Advisers

UW Study Abroad and Advisers: Our Partnership with You

Advisers are the most important partners for UW Study Abroad. You are often a first point of contact for students interested in study abroad so it’s good to know the landscape of study abroad at UW.

You play an essential role in providing guidance to students on how study abroad might affect their path and timeline to graduation. For students, study abroad means brining into alignment their life, their academics, and their finances: for the academic part, you are indispensable.

You don’t need to know a lot about study abroad to be a welcoming and supportive resource for your students. So we have put together some key information and resources. We hope this page is helpful for you.

Thank you for your partnership – and for supporting UW students in this potentially transformational experience!

Questions? Suggestions? Please reach out directly to Wolf Latsch (Director of UW Study Abroad) at latsch@uw.edu

Five Things To Know About Study Abroad

Any UW student in good academic standing can participate in study abroad. There are no restrictions in terms of class standing or having a major. Exceptions apply in cases of academic or other misconduct. Students can study abroad more than once.
Students go on study abroad to meet General Education requirements, major requirements, and/or to earn elective credit towards their 180 credit minimum. Most students do not earn major credit while on study abroad, but some do especially on major-specific programs. This is true especially of STEM majors: there are not many study abroad programs offering upper-level STEM credits, in many case because of the need for labs or other specialized teaching spaces.
Most study abroad programs do not have any academic prerequisites and do not require proficiency in a foreign language. But some study abroad programs are open, or give priority, only to students in specific departments or majors.
Most study abroad programs are aimed at undergraduate students but will consider applications from graduate students. Graduate students tend to have fewer opportunities to study abroad due to their shorter degree programs, or the absence of the right kinds of credits on most programs.
Any application requirements or restrictions are listed in the program brochure. We can advise and support students who require academic, medical, or physical accommodations while traveling abroad. We also support the health & safety of all student travelers through our required global travel insurance and our 24/7 emergency line.
For students, ‘making study abroad work’ means bringing their lives, their academics, and their finances into alignment in the right way. Only an academic adviser (especially in a student’s home department) can provide the right guidance and advice on the academic piece by running DARS audits and talking to a student about their academic and graduation plans and timelines.
UW Study Abroad advises students on the different kinds of study abroad programs, upcoming programs, the application process, costs and funding, and the potential fit between program and student. We offer online advising appointments for general questions, for specific program types, and for funding and money questions.

Faculty-led Programs are designed and built by UW faculty, sponsored by UW departments, and managed & supported by UW Study Abroad. We offer around 100 of them every year. They vary in length from 10 days (Spring Break) to 3 weeks (Early Fall) to 4 weeks (Summer A or B) to full-quarter 10-week programs in Autumn, Winter and Spring. Some programs give priority to majors in the sponsoring department but most programs are open to all applicants. This is our most popular program type. A small number of faculty-led programs every year stay within the United States.
Rome in Residence is a offered at the UW Rome Center. Students choose from 6-7 UW courses to create their own quarter-long 15-credit program. All the courses are about Rome and include Art History & Archeology, Architecture, Food Cultures of Italy, Italian 101, Travel Writing (for Composition credit), and all our instructors are based in Rome. Rome in Residence is offered in Autumn, Winter, and Spring.
Exchange Programs enable students to study at one of the UW’s many partner universities abroad. These are our longest and most independent programs. They attract students interested in foreign language acquisition or a more immersive and independent experience. Students go for one semester or for 2 semesters/full academic year (most universities abroad run on semesters which count as 1.5 UW quarters each). Autumn semester means that students are away for UW’s Autumn quarter; Spring semester means that students are away for UW’s Winter and Spring quarters. Some exchange programs are offered through individual UW departments with priority for students in specific majors. All our exchange programs offer courses in English.
Partner Programs are created and offered by external study abroad providers. They are vetted and approved by UW Study Abroad. Major providers include CIEE, IES, CET and SIT. Programs are available in a wide variety of locations and disciplines, and some also offer internships. Many partner programs are semester-long. Some partner programs are focused on acquiring foreign language proficiency.
We also support students who undertake Fieldwork, Research and Independent Learning Abroad (FRILA); this program type is mainly for graduate or professional students undertaking essential work towards their degrees.
We also offer a number of Global Internships for credit. These give students the opportunity to explore workplaces and careers outside of the United States.
If a student finds their own study abroad opportunity, and the program is not offered by UW Study Abroad, they can petition to have that program reviewed by us. As part of this Unaffiliated Programs Petition the student will make a case for participation which has to be endorsed by an adviser of faculty member in their department.

Application deadlines for studying abroad during a particular quarter (or semester) are a lot earlier than registration deadlines for on-campus classes. Students should know that trying to go on study abroad ‘next quarter’ (or even the one after that) is often not possible. ‘Around 6 months before departure’ is a good rule of thumb for the majority of programs.
Deadlines for exchange programs are the furthest out: applications are typically due 6-9 months before a program begins, and up to 11 months in the case of universities in Japan.
Application deadlines for faculty-led programs are around 6 months before the program departs.
Application deadlines for partner programs are typically 3-6 months before the program start date. This makes partner programs a good option for students on a tighter timeline.
Students can always check programs that are currently open for applications by visiting our ‘Upcoming Programs’ page. Sometimes deadlines are extended so that’s always worth checking.
To withdraw from a study abroad program students must complete and submit a Withdrawal Request via their program application. Students who are no longer able to participate due to a change in financial circumstances, their medical situation, a death in the family, or other unusual or extenuating circumstances, can petition UW Study Abroad for Emergency Withdrawal. If approved this may allow complete or partial relief from their financial obligations.

Academic advisers play an essential role in providing guidance to students on how study abroad might affect their path and timeline to graduation, and how study abroad credits might work for a student’s degree/s. Students often have to consult with advisers in more than one department if their study abroad credit crosses disciplines.
Students on our programs stay enrolled full-time at UW while they are abroad. A ‘foreign study’ placeholder (FSTDY 300) is placed on their transcript and stays there until their post-return credit conversion has been completed. This placeholder is not necessarily related to the actual amount of UW credits that will eventually show up on the transcript. All study abroad credit converts to specific UW credits which can be used to meet Areas of Inquiry or other Gen Ed or major requirements in the same way as credits earned on campus. All study abroad credits are resident credits: this is important to know if a student decides to study abroad during their last 60 credits at UW.
Faculty-led programs promise specific UW credit which automatically appears on the student’s transcript after program grades have been submitted. No post-return credit conversion required: UW Study Abroad reports these courses and grades directly to GARS.
On exchange programs and partner programs students earn credit awarded by the host institution or the partner provider’s school of record. UW Study Abroad receives transcripts with final credit and grade information directly from host institutions or partner providers. Before considering or committing to an exchange program or a partner program students should share details about their planned study abroad courses with their advisers and/or specific departments, to determine in advance if specific or general UW credits might be awarded upon return.
In some cases, students may not know exactly what classes they will register for in advance. In this case, it is helpful to set expectations that there is no guarantee how their credits will transfer back to UW.
UW Study Abroad enters credit and grade information in our electronic Credit Evaluation Form. Students share this form with advisers in relevant departments to initiate the process of converting foreign credit to UW credit.
The decision to award specific credit for a study abroad program, and which type of credit to award, lies entirely with academic advisers and academic departments. It is the responsibility of students to communicate with advisers about this process. Many departments have generic study abroad course numbers which can be used to convert any credits that do not correspond to a specific course. On credit conversion we completely defer to you and to academic departments!
See our UW Study Abroad Credit Conversion Guide for Advisers for more information.
It might also be helpful to watch the video we share with students on how to initiate and complete the credit conversion process on their end (about 17 minutes).

Students on study abroad programs do not pay UW tuition. Instead they pay program fees, and an administrative fee to UW Study Abroad (which is a self-sustaining unit). All students abroad are covered by international medical insurance and emergency assistance which is an additional cost. Students are responsible for the costs of travel to and from the program and any visa costs and personal expenses.
UW Study Abroad can provide all students with estimates of the total cost of their study abroad program. This includes the program fee as well as estimated living expenses and travel costs.
On faculty-led programs and partner programs all participants pay the same program fee regardless of their residency status. This program fee covers instruction and housing as well as any excursions or field trips and, depending on the destination, some or most meals.
Students on year-long exchange programs pay a program fee equivalent to their UW tuition, which depends on their residency status. Students on a semester-long exchange pay a program fee equivalent to 1.5 quarters of their current UW tuition to account for the adjusted credits. They do not pay tuition to the host institution. Students pay the host institution directly for housing and students cover their own costs of living.
Students may be able to use their financial aid to pay for study abroad (they submit revision requests to OSFA to cover any additional costs). UW Study Abroad also awards scholarships based on a student’s financial need: students simply indicate on their study abroad application that they want to be considered for a scholarship. Many departments and offices across the university also offer awards or scholarships for study abroad.
UW Study Abroad offers information, resources and advising about paying for study abroad. For questions about study abroad financial planning students should make an advising appointment with UW Study Abroad
Students should also check with the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA) for information and advising about other scholarships.

Notes on Particular Student Types

Transfer students are highly encouraged to study abroad as early as possible! Potentially even before transferring to UW. Our programs range from 10 days to a year long, so transfer students are still able to include study abroad in their degree plans with proper preparation. Many students also partake in summer, Spring Break, or Early Fall programs even if they are unable to study abroad in the traditional academic year.

International students who wish to study abroad during their programs are encouraged to do so. There are some key considerations to think about when planning to study abroad.

Students wishing to maintain their F-1 status should be enrolled full-time (12 credits for undergraduate students, 10 credits for graduate students).
Students who do not enroll full-time may wish to request a leave of absence or take a vacation quarter.
When students come back to the U.S. to resume their studies at UW, they’ll need to make sure that they have a valid F-1 visa. If the visa is expired, they must renew it before traveling back to Seattle. They should also check the validity of their travel signature before making plans to return to the U.S.
Many study abroad programs follow the semester system. If you choose a spring semester study abroad program, for example, you’d be outside the U.S. for winter and spring quarters at the UW. The credits for your study abroad program would need to transfer back so that you are full time for both quarters which requires 24 UW credits.
If you’re considering studying abroad, International Student Services (ISS) and the Study Abroad Office recommend that international students choose to do so during winter and spring quarters. These quarters offer the smoothest transition for international students. While it is possible to do so, studying abroad in their final quarter can present challenges to their immigration status. We recommend students to consult with an ISS advisor.

Depending on learning goals, UW graduate students can participate in faculty-led programs, exchanges, international internships or independent learning (FRILA). Graduate students are welcome to join these programs, as long as their graduate adviser approves.

Our Fieldwork, Research & Independent Learning Abroad (FRILA) program, formerly known as “Independent Learning Abroad”, allows graduate students to undertake degree-related international travel (whether for credit or not) while being fully enrolled at UW, covered by insurance abroad, and supported by UW Global Travel Health & Safety to ensure their health & safety. Graduate students can email us at studyabroad@uw.edu to find out more about this process.

Students under age 18 can absolutely study abroad! They will need to have their parent/guardian’s permission to travel internationally before they are 18. For students who can’t or aren’t comfortable traveling internationally, UW offers domestic programs as well, even some in Washington state. Finally, opportunities exist for a period of one week to one year so students and families can find an opportunity that works for their needs.

The UW Study Abroad Office encourages all students who meet program eligibility requirements to study abroad as part of their UW degree. If a student wants to study abroad, but anticipates barriers to participation due to a disability or health concerns, they should discuss their personal needs and concerns with a program manager early on. A program manager can:

Work closely with the student to identify program options that match their interests.
Coordinate with the student, UW Disability Student Resources, and program staff abroad to arrange reasonable accommodations to meet their personal needs and concerns.
Connect the student to both UW and external resources for additional information and support.

Although the UW Study Abroad Office cannot guarantee that any or all its program sites can accommodate every specific need and situation, we will do our best to inform students about their options abroad and assist with planning. Students can email us at studyabroad@uw.edu to talk about programs of interest, or contact DRS with questions.

To Request UW Accommodations:

Disability Resources for Students Office
011 Mary Gates
Box 352808
Seattle, WA 98195-2808
uwdrs@uw.edu
206-543-8924 (Voice)
206-543-8925 (TTY)
206-616-8379 (Fax)