Study Abroad FAQs

We recommend that you watch the Study Abroad 101 info session if you haven't already. Study abroad 101 goes over program options, credit transfer, application process, and more.

More details are available through the following links below:

• Program exploration
• Application process
• Study abroad policies

You can also set up an appointment with an education abroad staff by visiting our Study Abroad Staff Directory website.

Each college at Marquette is assigned to one of three education abroad staff in our office. You can make an appointment by requesting through our Study Abroad Staff Directory website, or simply by sending an email to studyabroad@marquette.edu.

You can withdraw your study abroad application(s) without any financial repercussions if you withdraw on or before the commitment deadline relevant to your study abroad application term. More information on the commitment deadline is available in your program-specific application through MUGlobal Portal. Typically commitment deadlines for the Marquette study abroad application is 7-10 days after you are notified of a decision on your application.  Again, the commitment deadline will be provided to you in your application as this may vary by program.

NOTE: Some programs do require a deposit. If you had to submit a deposit to hold your spot in your study abroad program and you withdraw prior to the commitment deadline, you should expect to receive your deposit refunded within 2-4 weeks.

Yes. MUGlobal Portal, our online application system, allows you to apply for up to three study abroad programs in the same term. During the application phase, you will be asked to rank your applications in preferential order. We will only consider your alternative applications if you do not meet eligibility requirements of your first choice or you are not accepted.

This depends on the specific program. Marquette nor OIE set the eligibility requirements for application on a study abroad program. Eligibility requirements for a program can be found on the Overview tab of a program brochure page in the Information Sheet.

Be advised that our office will review any violations/probations on your student academic and conduct record. Any violations/probations that appear on your academic and/or conduct record do not automatically disqualify you from participating on a study abroad opportunity. This is reviewed by the Education Abroad team on a case-by-case basis.

Most study abroad programs at Marquette are not competitive. There are a few study abroad programs though that have a cap.  If you apply to a competitive program, you will be notified via email by our office to look into an alternative program in case the number of spaces cannot accommodate the number of applications, you do not meet eligibility requirements of the program, etc. If you have any questions, please contact studyabroad@marquette.edu.

Absolutely not.  For the majority of our study abroad programs, Marquette students will pay Marquette tuition to study abroad.  There are a handful of programs that have you pay a comprehensive program fee - these are mainly the externally approved programs that we include in our study abroad programs offer.  

If you are unsure of what you pay, please check out the 'Finances' tab on the program's brochure page to see what expenses you are estimated to pay during your term abroad. For more information, please visit our financial aid webpage.

Refer to the Withdrawal & Refund Policy tab on our Financial Aid webpage for more information.

For semester study abroad experiences, generally yes. If you participate on a Marquette partner program, your Marquette aid along with any federal and/or state aid will transfer to your study abroad term. We encourage you to reach out to the Office of Student Financial Aid to discuss specifics.  

For short-term experiences (especially summer), generally no. Aid eligibility varies depending on the program you participate on. It is best to directly confirm with the Office os Student Financial Aid.

If you participate on a non-Marquette or externally approved study abroad program, your Marquette aid will not transfer (applies to semester or short-term experiences). Please contact our office if you are unsure if your aid will apply or not to your study abroad.

Yes, absolutely. We provide a short list of common external study abroad funding opportunities on our Study Abroad Scholarships website. There are a variety of funding outside of the list we provide so make sure to check out the additional funding databases we list at the bottom of the scholarships website.

The total cost of study abroad depends on a variety of factors.  For Marquette students pursuing study abroad through one of our partner programs, you pay Marquette tuition. Other additional expenses vary based on the location and program requirements (i.e. housing, visa, books, etc.). Take a look at the Finances tab of each individual program brochure page for a comparison of total estimated costs on a study abroad program versus total estimated cost of attendance at Marquette for that term.  This is to help you budget for expenses we anticipate you having on your study abroad program.  For resources on budgeting, visit our Study Abroad Financial Aid webpage.

Students planning to study abroad for a semester should also consider how housing agreements or leases already signed for accommodations in Milwaukee may be affected.  

• Residence Halls: Students with an on-campus Residence Hall contract should submit a request for release or exemption from the university residence requirement and housing agreement during the semester they are abroad.
• University owned apartments:
• Flexible lease options are available.
• Students who have already signed a lease may consider subletting a university owned apartment during their time abroad.
• Students living in University-owned apartments will be held to previously signed lease agreements.
• Students who have not yet signed a lease may want to consider a furnished apartment for the semester they will be living in Milwaukee, to prevent the need to store furniture while abroad.
• Off-campus apartments:
• Students are responsible for contacting their landlord to discuss flexible lease or subletting options.
• Students will likely be held to previously signed lease agreements.

Great question! Housing abroad is administered through the host provider/university.  Any housing recommendations for a particular study abroad program will be provided through the program brochure pages found on the website. Instructions will be provided to you to secure housing abroad by your study abroad program provider/host university. This information is normally given to you between the period leading up to the application deadline and when acceptance decisions are announced.  Providers/host universities all run on different application processing timelines so be sure to stay in contact with your study abroad office and program so that you do not miss any deadlines.

Each program offers a variety of housing options so there is no general housing answer we can provide. Keep in mind that Marquette nor the OIE have any administrative oversight on housing abroad with the exception of the Sibanye Cape Town and faculty-led programs. These program are designated with a .

There is a specific process that you go through in order to make sure you receive transfer credit for the courses you complete abroad. For full details, please visit our course approval process webpage.

Additionally, to assist you in determining potential Marquette course equivalents, each study abroad program brochure page includes an "Evaluated Course Equivalencies" link (click image below to enlarge), which can be found within the "Academics" tab. This link will take you to a Program Course Equivalency page, which lists courses offered on that program and the corresponding Marquette course equivalents and their credit values. Courses found on these lists must still be pre-approved by completing the above Course Approval Form and courses are not guaranteed to be offered by the host institution. Please note, these Program Course Equivalency lists are not comprehensive. These are living course lists that are edited continuously, and not all courses taught abroad have been evaluated to determine the Marquette equivalent course. Students can still request pre-approval and take courses that are not yet listed on these lists.

We recommend that you speak with your academic advisor(s) and the college contact to understand how your study abroad courses will transfer back to fulfill any remaining degree requirements.

If you are considering a semester abroad (i.e. Fall or Spring), you are required to take an equivalent of 12 MU credits abroad. As each study abroad may utilize a different credit system other than the U.S. credit system, we recommend you review all academic details provided on the individual program brochure page under the academics tab and other relevant materials you are provided throughout the study abroad process.

If you are considering a short term abroad (J session or Summer), please keep in mind that in order to qualify for financial aid, you may need to be enrolled in the equivalent of 6 US credits while abroad, and should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid with questions about your summer aid.

This is a great question and the answer is it depends.  For every major, there may be term(s), semester or short term, that align best with keeping you on track to graduate.  You should speak with your academic advisor about the best time to consider studying abroad. We invite you to contact the education abroad coordinator of your college as well to find the best match.

Health and safety of our Marquette community remains of primary importance. An overview of all health and safety resources can be found on our health and safety resources webpage.

Study abroad programming is still being offered pending any developments here and/or abroad. OIE takes into account several different factors and consults various international and local health authorities to determine if a study abroad program should be cancelled including, but not limited to -

• Partner universities abroad closing and/or suspending programs
• Alert Traveler updates regarding border closures or travel restrictions
• CDC raising the Travel Health Notice to a Warning Level 3: Avoid Non-Essential Travel
• U.S. Department of State raising the Travel Advisory to a Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or Level 4 (Do Not Travel)

All programs are assessed individually based on a combination of the above and other resources for study abroad programming. Visit our COVID-19 (Coronavirus) General Information for Education Abroad Programs website for general information.