Applying

Eligibility Requirements

Traditional study abroad (summer and semester). Full-time Northeastern undergraduate student and must meet the GPA requirement of the program. At minimum, all programs require students to have a GPA of 2.5 or higher. All students must have completed two full semesters of academic work through NU, one of which may be a summer term.   Transfer students and spring admits will need to contact OISP for eligibility.Foreign language requirements apply to some programs.

Dialogue of Civilizations. Each Dialogue of Civilizations program has its own eligibility requirements.  Please refer to the specific program's page for details.  At a minimum, all programs require students to have a GPA of 2.5 or higher.  Additionally, students must have completed two full semesters of academic work through NU, one of which may be a summer term. Transfer students and spring admits will need to contact OISP for eligibility.

Note: All students are considered on an individual basis.

Application Procedure

Please note that even partial online applications are submitted.  Do not start an application unless you plan to complete it.

Traditional study abroad

1. Attend a study abroad information session. The study abroad information sessions provide a general overview of program offerings, policies, and important timeline information. Dates, times, and locations for the OISP information sessions are listed on our home page. In addition to the information sessions, students going on traditional study abroad programs  are advised to meet with a study abroad coordinator, either by appointment or during office walk-in hours. Our office recognizes that many NU students are on co-op and cannot attend the information sessions or walk-in hours; study abroad advisors will work with such students to schedule a morning meeting, lunchtime phone interview, or evening appointment between 5 and 7.  To schedule such a meeting, please call the general office line at 617-373-5276.
2. Meet with other advisors. Since your study abroad semester touches on many facets of your academic career at NU, you are advised to meet with a number of your advisors as necessary, including your faculty advisor, co-op advisor, financial aid advisor, and disability coordinator. Additionally, all students must meet with their academic advisors to review course selections before going abroad.
3. Meet with study abroad advisor/coordinator. After you have met with the appropriate advisors and decided on a study abroad destination, a study abroad advisor/coordinator will check your eligibility for your desired program. The advisor will then review the application process and procedure with you. Please note that each program has its own application forms and requirements. In addition to the program-specific application, all students are required to complete an online OISP application. Some programs may require a letter of recommendation, a personal statement, passport size photos, medical exam, and/or an application fee. Refer to the program fact sheets for details.
4. Submit application materials to OISP. With the exception of online application submissions, all supporting documentation (letters of recommendation, transcripts, passport photos, etc.) must be returned to OISP by the appropriate deadline. OISP will send only complete applications to the host institutions for evaluation. You should not send any application material directly to the host institution.

Dialogue of Civilizations

You may apply to only one Dialogue program per summer term.  No exceptions are made.  Application information will be forwarded to the faculty leader by the deadline.  The faculty leader may then request one-on-one interviews. Faculty will be reviewing all applications, and OISP will notify students of their official acceptance decision.  Please note that even partial applications are submitted. Do not start the application unless you plan to complete it.  A completed application includes the following:

• Online Dialogue of Civilizations application (available on OISP website)
• Unofficial transcript, which you can download and print from MyNEU
• One copy of passport ID page, to be given directly to your faculty leader after acceptance.
• 2-3 page essay answering the following questions:

1. What are your personal and academic reasons for wishing to participate in this Dialogue of Civilizations program?
2. How will the program further your academic and career goals?
3. What is your previous travel and language experience, if any?
4. What courses have you taken which are directly relevant to the program?

**Faculty may require additional information and/or interview (after application deadline)

**Please note that prior to 11/15/12 your unofficial transcript and essay should be handed in to OISP.  After 11/15/12, please send them directly to your faculty leader