain signatures and course equivalents for each department in which you seek credit. All admitted study abroad students will receive the course equivalency form, also available on our website.

This answer depends on your program. Do not make any flight arrangements until you have been fully accepted into the program and it has been determined that the program will happen. For semester and year programs, as well as direct-enroll programs, your study abroad advisor or the overseas university will provide the arrival dates so that you can book your flight accordingly.

UM will require that all study abroad students book their travel through the University of Miami’s Travel Portal. Instructions and tip sheets on how to use UM’s Travel Portal can be found through this link.  

Any additional questions about this can be directed to the Travel Portal Team by emailing travel@miami.edu or by calling (305) 284-2072.  

All students studying abroad must have a passport, which should be valid for at least six months beyond the last day of their program. Before departing the US, you may need to obtain a student visa form your host country’s consulate. Visa procedures and immigration regulations are different for each country, and processing times vary greatly.

Living arrangements vary greatly between programs. Housing options may include dormitories, homestays or apartments. Housing is your responsibility unless going abroad on a UProgram or the Seville program.

Students participating in a UM Study Abroad Program are eligible to be released from their university housing contract for the semester they are away provided they meet all deadlines set by Housing & Residential Life.

Students participating in a UM study abroad program will be able to use their financial aid abroad.  You will be charged full tuition on your tuition bill for the semester during which you will be abroad, so your aid package will not be affected; however, studying abroad will incur additional expenses for which you may wish to apply for additional aid. While overseas, if you have specific questions, you should contact Undergraduate Financial Assistance directly at canescentral@miami.edu.

You can review important information regarding finances and potential scholarships here.

You may submit your deposit payment in person with cash, money order, or cashier’s check. A cashier’s check can be requested directly from your bank, made out to ‘University of Miami’. A money order can be purchased from a variety of places such as certain post offices, UPS stores, CVS stores or Publix customer service.  You can submit payment at the Cashier’s window within the Canes Central office, which is located in the Student Services Building (1st Floor).

More information on how you can submit your deposit can be found by following this link.

Your Study Abroad advisor will be working with Student Accounts on issuing a refund for your deposit. They will be in touch directly to provide updates to the timeline for this process. 

Any student who currently has a balance on CaneLink may not see a full refund. Due to the structure of the system, any balance must be resolved before a refund is issued. Log into CaneLink now to verify if you have a balance. Students in this situation with questions about their charges should reach out to ‘Canes Central with any questions at 305-284-IBIS or by visiting their website to submit an assistance form or schedule a virtual appointment.

Students pay their regular UM tuition for all UM Study Abroad Programs. UPrograms and Seville include a program fee that will cover housing costs.

All students will pay a $150 study abroad fee that will replace traditional on-campus fees during their term abroad.

Numerous scholarships are available to students applying to go abroad. Additional information is available on our scholarships page.

Any current scholarships will apply toward UM Study Abroad Programs and appear on your bill as they normally would. If you receive private scholarships from another organization, please check with that organization directly about applicability of those funds.

Yes, all travelers must have a passport. The passport is the official identification of your citizenship. Students should make sure that their passports are valid until at least six months after your planned date of return from their study abroad programs. If you are a U.S. citizen, visit the U.S. Department of State passport website. International students and non-U.S. citizens should check with the embassy of their country of citizenship in the United States if they need to renew their passport.

It is your responsibility to follow visa requirements, including those for countries you plan to visit before or after your study abroad programs. It can take several weeks to gather all of the documents needed for a visa application. Consult with your study abroad advisor about obtaining a visa.

International students may need to have a U.S. visa valid beyond the period of their study abroad program before they may apply for a student visa for study abroad. Students on a non-immigrant F-1 Visa should consult with ISSS to make sure that all their U.S. immigration paperwork is in place for their re-entry to the United States.

No. Student visa requirements for the same country can vary significantly from one consulate to another. Be sure to use only the visa requirements for the consulate under whose jurisdiction you fall. The Study Abroad Office may be able to provide some guidance, but only for US passport holders and the consulates serving the Miami area.

There are a number of reports that U.S. passport processing is experiencing significant delays due to COVID-19, with regular processing taking up to 18-22 weeks. If you are thinking about studying abroad in 2022 and need to apply for a new passport, we advise that you apply as soon as possible! More information can be found at passport operations in response to COVID-19.

All students who study abroad must show proof of health insurance that provides adequate medical and accident coverage for the entire duration that they are abroad. University of Miami students are covered for emergency evacuation and repatriation.

Students participating in UM study abroad programs are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at least two weeks prior to program departure to safeguard their health, the health of all members of the local community and to be in compliance with vaccination requirements that may be imposed by the host countries. In the current global environment, it is likely that many host countries will require proof of vaccination as a condition of entry.  Each country will set its own policies for entry regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and it is your responsibility to know entry requirements prior to travel. Be advised that countries that do not require vaccinations may still require unvaccinated students to enter a mandatory quarantine for a minimum of 10 days, which may be at a government-designated facility or hotel, and could add to your program cost. Additionally, understand that, while in government quarantine, your academic experience may be challenged as dependable Wi-Fi cannot be guaranteed at the quarantine facilities. As such, if you are unvaccinated, consider arriving early to avoid academic or program disruption. During quarantine, there will be no refunds for time missed on the study abroad program. 

Studying abroad during COVID-19 will be different! Just as UM and institutions across the U.S. have had to adapt their procedures, partner universities abroad are modifying academic calendars, class schedules, course delivery, student accommodations and many other facets of academic life to support student health and well-being at their institutions. Some of these modifications may have a financial impact for you as the student. Things to consider: 

• Academic Experience: many programs and universities are implementing a hybrid online/in-person format of your program and additional rules or restrictions may be put in place to govern the number of students and student spacing within the physical classroom. Academic calendars may change or need to be adjusted with little or no advance notice.  
• Student Housing: the availability and type of on-campus housing may differ as campuses seek to reduce the number of students in concentrated areas. Students may need to exercise flexibility in the selection of housing or be prepared to find housing off-campus.
• Independent Travel: independent travel outside of the city and/or country in which you are studying will be limited. Country borders may be closed, travel restrictions or quarantine measures may remain in place, and there may be rapid changes to a country’s entry and exit requirements. In addition, host institutions or program providers may have student behavior contracts in place limiting independent travel.  
• Program Excursions and Activities (UPrograms/Seville only): excursions may be altered or canceled to adjust to current health and government recommendations and to support student health and well-being.  
• Quarantine: your semester abroad may include a quarantine period (the most common duration is 2 weeks) upon arrival should this be required by local/regional/national governments, or a quarantine at a later time should you, another student, faculty, staff, or individual with whom you are in contact with be exposed to the coronavirus.  

We are happy to report that Spring 2022 UM study abroad programs are approved to run as planned. Please note that this approval may be rescinded by the University at any time. Study abroad programs may also be cancelled by parties other than the University or move to a fully virtual format. Any of these scenarios would result in your spring 2022 study abroad term not moving forward.  

Petitions for non-UM study abroad programs for spring 2022 are being reviewed on a rolling basis. In their petition, students must provide a valid academic reason for pursuing a non-UM semester program. Programs located in cities where UM has a program will not be approved. Financial reasons or failing to meet a UM program application deadline are not valid reasons to petition a non-UM study abroad program. 

Yes, all students who were conditionally accepted to their program are eligible to defer their participation to a future term.

Students who successfully defer their application will need to provide updated information for their application closer to the application deadline for your deferred term. It is likely that you will need to re-submit application to the host institution, if applicable.

Studying abroad during COVID-19 will be different! Just as UM and institutions across the U.S. have had to adapt their procedures, partner universities abroad are modifying academic calendars, class schedules, course delivery, student accommodations and many other facets of academic life to support student health and well-being at their institutions. Some of these modifications may have a financial impact for you as the student. Things to consider: 

• Academic Experience: many programs and universities are implementing a hybrid online/in-person format of your program and additional rules or restrictions may be put in place to govern the number of students and student spacing within the physical classroom. Academic calendars may change or need to be adjusted with little or no advance notice.  
• Student Housing: the availability and type of on-campus housing may differ as campuses seek to reduce the number of students in concentrated areas. Students may need to exercise flexibility in the selection of housing or be prepared to find housing off-campus.
• Independent Travel: independent travel outside of the city and/or country in which you are studying will be limited. Country borders may be closed, travel restrictions or quarantine measures may remain in place, and there may be rapid changes to a country’s entry and exit requirements. In addition, host institutions or program providers may have student behavior contracts in place limiting independent travel.  
• Program Excursions and Activities (UPrograms/Seville only): excursions may be altered or canceled to adjust to current health and government recommendations and to support student health and well-being.  
• Quarantine: your semester abroad may include a quarantine period (the most common duration is 2 weeks) upon arrival should this be required by local/regional/national governments, or a quarantine at a later time should you, another student, faculty, staff, or individual with whom you are in contact with be exposed to the coronavirus.  

Petitions for non-UM study abroad programs for spring 2022 are being reviewed on a rolling basis. In their petition, students must provide a valid academic reason for pursuing  a non-UM semester program. Programs located in cities where UM has a program will not be approved. Financial reasons or failing to meet a UM program application deadline are not valid reasons to petition a non-UM study abroad program. 

Given the continued concerns related to travel and mobility, in an abundance of caution, University of Miami leadership, regrettably, has made the decision to suspend all UM Summer 2021 Study Abroad programs. This includes all in-person, virtual, and/or hybrid programs, international and domestic, and is in line with the ongoing University of Miami travel ban which restricts university-sponsored travel for all students, faculty and staff. 

This decision was made in consideration of a number of factors, including, but not limited to: student health and safety, travel restrictions, country-specific entry requirements, impacts to programs on the ground, the potential disruptions of consular support abroad, and the possibility of resurgence in virus cases and the risk of needing to return home early. Additional consideration was given to the potential consequences of international students’ arrival and presence on local healthcare providers in the event of a resurgence of the virus, and this decision reflects the University of Miami community’s responsibility to work to slow the spread of COVID-19 at every possible opportunity. The decision to suspend was made in consultation with senior leadership, legal counsel, public health experts, and risk management. 

Given the continued concerns related to travel and mobility, in an abundance of caution, University of Miami leadership, regrettably, has made the decision to suspend all UM Spring 2021 Study Abroad programs. This includes all in-person, virtual, and/or hybrid programs, international and domestic, and is in line with the ongoing University of Miami travel ban which restricts university-sponsored travel for all students, faculty and staff.

This decision was made in consideration of a number of factors, including, but not limited to: student health and safety, travel restrictions, country-specific entry requirements, impacts to programs on the ground, the potential disruptions of consular support abroad, and the possibility of resurgence in virus cases and the risk of needing to return home early. Additional consideration was given to the potential consequences of international students’ arrival and presence on local healthcare providers in the event of a resurgence of the virus, and this decision reflects the University of Miami community’s responsibility to work to slow the spread of COVID-19 at every possible opportunity. The decision to suspend was made in consultation with senior leadership, legal counsel, public health experts, and risk management.

Spring 2021 applicants can now defer their study abroad plans to Fall 2021, Spring 2022, or withdraw their application completely from study abroad.

Students were provided an electronic form to indicate their preference in the cancellation message that went out on October 27, 2020.  Applicants who are do not complete the form by November 15, 2020 will be withdrawn administratively.

Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor to discuss this in more detail, please visit them during their drop-in hours.

All Fall 2020 study abroad programs have been suspended.  

Despite our strong hope that study abroad would be possible this fall, given the uncertain nature of the global health crisis’s continued effects on both public health and travel between countries, the University of Miami has made the very difficult decision to suspend all study abroad for the Fall 2020 semester.  

This decision was made in consideration of a number of factors, including, but not limited to: student health and safety, rapidly evolving travel restrictions, cessation of visa services, country-specific entry requirements, impacts on academic calendars around the world, and potential consequences of international students’ presence to local healthcare providers’ capacity should there be a resurgence of COVID-19.  

Students who were scheduled to study abroad this fall have been contacted directly with additional information.