Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about eligibility requirements on the Study Abroad Policies page.
You can take courses toward your major, minor, immersion, or general education credits while abroad. Planning early and saving a few free electives or liberal arts courses for studying abroad will provide you with more flexibility. If you would like to take courses in your major, a good place to start is with the Your Major Abroad overview page that will assist you with researching studying abroad programs that fit within a particular field of study. Included in this section are info sheets that highlight the benefits of studying abroad for a particular career path and identifies overseas programs that provide course offerings that align with specific majors. Always discuss with your academic advisor if and how the courses you choose to take abroad will count towards your degree.
All students who study abroad on a program approved by RIT will be eligible to earn academic credit. If you are going on a global campus, exchange, or affiliate program, your study abroad advisor will go over the course pre-approval process during your advising meeting.
There are five types of programs offered by RIT Global: global campus, faculty-led, affiliate programs, exchanges or international Research. For detailed descriptions of these programs, please go to the Types of Programs page.
A study abroad advisor can help you find a good program fit or the Study Abroad fair each fall is a great place to directly compare and communicate with various providers and ask them, “why should l study abroad with you?”
Typically, most students go abroad in their sophomore or junior year, but you can apply to study abroad as early as the spring semester of your freshman year. Programs vary in length and range from short term summer or faculty-led programs of a few weeks to a full academic year. Most students study abroad for one semester at a time and the summer semester is the most popular.
The cost of studying abroad varies depending on the program. You will generally pay tuition, a program fee (typically housing, excursions, local transportation, visa fees, etc.), and out-of-pocket expenses such as your flight, food, and spending money. Students on an affiliate program will also be charged an RIT external program fee.
A budget worksheet for the program you are interested in will be provided, outlining all expected program costs. You can get a copy of the budget worksheet for your program from your study abroad advisor (global campus or exchange programs), or faculty director (faculty-led programs).
In most cases, students are eligible for financial aid if they maintain full-time status (12 credits) overseas. We suggest you do additional research on things such as flight costs, travel costs within your host country, travel costs to other areas you would like to visit while abroad, daily living expenses, and currency exchange rates. It is the student’s responsibility to make an appointment with their RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director to discuss the budget worksheet and a potential aid package.
The What Does Study Abroad Cost page has more information on costs, billing, and program deposits.
Registration and grading differs depending on the type of program: faculty-led, global campus direct enroll, affiliate, and exchange. Learn more on the Study Abroad Policies page.
Our programs offer varying levels of cultural immersion, and the student should choose a program based on the immersion level that is most comfortable for them. Less immersive programs are typically shorter, offer courses taught in English and students live with other study abroad students. More immersive programs are typically longer, may allow options for living with local students or in a home stay and include some or all classes in the local language or in study of the local language.
Complete your profile and online application on The Compass as the first step. The Compass is RIT's study abroad program and application database. After logging into the Compass with your RIT username and password, you can search for programs by clicking the "Search Programs" tab. The drop-down menus can narrow your search by location, program type, or course discipline.
If you are interested in an affiliate, global campus, or exchange program, you will then need to schedule an appointment with a study abroad advisor.
If you are interested in a faculty-led program, you should contact the faculty director to let them know you have started an application and to get more details on the program. It is also recommended that you watch this short video that outlines the application steps for faculty-led programs.
For your convenience, the Education Abroad office is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. We are located in Global Village, Building 400, Room 2075 in the Constellation Commons for Global Learning on the second level of Global Village above Salsarita's Cantina & Grille. Our study abroad advisors are happy to meet with students who would like to learn more about study abroad or who are ready to begin the application process. Schedule an appointment.
If you need an interpreter, please contact myaccess.rit.edu to request one.
Our office environment is generally informal and you may feel free to call our staff by our first names.
Requests for access service support are handled on a case-by-case basis. It is strongly recommended to request services early to increase your chances of receiving services. Other determining factors include, but are not limited to, the length of the program, the dates of the program and the ability to find access service staff/contacts who have the specific skill sets required. For more information or to place service request, please contact Angela Hauser at abhdis@ntid.rit.edu
Study abroad, as with any major life change, can heighten pre-existing medical, mental health, or personal issues or contribute to new ones. Local culture, customs, and practices may not have/provide the support systems you might be accustomed to in the U.S. It is your responsibility to consider how you will manage your health and wellness abroad. More information and resources can be found in the Your Health page.
All students studying abroad will be required to attend a mandatory pre-departure meeting where health, safety, and emergency planning will be discussed in detail. More information and resources can be found in the Emergencies Abroad and Personal Safety pages.
Yes, but you will not be able to be billed and registered at RIT during your time abroad. This will make you ineligible for RIT financial aid and may affect your health insurance if you need to prove full-time enrollment as a student to stay on your current plan. It is also strongly recommended that you meet with a study abroad advisor to discuss the steps you will need to take, including talking with the Registrar's Office and your academic advisor to ensure that your credits earned while abroad will transfer back and count towards your degree and that this conversation is documented in writing. Make an appointment with study abroad advisor, Roseanne Hernandez, to review the application process and use the Independent Study Abroad checklist to ensure you are following all the steps.
If you are receiving tuition waiver or exchange, (for example, you have a parent who works at RIT, etc.) you will need to inform the Education Abroad office so we can make sure your study abroad budget worksheet accurately reflects your tuition fees. On study abroad, you may not be able to apply your full tuition waiver (or exchange), however you may be eligible for a discounted tuition rate. Please consult RIT’s benefits policy (page 5) detailing tuition waiver and exchange as it applies to study abroad.
Studying abroad during the fall semester:
If you are studying abroad in the fall you have two options:
1) You can release your room for the fall semester and you will not be charged a cancellation fee. However, you would not be guaranteed the same room or housing type when you return in the spring. To secure your spring housing you would need to apply for spring semester housing in early November when the contract becomes available. You should be able to do this while you are abroad with online access through the RIT Housing Portal.
Or:
2) You can choose to pay half of the semester's rent to hold your room for the spring. You would be able to keep your things in your room and no one else would live there while you are gone.
You will need to let the housing office know that you will not be on campus for the fall semester and how you plan to handle your RIT housing during your time abroad. Email housing@rit.edu to say you will be studying abroad in the fall and whether you would like to release your room for fall or choose to pay half rent. If you cancel your fall housing assignment to release your room you need to be sure to re-apply for spring.
Please remember that housing selection dates/deadlines for the following semester may be occurring while you are overseas, so you need to make sure you are completing any necessary steps while you are abroad.
Studying abroad during the spring semester:
If you will be studying abroad in the spring semester, you would check out of your room at the end of the fall semester and you would not be responsible for paying any rent during the spring semester that you are abroad (your room would be made available for another student during the semester you are absent).
You will need to participate in Housing Selection while you are still on campus in the fall to secure housing for the following fall. If you are in a renewable apartment, you would be able to reserve the same space for when you return.
When you check out at the end of fall semester, check the study abroad option on your key return packet AND email housing@rit.edu to let the housing staff know you will not be returning to your room for spring semester due to study abroad. This will waive any cancellation fees.
Students living off campus would need to work with their individual landlord/roommates to determine the best course of action for your Rochester housing while you are studying abroad. Options may include subletting your room/apartment (with your landlord’s approval) or making arrangements with your roommates to ensure your room would be available when you return.
Park Point and the Province offer study abroad leasing which allows students to amend their full year lease term to accommodate study abroad if needed. This option allows students studying abroad for a semester to still be guaranteed their housing for the following year. Students would need to provide a letter to Park Point or the Province with their study abroad program details which can be provided to you by the RIT Education Abroad office. Please email global@rit.edu if you require a letter.