Applying for Study Abroad

With the right planning, most majors can study abroad at any time, although some have preferred programs. It is important to start planning early and be sure to discuss your plans with your academic or Study Abroad advisor. 

See which program is right for you

Choosing when to study abroad can depend a lot on your major. While most students study abroad for a whole semester during their sophomore or junior years, there are also summer and short-term, faculty-led programs available. 

Summer programs

Many of our programs offer for-credit internships for students from all majors. Fairfield has partnered with AIFS/Global Experiences (GE), an award-winning global internship company that specializes in highly customized international internships in London, Florence, Barcelona, Madrid, and Sydney. Internships arranged by our partner institutions or provider programs are also available at several other locations like IAU-Aix-en-Provence and College Year Athens.

Global Internships

Decision dates for each application cycle are as follows: Fall/year – February 1; Summer – February 20; Spring – August 1. These decision dates reflect the latest date at which students will be notified of their approval from Fairfield to go abroad.

You will receive an email on or before the decision date notifying you that your application status has changed. Once you receive that email you may log in to the StudioAbroad portal to receive your application decision.

Changing programs is sometimes possible if the change is initiated far enough in advance of the deposit deadline. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Not necessarily. Fairfield approves students to go abroad based on the University’s study abroad requirements, as well as our understanding of the international institution’s admission requirements. Should a student be approved to go abroad by Fairfield but be denied by the international institution, options will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Directly following your acceptance, Global Fairfield will proceed with next steps and planning for your semester abroad. It is important during this period you apply or renew your passport if your passport expires within six months of your program end date. We also advise students to apply for a credit card during this period. The credit card can be in the students’ name alone or can be added as an authorized user on a parent/guardians card. As part of the visa process, most students are required to show proof of a credit card through a bank statement so it is important to start this process as early as possible. Every student studying abroad is required to have a credit card as part of International Travel Policy.

Transcripts from the semester abroad will typically take 8 – 10 weeks after the program end date to be sent to Fairfield, processed and uploaded into the students’ degree evaluation. If you are participating on a non-Fairfield program, you may need to request your transcript from your provider to be sent to the Office of Study Abroad; check with your program directly.

Yes! Global Fairfield is always looking for student volunteers to help with various events on campus. Please contact us at globalfairfield@fairfield.edu if you are interested in becoming involved.