Inbound Exchanges: Undergraduate

Ohio University is located in the State of Ohio in the United States of America. By providing information to Ohio University, you are transferring your personal data to the United States. If you are providing personal information and are not a resident of the United States, your country's laws governing data collection and use may differ from those in the United States.

The United States has not sought nor received a finding of "ADEQUACY" from the European Union under Article 45 of the GDPR, and Ohio University relies on the derogations for specific situations as set forth in Article 49(A) of the GDPR. By providing personal data to Ohio University, you, as the data subject, expressly consent to the proposed transfer after having been informed of the possible risks of such transfers for the data subject. 

Students use the Undergraduate Exchange Student application.  

Partner offices send the required application materials directly to the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) via email (globalaffairs@ohio.edu) by the application deadlines listed above. Application fees are waived. 

1. OHIO Undergraduate Exchange Student Application Form.
2. Official Academic Transcripts: 1) In the original language and 2) in English.  
3. OHIO Courses: Applicants must submit a list of the OHIO courses they are interested in taking. NOTE: When compiling the exchange course list, use the corresponding semester of the previous year in OHIO course offerings. Course offerings are subject to change.
4. English Language Proficiency Documentation: Please see new information below.  
5. Statement of Interest: Submit 1-page personal statement, covering background and interest in this exchange.

NOTE: Missing documents or incomplete applications will delay the application process. Exchange student applicants should always work with the international advisor or exchange program coordinator at the home university to ensure that the application is complete and all required documents are provided. 

All applicants must demonstrate English proficiency to be admitted to academic study. There are several options for demonstrating proficiency. See ohio.edu/admissions/international/apply for detailed information.

Do not send test scores with other application materials, but follow instructions provided on the above referenced webpage. 

Students must satisfy these requirements in order to take academic courses at OHIO. With approval from the student's home university, students who do not fulfil these requirements may take English language courses with OPIE, Ohio's Program of Intensive English.

OHIO operates on the semester system. The academic year begins with fall semester. Each semester consists of 14 weeks of classes and one week of exams. Fewer courses are offered during the summer sessions and most OHIO students leave Athens. Consequently, we do not encourage exchange students to attend during summer sessions.

The OHIO academic calendar is available on-line at: ohio.edu/registrar/academic-calendar. The tentative academic calendar for 2025-2026 is:

• Summer term: May 12 – August 16, 2025
• Fall semester: August 25 – December 13, 2025
• Spring semester: January 12 – May 02, 2026

Tentative arrival dates for undergraduate students are May 08, 2025 for summer term; August 10, 2025 for fall semester and January 4, 2026 for spring semester. Arrival dates are confirmed in students’ welcome packets. Do not book airfare prior to receiving a letter of admissions and confirming arrival dates. 

Exchange students apply for J-1 U.S. visa status: Upon admission, students will be advised to request their DS-2019 through the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) student system (iCats). Students will receive detailed information via email. Students will receive an email from ISSS with an attachment of the form DS-2019 containing detailed information on accessing and signing the form. 

Upon receipt of the completed email DS-2019, check the document carefully and notify Global Affairs (globalaffairs@ohio.edu) immediately if there are any mistakes.

For more information on visa application and visa requirements, please see https://www.ohio.edu/international-student-scholar-services/visa-inform…(opens in a new window).  

U.S. immigration regulations require that students be enrolled as full-time students. Undergraduate exchange students must enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester (approximately 4 courses). Classes must be taken for a letter grade. Online courses do not qualify. 

All international students are automatically enrolled in the OHIO Student Health Insurance. Students will be automatically billed for the cost of the insurance plan after they arrive in Athens. A waiver may be requested, but because of the strict policy coverage requirements, it is most frequently denied.

Information and costs of this insurance plan can be found on-line at at the student insurance website.  

Undergraduate exchange students generally live in OHIO's residence halls. Between academic semesters when classes are not in session, regular on-campus housing closes and all students are asked to move out until classes resume for the next semester. Interim housing is available between semesters for a fee.

It is the student’s responsibility to reserve and confirm permanent and interim housing. Housing information is available on-line at: ohio.edu/housing(opens in a new window). Further directions are sent to admitted students. 

Airport: The closest and most convenient airport to Athens is the John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

Transport to Athens: Please refer to ISSS communications for most current transportation offerings.

Exchange students are required to attend an on-campus international student orientation. The orientation requires students to arrive one week prior to semester start. Detailed Orientation information will be published 1-2 months before arrival at ohio.edu/international-student-scholar-services/orientation-information. 

Students register for courses upon arrival during orientation. Pre-registration is not available. Each student is assigned an academic advisor to help with registration and academic course concerns. Courses may be full, cancelled or unavailable to incoming exchange students. Students should be flexible and have a broad set of course interests.  

Access to course information is on-line at the course offerings webpage. Be sure to check course offerings for the correct semester and do not use the comprehensive course catalog as many courses are not offered each semester. 

Students should be fully aware of the cost involved in exchange participation at OHIO at the time of application. For details on expected costs, students should refer to the undergraduate admissions webpage.  

Please Note: All DS2019 required funding is managed by International Student and Scholar Services and will be communicated through that office. 

Undergraduate exchange students will receive fee waivers for the following charges: non-resident, instructional, general, and technology. 

Housing, health insurance, individual academic program and meal plan fees will be the student's responsibility.