Office of Global Business: Semester Exchange

Outbound Student Exchange FAQ

You can find information on the exchange partner webpage.

Planning in your first year and applying in your second year, then studying abroad in your third year is recommended.  You may go abroad in your senior year but cannot go abroad in the term you graduate. Discuss with your academic advisor to plan out your academics including exchange.

You may plan to go abroad in your sophomore spring term, but under special conditions and approvals. Please contact the exchange coordinator to learn more.

No. You must be able to arrive on time for the mandatory orientations/start of classes abroad  and leave after the end of exams at the host institution if you plan to participate. Also, you are not permitted to leave early from Fisher before your exchange program, or come back late for the following term to Fisher after the exchange program ends.

If you are nominated as an exchange student, you will attend a MANDATORY orientation class in the Spring or Fall semester before your exchange term. Please find the dates and times under "Before Departure" on the Outbound Exchange homepage.

The Office of Career Management works with you closely to identify a plan for the recruiting season. It is advised that you update your Fisher Hanshake information, from cover letter to resume before you go abroad, and create a Skype/Zoom account for online interviews.

In the past, multiple Fisher students have participated in successful online interviews during their exchange term abroad, with the help of the Office of Career Management. You may want to consider an internship with a company located or headquartered in the country where you will study. You may also utilize the partner universities career services office, if they offer the service to exchange students.

The Fisher College of Business prides itself on the many global opportunities for students to have an international experience and gain global business skills. If Student Exchange is not an option you choose, you can consider a Fisher Global Lab, European Innovation Academy, Fisher Global Consulting, or Fisher Global Internships. These programs all have a business focus. We also offer a transcript designation program, the Global Option in Business. Additionally, OSU's Office of International Affairs (OIA) has many education abroad programs available to students as well. Check out OIA's Education Abroad Search Engine.

No. There are limited spaces available each year for each of our exchange partner institutions. You will have the ability to choose your top three institutions on one application to indicate which exchange location you would like to go. Slots will be filled on a first come first serve basis, and will close once full.

You may find the application information on the Outbound Exchange main page under "Eligibility".

If you are thinking of exchanging in your sophomore spring term, you will have to meet a different eligibility criteria. Contact the exchange coordinator to learn more.

Please check details on the Outbound Exchange main page under "Application Process", which list all the items you must complete for the application. Applications typically open/close one year in advance of your selected exchange term (i.e. applications open AU24 for AU25 exchange programs) in the following manner, although specific dates change year-to-year:

• Autumn Exchange: Open Sept to Oct, and closes in Dec a year prior 
• Spring Exchange: Open Jan to Feb, and closes in Mar a year prior 

Yes. There are a limited number of spaces available at each of our partner institutions. Students will be selected on a first come, first serve basis, so please submit your application early to have a better chance of going to your selected university.

Yes, but you cannot apply to go to your home country on exchange for the purpose of broadening your horizon in a different culture. As an international student, you must have a multiple entry visa to ensure your ability to re-enter the U.S. after the program. You are responsible for obtaining any visas required to travel and to come back to the U.S. to continue your studies at OSU.

Yes, but you will have to confirm with your Fisher Undergraduate Academic Advisor that you are on track to be admitted into the business majors. It is required that you are admitted into Fisher College of Business by the deadline given for your exchange program term, if you are not admitted upon your application. If you do not meet this requirement before you depart for your exchange program, you will be dropped from the program at your own cost.

It will depend on the pre-requisite courses you have remaining. You will have to confirm with your Fisher Undergraduate Academic Advisor, if you are able to finish the remaining pre-requisite courses by the deadline given for your exchange program term. If this is feasible, you do not have to have all pre-requisites completed at the time of application. Although, if you do not complete all pre-requisites before you depart for your exchange program, you will be dropped from the program at your own cost.

If you are selected, you will receive an nomination letter and email no later than a month after the application deadline. The applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

After you commit to your nominated placement with Fisher, nominations will be sent by the Office of Global Business to the Host Institution.

You must apply to the Host Institution according to their process, AFTER you have been nominated by the Office of Global Business. This will be the process for the Host Institution to officially accept you to attend their school. Until you are accepted by the Host Institution, you should not make financial commitment for the program. Details of this process will be explained through the orientation class.

Cost varies depending on the location you select to go and may change by fluctuating monetary exchange rates and how you use your funds. You can search through the Exchange Partner pages for specific location cost sheets and the estimated out of pocket expense, as well as the list of items that you will have to consider as part of your budget.

To get an estimate of living expenses abroad, past students have used resources online like NUMBEO, etc. Some costs that OSU will charge are: a $50 Administration fee and $150 application fee for Student Exchange upon application, your OSU tuition for the semester abroad, and the MANDATORY supplemental international health insurance that range $200-$300, depending on your selected program. Other fees may be charged by the Host Institution. These amounts are subject to change.

You will automatically be enrolled in the supplemental health insurance, which is MANDATORY to all study abroad students after being admitted into the program. You must also be enrolled in a primary insurance with either OSU's Comprehensive Student Health Insurance or your family plan, to receive this supplemental international health insurance service. For more insurance information, please visit OIA's Insurance page.

Financial aid is applicable to all Student Exchange Programs. Students who already receive aid may qualify for additional funding to offset the extra costs sometimes associated with Student Exchange expenses. Additional aid often comes in the form of loans. Even students who have not received financial aid in the past may be eligible for a loan to help with additional study abroad expenses. The cost sheets for students who wish to request an increase in financial aid may find them on the specific exchange partner webpages. For more information, contact Ohio State's Office of Student Financial Aid. Submission of the request does not guarantee increase in financial aid.

This will depend on your scholarships and/or grants rules. If you currently receive scholarships and/or grants through OSU, please check this would carry over while your term abroad. Ask your Fisher Undergraduate Academic Adviser or Buckeyelink Specialist about your financial aid package and the applicability for your term abroad.

If continued financial aid is approved, the process for receiving financial aid remains the same as when students are on-campus. Financial aid funds will be electronically transferred to pay your student tuition bill on your OSU account.

Yes. There is a list of resources available on the Funding Education Abroad page. The Office of International Affairs (OIA) also provides scholarship information on their scholarship page.

Official cancellation or withdrawal from a program requires a written notification from the participant. Cancellation/withdrawal becomes effective on the date the withdrawal notice is received by the Office of Global Business, by email or postmark. You will pay a cancellation fee of $200 if you withdraw from the exchange program after your acceptance according to the OIA Cancellation Policy. This will be charged to your OSU account. Additionally, any cost associated with your withdraw (i.e. cancellation fee for flights, housing, etc.) will be the students' responsibility.

When you are accepted into the program, you will be enrolled in the OSU placeholder course for 12 OSU credit hours at OSU. This will charge your regular OSU tuition for your payment. The Office of Global Business will register you for these credit hours closer to your exchange program start dates.

To enroll in the courses at the Host Institution, you will have to work directly with the Host Institution's exchange coordinator. Yo will be waived from tuition at the host institution, but may need to pay for other fees if required by the exchange partner.

When you return, a conversion will be made from the OSU placeholder course to the actual courses and credit hours you took abroad.

There is a past course equivalency list that is provided on the Exchange Partner pages as reference to help you prepare for your course planning abroad. It is also important to understand that the courses on this list are NOT guaranteed, and you will have to be flexible in the courses you select abroad. This is because course schedule changes at our partner universities, just like OSU courses change, and it is unpredictable which course will remain, become full, and which will be cancelled for each year. It is strongly recommended that students have academic backup plans to adapt to changing course offerings.

No, your tuition at OSU will be used by the students coming from our Host Institutions, under the exchange agreement, so you will not be able to take online courses at OSU while you are abroad.

Students cannot take courses Pass/Fail. Grades must come in as A-E. What you earn on exchange will be reflected on your academic record at OSU and accumulated into your overall GPA. 

Yes, you can take core business courses, and limited business specialization courses, as long as they are offered at the Host Institutions. Please note that some schools have restrictions on what type of major applicable courses are offered at the Host Institution. Fisher also provides guidelines  on the courses you are able to take, or what courses you cannot take abroad. This will differ depending on your major, and will require consultation with an academic advisor to confirm your specific situation.

This will depend on if your minor department will allow this coordination and if the Host Institution you select offers the courses. For General Elective Courses (GEC) you will have to receive approval from your academic advisor. Some past students have been successful in using foreign courses towards their minor/GEC by pre-planning with their minor advisor/academic advisor and Fisher's exchange coordinator. Please note that some schools have restrictions on the number of GEC courses exchange students can take or its availability. It is important that the Host Institution you select will allow you to take courses outside of the business school, or provide the non-business courses in English as well. 

We have a grade conversion table for each host institution. Your foreign class grades will be converted to OSU grades using this table. Grading scale conversions will be shared after you are nominated into an exchange program.

It will be your responsibility to arrange for all exchange arrangements, after you are accepted into the program by the Host Institution. You may find more information on the Outbound Exchange main page under "Before Departure". The list below is a reference, and other arrangements may be necessary depending on your destination for exchange:

• Flight: Air transportation to travel to the host institution and back to the U.S.
• Passport: Current passport that is valid until 6 months AFTER the end of your exchange program.
• Student Visa/Residence Permit: Governmental permission to enter the country in which you are studying. The process to obtain a student visa or residence permit will differ per country, and most of the time it may take time to receive the appropriate documents. Plan ahead to obtain your student visa or resident permit as soon as possible. Please refer to the country's embassy/consulate webpage for instructions.
• Housing: Some institutions may provide housing for exchange students. However, some may not, so you will have to search for off-campus housing in this case. Some partner universities provide off-campus housing information on their websites. Please note that neither Fisher nor OSU will be responsible for any damages or problems that may result in using any provided resources such as online search engines, etc.
• Medication: Make sure you complete a health check up with OSU's Student Health Services or your own doctor about studying abroad. You may need to get vaccines for your travel, and any medical examinations for your trip will be your own cost.
  • If you have any prescriptions that you will take while abroad, it is recommended to take more than you need for the duration of your travel in case of travel delays, etc. A prescription request letter can be provided by the Office of Global Business after you are admitted into the program. 
  • Discuss the legality of your medications with your doctor, as well as the availability of medical services in a different country to keep you healthy while abroad.
• COVID-19 Related Items: You will be responsible to research, learn, prepare, check updates, and have contingency plans/funds for any COVID related expense while on the exchange program. 

Yes, your host institution coordinator and Fisher's exchange coordinator will advise you in regard to travel arrangements or academic arrangements, but you will be the main coordinator for your own exchange program and its travel arrangements. 

If you encounter any difficulties on student visas, resident permits, and/or housing arrangements in-country, it is recommended that students reach out to the exchange coordinator at least two months in advance to request additional assistance.

Please refer to the Global Resource page for resource information. Below are other links that may be helpful related to exchange:

• U.S. Department of State webpage- Specific information provided for each country that includes a country overview, safety, and visa applications. Also provide helpful information for specific type of travelers, such as LGBTQ, Disability, etc.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)- Information to help with travelers health is provided for each country.
• Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)- A program to provide safety notices for U.S. passport holders around the world and is administered by the U.S. Department of State.