Graduate Students

Study Abroad for Graduate Students

There are four main categories of international experiences available to graduate students for academic credit:  

DU Summer/Interterm Faculty-Led Programs

Many academic units offer their own international courses, which vary by term. For example, the Graduate School of Social Work typically offers several international courses for its students including programs in Bosnia. The Daniels College of Business often embeds an international experience in many of its MBA programs. Check with your academic department to see if they offer international travel courses during interterm or summer. Some DU international summer/interterm faculty-led programs are coordinated through University Academic Programs. The cost of DU-sponsored programs varies, but typically includes DU tuition plus travel-related costs. 

DU Academic Department Programs 

Some DU Graduate Programs have international programs arranged at through their department for an entire term. For example, the Korbel School for International Studies offers the Korbel in Geneva program. Ask your graduate program if they have any international programs available to graduate students. Additionally, some graduate schools may have exchange programs and/or dual degree international programs. For example, Sturm College of Law offers the JD/LLM Madrid program. Contact your department for more information and availability.   

Unaffiliated Study Abroad Programs 

You will notice that most non-DU study abroad programs are aimed at undergraduate students, and do not offer graduate-level credit. Since graduate-level study is far more specialized, graduate students often have to do a great deal of independent research to identify programs that are a fit for their individual academic needs. Graduate students do have a few opportunities for direct enrollment in universities abroad, particularly those students considering a quarter or semester of study.

Once you have identified an unaffiliated program, please review and complete the Graduate Unaffiliated Study Abroad Petition & Process Form. The complete form must be submitted to the Vice Provost for Internationalization at least 5-weeks prior to the commencement of the program.

If you participate in an Unaffiliated Study Abroad Program, you will pay the program cost directly to the program sponsor/university. If participating in a credit-bearing program, you may be registered at DU in a study abroad placeholder course and pay a $150 Study Abroad Administrative fee plus the DU Technology fee. Please note that in order to be registered in the placeholder course, you must take graduate-level coursework and receive approval from your department to transfer the credit towards your DU degree requirements. All credits earned on Unaffiliated Study Abroad Programs are considered transfer credit and are subject to university and department transfer credit policies.

• Non-Credit, Required International Experience

  This category includes internships, practicums, academic research, and language study to fulfill language proficiency requirements. No financial aid is available for this type of program because you will not receive academic credit. You will not be registered at the University of Denver, but if these experiences fulfill requirements of your degree program you will be covered by the University of Denver's International SOS policy. In order to receive evacuation and repatriation coverage and to comply with the University's international travel policy, you must register your travel in DU Passport as an Experiential Learning Participant. 

• Non-Credit, Optional International Experience

  This category includes independent travel, volunteer programs, work abroad, or language study not required by your program or affiliated with the University. If you are planning on this option, you are not required to complete any paperwork or register with the Office of International Education or Enterprise Risk Management. You are traveling abroad on your own accord and taking on the risks and responsibilities accordingly. DU takes on no responsibility for this type of travel. 

• Researching International Opportunities

  Study Abroad search engines: 

  • www.goabroad.com 
  • www.iiepassport.org 
  • www.studyabroad.com 

  Law programs abroad: 

  • American Bar Association Foreign Study Information 

  Internships abroad: 

  • DU Career Center
  • Korbel Office of Career and Professional Development (Korbel students only) 
  • Daniels Careers (Daniels College of Business students only) 
  • globalEDGE International Internship Directory 
  • Transitions Abroad (also includes volunteer & work resources) 

Graduate Financial Aid & Scholarships

Graduate students must be registered for at least half-time enrollment to be eligible for financial aid awards. You will be registered at DU based on the credits pre-approved by your department. In turn, financial aid awards will be based on the registration credit. You will not receive financial aid for a non-credit program or language study abroad. Summer financial aid is determined separately from the academic year. You are encouraged to speak directly with the Financial Aid Office for details on your specific aid package. 

There may be scholarship opportunities available for graduate students studying abroad. For information on scholarships for study abroad see here.  

How to Apply

Start with your graduate program to inquire which option above may be the best for your situation. Reach out to Emelee.Volden@du.edu if you need any further clarification for Unaffiliated Study Abroad programs and the approval process. For health and safety questions, please contact risk@du.edu.