Main content

International Transient Study

International Transient Study is the opportunity for international students (on F-1 or J-1 visa status) from Emory College and Oxford College with less than 64 credit hours who seek to return to their country of origin ("home country") during the summer semester to study at an accredited institution and receive credit towards their Emory degree. (Please note the courses the student is currently enrolled in and the courses they plan to take through Transient Study are included in the 64 credit hours total.)

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** 
  • Please note that if you are an Oxford College student, there may be separate eligibility requirements. Please refer to their website for additional information. If you have any questions, please email oxregistrar@emory.edu. 

*If you are not studying at Emory on an F-1 or J-1 visa, you have the option to submit an appeal as you complete the application. If you decide to submit an appeal, Emory College – Records & Enrollment Team  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

First Application

If this is your first time submitting an International Transient Study Application, you will be prompted to pay $100 application fee at the end of your application.

The upcoming International Transient Study application for Summer 2026 opens Monday, February 16, 2026.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSIENT APPLICATION

For students who can demonstrate financial need, you may request an application fee waiver as you complete the application.

Supplemental Application

If you have already applied for International Transient Study but wish to add a different school or additional courses to your application, then you can create a second / supplemental application. But adding all schools and courses at once and submitting one application helps to facilitate the process. 

No payment is required for supplemental applications.

Drop-in informational sessions: The Transient Study team holds two weekly drop-in sessions – one in-person and another via Zoom starting February 16, 2026. Please follow this link to review the dates/times and to access the link for the Zoom session.

 

  • The International Transient Application is available from February 16 through April 30, 2026. 
  • To begin an online application, click the above International Transient Application link.
  • 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 started but not submitted the ITS online application.
  • Once you have completed the application and submitted your course approval requests, the review process will take about 4 weeks, and then you will receive an email with a decision 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 additional questions about the eligibility requirements and/or the application process, please contact transientstudy@emory.edu.

*After you’ve completed the transient coursework, you must request that the host institution send an official transcript electronically to transientstudy@emory.edu or to the address below.

Transient Study
Office for Undergraduate Education
Emory College of Arts and Sciences
550 Asbury Circle, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30322 

*If you are an Oxford student, the Oxford College Registrar's Office can receive transcripts either electronically using the email address oxregistrar@emory.edu or by mail to the following address only: Domestic Transient Study, Registrar's Office, Oxford College, 801 Emory Street, Hopkins Hall, Oxford GA, 30054.

All students participating in International Transient study will need to submit their transcript request as soon as summer grades are posted. We should receive your transcript by October 1 at the latest in the following fall semester. 

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:
      • Quantitative Reasoning
      • Natural Science
      • Social Science
      • Humanities & Arts
    • ITS courses are generally not approved for major/minor requirements.

    Note: Oxford students can only use transient credit to complete FYW or a single IC course.

  • 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.
      • A maximum of 8 "T" hours (this includes transfer, transient, and AP/IB test credits) from outside Oxford/Emory may be used toward Oxford College Associate of Arts degree requirements.
      • Up to 18 hours of "T" credits (7 of which can come from International Transient Study) can be posted, but only 8 total "T" credits can count towards the AA degree.
    • 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 this address:
      • Office for Undergraduate Education
        Candler Library, Suite 200
        550 Asbury Circle
        Atlanta, GA 30322
      • Official electronic transcripts may be sent to transientstudy@emory.edu. 
        • For Oxford students, send to oxregistrar@emory.edu or by mail to the following address only: Domestic Transient Study, Registrar's Office, Oxford College, 801 Emory Street, Hopkins Hall, Oxford GA, 30054.
      • Please note that transcripts mailed or emailed from students cannot be accepted as official.
    • All students participating in International Transient study will need to submit their transcript request as soon as summer grades are posted. We should receive your transcript by October 1 at the latest in the following fall semester. 
    • 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.