You have committed to your study abroad program and signed a payment contract. What’s next?
Here are the next steps to take in your post-decision phase to get enrolled for the term(s) you will be abroad.
How it works
- You complete the checklist of pre-departure requirements in MyGlobal before the deadline.
- UW Study Abroad enrolls you in a study abroad placeholder course (FSTDY 300 or 303) after the deadline.
- This placeholder course will be replaced with actual UW credits after the completion of the study abroad program.
Benefits of study abroad enrollment
By being enrolled in FSTDY 300 or FSTDY 303, you will:
- Remain enrolled at the UW during your period of study abroad (Concurrent enrollment)
- Maintain your financial aid and scholarship eligibility
- Earn regular, graded UW credit (UW residence credits) while abroad
- Continue deferment of any school-related loans
- Satisfy residency requirements for graduation
- Maintain your F-1 visa status if you are an international student
Note: You will not be eligible to use the IMA, Hall Health, or purchase a U-PASS during the quarters that you study abroad.
Enrollment process
Process overview
The enrollment process for study abroad is different from the UW registration process on-campus.
- You must complete the checklist of pre-departure requirements within your online application in MyGlobal by the deadline specified in your payment contract (also listed below). See the detailed information on the pre-departure requirements below.
- Typically within a week after the deadline, UW Study Abroad enrolls you in a placeholder course called FSTDY 300 or FSTDY 303 for the term you will be abroad.
- You will not register yourself in courses at the UW for the quarter or term you are studying abroad.
- If your program duration spans more than one UW term, you will first be enrolled for your departing term, and then for each subsequent term.
- Participants in Early Fall programs will be enrolled in an FSTDY 303 course.
- Participants in a FRILA – Zero Credit program will be enrolled in an FSTDY 555 course. This is an actual course which will remain on your transcript, not a placeholder course.
- All other participants will be enrolled in an FSTDY 300 course.
- This placeholder course will be replaced with your actual UW courses upon completion of your program.
- Students participating in an exchange, partner, direct enrollment or internship program are responsible for completing the credit conversion process, and the placeholder course will only be replaced once that process is complete.
- For details regarding the credit conversion process, please visit our Receiving credits post-program page.
- Faculty-led program participants do not need to do anything to receive UW credits.
Pre-departure checklist
To be concurrently enrolled at UW during your term(s) abroad, following items on the checklist must be completed by the deadline specified within the payment contract.
- Emergency contact
- Health survey
- Passport
Obtaining or renewing your passport and completing the passport Information questionnaire.
Note: DO NOT enter old passport information. If your passport will arrive after the deadline, please wait to submit your passport questionnaire until your new passport arrives and email studyabroad@uw.edu to avoid a late fee.Important!
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your program ends. You must submit your passport information in MyGlobal well in advance of your departure in order to be enrolled and avoid a late fee. If you do not have a passport or need to renew, we strongly suggest you begin the process as soon as possible. - Personal Travel Agreement
- UW Study Abroad Insurance questionnaire or UW Partner Program Insurance questionnaire
Depending on your program, either UW Student Abroad Insurance questionnaire or UW Partner Program Insurance questionnaire is listed on the checklist. You will also need to download International SOS app and create/activate your account for UW Student Abroad Insurance. - Online pre-departure orientation
Deadlines
The pre-departure requirements must be completed by the deadline specified in the payment contract as follows:
| Early Fall | Autumn | Winter | Spring Break | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1 | August 1 | November 15 | December 15 | February 15 | May 1 |
*This deadline can also be found within your online payment contract.
Enrollment details by program length
- Unless you are taking fewer credits abroad, all students will be enrolled in a 12-credit placeholder course (FSTDY 300), which remains on your registration account throughout the program.
- While you may earn more than 12 credits, only the 12-credit course (minimum full-time enrollment) will appear on MyUW. Your actual courses and credits will be reported upon completion of your program.
- You will be enrolled in the UW quarter equivalent of the term you are abroad. For some programs, these terms will be easily identifiable. For others, it may be more complicated. For semester and year-long exchanges and partner programs, please see the below specifications:
- Autumn Semester – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 only during autumn quarter.
- Autumn Semester (S/A) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during both summer and autumn quarters.
- Autumn Semester (A/W) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during both autumn and winter quarters.
- Spring Semester (Sp/S) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during both spring and summer quarters.
- Spring Semester (W/Sp) –You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during both winter and spring quarters.
- Academic Year (A/W/Sp) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during autumn, winter and spring quarters.
- Academic Year (S/A/W) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during summer, autumn and winter quarters.
- Academic Year (Sp/A/W) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during spring, autumn and winter quarters.
- Academic Year (Sp/S/A) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during spring, summer and autumn quarters.
- Academic Year (W/Sp/A) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during winter, spring and autumn quarters.
- Academic Year (W/Sp/S) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during winter, spring and summer quarters.
- Academic Year (S/A/W/Sp) – You will be enrolled in FSTDY 300 during summer, autumn, winter and spring quarters.
- Participants in short-term programs (Spring Break, Early Fall, Summer-A, or Summer-B terms) will be enrolled in an FSTDY 300 course (or FSTDY 303 for Early Fall) based on the anticipated number of credits (e.g., 5, 6, or 8 credits).
- Your actual courses and credits will be reported upon completion of your program.
Things to know before enrollment
- UW Study Abroad cannot enroll you in the placeholder course if you have a registration hold.
- You should receive written notification from the department placing the hold on the student record. This hold will appear on MyUW as well.
- A registration hold can be placed on your account if you have overdue charges or have not completed your Title IX course. It can also be placed on your account for other reasons.
- If you are enrolled in health sciences academic programs and you haven’t satisfied your immunization requirements, you can have a registration hold placed on your account.
- UW Study Abroad cannot determine the exact reason why you have a registration hold. It is your responsibility to resolve the issue and have the hold removed.
- For details, please visit the Office of University Registrar’s Policies & Procedures page.
- UW Study Abroad cannot enroll you if you have not completed your pre-departure requirements. If you do not complete your pre-departure requirements by the deadline, you will incur a $100 late fee.
- Please DO NOT register yourself for your study abroad program.
- UW Study Abroad will enroll you in the placeholder credit AFTER the pre-departure requirement deadline, typically within a week. You will not see the placeholder course on MyUW before the deadline. If you need to be enrolled before the deadline for any reason, including financial aid, please email studyabroad@uw.edu.
- UW Study Abroad will not notify you with a registration confirmation, so you will need to check your MyUW to confirm that you have been registered.
- Please DO NOT drop the placeholder credit.
In case you have to withdraw from your study abroad program, you have the option of registering for on-campus UW courses for the quarter or term you plan to study abroad. If you then study abroad, you must drop the UW courses by the 7th calendar day of the quarter to avoid an “RD” grade on your transcript and a $20 Change of Registration fee. Failing to drop the courses by this deadline may result in tuition forfeiture in addition to UW Study Abroad and program fees. For details, please visit the Office of the University Registrar’s page.
Registering for your returning quarter at UW
If you will return to the UW the quarter immediately following your study abroad, your status as a UW student will not be interrupted. Students are not required to be enrolled during summer quarter to maintain status. You will register yourself (through the normal MyUW process) for the returning quarter while you are abroad. Remember to take into account time zone differences.
What you should know before you leave
Since you need to access MyUW while you are abroad, it is important to install Duo Mobile on your mobile device and enroll it ahead of your travel time for two-factor authentication if you haven’t done so. While most devices and sign-in options may be used outside the United States, the “Call Me” option only works with phone numbers in the US (and parts of Canada). Please visit the UW IT’s Two-factor authentication page for details.
If your classification status (e.g. junior or senior standing) at UW will change based upon your credits earned while abroad and you need your class standing adjusted for pre-registration purposes, please email studyabroad@uw.edu with the anticipated number of credits that you will complete by the end of your study abroad.
If you are participating in an Early Fall program and you are a financial aid recipient, you must register for at least 10 credits for undergraduate students and 5 credits for graduate students when you return to campus autumn quarter.
Frequently asked questions
Students who complete pre-departure requirements will be enrolled after the enrollment deadline which is outlined in the table above and in your payment contract. If you don’t see the placeholder credit in MyUW within a week from the deadline, please contact our office.
This is a placeholder course for your study abroad program. You are enrolled in this placeholder credit because you have completed all the pre-departure requirements for your study abroad. After your study abroad program, actual UW credit will replace this placeholder. DO NOT drop this course.
All study abroad students will be enrolled in a FSTDY placeholder credit for 12 credits, and this placeholder credit will later be replaced with the actual UW course numbers and credit amounts upon completion of your study abroad program.