Study Abroad Application Process

Study Abroad students and their faculty director stand with a #UDAbroad flag in Dubai

Study Abroad Application Process

Program Selection

UD annually offers 100+ Study Abroad programs in over 40 countries, 4 seasons and nearly every academic discipline. 

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Eligibility

All UD students and students from other institutions are eligible to apply for study abroad. Applicants must have at least a 2.0 GPA at the time of applying in order to be considered, although the minimum GPA required for specific programs may be much higher.

Students with disabilities

The University of Delaware is committed to diversity and welcomes students with disabilities to participate in international programs.  Please read the program descriptions or contact the faculty director about concerns while on a Study Abroad program. Due to varying regulations in different parts of the world, it is important to discuss accommodation requirements before you apply for a program; we cannot always guarantee that the same accommodations available in the United States will be available while you are abroad. If you have a disability related need for a modification or reasonable accommodation while studying abroad, please contact The Office of Disability Support Services located at 325 Academy Street, Suite 161, Perkins Student Center, email: dssoffice@udel.edu, phone:  302-831-4643.

DACA Students

Students who are not U.S. citizens and who are in the U.S. under the auspices of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) are welcome to apply for, and to participate in, UD travel study programs, both domestically and abroad. DACA students wishing to study abroad must apply for and receive "Advance Parole" from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in order to leave and re-enter the U.S. for educational  purposes. However, advance parole does not guarantee subsequent admission into the United States, as the inspecting U.S. immigration official may, at his or her discretion, deny parole at the port-of-entry. In addition, given that the DACA program is not a law, but rather a policy decision of the U.S. federal executive branch which can be amended, discontinued or revoked at any time, we urge students to proceed with caution when deciding to leave the U.S., and to consult first with an immigration attorney before making any commitments to travel.  More information about DACA and participation in study abroad can be found on this resource page of the NAFSA Association of International Educators.

Application Process

After choosing a program, carefully read the program webpage to make sure you understand your costs, deadlines and requirements. Consult with your academic advisor, apply for your passport and begin preparing to finance your study abroad. 

International students should also schedule an appointment to meet with their Immigration advisor and read the following additional information. 

Non-UD students, complete the Quick Bio Form to create a record in the UD system. Remember your username and password/PIN, which you will use to log into the study abroad application later. Ask your institution to send a copy of your official transcript to: Center for Global Programs & Services, Elliott Hall, 26 E. Main Street, Newark, DE 19716.

 

Gather the following 5 pieces of information. The on-line application requires biographical and personal information, all of which will be kept confidential.

  • Current GPA;

  • Passport details; 

  • Health insurance policy name and number;

  • List of current medications; and

  • List of judicial infractions from UD, the City of Newark or any other institution.*

* It is your responsibility to honestly disclose your judicial history in your online application and interview. CGPS will conduct a comprehensive judicial review after you have been offered acceptance. Acceptance can be revoked for withholding or misrepresenting your record.

Submit your complete study abroad application well before the program’s application deadline. In addition to the biographical information above, you will be asked to complete short-answer questions and some programs may require additional materials. Carefully read your program’s website for details.

The form takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Once you submit, your application is considered final. If you have difficulty completing the form, please contact our office for help. 

Given that some programs are competitive, UD allows students to apply to two programs for a term. To do so, log into your current application and click the “Start a New Application” button.  You will be asked to rank your 1st/2nd choice, which will be kept confidential.  Your rankings are important, as you may only be officially accepted to one program. Should both programs wish to include you in their groups, you will be offered acceptance and considered for a scholarship to only your 1st choice - and CGPS will automatically withdraw your application from your 2nd choice. 

 

After you have submitted your application, ask a professor to recommend you. Your recommendation should come from a faculty member (or – for foreign language programs – a foreign language teaching assistant) who is familiar with you and your work. One recommendation is required for all applicants, but you are welcome to ask multiple professors to recommend you.  Your recommendation(s) will be used in both the acceptance process and scholarship consideration. 

It is important to know that your professor will not be able to access the recommendation form until you have submitted your application. 

Remember, it is your responsibility to make sure your recommendation has been received by 5 p.m. on your program’s application deadline.

After submitting your application and securing a faculty recommendation, please monitor your email and wait to be contacted for an interview. Some programs conduct interviews on a rolling basis, while others wait until after the application deadline. A few programs choose not to interview their applicants at all. Trust that you will be contacted by the faculty director or program coordinator at the appropriate time. 

Come to the interview prepared to discuss why you'd like to participate and what you are expecting from the program.

Acceptance Process

For our Fall and Spring programs, Study Abroad Coordinators make acceptance decisions based on GPA, recommendations, judicial record and the interview. Depending on the site and program, students may be evaluated on language ability, past coursework and major/minor requirements. Study Abroad providers may also require additional interviews to determine eligibility for their individual programs.

For our Winter and Summer programs, individual faculty directors make acceptance decisions. Faculty directors will live and work with the students 24/7 once abroad, and are therefore best suited to select the students for their group. 

While each faculty director may determine their own acceptance criteria, GPA, judicial violations, majors, minors and demonstrated interest may be considered. If you have questions about acceptance criteria for a Winter or Summer Session program, please contact the faculty director.

If you applied to more than one program in the same term, your application asked you to rank your preference. If your preference has changed, be sure to log in to your application (select “Application Form,” and the “Program Rank” tab) to edit your first choice. You must do this before the program’s application deadline. Changes in preference will not be permitted after this date. 

Should the faculty directors from both programs wish to include you in their groups, you will be offered a spot only to your first choice. CGPS will automatically withdraw your application from your second choice. Should you be offered a spot on your second-choice program and waitlisted for your first-choice program, you will be dropped from your first-choice program, as students are not permitted to be accepted and waitlisted simultaneously for two programs in the same term. Our goal is to place as many students as possible into programs.  Students are permitted to remain on two waitlists and may be offered a spot on either program as openings arise.

Study Abroad Application Process | University of Delaware

Questions? 

Contact us at (302) 831-2852 or studyabroad@udel.edu to set up an appointment with an advisor.

Once Accepted

Once accepted, you will receive an email from the Center for Global Programs & Services detailing information on your CGPS scholarships (if applicable), program costs and next steps. 

If you plan to participate in your program, there is no need to respond to this first email. Instead, get started with program-related tasks. CGPS and/or your faculty director will communicate with you about these items. You can also find complete checklists for Winter/Summer Session and Fall/Spring Programs online. You are responsible for completing everything on these checklists.

Withdrawals

If you would like to withdraw from your program, you have three calendar days to do so without a financial penalty. 

We begin making non-refundable payments to program vendors once you have been accepted. Refunds of the program fee are at the sole discretion of CGPS. If you withdraw your application after the three-day grace period, you will be responsible for a $500 withdrawal penalty and all costs that have been spent or committed on your behalf. If those costs exceed the portion of the program fee and/or UD tuition that you have already paid, you will be responsible for paying the difference, up to the cost of the entire program fee and full UD tuition.

To withdraw an application, log in to the Study Abroad Portal, click the "My Checklist" link next to the application you would like to remove, click "Request to Withdraw this Application" and complete the form. Then click the “Start a New Application” button to apply to another program.

Payments

Once officially accepted to your program, CGPS will post the full program fee and tuition/fees to your UD student account. An initial payment of $1,000 will be due within 10 days of acceptance. 

All payments should be submitted through My Finances in UDSIS. All charges, once posted to your account, are considered non-refundable. The balance of the program fee and tuition/fees will be due the semester or term before you travel (see dates posted on your bills). 

Any scholarships will appear as Pending Aid in your My Finances and are applied to your remaining balance after you have paid the initial $1,000 deposit. Your remaining amount owed can be found in the “Balance” column. 

SFS Strongly recommends that you pay monthly. However, you are not required to pay on the provided installment schedule. If you need to submit a payment for a different amount, submit it here. Log into My Finances after 2-3 business days to confirm that the payment correctly credited to Travel Study. If it did not credit correctly, call SFS (302-831-2126).

Whatever is not paid will be your “final balance.” You will receive a bill for the final balance in the weeks before your departure.

Cancellations 

CGPS reserves the right to cancel a program at any time due to under-enrollment, safety, health, or security issues, staffing issues or any other relevant reason. If your program is cancelled, you will receive a full refund of all program fees paid.

 

The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence. For inquiries or complaints related to non-discrimination policies, please contact: Fatimah Stone, Interim Director, Institutional Equity & Title IX Coordinator, 305 Hullihen Hall, Newark, DE 19716, 302-831-8063, fstone@udel.edu. For complaints related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact: Anne L. Jannarone, M.Ed., Ed.S., Director, Office of Disability Support Services, Alison Hall, Suite 130, Newark, DE 19716, 302-831-4643, ajannaro@udel.edu OR contact the U.S. Department of Education - Office for Civil Rights.

 

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Photo taken by Travis Plystak on the 19W Dubai CIEG study abroad program.