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Advising

Our office is here for you. We want you to find an enriching program. 

We not only help students, but we also offer information and support services to families, faculty, and staff. Students are required to attend at least one advising session to ensure they have the information needed to get started with their application. If students are attending a Drake faculty-led program, their advising questions can be directed to the faculty member, as well as to our office. We also require students to attend a Pre-Departure Orientation before leaving on their journey, to further cover concepts about health, safety, and culture abroad.

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Application Process

One of the key advising areas we assist students through is the application process. All students traveling internationally on a Drake, Exchange, or Affiliate programs must apply online. Students must also be approved by Drake University to join an education abroad program in order to receive academic credit, and to use Drake scholarships and financial aid towards the experience.  

We recommend that all students start the application process by watching Education Abroad 101. For students who want to schedule an appointment with our office, students must watch this video first, as it addresses many common pre-application questions.  

Once students are ready to start an application, do so through the online application system.

J-Term or Summer Programs

The J-term programs for the upcoming year are not revealed until the J-term Fair in March. On the day of the J-term Fair, our office opens the application cycle for J-term programs abroad. Students must apply through the online application system, and cannot sign up for J-term courses abroad through MyDusis or any other system. As some J-term programs fill very quickly, students can apply to more than one program, and rank their programs of interest.

Summer programs for the upcoming year are typically promoted at the Fall Study Abroad Fair, with Drake faculty representing their summer programs. Our Affiliate partners also have information to share about study, internship, and service-learning programs that are also available around the globe! Students can begin applying for summer programs in October through the online application system. 

Semester or Academic Year Abroad Students

Students traveling abroad for a semester or academic year are required to attend a study abroad advising appointment before they can be approved for a study abroad program. Students can schedule online via Calendly. At the advising appointment, you can review program options, review the application process, and discuss financial aid and study abroad scholarships, credits, and more. 

Be aware that the application is a two-step process for semester and academic year programs. You must first apply and be approved to study abroad by Drake University. Then you must also apply and be approved by the Exchange or Affiliate Partner.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an education abroad experience, students must meet Drake University requirements, as well as any program specific requirements. For example, some programs may require that you have a certain major, be a junior or senior, or have a higher GPA requirement.

General Eligibility Criteria

  1. Sophomore standing or above
  2. Minimum 2.5 GPA
  3. Pass Drake University's disciplinary check
  4. Complete a Study Abroad online application before the deadline.
  5. Complete pre-departure requirements, including attending the Pre-Departure Orientation session and passing the Pre-Departure Orientation Blackboard course.
  6. Attend any Drake Program meetings hosted by Drake faculty (if joining a Drake Program abroad).
  7. Meet any other program specific requirements (varies per program, but may be something like a course prerequisite).
  8. Maintain the Drake Code of Conduct before departure and while traveling abroad.

Deadlines

J-Term 

  • Drake Programs: April 7, 2023 Priority Deadline (some programs have deadline extensions, if they don't fill) 
  • Exchange and Affiliate Programs: August 15, 2023 (REMINDER: the partner also has a deadline that you must meet) 

Spring Term 

  • Drake Programs: September 1, 2023
  • Exchange, Direct Enroll, and Affiliate Programs: September 1, 2023 (REMINDER: the partner also has a deadline that you must meet) 

Summer Term 

  • Drake Programs: range from December 15, 2023 to February 1, 2024
  • Exchange and Affiliate Programs: February 1, 2024 (REMINDER: the partner also has a deadline) 

Fall and Academic Year Term 

  • Exchange, Direct Enroll, and Affiliate Programs: March 1 (REMINDER: the partner also has a deadline)

Timelines (Pre-Application)

Drake Programs 

Most Drake Programs abroad are offered during J-Term (programs typically travel for one to three weeks, and depart early January), as well as some program offerings during the summer and the semester.

  1. Attend Drake's J-Term Fair during the Spring semester (usually held in March) 
  2. Search for Drake Programs abroad 
  3. Speak with a Drake faculty program leader or our office to learn more about the program 
  4. Start and complete the online application. Once the priority deadline passes, Global Engagement will utilize the course's acceptance criteria (if applicable), as well as the student's course registration standing. Students with more senior standing (Graduate students, Seniors) are given priority over Juniors and Sophomores. This is based on the number of credits a student has earned. 
  5. Meet with the Financial Aid office once you have picked a program to discuss how your financial aid package will apply.
  6. Meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss how the course(s) will fit into your Drake degree plan.
  7. Submit a passport application or passport renewal, if needed. The nearest agency that can process your passport application is the United States Post Office (USPS) store located at 1165 2nd Ave in Des Moines. If you have a passport, make sure your passport is valid six months beyond the return date of your program. 

Exchange and Affiliate Programs 

  1. Watch Education Abroad 101
  2. Meet with Drake's Education Abroad Advisor or a Peer Advisor to discuss the application process, program options, financial aid, scholarships, credit transfer, etc. 
  3. Attend Drake's Education Abroad Fair, if possible, during the Fall semester (usually held in September). 
  4. Search for Drake-approved program options
  5. Start and complete an online application as soon as possible. The application must be submitted before Drake's deadline. Our Affiliate and Exchange partners also have applications and deadlines. Our office will share more details about partner applications and deadlines once you are approved to study abroad. 
  6. Meet with the Financial Aid office once you have picked a program.
  7. Meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss how the course(s) will fit into your Drake degree plan. You can download a Course Approval Form from our Forms page.
  8. Submit a passport application or passport renewal, if needed. The nearest agency that can process your passport application is the United States Post Office (USPS) store located at 1165 2nd Ave in Des Moines. Make sure your passport is valid six months beyond the return date of your program. Students need a passport in hand at least four months before departure so they can submit the passport to a consulate for their student visa.

Timelines (Post-Application)

Drake Programs 

  1. Our office notifies student of their acceptance status 
  2. Our office notifies student of the payment process after acceptance 
  3. Attend all meetings with the faculty program leaders the semester leading up to departure 
  4. Attend the Pre-Departure Orientation (held the semester before departure) 
  5. Review and complete the Health and Safety Blackboard course 

Exchange and Affiliate Programs 

  1. Our office notifies student of their acceptance status 
  2. Once accepted, begin and complete the Exchange or Affiliate Program’s application 
  3. Attend the Pre-Departure Orientation (held the semester before departure) 
  4. Review and complete the Health and Safety Blackboard course 
  5. Research if your host country requires you to get a student visa. If so, start to gather required documents, and book an appointment at the consulate, if necessary. You may need to travel to submit and pick-up your passport and supporting materials (many consulates are in Chicago).