FAQs

All students with a GPA of 2.5 or higher are eligible to apply for a semester study abroad program. In addition, students must be in good academic and student conduct standing.

First Year students may study abroad after completing their first year at NC State, and Transfer students can study abroad after completing their first semester at NC State.

Some competitive programs may have additional eligibility requirements including a higher GPA requirement.

To read more, visit the Study Abroad Office’s “Eligibility” page.

Language requirements vary by locations, but there are numerous options where host universities teach the majority of classes in English and therefore, do not have a language requirement. Many Poole students take their business, accounting, or other economics courses in English.

All students MUST have a valid passport to go on the study abroad programs. The passport should be valid 6 months beyond the end of the program. For example, if a program ends on June 23, 2019, the students passport should be valid until as least December 2019. If you do not have a valid passport, you are HIGHLY encouraged to begin the process of getting one early as it normally takes a minimum of two months to receive it.

Visa requirements vary based on location. To read more, visit the Study Abroad Office’s “Visa and Immigration Requirements” page.

Academic calendars vary by host university and do not follow the same schedule as NC State. The approximate semester start and end dates can be found on the individual information page for the university.

Students must take at least the host university’s equivalent of 12 NC State credit hours. You can read more about how credits transfer to NC State by visiting the “Credit Abroad” page on the Study Abroad Office’s website.

Students will fill out a course approval form before leaving for their study abroad experience. This course approval form will have several classes that students are able to take abroad and will indicate how they transfer over. Every program offers a different selection of courses for students to take ranging from management courses to electives. Students should review their degree audit to determine the type of courses ideal to take abroad and how planned courses abroad will fulfill degree requirements.

All classes abroad must be taken for a grade, and students must earn a C- or higher for the course to transfer back to NC State. However, no courses taken abroad will affect your GPA.

Students will determine what program is best for them based on their priorities. Some things to consider are the type of classes offered in the program, the country, language, culture, climate, housing, etc.

Students are able to travel on their own during the program when they do not have classes scheduled. Friends and family are also able to visit you while abroad. All students planning to travel before, during or after the program must submit their travel itinerary to the Study Abroad Office through the PackAbroad Application.

Yes! Studying abroad can have a positive impact on students’ job searches, as companies often look for applicants with global awareness and the skills you develop when studying abroad are very marketable.

Although studying abroad develops many transferable skills, it is important to consider the application and recruitment cycles for internships and jobs and how being gone for study abroad might affect the timing. The Global Programs Office and the Career Development Center in Poole can help you think through these timelines.

Students are eligible to receive financial aid towards the cost of any study abroad program if the courses fulfill degree requirements and the student is taking a full course load. To learn more about how financial aid can be used for studying abroad, please visit the “Financial Aid” page of the Study Abroad Office’s website. In addition, specific questions about how financial aid can be used should be directed to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Scholarships are available for study abroad program participants. Students must complete a separate application to be considered for NC State scholarships. To learn more about the scholarship process, visit the Study Abroad Office’s “Scholarship Information” page.

The application deadline for Fall Semester study abroad programs is February 1, and the Spring Semester deadline is September 15. Students are recommended to start the semester application at least one month before the deadline. The first step to studying abroad is attending a Study Abroad 101 session. You can learn more information about these sessions at go.ncsu.edu/studyabroad101.

To read about this topic, visit the Study Abroad Office’s “Withdrawal and Refund Policies” page.

Please visit our “How to Apply” page for detailed information on the steps of applying!

Please complete the Global Programs Interest Form to receive periodic updates about study abroad.