UVM Semester programs abroad are signature UVM study abroad programs with academic partner institutions abroad. We currently have three UVM semester programs: UVM in Ireland, UVM in New Zealand, and UVM in South Korea. Additional programs are in development. These are one-semester programs in which students take courses across the academic institution abroad as well as one online UVM GRS course. 

Experience: These are cohort programs that vary in size based on the program, and students will have a series of additional pre-departure meetings to support them in the pre-departure process. Students live in accommodations arranged by UVM, living either with other UVM/international students or local students, depending on the program. 

Finances: UVM Semester programs allow students to use federal financial aid, UVM scholarships, grants, and loans may be eligible to travel with students on these programs. Learn more at Study Abroad Finances. 

Application: Students apply in GoAbroad. Applications must be initiated at least 10 days before the final UVM study abroad application deadline but students are urged to apply by the priority deadline. UVM semester programs often are competitive admissions. See chance of placement below. The application requirements for these programs include multiple requirements and steps that require advanced planning in order to be successfully completed and submitted. The OIE staff is not able to make exceptions to applications initiated late or incomplete by the deadline. 

UVM Semester programs in GoAbroad

UVM Field Studies in Costa Rica is a semester study abroad program run by UVM faculty and awarding UVM credit. 

Experience: Up to 28 UVM students spend a semester in Costa Rica in 18 UVM credits that integrate academic content across the biological and social sciences with the real-world challenges and opportunities faced by a rapidly developing Latin American country rich in biodiversity.

Finances: Students pay their usual UVM tuition and a program fee. Learn more at Study Abroad Finances. 

Application: Students apply in GoAbroad but must also be accepted by the program director. Acceptance is made on a rolling basis and students should apply early as programs do fill. 

UVM Field Studies in Costa Rica

UVM Exchange programs allow for UVM students to study at an international university and for an international student to take their place at UVM for a semester or year. UVM has agreements with over 20 institutions around the world. 

Experience: Study at an international university as a visiting student. You may be one of many exchange students from UVM or the only one, and likely are part of a larger community of visiting students at the host university. 

Finances: Students pay UVM tuition - for out of state students this is at an adjusted rate. Often these programs are most affordable to students. Depending on the exchange program, students will pay housing and food costs to UVM or to the partner directly. Learn more at Study Abroad Finances.

Application: Students apply in GoAbroad. Applications must be initiated at least 10 days before the final UVM study abroad application deadline but students are urged to apply by the priority deadline. UVM semester programs often are competitive admissions. See chance of placement below. The application requirements for these programs include multiple requirements and steps that require advanced planning in order to be successfully completed and submitted. The OIE staff is not able to make exceptions to applications initiated late or incomplete by the deadline. 

UVM Exchange programs in GoAbroad

ISEP Exchanges function similarly to UVM Exchanges but are a "multilateral" network meaning that a student from UVM might go to Institution A, a student from Institution A might go to Institution B and a student from Institution B might come to UVM. This allows UVM to expand exchange opportunities to over 40 countries (note: only exchange sites listed in GoAbroad are open to UVM students with ISEP). 

Experience: Study at an international university as a visiting student. You will likely be one of several visiting students, but may be the only UVM Student. When you apply for an ISEP program, you rank ISEP exchange preferences and may be placed at one of multiple institutions. 

Finances: Students pay UVM tuition - for out of state students this is at an adjusted rate, plus UVM Room and Board, which you then receive from the partner abroad. Learn more at Study Abroad Finances.

Application: Students apply in GoAbroad and with an ISEP dual application. Applications must be initiated at least 10 days before the final UVM study abroad application deadline, and ISEP maintains a list of chance of placements for their exchange partnerships. The application requirements for these programs include multiple requirements and steps that require advanced planning in order to be successfully completed and submitted. The OIE staff is not able to make exceptions to applications initiated late or incomplete by the deadline. 

Approved ISEP Exchange programs in GoAbroad

External programs include programs run by other institutions, third party program providers, or direct enroll options. UVM approves many external programs to meet the curricular needs of our students. Our approved programs are with a range of providers, but not all programs for a provider we work with are approved. Because there are so many options in the world of study abroad, this might mean that a program available to a peer at another institution is not available to UVM students. There are also certain programs restricted by major within UVM's approved list. 

Experience: These have varied experiences and might include coursework only with US students at a study center, may involve coursework at a university abroad, could be field based experiences, or might be some combination thereof. 

Finances: Students pay all costs for the program directly to the provider, and these programs have more limited portability of aid. Learn more at Study Abroad Finances

Application: Students apply in GoAbroad and with an dual application to the provider. Provider programs do sometimes fill and students are encouraged to apply early. The OIE staff is not able to make exceptions to applications initiated late or incomplete by the deadline for a given term, including applications not completed with both UVM and the provider by that date. 

External programs in GoAbroad

Travel Study programs are UVM courses taught by UVM faculty and are offered during winter break, spring break, and summer. Program offerings change from year to year. 

Experience: Travel study programs are shorter in nature than some of our other study abroad options, making them a great fit for a student who cannot go for a semester or a student who wants to squeeze in one more international activity while at UVM. They are usually highly structured and have a narrow focus on an aspect of the host destination. 

Finances: Students pay UVM tuition and a program fee that includes most of the costs abroad. Learn more at Study Abroad Finances.

Application: Students apply in GoAbroad and must be accepted by the faculty following that application. Travel study programs follow a different application timeline than our regular study abroad options - deadlines are listed on the GoAbroad brochures for courses and will be announced on our listserv and social media. 

Travel Study programs in GoAbroad

Beyond the program types listed above, some UVM students may participate in independent research, internships, practicums, or rotations abroad for credit, or students may pursue experiences abroad during summer or other break periods that they find on their own but do not convey academic credit. Independent travel cannot be used to study abroad in a credit-bearing study abroad program that is not approved by UVM. For more details, see our page on Independent Travel.

As you plan your study abroad experience, we understand that knowing your chance of placement in your top program choice matters in your decision-making. Chance of placement varies by program type and specific program. However, all students only open a single application in GoAbroad - you will be prompted in your application to list backup options if you apply to programs with competitive chance of placement

UVM Semester Programs: Each site has a program capacity determined by academic, housing, and student support matters. UVM Semester program chance of placement is determined by a look at past number of applications for the same term in the prior year relative to the number of spots available at the site. See the chart in the section below for program-specific chances of placement. 

UVM Field Studies in Costa Rica: Chance of placement in this program is determined by program staff/faculty admission on a rolling basis. If admitted, students confirm their space in the program via a non-refundable deposit about 6 months prior to the program starting. This program typically fills so we encourage students to apply early.

UVM Exchange Programs: UVM exchange program chance of placement is determined both by UVM student demand and number of spots available based on inbound exchange student interest. For example if an exchange site abroad sends no students for a year, the site may also become closed for outbound traffic. If an exchange site has significant demand and sends many students to UVM, we might be able to increase outbound capacity. See the chart in the section below for program-specific chances of placement. 

ISEP Exchange Programs: ISEP exchange program chance of placement is determined by inbound and outbound mobility to a given institution. The chance of placement for each ISEP site can be found on ISEP’s program page for that specific institution. Students can learn more at ISEP's Chance of Placement. 

External and ISEP Direct Programs: Students applying for external programs generally have an excellent chance of placement in their selected program, assuming they meet general eligibility requirements. Programs do sometimes fill and we thus encourage students to apply early to avoid missing a spot. 

UVM Semester program chance of placement will be updated annually in early March to reflect current best guesses at a chance of placement. Certain programs have priority placement based on academic field of study, which is outlined on the program brochures. The chance of placement listed below reflects simply the raw chance of placement based on number of applicants seen in most recent applicant cycles. These are one-semester programs only. As Fall semester generally has a significantly better chance of placement, we urge students to speak with their academic advisors about the possibility of a fall semester abroad to increase chances of gaining space in their first site preference. 

• Apply early - UVM Semester Programs and UVM Exchange programs routinely fill by the priority deadline and even then have competitive admissions. We do not review or offer spots prior to the priority deadline.
• Only list sites that work for you academically and that you are willing, able, and happy to be placed at that site. While we work hard to grant as many first-choice placements as possible, we do need to look to alternatives each semester.
• List at least three programs on an exchange application. On a UVM Exchange application (within GoAbroad), students can list up to 5 bilateral exchange sites on their Host Site Request List form. On an ISEP application (via ISEP’s website), students are able to list up to 10 sites.
• To increase your chance of placement at one of your requested sites, include at least one program with “Good” (or "Excellent" chance of placement).
• Our goal is to place students at one of their requested sites, and if unable to do so then we will work hard to identify an appropriate alternative site. For this reason, review your preferred site’s academic and language proficiency requirements. If you do not meet a site’s requirements, then your chances of being placed will be limited. To confirm eligibility requirements for UVM Exchange programs, visit the GoAbroad program brochure for your desired site and refer to the “Eligibility” tab. To confirm eligibility requirements for ISEP programs, visit the ISEP website.