External Programs:

• Must be accredited by a recognized regional or national accrediting agency in the United States or recognized by the Ministry of Education of the country in which it operates.
• Cannot be operated by a for-profit entity; no dot.com organizations can be considered.
• Cannot operate in a country for which the U.S. State Department has issued a Travel Advisory above Level 2.
• Cannot operate in a country for which the Centers for Disease Control has issued a travel health advisory.

Because External Program participants earn transfer credit and can apply those credits towards the fulfillment of their degree requirements, including major, minor, elective and most general education requirements, the Education Abroad office at Hunter must approve your plans to study abroad through an external program or provider BEFORE you apply to the program. We also consider programs based on their reputations for quality and academic rigor.

→ You must still apply to the Hunter Education Abroad Office and complete all steps below.

Before You Go:

Step 1:

Choose a program and meet with an Education Abroad Advisor (see our Advising Page to make an appointment).

Step 2:

Submit the Online Application Form after reviewing our general eligibility requirements. You should also check that you meet the eligibility requirements for your chosen program.

Have the following documents ready to upload with your online application:

• Personal statement (250-500 words) describing: How will study abroad contribute to your academic or professional goals and how will you engage with the local community abroad? You may use the same statement you plan to submit for your program application.
• A copy of your transcript (can be unofficial and pulled from CUNYFIRST as long as your name is printed on it).
• Scan of the photo page of your passport. We require a copy of your valid passport before you go abroad. If you are in the process of applying for or rewewing your passport, you may submit the Online Application Form without this; however, you must be prepared to email a scan of your new passport as soon as you receive it.

After you have been approved to study abroad, you will receive an email from the Office of Education Abroad within 5-7 business days.

You may proceed with your program application (Step 3) AFTER you receive approval from the Office of Education Abroad.

Step 3:

Submit your program application via your chosen provider/university. Please check directly with your chosen program for application deadlines and requirements as well as any questions you may have about the application process or program.

Step 4:

DUE UPON ACCEPTANCE TO YOUR EXTERNAL PROGRAM

Submit the following documents using this link. You will need to submit all information at the same time.

• Copy or scan of your program acceptance letter
• SPARC* Training Completion Certificate — You will need to self-enroll and complete the training in BlackBoard. If the training is not available for enrollment in your Blackboard account, please email TitleIX@Hunter.CUNY.edu. Save or "print" your certificate as a PDF for upload.
  Learn more about SPARC training. 
  * Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response Course
• Independent Travel Waiver (scan and upload the completed PDF)
• Consortium Agreement (see Step 5 for instructions)

• and submit your CUNY-GO travel registration. Navigate to CUNY's Before You Go page and click the button for Travel Registration.

Additionally, you are responsible for obtaining travel insurance, and it is strongly recommended that you get coverage under CUNY's CISI policy. Please see CUNY's Before You Go page for further information about international travel insurance and contact the Education Abroad Office to receive Hunter's sponsor code.

Step 5: COURSE APPROVAL and CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT

DEADLINES FOR SUBMITTING BOTH COURSE APPROVAL
AND CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT:

• FALL programs abroad due MAY 1
  
• WINTER programs abroad due NOVEMBER 15
• SPRING programs abroad due NOVEMBER 15
• SUMMER programs abroad due APRIL 15

All courses you take abroad need academic department approvals in order for you to receive credit towards your Hunter degree.

Consortium Agreements are necessary for registration for all students attending non CUNY programs.

YOU MUST COMPLETE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME

Course Approval

You will use the course approval form to get the courses you plan to take abroad approved as equivalent Hunter courses. All students on External programs MUST receive an official transcript from an accredited university to receive credit at Hunter.

Step 1: Visit department advisor(s) for course equivalency approval. If you have options for more than one course, we highly suggest getting additional/backup courses choices approved.

Step 2: Visit assigned advisor (or MHC or SEEK); assigned advisor indicates if equivalent course(s) fit in your degree plan and signs the course equivalency form.

Step 3: Make a copy of your course equivalency form(s) for yourself and submit the ORIGINAL course equivalency form(s) to the Office of Education Abroad.

Consortium Agreement

Step 1: Reach out to your program advisor to complete the Consortium Agreement.

Step 2: Once Parts 1, 2, and 3* of your Consortium Agreement are complete, make a copy of the Consortium Agreement for yourself and the Education Abroad office.
*Part 4 can be left blank - we will check with the Financial Aid Office to confirm that they have completed Part 4 before registering you at Hunter.

Step 3: Submit the Original Consortium Agreement with a copy of your course equivalency form(s) to Financial Aid Office.

Step 4: Submit a copy of your Consortium Agreement to the Office of Education Abroad using this link.

THE OFFICE OF EDUCATION ABROAD CAN REGISTER YOU AT HUNTER ONLY AFTER WE RECEIVE YOUR COMPLETE COURSE APPROVAL FORM AND CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT. All students must submit the Consortium Agreement, regardless of financial aid status at Hunter.

Make sure you submit all required documents and payments and follow all instructions from your program abroad. Remember, you are responsible for making all payments to your host program. Hunter financial aid and Hunter Education Abroad are not responsible for any program payments. We are only facilitating your course approvals and transfers!

If you're having problems with any of the above steps, inform an advisor in the Education Abroad office right away. DON'T WAIT! We can help you come up with a solution only if we know there's a problem.

While You're Abroad:

You must inform the Education Abroad office IMMEDIATELY if you change any of your courses while you're abroad. You then MUST get your new course(s) approved immediately:

Step 1:Download the course approval form and fill in the student sections of pages 1 and 2, making sure to sign both pages. Fill in columns 1, 2, and 3 with the information for the new course(s) you need to have approved.

Step 2: Email an advisor in each department from which you need an approval and cc Office of Education Abroad. Provide the course name and syllabus you need approved and an attachment of the course approval form you have filled in.

Step 3: The advisor can either fill in columns 4-7 of the form and send it back as a scan, OR state in the email the Hunter equivalent course code and number of credits you will receive at Hunter.

Step 4: Forward approval email(s) to your assigned advisor (keeping the Office of Ed Abroad copied) so they can determine if new equivalent course(s) are applicable to your degree. They too should either fill in columns 8 and 9 of the form and send it back as a scan, OR state in the email if the Hunter equivalent course(s) is applicable to your degree.

ALL EMAILS MUST COME FROM HUNTER EMAIL ADDRESSES. Use your myHunter email address and make sure you email the professor/advisor at their Hunter email address as well. Electronic approvals are only valid if Hunter email addresses are used.

After You Return:

1. Make sure your program mails an official transcript from an accredited university to:
   Hunter College
   Education Abroad Office, Room E1447
   695 Park Ave.
   New York, NY 10065
2. Once the Education Abroad office receives your transcript, we will submit the transcript and matching course equivalencies to the Registrar's office. The Registrar will then post the approved equivalent courses on your Hunter transcript.
3. All paperwork must be submitted and equivalent courses posted to your Hunter record by the conclusion of the semester following your semester abroad (i.e. courses from Spring programs must be posted by the end of the Summer semester, courses from Summer programs must be posted by the end of the Fall semester, and courses from Fall and Winter programs must be posted by the end of the Spring semester).

Failure to follow the above procedures in a timely manner may result in the loss of financial aid, your ability to go abroad, and graduate!

GRADING

• You will only receive credits for a course if the converted grade is C or above
• Letter grades will appear on your Hunter transcript, but will not count towards the Hunter GPA
• If grades convert to below C (C- to F), they will appear on your Hunter transcript as F
• Courses taken as Pass/Fail will not transfer
  

FINANCIAL AID

If you receive financial aid and/or scholarships at Hunter, it is your responsibility to speak with a Financial Aid Advisor and/or your scholarship provider to discuss how your study abroad may affect your financial aid/scholarships.