Inbound Exchanges: Graduate

Students must use the following application codes in the Graduate Application System. Students who fail to do so will need to resubmit their entire application.

SDU Denmark; Salzburg U.; Leipzig U.: ND9906 (Global Exchange Partnerships) 
U. Sevilla, Spain: ND5229 (Spanish) 

Students apply on-line through Ohio University's Graduate College. Click “Apply Now” at the bottom of the page. Application fees are waived and no GRE scores are required. If students pay the application fee by accident, it will not be refunded.

All materials except for the Certificate of Good Standing and letters of recommendation should be uploaded to the application electronically by the deadline. Click “Applicants” on the sidebar and select “Upload Supplemental Application Materials.”

OHIO UNIVERSITY IS LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES (STATE OF OHIO). BY PROVIDING INFORMATION TO OHIO UNIVERSITY, YOU ARE TRANSFERRING YOUR PERSONAL DATA TO THE UNITED STATES. IF YOU ARE PROVIDING PERSONAL INFORMATION AND ARE NOT A RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, YOUR COUNTRY’S LAWS GOVERNING DATA COLLECTION AND USE MAY DIFFER FROM THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE UNITED STATES HAS NOT SOUGHT NOR RECEIVED A FINDING OF “ADEQUACY” FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION UNDER ARTICLE 45 OF THE GDPR, AND OHIO UNIVERSITY RELIES ON THE DEROGATIONS FOR SPECIFIC SITUATIONS AS SET FORTH IN ARTICLE 49(A) OF THE GDPR. BY PROVIDING PERSONAL DATA TO OHIO UNIVERSITY YOU, AS DATA SUBJECT, EXPRESSLY CONSENT TO THE PROPOSED TRANSFER AFTER HAVING BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBLE RISKS OF SUCH TRANSFERS FOR THE DATA SUBJECT.

Send original documents when required

• Certificate of Good Standing: Completed by the Director of the international office at the home institution. Must email the form directly to the OHIO inbound exchange coordinator (globalaffairs@ohio.edu). The Certificate of Good Standing is available online at the Graduate College website.
• Academic Transcripts: When prompted, upload a copy of home university transcripts online. Do not send original transcripts or certificates. These are not required and will not be returned.
• English Language Proficiency: See below.
• Passport copy: Upload one copy of the student’s personal information and photo page.
• Financial Affidavit: Applicants must submit proof that they have sufficient funds for their stay in the U.S. The dollar amount listed in the affidavit must correspond to, at minimum, the dollar amount listed for students in the graduate student expense estimate provided by OHIO. A template bank letter is provided. A template sponsor form is available.   
• OHIO Courses: Applicants must submit a list of 8-10 of the OHIO courses they are interested in taking. NOTE: When compiling the exchange course list, use the corresponding semester of the previous year in OHIO's course offerings. Course offerings are subject to change.
• Letters of recommendation: Two academic letters of recommendation are required for most exchanges. Students from U. of Sevilla and Salzburg U. must provide three letters of recommendation. The letter writer may email all letters to the Office of Global Affairs (globalaffairs@ohio.edu).
• Statement of interest: Submit a 1-2 page personal statement, covering background and interest in this exchange and OHIO.
• Residency Declaration: Submit a statement answering the question “What is your country legal permanent residence?” Please include full name as appears on passport. Sign and date.
• Additional documents: Students from U. of Sevilla and Salzburg U. must further submit a resume/CV and a statement of interest in both English and the native language. Advisors, please contact OGA if you have questions about specific departmental requirements.

NOTE: Missing documents or incomplete applications will delay the application process. Exchange student applicants should always work with the international advisor or exchange program coordinator at the home university to ensure that the application is complete and all required documents are provided.

International advisors or exchange program coordinators are asked to provide notice that all application materials for Exchange student applicant(s) have been reviewed, confirmed, and successfully submitted by email to globalaffairs@ohio.edu.

Official TOEFL or IELTS test scores are required for non-native English speakers. No other proof of English language proficiency will be accepted. Visit: https://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apply/international-students/english-prof… for details on the OHIO English proficiency policy. Students must fulfill these requirements in order to take academic courses at OHIO.

Official scores must be reported directly from the testing agency to OHIO. The OHIO institutional code for TOEFL is 1593. Scans or hard copy result pages are not accepted.

OHIO operates on the semester system. The academic year begins with fall semester. Each semester consists of 14 weeks of classes and one week of exams. Few graduate courses are offered during the summer sessions and most OHIO students leave Athens. Consequently, we discourage exchange students from attending during summer. 

The OHIO academic calendar is available on-line at: ohio.edu/registrar/calendar. The tentative academic calendar for 2023-2024 is:

• Fall semester: August 28– December 16, 2023
• Spring semester: January 16– May 04, 2024

Tentative arrival dates for graduate students are August 22, 2023 for fall semester and January 10, 2024 for spring semester. Arrival dates are confirmed in students’ welcome packets. Do not book airfare prior to receiving a letter of admissions and confirming arrival dates. 

Exchange students apply for J1 visa status. Upon admission, a DS2019 immigration document is requested at OHIO for the student. The processing time is 2-4 weeks. The DS2019 and the official admission letter will be sent to the student in care of the international office at the home university. Upon receipt, check the document carefully and notify OGO immediately if mistakes are found. 

For more information on visa application and visa requirements, please see ohio.edu/international-student-scholar-services/visa-information.

U.S. immigration regulations require that students enroll full-time while they are in the U.S. At OHIO this means that graduate students with a tuition stipend are required to register for a minimum of 15 semester credits per term in classes at 5000 level or higher. This typically equals 4 courses. Online courses do not qualify.

Graduate students, who will receive a stipend for a teaching assistantship or graduate assistantship, register for a minimum of 12 semester credits in classes at 5000 level or higher.  

All international students are automatically enrolled in the OHIO Student Health Insurance. Students will be automatically billed for the cost of the insurance plan after they arrive in Athens. A waiver may be requested, but because of the strict federal and local policy coverage requirements, it is most frequently denied.

Information and costs of this insurance plan can be found on-line at: ohio.edu/student-insurance. 

Graduate exchange students are welcome to live in OHIO's residence halls. This is convenient if staying only one semester. Note that the typical age of the student population in OHIO’s residence halls is between 18-21. Between academic semesters when classes are not in session, regular on-campus housing closes and all students are asked to move out until classes resume for the next semester. Interim housing is available between semesters for a fee.

It is the student’s responsibility to reserve and confirm permanent and interim housing. Housing information is available on-line at the OHIO Housing website. Further directions are sent to admitted students. 

Airport: The closest and most convenient airport to Athens is the John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

Transport to Athens: Please refer to ohio.edu/international-student-scholar-services and ISSS communications for most current transportation offerings.  

Exchange students are required to attend an on-campus orientation for international students. The orientation program cost is $150, billed to student's OHIO accounts. The orientation requires students to arrive 1-2 weeks prior to semester start. Orientation dates will be published 1-2 months before arrival at ohio.edu/international-student-scholar-services/orientation-information. 

Students register for courses upon arrival during orientation. Pre-registration is not available. Each student is assigned an academic advisor to help with registration and academic course concerns. Courses may be full, cancelled or unavailable to incoming exchange students. Students should be flexible and have a broad set of course interests. 

Access to course information is available on-line. Be sure to check course offerings for the correct semester and do not use the comprehensive course catalog as many courses are not offered each semester. 

Students should be fully aware of the cost involved in exchange participation at OHIO at the time of application. For details on expected costs, refer to the provided expense estimate for graduate students. 

Graduate exchange students will receive an instructional (“tuition”) fee waiver, covering the per-semester instructional fees at OHIO. This “tuition waiver” does not cover general fees. Graduate exchange students are responsible for paying general fees each semester they study at OHIO. Students from most partner universities are additionally responsible for paying a $150 International Student Orientation fee.

Housing and meal plan fees are available online.  

Participation in study abroad and exchange programs during COVID-19 involves real and potential personal, financial and academic risk. At this time, Ohio University cannot promise a “normal” exchange experience for incoming students. During the pandemic, Ohio University has remained open, however many courses are currently offered only in hybrid or online formats. Students must be flexible concerning all parts of their exchange experience including housing, course selection and general scheduling. Cancellation of programs with short notice is possible. Please read and stay informed concerning COVID-19 news at ohio.edu/coronavirus