How to Apply - External Programs

As a UMD student, you may wish to participate in a study abroad program, or enroll directly at an overseas university, that is not officially sponsored by the University of Maryland. If the university or program in question is one that has previously been vetted, it will appear in our listings on MyEA. If the university or program has not been reviewed, then you will need to petition Education Abroad for permission to enroll (see below for more information).

Please be sure to read ALL of the information below before beginning to apply to an external program.

Academic Credit

Your course options may be limited on an external program. Be sure to research carefully how those classes offered by your prospective overseas university or study-abroad provider will transfer back to UMD. After reviewing course offerings, you will want to discuss them with your academic advisor, your advising college, and an advisor in the Education Abroad office to find out more about how those courses might apply toward your degree.

It is important to begin researching course options well in advance of your program. Keep in mind that some departments and classes at overseas host universities may be restricted for visiting students, and those subjects offered at host institutions that are not also offered at UMD cannot count for credit (fashion, cuisine, tourism, etc.).

Credit for courses taken on external programs will be accepted as transfer credit. Courses must be taken for a letter grade and students must receive the equivalent grade of C- or better in order to receive credit toward their UMD degree. The grades for transfer credit courses are not factored into a student's cumulative GPA and do not appear on a student's UMD transcript.

Please note that if you participate in a program administered by a study abroad provider (as opposed to enrolling directly at an overseas university), there are some additional requirements regarding the transfer of credit. Be sure to review that information here.

Costs

Students who enroll in an external study abroad program do not pay tuition to the University of Maryland for the term they are abroad. The University of Maryland will charge a $400 Education Abroad administrative fee for semester/year-long programs and $250 for summer programs directly to the student's UMD financial account.

All UMD students are automatically enrolled in international health insurance for the duration of their study abroad program through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI). The CISI plan provides international health insurance with no deductible, emergency medical assistance, evacuation, and other important benefits that are not included in U.S. domestic insurance plans. The coverage costs approximately $33 per month. For more information, please view our International Health Insurance page.

Students pay all other costs, including host university tuition, program fees, and housing, directly to the overseas university or to the study abroad provider.

Students may be able to apply some or all of their regular financial aid to an external study abroad program, or apply for scholarships. Please see Funding Study Abroad for details.

Finding a Program

To search for programs that have already been approved for UMD students by Education Abroad, please click here. If you are not ready to apply, you can save or share the programs that you are considering.

If you are interested in a program that does not appear in the directory, you'll need to petition Education Abroad for permission to enroll. To learn more about that process, please click here.

How to Apply

After you've researched external study abroad programs and made sure you meet the requirements to apply, you should begin the application process by starting an online MyEA application. To do so,

  • Click "Apply Now" at the top of the program page
  • Log in with your UMD Directory ID and password
  • Respond to the questions about emergency contacts, financial aid, etc. You will then be taken to your "applicant home." Click on the name of your program.
  • To complete your UMD Education Abroad application, fill in the Required Forms, Signature Documents and Assessments.
  • Then, schedule a meeting with the regional advisor for your program. Please see the Contact Us page for contact details and to sign up for an appointment online.

Once approved by Education Abroad, you will also need to apply directly to the host institution or program provider and complete their application process. Make sure you are aware of the specific application requirements for your program of choice.

You will also need to log in to your myEA account periodically before you depart so that you can be sure to submit additional materials to UMD.