To be eligible, a student must be admitted to MSU and attending college for the first time as a full-time college student during the 2008-09 academic year AND have paid their Advanced Enrollment Deposit (AED) . Please note: AP (advanced placement) and dual-enrollment (college classes taken while in high school) credit do NOT count when students apply; the programs are open to first-year students even if their credits give them sophomore status at MSU.

Applicants' participation may be denied or their participation approval may be revoked if their academic or behavioral conduct before departure raises doubts as to their suitability for program participation.

Credit policy

Students may earn a total of two university credits for all enrollments in UGS 101 (campus seminar) and 102 (study abroad seminar); hence, students participating in the summer programs for two credits cannot also enroll in campus seminars. Students whose participation in a special program requires that they enroll in UGS 101, such as CAAP, should consult with their program advisor and contact Jim Lucas for assistance.

Deadlines

The exact deadlines for application depend on the program departure date and associated logistical planning; hence, applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling admissions basis. Faculty will accept students into the program until it is either full or logistical factors make it impossible to add additional participants. To ensure a spot on your desired program, you should apply as early as possible; in the past, programs have filled as early as March.

Also, participants will need a passport to travel internationally, and this process can take six weeks or longer. We highly recommend applying for both the program and the passport early. Passport information is available from your local post office or on-line from the US State Department.

Application process

The application is available here.

A $100 application fee is required and will be charged to the student's account at the time of application. Students will receive an e-bill for the application fee, which is applied to the cost of the program and is non-refundable once a student has accepted admission into the program.

If admitted into a seminar, you will receive an official acceptance packet in the mail. To confirm your admission into a seminar, you must sign and return the forms included in this packet to the Office of Study Abroad within two weeks of the date of your acceptance letter or you may lose your space in the seminar. Students admitted into a seminar less than six (6) weeks prior to the seminar's departure date must sign and return the forms upon receipt.

Once you return the forms indicating your acceptance of admission you will be billed a non-refundable $200 deposit. This deposit will be posted and due on your student account and must be paid by the due date indicated on the e-bill. It will be applied to the program fee. Students who are wait-listed because a program is filled to capacity will not be billed the $200 deposit until formally accepted. The $100 application fee will be refunded to wait-listed students who are unable to participate due to program space limitations.

Students who wish to withdraw their application are required to notify the Office of Study Abroad, in writing, that they no longer intend to participate. Please refer to the application information page that accompanies the Application Form for details on our withdrawal and refund policies.

Acceptance to this program is based, minimally, on your maintaining your admitted status to and attending MSU in fall 2009.

Program details may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.