Eligibility
Please see the "Fact Sheet" listed above in this program brochure for more information regarding the following eligibility requirements:
- Minimum UNC Charlotte GPA (cumulative) required at time of application
- Prior Language Study Required (if applicable)
- Student level at time of study abroad program
In addition to meeting the aforementioned requirements, students are also required to:
- Be in good disciplinary standing at time of application and prior to departure
- Complete a UNC Charlotte Education Abroad (EA) application by the applicable deadline
Students who have concerns regarding their eligibility are encouraged to discuss these concerns with an Education Abroad Advisor to determine whether or not they would be considered for this program.
Statewide Exchange Programs
UNC Charlotte students are eligible to participate in several exchange program options offered by UNC Wilmington and UNC Greensboro. Similar to a UNC Charlotte exchange, the student will enroll in a host university abroad; however, the North Carolina university that manages the exchange will facilitate additional applications and correspondence between the student and the host university. Just like any other study abroad program, students will receive academic credit for the courses they take abroad and will work with their academic department(s) to determine what UNC Charlotte credit they will receive for the courses they take in order to stay on track for graduation. Financial aid and scholarships can be applied to any study abroad program awarding the equivalent of full-time academic credit.
EA recommends exchange programs for students who are:
- Independent
- Organized
- Looking for cultural immersion
- Comfortable with receiving confirmed information regarding the program several months after approval
- Comfortable participating in the program knowing there may or may not be other UNC Charlotte students attending the host university that same semester
Students will have an on-site orientation upon arrival where the International Student Office staff at the host university will discuss university resources, policies & procedures, course registration, etc. Once courses start, it will then be up to the student to attend class and any other mandatory university events; otherwise, when student's have free time, they are welcome to do as they please and to travel on weekends or breaks.
UNC Greensboro
This Statewide Exchange program is managed by UNC Greensboro. Students will apply to UNC Charlotte Education Abroad in order to be approved to participate in the exchange; once approved, they will then apply to UNC Greensboro, who will correspond with the host university and facilitate the acceptance process.
University of Stuttgart
University of Stuttgart is one of the top nine leading technical universities in Germany with highly ranked programs in the engineering fields. The university is situated in the middle of a highly dynamic economic region with a worldwide reputation for excellence in the fields of mobile and information technology, production, process engineering as well as life sciences. Located in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Wurttemberg, you will be surrounded by some of the largest car companies headquarters, including Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, and beautiful parks in the city.
Stuttgart, Germany
Stuttgart, capital of southwest Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state, is known as a manufacturing hub. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have headquarters and museums here. The city is filled with greenspaces, which wrap around its center. Popular parks include the Schlossgarten, Rosensteinpark and Killesbergpark. Wilhelma, one of the largest zoos and botanical gardens in Europe, is just northeast of Rosenstein Castle.
All information listed above is subject to change
Areas of Study
You may notice in the "Fact Sheet" listed above this brochure, there is an "areas of study" section. The area(s) of study listed here do not necessarily mean that students must be majoring or minoring in one or more of these areas of study in order to be eligible for the program,
unless otherwise noted in the "Eligibility" section under the "Overview" tab. Instead, these are suggested areas of study, which indicate that this program may offer one or more courses within this discipline.
Students should not rely solely on this "areas of study" section when determining whether or not a study abroad program is a good academic fit for them; instead, they should look at the specific list of courses the host university offers (see below) to determine if there are courses offered that are of interest to the student or that may fit within the student's curriculum.
Host University Courses
Please note that many universities around the world do not publish their course catalog until several months, or in some cases, several weeks prior to the start of that semester. With this being said, students should refer to the most up-to-date list of courses on the host university's website.
UNC Charlotte Equivalent Course Credit
Education Abroad does not determine UNC Charlotte equivalent course credit for host university courses. Please refer to our website below for more information regarding the academic credit process:
Any course that the student takes abroad will be reported on their UNC Charlotte transcript upon their return, regardless of whether or not the student fails the course or does not need the course to graduate.
Grades
The grading system abroad will be different from the grading system at UNC Charlotte. Upon receipt of the official host university transcript, which can take anywhere from 1-6 months to receive once the student returns from abroad, Education Abroad will evaluate all grades earned and convert them to an A-F letter grade while referring to the World Education Services standard conversion calculator. Note that this process takes 4-5 weeks before the documentation is sent to the Office of the Registrar, who will then post the UNC Charlotte equivalent course and corresponding A-F letter grade earned on the student's UNC Charlotte transcript.
All information listed above is subject to change.
Once approved and placed at a host university by Education Abroad
and once the student is accepted by the host university, students will receive the official start date (communicated to them by the host university), which includes a mandatory on-site orientation as well as the last day of exams. Students are eligible to participate in this program for the following terms and the general months the student would be abroad are listed below (subject to change):
- Academic Year: October to July
- Spring: April to July
The following terms are also available, however, students who participate in these terms will not return to UNC Charlotte in time to begin the subsequent Spring semester at UNC Charlotte. This means students applying for the following terms will have to sign a document stating they understand they will not be back in time for the Spring semester at UNC Charlotte and therefore would have to take the Spring semester off, which could potentially push the student's graduation date:
- Fall: October to February
All information listed above is subject to change.
Housing Options
Students are typically able to choose from several accommodation options. For more information regarding housing options, amenities and cost, please see below:
Cost of Housing
The cost of housing will vary depending on which of the options the student chooses and whether or not the student is in a private or shared room. Housing will be paid to either the host university or host country (i.e. landlord, leasing office, management company, etc.).
Housing Application
Once approved and placed at the host university by Education Abroad, students will then be completing a supplemental application in order to be accepted into the host university. Depending on the host university, students will either apply for housing during this supplemental application process or, once accepted by the host university, will complete a housing application. More directions will be given to the student throughout the application process.
Housing Before & After Study Abroad
Students should consider their housing arrangements before and after they study abroad. For students who live on-campus at UNC Charlotte, they should apply for on-campus housing online as normal for the semester they return from studying abroad. For students who live in off-campus apartments, it's important to consider your lease terms and determine when a good time to go abroad may be. Once approved and place at a host university, students have access to a "Sublease Opportunities" google document, which is shared with students who have been approved to go abroad and who have already been abroad in order to connect students with opportunities to short-term housing.
Meals
Meal plans are not typically offered at universities outside of the U.S. Students should budget for the cost of groceries, eating at restaurants and purchasing food at dining halls on campus and consider the cost of living in the host city.
All information listed above is subject to change.
Cost Estimate Sheet
To view estimated costs associated with this program, please refer to the budget sheet listed above this brochure (scroll to the top of this page where it says "Budget Sheets" and click on the corresponding term you're looking to go abroad. Students will also receive a copy of this Cost Estimate Sheet in excel format via email when they meet with an Advisor, who will then discuss each line item.
Statewide Exchange Cost Structure
The following is an outline of the cost structure, which lists common expenses incurred and to whom they will be paid (if applicable). For more information about the estimated cost for each expense, please refer to the budget sheet above.
- Paid to UNC Charlotte Education Abroad:
- Application fee and deposit*
- Study abroad administrative fee*
- International health insurance*
- Paid to Student Accounts at UNC Charlotte:
- Full-time tuition & fees according to the student's residency (in-state or out-of-state) and level (undergraduate or graduate)*
- Paid to the North Carolina University Managing the Exchange:
- Paid to the Host University:
- Housing
- Other fees outlined in the budget sheet, if applicable
- Miscellaneous Costs:
- International flight to and from host destination
- Passport
- Visa or residence permit (if applicable)
- In-country transportation
- Books and supplies
- Personal expenses
- Personal travel expenses
- Additional health insurance policies required by the host country (if applicable)
- Travel Insurance
- International Student ID Card (optional)
*Indicates a required fee
Financial Aid
Students who are financial aid recipients can utilize their funds towards their study abroad expenses. Students should expect to receive the same amount of financial aid they typically receive based off of their FAFSA. In some cases, depending on the cost of attendance abroad, the Office of Financial Aid may be able to expand the student's budget, allowing them to access additional aid in the form of loans.
Financial aid will not be disbursed until the start of the semester (according to UNC Charlotte's academic calendar) the student goes abroad. This means that students should
be prepared to pay out-of-pocket for some expenses (e.g. application fees, housing deposits, airfare, etc.).
At time of disbursal (either August or January), financial aid will first be automatically diverted to UNC Charlotte's Student Accounts in order to submit payment for tuition and fees according to the student's residency rate. The remainder of the student's financial aid, if any, will then be disbursed to the student directly via direct deposit or refund check (it is recommended that students set up direct deposit for ease of receipt). It will then be the student's responsibility to submit payment to any entity they owe a balance to at that time (if applicable, such as Education Abroad, the host university, etc.). Students must take the equivalent amount of full-time credit at UNC Charlotte while abroad in order to receive their full financial aid award. Students who fail to remain the equivalent of full-time while abroad will be required to pay back the financial aid awarded for that semester.
Scholarships
Students are encouraged to apply for scholarships. Please see the "Notes" section located in the budget sheet above and our
scholarship website for more information.
All information listed above is subject to change.
Application Process
- Refer to the Steps to Study Abroad
- Complete Study Abroad 101
- Meet with an Education Abroad Advisor: In order to receive access to the required EA application, students are required to meet with an Advisor at least once. During the one-on-one advising appointment, the Advisor will give the student access to the EA application if they are ready to apply. Please note that clicking the "Apply Now" button above will take students back to their "Advising Application," which is not an application to study abroad.
- Complete an EA Application by the applicable deadline
- EA will then evaluate the student's EA application to determine whether or not they meet the requirements of the program. Note that some universities can be competitive and placement at the first choice university is never guaranteed; if approved, EA will the nominate students to the North Carolina university managing the exchange
- The North Carolina university managing the exchange will then communicate with the host university and facilitate the placement process. Students may then need to complete a supplemental application required by the host university in order to be accepted into the program. While denial from the host university is very uncommon, the host university reserves the right to deny students' acceptance
EA Application Components
- Personal statement in English
- Personal statement in host country language (only applicable for students taking intermediate/advance language courses abroad)
- UNC Charlotte transcript
- 2 academic letters of recommendation
- 1 language evaluation (only applicable for students taking intermediate/advance language courses abroad)
- Disciplinary record clearance
- $135 application fee and deposit
The components listed above are subject to change. More instructions on how to complete these requirements electronically can be found in the EA application.
EA Application Cycles & Deadlines
Please refer to the "Dates/Deadlines" section above this brochure to determine whether or not an application cycle is currently accepting applications. If a note appears that reads "This program is currently not accepting applications," this is because the deadline for the subsequent semester has already passed and students are not yet able to apply for future semesters. Students can gain access to the EA application according to the following timeline (subject to change):
- Fall/Academic Year: Applications open in mid-November
- Spring/Calendar Year: Applications open in mid-May
The EA application deadlines are as follows:
- Fall/Academic Year: February 1
- Spring/Calendar Year: September 1
In some cases, EA
may be able to consider late applications. Please ensure you have completed the Study Abroad 101 requirement and then meet with an Education Abroad Advisor to determine whether or not you are able to apply late. Please keep in mind that, should late applications be considered, chances of placement decrease significantly after the deadlines outlined above have passed.
Supplemental Application Components
After being approved and nominated to the North Carolina university managing the exchange, students may be required to complete additional applications, which will be facilitated by North Carolina university managing the exchange or host university. Students will be given instructions on how to complete the required supplemental application, if applicable, later on in the process. In most cases, this application will require similar documentation that the EA application required. In other cases, the supplemental application may require documents such as Medical Health Clearance documents that must be completed by a doctor, proof of financial means (e.g. personal bank statements, parents' bank statements, proof of financial aid or scholarships, etc.), additional letters of recommendation, etc.
All information listed above is subject to change.
Host University/Country Resources
Travel Insurance
Although not required, Education Abroad highly recommends the purchase of travel insurance (also known as cancellation insurance) should personal or global circumstances prevent your participation in the program. You are encouraged to consider obtaining travel insurance and to keep in mind that many travel insurance policies must be purchased within twenty-one days of your initial deposit to apply to the program.
Passports & Immigration
All participants are individually responsible for ensuring that they have the appropriate documentation to obtain entry clearance to their host country. General
information about passports and
immigration requirements (including visas) is available on the EA website. Please note that Education Abroad is legally unable to advise on visas policies and procedures.
Health & Safety
The safety of our students traveling abroad is of the utmost importance to Education Abroad and UNC Charlotte. Current events are monitored constantly and EA is in direct contact with students and on-site constituencies in the event of an international emergency. EA will work with UNC Charlotte risk managers, on-site staff, the U.S. Department of State and our international insurance provider to determine the best course of action to keep students safe in the event of an emergency abroad.
All study abroad participants are enrolled in mandatory international health insurance which covers a range of medical issues, support services, and evacuation in case of emergency. We also advise that student’s take the responsibility to do their own research in preparation for international travel. We want students and their families to feel comfortable with travel plans prior to departure. Helpful resources include:
All information listed above is subject to change.
UNC Charlotte Education Abroad
CHHS 256
edabroad.charlotte.edu
edabroad@charlotte.edu
704-687-7747
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
UNC Greensboro
International Programs Center
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
207 Foust Building
PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402
Phone: (336) 334-5404
Email: bw_nc@uncg.edu
Study Abroad Ambassadors
Each semester Education Abroad manages the Study Abroad Ambassadors and EA internship program, comprised of UNC Charlotte students who have studied abroad. Their role is to speak with students interested in going abroad and to share their experience. Check out our
Interns & Ambassadors and email them with any questions you may have about their program or experience abroad!
