Passport

Everyone who travels abroad requires a valid passport or travel document. If you do not already have a passport, now is a good time to get one. If you do have a passport, make certain that it is valid until at least six months after the end of your proposed study abroad program. If you hold a U.S. travel document, make sure that you comply with all requirements. Please consult the Department of State website for full details about passport and travel document regulations.

Visa

Visa requirements vary from country to country, and regulations change.

Every country in which Baruch students have traveled abroad over the last few years requires a visa for students holding U.S. passports who spend a semester or longer there. Some countries do not require special visas for U.S. citizens on short term programs. If you do not hold a U.S. passport, you are required to follow the procedures for the citizens of your country.

Whatever passport you hold, if you plan to study abroad you should consult the consular services section of the Embassy of the country in which you wish to study, and with the sponsor of your Study Abroad Program. You are responsible for knowing and fulfilling all procedures for obtaining any visas that are required to study abroad. The Study Abroad Office will help you obtain any official documentation you require from Baruch College regarding your visa application. You can locate the consulates in New York City by going to local.com and entering "consulate" in the what box, and "New York" in the where box.

The Baruch Study Abroad Office is your main point of contact

All applications to study abroad are made through the Baruch College Study Abroad Office. No student will be issued a Study Abroad Permit without first applying for one through the Study Abroad Office. We should be the first stop you make when considering study abroad, the last stop you make before your departure, and the place you come for many stops in between. We are here to advise you and to help you complete the application process as efficiently as possible. Visit us early and often. We have posted walk-in office hours when you can meet with a Study Abroad Advisor, or you can call to set up an appointment if you cannot make it to the office during the walk-in office hours. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Back to the top

Application Deadlines

All students who wish to study abroad must submit a completed Application to Study Abroad in addition to any applications that a program sponsor may require. Please note the following deadlines to submit your Application to Study Abroad:

October 1: For January Intersession and Spring Semester programs.

March 15: For Summer Session and Fall Semester programs.

You should check with the sponsor of the program you wish to study on and be sure to meet its application deadlines.

Credit for Study Abroad

At Baruch College, credit for study abroad is awarded strictly on the basis of course equivalencies. What this means is that for any course you take at a foreign university or study abroad program, you must find a course offered at Baruch that closely matches (i.e., is equivalent to) the foreign university course in terms of content and academic level. The specific course equivalency may be either for departmental or for general elective credit. The procedure for obtaining approval for course equivalencies is simple and straightforward, if you follow the instructions outlined in the study abroad application procedure.

Depending on the program, the courses you take abroad will be recorded as transfer credit or as "GPA credit," i.e., you will receive a grade for the course that will be factored into your Baruch grade point average. Basically, any course you take abroad for which you pay CUNY tuition, and which is listed by the sponsoring CUNY college as part of its normal curriculum, will be entered as GPA credit, and the grade you receive will be recorded. All other study abroad programs award transfer credit only. To earn transfer credit, you must receive the equivalent of at least a "C" (undergraduate) or "B" (graduate). For example, if you enroll in the Winter Intersession program at the Lorenzo de' Medici/Art Institute of Florence sponsored by the College of Staten Island, you will receive a CSI transcript with the grades recorded on them. These grades will be factored into your GPA. If, however, you study on the Baruch exchange to Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, you would only receive transfer credit for the courses you complete, if you earned at least a "C." If you have any questions about this policy, please contact the Study Abroad Office.

The Study Abroad Permit

CUNY Colleges use the term "permit" to describe the authorization, or permission, the student's home institution gives her/him to study outside this home institution. If you wish to take a course at another institution, you do so "on permit", or in other words, you receive permission from Baruch College to take that course for Baruch credit. Students who wish to study at institutions outside the U.S. also do so "on permit." They must follow the specific procedure for obtaining a special Study Abroad Permit.

Special requirements to observe

When considering your options for study abroad, and discussing them with your advisers, it is important to remember certain requirements that all Baruch students must meet. There is no reason that any of these should preclude your studying abroad, but it will probably influence your planning.

Transfer credit

Baruch College limits the number of credits students are allowed to transfer to Baruch from another college or university. With some exceptions, this limit applies to credits earned through study abroad. According to the Baruch College Bulletin (p. 35),

• BA and BS students are allowed to transfer a maximum of 90 credits toward their degree
• BBA students are allowed to transfer a maximum of 93 credits toward their degree
• Graduates of any 2-yr. institution may transfer a maximum of 70 credits toward their degree.

Back to the top

In-residence credit requirement

Undergraduate students wishing to receive major credit for course work completed abroad should note the following regulation, taken from the Baruch College Bulletin (p. 47):

A minimum of 60 percent of the credits in the major field must be completed at Baruch College. A transfer student must meet all degree requirements and take a minimum of 30 credits at Baruch for the BA or BS degree and 31 credits for the BBA degree.

Special note for graduate students

Currently, credits you earn studying abroad on one of Baruch's exchange programs count as in-residence credit, not as transfer credit. These credits are not counted towards the 12-credit maximum students are currently allowed to transfer. Please consult the Dean's office of your respective School for the specific policy that you will be obliged to observe.

A recorded Baruch grade point average

Before a student may study abroad, he/she must have at least one semester's grades on record at Baruch College. Ordinarily this means that the earliest time a student will be eligible to study abroad will be in her or his third term of study at Baruch. For example, a student who first enrolls at Baruch in the fall semester will normally not be eligible to study abroad until the following summer term, since some grades might not be posted before a student is scheduled to begin her/his study abroad during the January intersession or spring semester. A student who first enrolls at Baruch in the spring semester might be eligible to study abroad the following fall semester, but should count on first studying during the following winter intersession.

Financing your Study Abroad

Studying abroad is affordable, but, as with your coursework, it is very important to plan early and compare your study abroad options carefully. The study abroad program opportunities Baruch offers vary widely in cost, depending on the type of program, length of stay, country of destination, and what the program fee includes (accommodation, food, excursions, etc.). When considering your options, you should remember a few things:

• Most of your financial aid, such as Pell and (for many) TAP grants, may be applied toward study abroad. For information about these grants and other financial aid information, please consult the Baruch Financial Aid Office.
• Scholarships are available. Consult the Financial Aid and Study Abroad section of the Study Abroad website directly below.
• The costs of some programs are comparable to what you would pay to study for a semester at Baruch. Use the worksheet we have prepared to help you compare programs costs.
• If cost is a major factor in your decision, talk to the Study Abroad Office. We will help you explore less expensive countries or cities, more economical program types, or shorter programs. We want to help you study abroad!

Back to the top

Financial Aid and Study Abroad

Ordinarily, financial aid may be applied to study abroad experiences that award credit and that last for at least one semester. Short-term study abroad experiences, as well as non-academic internships, volunteer opportunities, etc., that do not award academic credit may not be eligible for financial aid. The Baruch Financial Aid Office will be able to advise you on these matters.

If you do plan to apply for financial aid for study abroad, be sure to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as possible. You can obtain FAFSA packets at the Baruch Financial Aid Office and on the internet. If you have never used financial aid before, please contact the Baruch Financial Aid Office

A good place to start looking for financial aid is The Financial Aid Information Page. For more general information about Financial Aid and Study Abroad please consult:
NAFSA: Basic Facts Regarding Financial Aid for Study Abroad
IIE Passport Student Guide: Financial Aid.

Scholarships

C.V. Starr Study Abroad Fellowships

Baruch College students are exclusively eligible to apply for a C.V. Starr Study Abroad Fellowship. This is a scholarship made possible through a generous endowment by the C.V. Starr Foundation, and is administered by the Weissman Center for International Business at Baruch College. These competitive scholarships are awarded to students who are planning to study abroad for one semester or more, and the criteria for selection include the extent to which a student's proposed study abroad experience relates to her/his overall academic or professional goals, a student's academic performance, her/his service to the community and/or College, and demonstrated financial need. Applications for the C.V. Starr Fellowship are available in the Study Abroad Office or online (Starr Fellowship Application Form). If you receive a C.V. Starr Study Abroad Fellowship, you will be required to submit a Certificate of Attendance in order to receive the second installment of your award.

Back to the top

CUNY STOCS Grants

CUNY STOCS (Study/Travel Opportunities for CUNY Students) grants are available to eligible Baruch students. STOCS grants award between $500 and $1500 to help defray costs of short-term study abroad programs. Baruch students may apply STOCS grants to many CUNY Winter intersession and summer programs recommended by the Baruch Study Abroad Office, including the Spanish Language and Civilization program in Salamanca. STOCS applications can be obtained in the Study Abroad Office or may be accessed online.

National Scholarships

In addition to the special Baruch and CUNY scholarships, Baruch students planning to study abroad are eligible to apply for a wide range of nationally competitive scholarships, and for scholarships offered by specific study abroad program providers. Below are listed a few of these scholarships. Please be sure to meet all deadlines.

AIFS Scholarships (Offers various scholarships including Diversity Scholarships)
Bridging Scholarship - Association of Teachers of Japanese
British Council
DAAD- German Academic Exchange Service
Freeman-ASIA Award Program
Gilman International Scholarship Program
National Security Education Program (NSEP)
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship

Study Abroad Financial Aid Databases

Further Information and Databases for Study Abroad Scholarships, please consult the following:
Studyabroad.com-Financial Aid Information
University of Minnesota-Learning Abroad Center
Michigan State University-Grants for Individuals (See links to External Funding Web Sites)
International Education Financial Aid
FastWeb: Free Scholarship, College Searches & Financial Aid Tools
CollegeNet: Breaking the Tuition Barrier
CollegeBoard Online Scholarship Search
Scholarship Resource Network Express
FinAid.com Scholarships