Yes, you may apply to more than one type of program, for example, one SJSU Exchange program and one CSU IP program, but you cannot apply to multiple locations within one type of program (e.g., you cannot apply to two different SJSU Exchange programs). However, when you apply for a study abroad program, you can list alternative options in case you are not accepted to your first choice (e.g., if you are applying to a SJSU Exchange, you may list a second or third choice for a SJSU Exchange in case you are not accepted to your first choice).

If you are planning not to use the units toward your graduation requirement and will be officially graduating in May, you can submit your application. If accepted to the program, your enrollment will be categorized as Open University, since the course will run in the summer. Please note that you will not be able to use these units toward another degree program once you are enrolled as an Open University student.

Definitely, as long as your degree permits it and you are able to complete your requirements in time for graduation.

Yes, but the course offerings abroad may not include graduate level courses. Be sure to check this first and consult with your graduate program coordinator about your plans to study abroad. We do have one program specific for graduate students in Occupational Therapy at JAMK in Finland!

Yes! If you are an international student at SJSU and want to study abroad, be sure to speak with an ISSS Advisor before applying. 

Yes, while it is not recommended by some colleges or major advisors, seniors are eligible to study abroad in the final semester of their degree. They would need to make sure they can meet all their graduation requirements through course offerings at the host university. Seniors should plan ahead and work closely with their academic advisors to select the appropriate program and coursework.

Graduating seniors should prepare graduation applications prior to departure for their study abroad program and meet with a graduation evaluator. Students should be aware that it generally takes 2–4 months for host institutions to send the participants’ transcripts to the SJSU Study Abroad and Away office. Some programs can take longer which will cause delays in completing graduation applications. If this is the case, graduating seniors may consider walking in the graduation ceremony even though they will not receive their actual diploma until the following semester because of the delay in transferring grades from abroad.

Yes, you will have to complete two different applications and be accepted into both programs. Many Spartans have done this in the past. 

After being accepted to the program and committing your participation, you will need to pay the non-refundable deposit that will be assessed to your MySJSU. Accepted students will receive the official acceptance email with payment instructions and deadlines for making the deposit. 

Course registration is a 2-step process: 1) Host University: It is important that you follow the instructions in your Spartans Abroad Portal account on when and how to set up an account and register for the course via your host university’s portal. 2) My SJSU: Once the course has the final approval, you will receive an email notifying you when your SSA course registration is open. You will have a specific window of time, from the date of the notice to the stated deadline, to register for your program course online through your MySJSU account. Once you register for the course on your MySJSU account, you will be charged the remainder of the tuition and program fees which you’ll be required to pay by the stated deadline. 

Students will receive an email from the Study Abroad and Away office to enroll in the study abroad placeholder course via MySJSU. They will also enroll in the courses they plan to take abroad at their host university. Some partner universities allow students to register early and courses are confirmed before arrival. Others have students register upon arrival or during the first few weeks of class. Students should have alternate choices for courses in case some classes are not offered. Students should not be registered in courses at SJSU while studying abroad unless they are taking an online SJSU course in addition to classes at their host university. Students are limited to taking a single online course at SJSU while abroad on their semester or year-long program. 

On semester exchanges you can take a maximum of one online course while abroad, however you need to make sure you are enrolled in at least 12 SJSU units at the host university in addition to the online SJSU course.

Students studying abroad can take elective classes as credit/no credit (pass/no pass) ONLY if their host university offers credit/no credit. This does not apply to any classes earning major, minor or GE area credit.

In order to take a class as credit / no credit abroad, you will have to communicate directly with your host university for their academic policies regarding taking elective courses as credit/no credit. SJSU will ONLY honor credit/no credit if it is reflected on the host university transcript and if the course(s) will not count towards major, minor, or GE requirements. 

After you finish your study abroad program, remind your host institution’s International Office that transcripts must be emailed directly from their office to etranscript@sjsu.edu and spartansabroad@sjsu.edu. It is your responsibility to make sure your host university sends your official transcript to SJSU for processing, and the Registrar’s Office will not accept transcripts sent by students. If your host university can only send printed copies, then please have them sent to the below address. 

Vid Raatior or Julie Lucas 
Study Abroad and Away Office
San José State University 
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95112-0221

It typically takes 2-4 months for host universities to report students’ grades to SJSU after their program ends. Once host university transcripts are received and students have submitted the Study Abroad Transcript Processing Request Form and all required Academic Approval Forms to the Study Abroad and Away office, the Study Abroad and Away office will report all courses attempted to the Office of the Registrar, which are then posted to the student’s SJSU academic record as resident credit.

For SJSU Exchanges and CSU IP programs, you have the freedom to choose your own type of housing: apartment, dormitory, etc. based on the options available at your location. For ISEP programs, check the ISEP website for the housing type that is included in the program fee. Housing is guaranteed for most programs and usually located on or off campus! For most Summer School Abroad programs (all but JAMK), housing is arranged by SJSU and the cost is included in the program fee. 

Yes! Both financial aid and scholarships are available for students studying abroad. There are even scholarships specifically for study abroad students! See the Finances page for more information.

Yes. All students are required to enroll in FTIP during the full duration of their study abroad program. You will receive an email from the University Risk Manager once you have been officially enrolled into FTIP and you will be required to complete all other additional enrollment processes including payment on MySJSU (for semester students) and downloading the safety app on your smartphone. More information will be provided to you on your Spartans Abroad Portal once you have been accepted into a study abroad program.

There are many insurance policies out there that you may find through a Google search or can compare on a site like www.insuremytrip.com. One example is through CISI, which offers a continuation of coverage policy for students who are traveling before or after a study abroad program.

To be eligible for a study abroad or away program, students cannot be on academic or disciplinary probation at the beginning of the program*. Students who are applying to a short-term program must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at the time of the application, while semester and year-long students need to have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 by the time of the application.**

Some programs may also require completion of other specific prerequisite courses or a higher GPA. Be sure to review the program requirements listed before applying. 

Faculty-Led Programs (FLPs) differ from semester or year-long study abroad programs in that they may not require some items such as recommendation letters in order to apply. However, some FLPs will have specific prerequisites or requirements.

For example, programs offering SJSU Studies courses in Areas R, S and V will require that applicants have completed all of the course prerequisites at the time of the application submission. These can include:

a. Completion of core General Education (GE) requirements

b. Upper Division Standing 

Please note that all participants must enroll in all listed program courses in order to be eligible to participate in the program. Students are not permitted to repeat any courses they have already taken and passed at SJSU. If you have already passed the program's course(s), you will not be eligible for the program.

*If you are currently on academic or disciplinary probation, you are still eligible to apply, but the probation must end by the time your program begins.

**If your GPA is under 2.5, please contact a Study Abroad and Away Coordinator to discuss your situation.

You can only apply to one program at a time. Therefore, if you wish to participate in more than one program, you will need to contact the Study Abroad and Away (SAA) office directly to discuss this option. If you are planning to enroll in two programs, make sure the program dates do not overlap. Email SAA at spartansabroad@sjsu.edu.

If you are a first year student, we recommend sending an email to spartansabroad@sjsu.edu to let us know which program you are interested in applying for. While there may be programs open to all academic levels, some programs do require applicants to be in upper division standing in order to apply.

Yes! If you are an international student at SJSU and want to study abroad, be sure to speak with an ISSS Advisor before applying. 

Yes, FLPs and ABPs are open to both graduate and undergraduate students. However, please note that many of the courses offered through FLPs are undergraduate courses. You will need to talk with your graduate program coordinator to determine how the course credit would apply to your degree. 

If you are planning to not use the units toward your graduation requirements and will be officially graduating in May (for summer programs) or December (for winter programs), you can submit your application. If accepted to the program, your enrollment will be categorized as Open University, since the course will run in the summer/winter. Please note that you will not be able to use these units toward another degree program once you are enrolled as an Open University student.

Non-matriculated SJSU students can apply to Faculty-Led Programs and will be enrolled as Open University (OU) students upon acceptance. You will go through the same application process. 

If accepted to a program, the Study Abroad and Away office will submit a request for an SJSU ID number to be issued. Once the SJSU ID number is issued, you will be able to activate your SJSU account, register for the course, make your program payment and complete your online pre-departure orientation.

For upper division General Education courses that have prerequisites, you must show proof of having passed equivalent prerequisites. You will also need to complete an additional document, once accepted: Enroll in SJSU Studies and 100W for Non-GE Credit & DO NOT Plan to Matriculate

Do not complete the form above until you are accepted to the program. By completing this form, you agree that should you ever matriculate at SJSU, you may NOT use this course for SJSU Studies credit.

The FLP program leader(s) and Study Abroad and Away office will evaluate the applications. Part of the evaluation process may also include an interview and/or submitting responses to additional questionnaires. Some programs will evaluate applications as they come in, while other programs will review all applications together at one time. No final decisions will be made until after the application deadline. You will be notified of your application decision by the notification deadline, as indicated on the Short-Term Program Deadlines page.

You will be notified of your application decision by the notification deadline, as indicated on the Short-Term Program Deadlines page. If you are accepted to a program, you will receive an official acceptance email from the Study Abroad and Away office with instructions on the next steps of the process, as well as payment deadlines. 

You may be added to the program’s waitlist, depending on program capacity. Accepted students will have a certain period of time to commit to their program and pay their non-refundable deposit. If they choose to withdraw their application or do not complete the required steps, their spot in the program will open up. At that point, program leaders will choose students from their waitlist. If you are waitlisted, check your email for messages about possible openings in the program. If you are waitlisted after the application deadline, the office can work with you individually to help you identify another program.

Students who are not accepted to the program will receive notice from the Study Abroad and Away office, informing them of this decision. Students may be eligible to apply to another program in the future.

Definitely, as long as your degree permits it and you are able to complete your requirements in time for graduation. You will have to complete different applications and be accepted into each program individually. Many Spartans have done this in the past.

After being accepted to the program and committing your participation, you will need to pay the non-refundable deposit. Accepted students will receive the official acceptance email with payment instructions and deadlines for making the deposit.

Once the course has the final approval, you will receive an email notifying you when your FLP course registration is open. You will have a specific window of time, from the date of the notice to the stated deadline, to register for your program course online through your MySJSU account.

Before applying to the program, check with your major advisor to determine whether the FLP course fits in with your program of study (major), and if any academic requirements /prerequisites are required.

In some cases, you may need a special permission number to register if the course falls outside your program of study. Your Program Leader or the Study Abroad and Away office can provide you with the permission number, if needed.

Most FLPs are open to all majors and many fulfill upper division GE requirements. 

FLPs are academic programs and each program is connected to an SJSU course. Participants must be enrolled in the SJSU course(s) in order to participate in the FLP. 

Please note that students are not permitted to repeat any courses they have already taken and passed at SJSU. If you have already passed the program's course(s), you will not be eligible for the program.

Please visit the SJSU Transcripts page for instructions on how to order your transcript online. 

No. ABPs are set up as non-academic opportunities to meet other goals such as cross-cultural or service learning.

The program details pages on the Spartans Abroad Portal list the costs for each program. Click on the “Financial Info” tab to view the cost breakdown. For each program, there is a $300 administrative fee and a tuition fee of $350 per unit (for Faculty-Led Programs); amounts are subject to campus approval. Program fees cover your travel expenses during the program and vary depending on the destination and what is included in the program budget. For most programs, your lodging, some meals, health insurance, class materials and class-related tours/activities will be included.

Airfare to and from your program destination will not be included; you will be responsible for purchasing your own flights but must NOT book until you are instructed to by the Program Leader. Some programs will have airfare included for local flights once you reach your destination or will build most of your on-site expenses into the program's total cost. This can make some programs seem more expensive than other programs. Check the program details pages to see what is included and what you may need to pay for out-of-pocket while on-site. 

Matriculated SJSU students and Open University students will pay the same program cost.

Payment due dates are listed on the Short-Term Programs Deadlines page. Payments are often due 3-4 months prior to the program. There are no payment plans available through the Study Abroad and Away office. If you need to discuss additional options regarding payment, please contact the Bursar’s Office.

Undergraduate students may be able to use their financial aid toward the FLP if they are planning to take a minimum of 6 units during the summer session. This can mean that you will take all 6 units on an FLP or you take a combination of units in an FLP and courses at SJSU in the summer session to amount to 6 total units. Graduate students may be able to use their financial aid toward the program if they are planning to take a minimum of 4 units during the summer session. 

The financial aid disbursed for the summer FLP programs is part of your financial aid award for the academic year (fall and spring), so be sure to save some of your financial aid for the summer if you plan to participate in an FLP. Summer financial aid also requires a separate application process; you can view details about this process here on the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office’s website. Please note that summer aid is not disbursed until June and the payment deadlines for your program will be earlier than this. 

Unfortunately, financial aid is generally not applicable for winter Faculty-Led programs due to the short duration of winter session. However, you may be able to use aid you were allocated for the fall semester that has not already been used.

For more information on financial aid eligibility and the process of allocating your financial aid award toward your FLP, please contact the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office as soon as possible. 

Contact:

Carolyn Guel
Associate Director
Financial Aid & Scholarship Office
408-924-6083
carolyn.guel@sjsu.edu 

ABPs are not eligible for financial aid because they are not credit-bearing programs.

There are many scholarships out there to support students who are studying abroad. Students are encouraged to contact their college directly to see if there are scholarship opportunities for students participating in an FLP. You can find more details about some of the scholarships offered through SJSU colleges/departments or other organizations in the Scholarships section of the website. Make sure to take note of the application deadlines; they are often much earlier than when your program may be taking place. 

Please note that there may be scholarships applicable for ABPs as well, but they may be harder to find, as many scholarships are for credit-bearing programs.

Housing arrangements are typically made for the group and rooms are usually shared with another participant of the same gender. Lodging typically consists of hotels or hostels, but may also include shared apartments or homestays. If you have special requirements, please check with the program leader. You are required to reside in the lodging that is arranged for your program. If you wish to arrive prior to, or stay after, your program dates, you are responsible for making your own lodging arrangements.

If you are traveling to a program located outside of the U.S. and U.S. territories, you are required to enroll in FTIP during the full duration of your program. You will receive an email from the University Risk Manager once you have been officially enrolled into FTIP and you will be required to complete all other additional enrollment processes including downloading the safety app on your smartphone. More information will be provided to you on your Spartans Abroad Portal once you have been accepted into a program. Please note that you will only be covered for the dates of your program; if you are planning additional travel outside of the program dates, you will be responsible for securing additional insurance coverage.

If you are traveling on a program located within the U.S. and U.S. territories, you will not be enrolled in the CSU plan, but you will need to show proof of your own domestic health insurance coverage. 

There are many insurance policies out there that you may find through a Google search or can compare on a site like www.insuremytrip.com. One example is through CISI, which offers a continuation of coverage policy for students who are traveling before or after a study abroad program.