Inbound FAQ

Nominations will be sent by your Home University Exchange Coordinator to the Office of Global Business at Fisher.

No. There are several reasons you might be denied, but providing your documents in a timely manner will speed up such decisions.

Please read the Inbound Exchange page for detailed information about the application and other steps for your Student Exchange Program to Fisher. Complete your application as soon as possible to start producing the DS-2019 immigration documentation and acceptance letters. This will be needed for your application to obtain your U.S. Visa, which is required for your studies in the U.S. The deadline for inbound exchange application is:

• Autumn Semester: March 15
• Spring Semester: October 1

All international exchange students are required to obtain a J-1 visa to attend the Ohio State University on exchange. A "Visa Waiver" is not permitted at Ohio State - all students must have a J-1 visa.

Information about U.S. consulate policies, procedures, and requirements can be obtained through the U.S. State Department or the U.S. J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program page. Applicants for student visas usually apply at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country of their permanent residence. The processing time for a visa may vary by visa office, so it is advised to work on obtaining your J-1 visa as soon as possible.

You can find the official academic calendar at OSU on the Registrar's Office page. 

You will pay your tuition at your home school like any other term and your tuition at OSU will be waived. Additionally, you are required to pay for OSU fees (approximately $2010.90 per semester, subject to change) and other personal expenses.

The 2022-2023 academic year fees are listed below and are subject to change:

• Student Health Insurance - $1,765*
• Recreation Facilities Fee - $123
• Student Activity Fee - $30
• Student Union Fee - $74.40
• COTA Bus Transportation Fee - $13.50
• Learning Technology Fee- $186 (Undergraduate)

*The OSU Student Health Insurance is mandatory. This will only cover the dates of the academic term you attend OSU. If you would like to be covered for the dates outside of your academic term at OSU, you can either request the Student Health Insurance office for additional coverage, or talk with your family plan provider for coverage. This may result in additional cost.

Other additional cost you will have to consider are:

• Housing
• Living Expense (meals, phone, internet, etc.)
• Airfare
• Visa Fees
• Other Expenses (Personal expense, text books, etc.)

You will be paying OSU through your OSU student account. Payment option information is provided by OSU's Bursar's Office. Should you have issues or questions about payments, please contact them at bursar@osu.edu or +1 614-292-1056. You will not be paying OSU tuition, but must pay other student fees.

Business international exchange students must be prepared to live off-campus and to find your own accommodation when coming to OSU. The OSU Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services (+1 614-292-0100, offcampus@osu.edu) can assist you in your search for local short-term apartments, sublets, and roommates.

Make sure you have a written and signed contract for your accommodation, listing rules and expectations that you can agree to. It is advised that you use precaution when committing to any kind of accommodation (check condition of housing, people you are living with, etc.), whether with individual or vendor, since you will be responsible for any issues that may arise. OSU is unable to legally represent you should problems arise.

Here are helpful links from OSU Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services to get your started:

• OSU Off-Campus Resources
• OSU Roommate Search Function

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Other links recommended by past students:

• COTA Bus Route Map
• Safety Map

You may find the estimated cost of attendance at OSU's Student Financial Aid webpage. (Under "Columbus Campus"​ > "Ohio ​resident​​: Living on or off cam​pus")

Per research done in 2023, OSU undergraduate students reported the following average monthly expense budget:

• Housing $800
• Food $400
• Text Books $300
• Phone/Internet $50
• Personal Expense $300

The amount will differ depending on how you allocate your funds while at Fisher and the different services you choose to use while in Columbus, so this amount may differ per person.

Use the following links to search for classes at OSU. Please make sure you select the term you are attending OSU and the Columbus campus when using the class search.

You can find the sample syllabus on the following webpages below:

• OSU Course Search
• Fisher Course Syllabi
• OSU Course Syllabi (will need OSU log in to access)

If you are not able to find the syllabi at the above links, please contact the exchange coordinator for assistance.

Undergraduate and graduate students must take a minimum of 12 OSU credits, with a maximum of 18 OSU credits, per semester. The average course load is about 12-15 OSU credits per semester. OSU considers the following codes as business courses:

• Accounting and MIS (CODE: ACCTMIS)
• Business Administration (CODE: BUSADM)
• Business Finance (CODE: BUSFIN)
• Management Sciences (CODE: BUSMGT)
• Management and Human Resources (CODE: BUSMHR)
• Marketing and Logistics (CODE: BUSML)

As an international student attending OSU on exchange, you are not able to enroll in courses on your own. You must submit your course request to the Exchange Coordinator to get enrolled into your preferred classes by an academic advisor. For some courses you must meet the classes' pre-requisites if your preferred class requires this. Courses fill up quickly, so it advised you submit your course requests as soon as possible once you are asked to submit your selections. You may also want to have back up classes in case the classes you select as your first choice are not available.

You may find required textbook information on your OSU account under My Buckeye Link. Also, for each class you are enrolled in at OSU, you will have a Carmen page. On this system you are able to see the class syllabus that contain information about required text books, the quizzes and assignments of the class, and class materials. You are granted access once you are enrolled in the class and it is closer to the start of terms.

Classes at the Ohio State University are graded A to E or S/U. More information on grades at OSU can be found on OSU's Academic Advising page. Check with your home university how course grades and credits convert back to your home university.

After you have completed your semester at Fisher, an electronic copy of your OSU transcript will be sent to your home university and your OSU email. This will usually take about a month or two after the end of the semester. If you would need hard copies please notify the Exchange Coordinator.

Should you need additional copies of your transcript, you will have to make a request to the OSU Registrar. You will have to pay a fee for additional copies of your transcript.

The large size of the university means there is always an interesting exhibit at the Wexner Center for the Arts, a student club meeting (including a snow skiing club, volunteer groups, cultural clubs, and more), a festival or a football game. Visit the university's main website for more information about life at Ohio State. The Ohio State Office of International Affairs also has helpful information on the "Get involved" page.

University Wide: You can find a variety of student organizations on the Ohio Union webpage. For more activities, check the event calendar on The Ohio Union Activities Board website.

Fisher College of Business: Student organizations in the Business College can be found on Fisher's Student Group page. For activities, visit Fisher's student event page FisherU.

OSU and the Office of Global Business welcome international students from all over the world to the Fisher College of Business. Below are some resources provided to help enhance your experience on campus.

• International Student Handbook
• Office of International Affairs
• Information on International Student Visas (U.S. State Department)
• OSU Disability Services

The links below will provide you information on activities and events held about the state of Ohio and the city of Columbus.

• Ohio State University Athletics- OSU sport event information.
• Ohio State University Recreational Sports- OSU's sport facility information.
• Office of International Affairs (OIA) Events- OIA's international events on OSU campus.
• Experience Columbus- Columbus, Ohio, tourist information.
• Ohio.gov- State of Ohio tourist information.