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Approved Students: Preparing for Your Study Abroad Experience
Office of International Education

Completing the Study Abroad Process at ESF

Once you have received ESF approval on the Study Abroad Request Form, you will receive an approval notification email from the Coordinator of International Education. It is at this time that you may proceed with applying to your desired study abroad program; the Coordinator of International Education will provide a signature on applications that require authorization from the home campus as part of the application process.

The approval email will include an attachment, the Approved Study Abroad Data Form. This form will require students to meet with the Financial Aid Office and the Bursar's Office in order to discuss how their study abroad participation will affect their ESF student status, financial aid package, and Bursar's bill for the semester. Please note that students who are approved to attend a study abroad program ARE NOT automatically eligible for financial aid to pay for this. The Financial Aid requirements vary and you must meet with the ESF Financial Aid office to discuss your approved program to determine if it can be funded or if additional funds are available. The completed form must be submitted to the Office of International Education with a copy of your letter of acceptance to the study abroad program, information regarding billing procedures for the program, and flight information prior to the study abroad experience.


Registering for the Academic Semester You Will Be Studying Abroad

Participation in an ESF Faculty Led/ Study Abroad Program or SU Study Abroad Program in one of their Overseas Centers (not one of their World Partners programs)
If you will participate in an ESF faculty-led/ study abroad program, please follow the enrollment instructions provided by the course instructor. If you will participate in a Syracuse University study abroad program at one of their overseas centers ( Beijing, Florence, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Santiago, Chile or Strasbourg,France), consult the SU Abroad office regarding enrolling in your courses abroad. Your transcript for your ESF course or semester abroad at the SU Overseas Center will indicate the exact courses you enroll in and grade received. You will not need to transfer the credits back to SUNY-ESF.

Participation in a Non-ESF Study Abroad Program including Affiliated Programs and the SU World Partners Program
During the registration period for the semester you will be abroad, you must kindly ask your advisor to contact the registrar directly in order to arrange for an appropriate section of a 496 course (e.g., EFB 496) to be established for your study abroad experience. This must be completed prior to your departure; this action maintains your ESF student status while you are abroad and as well as your eligibility for ESF financial aid as long as you meet the requirements and have met with Financial Aid. Failure to enroll in a 496 course for your study abroad will result in you being withdrawn from the College and if you wish to return in the future, you will be required to re-apply for admission.

When you return from studying abroad, you will have to submit your official transcript from the study abroad program to the Registrar’s Office. The credits for courses in which you achieve a C average or higher will then be transferred in (not the grades).


If the Courses You Take Abroad are Different than the Courses on Your Approved Study Abroad Academic Plan and Petition to the Faculty

If while you are abroad, any of the courses you included on your approved Academic Plan (Page 2 of the Study Abroad Request Form) and Petition to the Faculty change, you will have to complete the Change in Study Abroad Academic Plan Form and a new Petition to the Faculty to obtain approval for the new course(s).

You may send your completed Change in Study Abroad Academic Plan Form to your advisor via email and ask for assistance in submitting the Form and a new Petition to the Curriculum Coordinator and Dean of Instruction and Graduate Studies for signatures. The approved Academic Plan should be submitted to the Coordinator of International Education and the Petition should be submitted to the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies, they will forward it to the Registrar. If you are unable to complete this process from abroad, you will have to complete the process when you return to campus. Please note that non-SU/SUNY courses proposed to satisfy General Education requirements must also be approved by the General Education Subcommittee.

Registering for the Academic Semester Following Your Study Abroad Experience

Prior to departing for your study abroad program, you should meet with your academic advisor to discuss your course registration for the semester following your study abroad experience. If possible you should select tentative courses and see if your advisor would be willing to submit your registration on your behalf during the pre-registration period. The registrar will accept registration forms where the advisor signs on behalf of the student; your advisor should make note on the form that you are currently abroad, have had a remote advising session, and that s/he is submitting the form on your behalf. Please be sure to maintain contact with your advisor while you are abroad and confirm your course enrollment during the registration period.


Passports
Any individual traveling internationally (beyond the territories and borders of their country of citizenship) must have a valid passport at all times while outside their country of citizenship. It should be valid at least 6 months beyond the end date of your study abroad program. You will be required to show border and custom authorities your passport when you enter or leave the U.S. and when crossing most other national borders.

Standard processing of passport applications typically takes  4-6 weeks but can take from 10-12 weeks during peak application periods so be sure to apply in a timely manner. Information about expedited passport services is available online.

You must submit your application materials in person at the nearest Passport Acceptance Facility if:

  • You are applying for your first U.S. passport or
  • You are under age 16 or
  • Your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under age 16 or
  • Your previous U.S. passport was lost, stolen, or damaged or
  • Your previous U.S. passport was issued more than 15 years ago or
  • Your name has changed since your U.S. passport was issued and you are unable to legally document your name change

You may renew your passport by mail if all of the following are true:

Your Most Recent U.S. Passport:

check image Is undamaged and can be submitted with your application
Was issued when you were age 16 or older
Was issued within the last 15 years
Was issued in your current name or you can legally document your name change

Take the Green Passport Pledge and acknowledge sustainable travel and the interconnectedness of the world’s people and the environment.

Additional Passport Resources


Foreign Entry Requirements
Most countries require visitors who are planning to study or work abroad to obtain visas before entering.  Be sure to review the country-specific information on the U.S. Department of State website to determine entry and exit requirements and check with the embassy of the foreign country that you are planning to visit for up-to-date visa and other entry requirements.


Immunizations

Be sure to access the Center for Disease Control’s website to obtain information regarding health and immunization recommendations for your travel destination and then obtain any necessary vaccinations and medications.

 

International Health Insurance including Medical Evacuation and Repatriation

Health and accident insurance is required of all ESF students while abroad. Such a policy should minimally include basic medical and accidental death and dismemberment coverage. Medical evacuation and repatriation coverage is also required. The coverage should be in effect for the entire period away from home. Individuals who do not have adequate coverage must purchase the comprehensive insurance ($83/ month) or supplemental Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance ($6/month) provided by SUNY at the ESF Cashier's Office (102 Bray Hall).


Country-Specific Information
Before departing, take the time to do some research about the people and their culture, and any problems that the country is experiencing that may affect your travel plans. Be sure to access the background notes and country-specific information for your travel destination on the U.S. Department of State website and the country profiles on the BBC’s website. The Study Abroad Handbook also has country-specific information that may be helpful as you prepare to study abroad.


Travel Alerts
Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert. Please access the U.S. Department of State’s website to determine if there is a travel alert for your destination.


Travel Warnings
Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff. Please access the U.S. Department of State’s website to determine if there is a travel warning for your destination.

 

Cultural Adjustment
All new student's first days are one's of adjustment. For students studying abroad adjustment is often more difficult as one must become familiar with both a new culture and a new college campus and city. Cultural adjustment often includes a series of highs and lows that are quite normal and often experienced universally. Additional information about culture shock, reverse culture shock, and coping strategies is available online.

Additional Resources

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