Apply Now – Departmental Exchange/Study Abroad

If you are selected to participate in an exchange or study abroad program, you will receive a nomination/acceptance letter or email from the Dalhousie department/faculty. Keep this letter on file, as you may need to provide it to immigration officials or your host university to demonstrate that you have been chosen to participate in the program.

Attend an orientation meeting if applicable (Not all programs will have one)

• Make sure you're clear about what they call a course (modules, papers, subjects etc).
• Be clear about how many courses constitute a full course load. At some universities a full course load is 2 courses per term, and you take each course one at a time. Select accordingly.
• Students participating in a Departmental/Faculty based exchange program are charged an exchange program fee which is the equivalent of a full course load of tuition and fees in your faculty. The expectation is that you will take a full course load abroad as you have paid for it at your home institution before departure

• Before you leave, follow the procedure for receiving academic credit from Dalhousie for the courses you will take abroad.
• You will need to complete a Letter of Permission.  
• Students pursuing an exchange or study abroad program through the Faculty of Management, Faculty of Computer Science or Marine Biology (UPMC) should submit a Learning Agreement.  
• Plan for last-minute errors.
• Have more classes approved by Dalhousie than you can actually take at the host institution so you can make changes when you arrive. It's more difficult to get classes approved for equivalencies once you are abroad. If you must register for a class that you do not have pre-approved, email LOP@dal.ca with your new course selection and syllabi for assistance
• Once you complete your term abroad, the Registrar Office receives your final transcript and they will assign credit and update your record accordingly

• Once you've been nominated by Dalhousie, you apply to the host university to obtain a student number, get an admission letter and be provided with all the instructions on preparing for life at your host institution. You'll receive an admission letter along with any other special instructions related to things like health insurance and applying for a visa.
• You must apply according to their stated deadlines and you must meet their academic standards.
• Be prepared to provide several documents that they request for their admission process. These might include: transcripts, passport-sized photos, a letter of intent, a reference letter, a copy of your passport, etc.

As soon as you have received an admission letter from the host institution you can start your pre-departure work.

Once you're accepted by the host institution, and are beginning to think about booking plane tickets and your visa, you should consider the funding options available