The Office of International Education (OIE), as a catalyst for comprehensive internationalization, educates the greater Marquette community to become interculturally competent women and men for others through mutually beneficial collaborations in teaching, research and service.

Within OIE, the Education Abroad team strives to offer students a range of international opportunities that meet their academic, vocational, cultural and developmental goals. These goals are aligned with student’s program choice from a diverse palette of academic year, semester, summer, spring-break and J-session programs. Programs include a Marquette-sponsored program with an on-site director, exchange and study abroad programs with partner universities and both credit-bearing and non-credit short-term, faculty-led programs.

Learning Outcomes

Participants in education abroad programs develop individual goals for participating in an international experience. OIE also has goals, in the form of learning outcomes, for participants:

• Increase Intercultural Competence: Interacting effectively and appropriately within a variety of cultural contexts through knowledge, skills and attitudes.
• Develop a Global Perspective: Developing and enhancing one’s cognitive, intrapersonal and interpersonal global perspective.
• Personal Growth and Development: Gaining confidence in one’s perceived independence, goal accomplishment and sense of purpose.
• Second-language Acquisition: Improving one’s written, oral, auditory and speaking abilities in a second language.

To integrate an education abroad experience into the Marquette University experience and develop these vital skill sets, students are encouraged to inquire about education abroad opportunities as early as freshman year with OIE and their academic colleges. Students should regularly refer to the list of available programs on the Marquette Education Abroad website.

Advising

OIE offers a variety of advising services throughout all stages of the education abroad process. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an Education Abroad Coordinator or Adviser to discuss appropriate education abroad programs, policies and individual education goals.

Policies and Procedures

Qualification and Application

• All students planning to travel abroad under the auspices of Marquette University are required to complete and submit the appropriate Marquette education abroad online application by the established deadlines. Upon acceptance to a program, students are required to submit additional materials and, if necessary, complete further program specific requirements, including an additional application to the host institution. The application process can be found on the Education Abroad website. This includes non-Marquette programs for which credit transfer is required, as well as non-credit research, conferences, academic competitions, performances and athletics.
• Students who apply after the established regular deadlines may not be approved to participate on an education abroad program.
• At the time of application, students must meet a required minimum 2.500 cumulative GPA. Note: Some programs may have a higher minimum GPA requirement.
• Students may participate in an education abroad experience as soon as the summer after their freshmen year or, if a transfer student, after completing at least one term at Marquette.
• Studying abroad the term of expected graduation
  • Students are required to graduate at the end of the term in which all degree requirements are completed. Students planning to complete their final degree requirements on a study abroad program must work with their academic college to update their expected graduation term to reflect the term in which the credits will be posted to CheckMarq.
  • As commencement is different from graduation and is considered a celebration, students who are still waiting for their transcript with the final degree requirements to be processed, are still able to participate in the commencement ceremony during their originally anticipated graduation term.
• Students who participate on an education abroad experience must be in good academic, disciplinary and financial standing throughout the duration of their program. Students who are currently on academic or disciplinary probation must apply to a program and submit a request for an exception to the Director of the Office of International Education by established deadlines to have their application considered for an education abroad program.
• Students who have been approved by OIE to participate in an education abroad experience must remain in good academic and disciplinary standing for the remainder of the term prior to travel abroad. Any conduct violations which occur between acceptance and the actual term abroad are reviewed by the applicant's college office, the Office of Student Development and the Office of International Education and may require a follow-up advising session. Students whose conduct between the time of acceptance and the term abroad which results in university probation or greater consequence may be administratively withdrawn from their program and are responsible for any non-refundable or non-recoverable fees due. All other conduct violations during this time that do not result in university probation may require a follow-up interview.
• Students wishing to participate in programs that have not been approved by Marquette (see program list for approved programs) are required to first meet with an Education Abroad Coordinator to discuss the student’s program preferences, eligibility and goals. Note: All non-Marquette programs must issue a transcript from an accredited educational institution per guidelines outlined in Marquette’s undergraduate bulletin. All application requirements must be completed by the applicable deadline. Applications are reviewed as they are submitted until the education abroad deadline and approval is not guaranteed.
  • If the petition is approved, students must complete the relevant pre-departure orientation requirements and comply with all policies and procedures for education abroad students.
  • If the petition is not approved, students can apply for Marquette or external approved education abroad programs but need to do so before the published application deadlines. Therefore, students must plan and submit their petitions well before the application deadline. Transfer credit is not awarded to students studying on unapproved programs. Dropping below full-time status or completely withdrawing from a program may affect a student’s financial aid package or Marquette scholarships.
  • Any student studying through an approved non-Marquette program must complete a consortium agreement between Marquette and the sponsoring institution, if any of the following are true:
    • The student is seeking any financial aid (including alternative loans) for the term they are abroad (applies to the fall, spring and summer terms); and/or
    • The student needs verification of at least half-time enrollment in order to defer loan repayments due to a prior history of receiving federal financial aid (applies to fall or spring terms only); and/or
    • The student needs full-time enrollment for health insurance purposes (applies to fall or spring terms only).
• Students enrolled as degree-seeking international students at Marquette who wish to study in their home country through a Marquette partner program and enroll through Marquette sponsorship are considered Marquette students on an education abroad program and must comply with all education abroad policies and procedures. These students may also be counted as exchange students under an existing bilateral agreement. If a Marquette student returns to their home country and completes any course work not sponsored by Marquette, they are not considered Marquette education abroad students for compliance purposes. Credits can be transferred to Marquette through the course approval and credit transfer process.
• Guests of students are not permitted on any education abroad programs involving undergraduate students. Guest participation on Education Abroad programs involving only graduate level students require advance permission from the program director and Office of International Education and approved guests must register through the MU Global Portal.

Academic Credit

• All existing Marquette students seeking academic credit from an education abroad experience are required to follow the education abroad policies and procedures in the bulletin and outlined on the Marquette Education Abroad website. This applies to all students regardless of the nature of their academic experience abroad, the length of the term abroad, degree program or level of study at the sponsoring institution. Students who do not comply with these policies will not be awarded credit for their experience abroad. 
• All students studying abroad on a credit-bearing program, regardless of term or session, are required to be registered in an international education abroad course. Only students who have been accepted to participate in an education abroad program are permitted to enroll in these courses. Students are responsible for ensuring any holds are resolved so OIE can enroll them in the appropriate course. 
• Students who do not resolve holds preventing OIE from enrolling them in the appropriate course by the end of the term prior to their education abroad experience may be withdrawn from their education abroad program. Students who are registered for the required education abroad course, but fail to attend the education abroad program and have not dropped the class by the first day of the education abroad program, are withdrawn from the program by the university and assigned a grade of UW. This grade may not be appealed.
• Students are responsible for their course enrollment at the host institution. Depending on the institution, enrollment may not be possible until the term begins at the institution abroad.
• Marquette University, not the host institution, determines the credit equivalency between the host institution and the Marquette credit system. Students are responsible for reading the credit equivalency information for their program as outlined in their MU Global Portal.
• Students participating in an education abroad experience for one semester or more must enroll in the equivalent of at least twelve (12) Marquette credits at the host institution(s) and submit a Verification of Course Enrollment form by the appropriate deadline. This form must be signed by the student and a relevant host institution employee, to confirm enrollment. Failure to submit a Verification of Course Enrollment form for each term abroad by the established date may result in a hold placed by OIE on the students’ Marquette Checkmarq account until the form is submitted.
• Students are responsible for notifying Marquette immediately of any changes in enrollment abroad after submission of the Verification of Course Enrollment form.
• Students participating on faculty-led programs or the Sibanye Cape Town Program receive Marquette credit and grades which count toward the Marquette G.P.A.. Credits taken on all other programs are considered for transfer credit. Each host institution's credit conversion rate is published in the MU Global Portal program-specific page.
• Students earn transfer credit for courses taken abroad in which they earn a passing grade, as determined by the host institution. It is the students’ responsibility to understand the lowest passing grade. Transferred credit where the grade earned is less than C only apply toward degree requirements or prerequisites that do not require a grade of C or better. Each respective academic college at Marquette will determine if a course taken abroad will fulfill a major requirement. It is the responsibility of the student to understand for which courses they must earn the equivalent of a C or better to fulfill a requirement. Students cannot audit or take pass/fail classes while abroad. Students receive information about the grading and credit system of their specific program during the exploration and application process.
• Education Abroad transfer credit is only accepted by Marquette if the Marquette student applied, and was approved, through the Office of International Education prior to the deadlines. Failure to apply and receive approval by the deadlines results in denial of the credit transfer upon return to Marquette University.

Preparation

• All students, regardless of college or program, must attend in full a mandatory pre-departure orientation, as well as complete online pre-departure modules and assessments by the required deadlines. Students unable to attend orientation, because of academic or NCAA exceptions only, have one opportunity to make up this requirement. If a student fails to complete orientation requirements in full, the student may be withdrawn from the education abroad program.
• Students are responsible for informing OIE of any changes or cancellations to their education abroad plans that may occur after the deadline for submitting the Marquette education abroad required documents. Students are also responsible for informing their host institution of any changes and/or cancellations that may occur after program acceptance.
• Students are responsible for obtaining all necessary travel documents including, but not limited to, passports, visas and airline tickets.
• Students participating on education abroad programs are automatically enrolled in the Marquette required international insurance for the dates of their education abroad program. This insurance is required for all students traveling abroad under the auspices of Marquette University and is billed to students through their Checkmarq account. There are some programs or countries that also have insurance requirements or automatic enrollment; however, the Marquette policy is still required for students for continuity of health and safety response.
• Students who are U.S. citizens are required to enroll themselves in the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (S.T.E.P.) prior to their departure.
• Students are required to register and activate enrollment in the Alert Traveler system associated with their Marquette education abroad registration for health and safety purposes.
• Students are responsible for coordinating all housing arrangements in Milwaukee and in their host city for the term(s) they are away and for the term they return to campus. Marquette is not responsible for any lease commitments locally or abroad while a student is on an education abroad program.
• Students should consider establishing a medical or legal Power of Attorney prior to participating in an education abroad program. The State of Wisconsin has basic power of attorney forms available online at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/forms/advdirectives/index.htm. The Office of International Education and Marquette University cannot provide students or parents with legal advice as to the appropriate Power of Attorney form. If students or have questions about the form appropriate for their needs, they should consult an attorney for guidance. 
  • Medical Power of Attorney 
    A medical power of attorney allows a student to assign an individual to speak on their behalf in the event the student is not able to make decisions for themselves. 
  • Legal Power of Attorney 
    A legal power of attorney allows a student to assign an individual to make decisions on their behalf while they are abroad, specifically with regards to their finances. 

Finances and Financial Aid

• At the time of application, students must review and e-sign a program budget sheet and finances agreement. This agreement outlines a student's financial responsibility if they participate on a program, as well as if they withdraw after they have been accepted to a program.
• If a student receives financial aid or wishes to receive financial aid for an education abroad experience, they are required to discuss their plans with a financial aid counselor. Students are personally responsible for understanding how their financial aid does, or does not, apply toward an education abroad program.
• Dropping below full-time status or completely withdrawing from a program may affect a student’s financial aid package or Marquette scholarships.
• Some education abroad programs require a deposit to be paid via credit card, debit card or electronic check during the application process. Credit cards incur a 2.5% service fee, which is the responsibility of the student. All deposits are subject to the Withdrawal & Refund Policy.
• Any student studying through an approved non-Marquette program must complete a consortium agreement between Marquette and the sponsoring institution if any of the following are true:
  • The student is seeking any financial aid (including alternative loans) for the term they are abroad (applies to the fall, spring and summer terms); and/or
  • The student needs verification of at least half-time enrollment in order to defer loan repayments due to a prior history of receiving federal financial aid (applies to fall or spring terms only); and/or
  • The student needs full-time enrollment for health insurance purposes (applies to fall or spring terms only).
• Students receiving tuition remission and faculty dependent child (FACH) benefits should consult with OIE staff regarding eligibility. Benefits may be applied to the tuition for select education abroad semester programs but are not guaranteed each term. FACH benefits are only available for limited summer programs. Tuition remission is not available for most home billed, external approved or non-Marquette programs. Tuition remission for FACH students on faculty-led programs are determined on a case-by-case basis, as these are cost-recovery programs. Student applications for FACH tuition remission are vetted by OIE based on the following criteria:
  • Seniority
  • Combination of major, year in school and proposed term abroad (i.e. OIE reviews the possibility of a student studying abroad in a future term based on the student’s academic program)
  • Quality of application in terms of seriousness of purpose and demonstrated ability to perform well in the overseas academic environment
• Undergraduate tuition remission for the Faculty and Staff Children Exchange Program (FACHEX) and Tuition Exchange may be applied to the tuition for select Marquette-approved education abroad programs which are full-term, semester-long programs and are held in either the fall or spring term. FACHEX and Tuition Exchange awards cannot be used for summer, J-term, spring break or faculty-led education abroad programs. Should a FACHEX or Tuition Exchange recipient choose to participate in any of these programs, they do so without the aid provided by the FACHEX or Tuition Exchange award.
• Students receiving tuition remission, a FACH, FACHEX, or Tuition Exchange award who are interested in an education abroad program should contact the Office of International Education to confirm if a specific program is included. Students should also notify the Office of the Provost of the intent to participate and the relevant term. In all cases, participants in eligible education abroad programs under the relevant program (tuition remission, FACH, FACHEX, or Tuition Exchange) are required to pay any non-tuition related program fees.

While Abroad

• Students must remain in communication with Marquette University and the Office of International Education using their Marquette University email account throughout their time abroad and after they return to Marquette University’s Milwaukee Campus.
• See “Academic Credit” section above for information about course enrollment, submission of the Verification of Course Enrollment form and changes in enrollment.

Upon Return

• It is the responsibility of the student to request that the host institution send an official transcript to the Office of International Education at Marquette University. Only official transcripts from accredited educational institutions are accepted, per guidelines outlined in Marquette’s undergraduate bulletin.