Frequently Asked Questions

Sophomores will receive information in late August/early September regarding Study Abroad Info Sessions. Unless you have an interest in a very unique location or have multiple major/minor combinations, we ask that you do not request a meeting with an advisor until AFTER you have attended an Info Session. Most, if not all, of your questions will be answered during the session where we will walk you through the application process and the impact of studying abroad for a semester. Beforehand, please review the information on the Study Abroad website to help determine which programs you are most interested in.

Juniors who have been accepted into a program and are looking to have their courses pre-approved prior to departure should follow the directions noted here.

Business students may apply to most of the International Study programs depending on particular requirements of each location which are explained in detail on the Study Abroad website.  There are no preferred business locations; our students have been approved to study in nearly every program available to business majors. Students are encouraged to explore a variety of study abroad locations based on their personal interests and goals.

Business students have participated in international year-long programs, however, it usually requires very stringent scheduling and possibly summer school to complete all requirements and graduate on time in 4 years.  You will need to work closely with Dr. Gina Shropshire in the Office of Undergraduate Studies if you choose to apply for a full academic year.

You may apply for two international programs, however, you will only receive one acceptance. If you are open to fall and spring, that still only counts as ONE choice. After you have submitted all of your Study Abroad applications and the online application system closes, the Study Abroad Office will have you rank order your locations.  Applications to summer programs are counted separately.

Each program has different requirements and restrictions.  This information is available on the Study Abroad website. Regardless of the program requirements, students in the Mendoza College of Business must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above to receive Academic Advisor and Dean’s approvals. Fall grades will be factored into your CUM GPA when making these determinations.

This listing shows courses that have been approved in the past in each of the Notre Dame Study Abroad locations.

These lists are representative of available courses but are neither guaranteed nor exhaustive. You may revise your Plan of Study using these lists but understand that the courses are subject to change. Keep in mind that you do not need to list specific courses on your plan of study. It is sufficient to indicate that you will complete your 2nd THEO requirement, for instance.  We do not need you to indicate the specific Theology course.

Required major-level business courses are not typically available. However, juniors majoring in FIN or MARK may take one major elective in their international semester if the course has been pre-approved and assigned an ND course number.  For example, in Dublin there are several FIN major courses listed. Students may list one FIN major elective in their plans. International courses are listed with a “4” in the second digit, thus FIN 34220 is the equivalent of FIN 30220 (Macroeconomic Analysis).

Students with 2nd majors or minors should contact their departments to verify how many courses might count in any study abroad location.

Working with the Google Sheets plan that was reviewed by an advisor this summer, you will move most courses out of the semester you plan to study abroad. Before making any edits, start a new version: Right click on the tab with the most recent date, choose Duplicate to copy the existing plan to a new tab which you can then rename as INTL. The courses in your semester abroad may include University Requirements, business courses (where available), courses for your second major or minor, and electives. You do not have to list specific course titles or numbers unless there is a required course for that location. 

Students should attend the Study Abroad Office's Information Sessions for the various locations so that you have a clear idea of what courses might be offered in your preferred location. Courses are not guaranteed. Before your semester abroad, you will again work with your Academic Advisor to fine tune the safest plan – one that allows you to take courses abroad and still graduate on time in 8 semesters.

Decisions are usually sent out in mid to late January from Notre Dame Study Abroad Office.  Please direct all questions regarding international study decisions to Study Abroad at 574-631-1138. 

Yes, you may apply to both semester and summer programs.  These decisions are made independently of each other.  

Notre Dame offers a variety of international study opportunities. If your initial application was not accepted and you are still interested in international study, you should contact the Notre Dame Study Abroad Office to learn about any additional international study programs that are still accepting applications.

Students have 2 options to apply to non-Notre Dame Study abroad programs.

1. Petition Process: Pending ND Study Abroad Office and MCOB approvals, students may submit information about a non-ND program as an option by the November 1st deadline. Students must provide compelling rationale why the non-Notre Dame program provides unique support for their curriculum. Students may apply to Notre Dame Programs at the same time they are submitting a Petition Process request. Contact the Study Abroad Office for more information.
2. Study Abroad Leave of Absence (LOA): If students have applied to and been wait-listed or denied acceptance to a Notre Dame International Study program, then these students may apply for a limited number of Study Abroad Leave of Absence (LOA) approvals. The application and more information is located on this webpage. If approved, students may attend a non-Notre Dame Study Abroad Program and have approved credits transferred back to their transcripts. Without having applied to any Notre Dame International Study Programs, students are not eligible for a Study Abroad LOA.

No, all international classes must be taken for a grade.

Students are able to study abroad through another university during the summer. These courses are treated as transfer courses and students may receive academic credit for their courses as long as they meet our contact hour requirements and have been pre-approved by the relevant department. Students interested in this option should speak with an advisor to plan which courses to take and to begin the transfer course approval process via eforms.