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International Transient Study

International Transient Study is a transient study opportunity for Emory College or Oxford College international students (on F-1 or J-1 visa status) who seek to return to their country of origin ("home country") during the summer following their freshman year to study at an accredited university in their home country and receive credit toward their Emory degree for this experience.

Eligibility

To apply for International Transient Study, students must meet ALL of the following eligibility criteria:

  • Be on F-1 or J-1 visa status in the USA (and can provide a copy of their I-20 or DS 2019 form)*
  • Have completed their freshman year at Emory and will be returning to Emory complete their sophomore year
  • Be enrolled full-time at Emory in the semester prior to and following their ITS studies
  • Have fewer than 18 transfer credit hours on their Emory transcript (including the hours you plan to take during your ITS summer studies)
  • Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
  • Be in good academic standing
  • Plan to enroll at an accredited university or institution in their home country**

*If you are not studying at Emory on an F-1 or J-1 visa, you are required to complete an appeal process.  Please begin the ITS online application (instructions below) and then complete the International Transient Study Appeal Process questionnaire in the application.  Emory College Study Abroad will review your appeal to determine if you are eligible for an exception to the F-1/J-1 visa status requirement.

**In cases where students have lived in multiple locations abroad, 'home country' or 'country of origin' is defined as the country where the student completed their high school education.

Application Process

  • Applications are usually available in mid- to late January.  The application deadline is typically in mid-April.
  • To begin an online application, click the “Apply Now” button on the International Transient Study program page.
  • Complete all items in the application checklist.  As part of the application process, students will pay a $100 application fee and submit requests for their intended ITS courses to be reviewed for Emory equivalencies.  Please note that course approval requests will not be reviewed for students who have not started the ITS online application.
  • Once you have completed the application and submitted your course approval requests, you will receive an email with an authorization letter that will indicate whether or not your courses have been approved.
  • Students eligible for ITS are also responsible for applying separately to the host institution in their home country.  The Emory online ITS application does not replace the application process for the host institution in your home country.

For questions about the eligibility requirements and/or the application process, please contact the Office of International and Summer Programs (studyabroad@emory.edu).

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What types courses can I take through International Transient Study?

    • Students may take 100- or 200-level courses.
    • ITS courses may be approved for elective credit or for the following General Education Requirement (GER) areas:
      • Area IV: Math & Quantitative Reasoning (MQR)
      • Area V: Science, Nature, Technology (SNT)
      • Area VI: History, Society, Cultures (HSC)
      • Area VII: Humanities, Arts, Performance (HAP)
    • ITS courses are generally not approved for major/minor requirements.

    OISP does not provide a list of approved courses or institutions. It is the student's responsibility to research host institutions and courses and to submit the request(s) for course approval as part of the ITS application process.

  • How many courses/credits may I take during International Transient Study?

    • Emory College students may transfer up to 10 credit hours per summer session.
      • Please note that you are permitted a maximum of 18 transfer credit hours on your Emory transcript; this includes the credits you plan to take during ITS, any AP or IB credit, or any other transfer credit.
    • Oxford College students may transfer up to 7 credit hours.
    • Courses can still satisfy a GER if the number of credits from your host institution differs from the number of credits for the Emory equivalent course.

  • What is the grading policy for International Transient Study?

    International Transient Study coursework only includes the transfer of credits; grades are not calculated into your Emory College GPA.  You must take all ITS courses for a letter grade and receive a grade of 'C' or better to receive credit on your Emory transcript.

  • After completing International Transient Study, what steps do I need to take to transfer my credit to Emory?

    • Request an official transcript from your host institution to be mailed directly to the Office of International and Summer Programs (insert link to http://studyabroad.emory.edu/contact/index.html or link to OISP contact info with mailing address).  Official electronic transcripts may be sent to studyabroad@emory.edu.  Please note that transcripts mailed or emailed from students cannot be accepted as official.
    • Please note the following deadlines for ITS transcript receipt:
      • Oxford College students: must be received by October 1st following your ITS
      • Emory Collee students: must be received by the end of the academic semester following your ITS
    • Once your transcript has been received, it can take 2-4 weeks for your transcript to be processed and your ITS coursework to be posted to your Emory record.  Please request your ITS transcript as soon as possible after your studies to allow adequate time for receipt and processing.
    • If you need an additional copy(ies) of your ITS transcript for graduate school or job applications, please request these directly from your ITS host institution.