Study Abroad

Selecting and Accepting Students

Eligibility

IAP uses the following eligibility for all UW-Madison study abroad programs:

  • 2.0 minimum overall GPA;
  • Good academic and disciplinary standing at the time of application & participation;
  • Degree-seeking.

If necessary, we will work with you on establishing additional eligibility criteria that makes sense for your program and course learning objectives and goals.

Additional criteria could include:

  • Academic standing (Freshman, Sophomore Junior, Senior, Graduate/Professional)
  • Course pre-requisites
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Program specific application essays for evaluating students’ interest and intent
  • UW verses non-UW student status – please consult with IAP if you wish to consider non-UW students

If you would like to have additional criteria for evaluating students applying to your program, your IAP Enrollment Specialist Advisor will include these in the rubric that will be used for the evaluation of these criteria. Student applicants are informed of general guidelines for eligibility, program competitiveness, and the application/acceptance process on IAP’s web site. Program specific eligibility display on IAP program specific web pages. Selection of students must be based on established eligibility criteria.

Application

IAP uses an on-line application. Student applicant academic information, including GPA, academic standing, completed course work, is collected through this on-line application, as are application essays. IAP asks 2 questions of all applicants:

  1. Describe the goals (academic, professional, personal), which you hope to accomplish through the study abroad experience. How will this particular program and location help you meet these goals?
  2. What do you expect to be the most challenging aspects of studying in the country you have selected and how do you plan to address them?

Applicant Review and Selection

Application review starts after the program application deadline (some programs may use a rolling review if needed). Your program’s Enrollment Specialist Advisor will review and determine if applicants meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Students who are eligible based on these criteria are shared with you. You view applications through IAP’s on-line portal: MyStudyAbroad.  

Your program will have established minimum and maximum participants based on your program budget, logistical needs, learning objectives, and other factors as applicable. Programs with applications below the minimum may be canceled. Programs with applications that exceed the established maximum will be selected using

Additional factors that you may need to consider as part of your evaluation and selection of applicants for your program if the number of applicants exceeds the available enrollment may include:

  • If you are allowing both UW student and non-UW students and priorities you wish to establish between these two groups.
  • If there is an enrollment cap and how flexible you can be with minimum and maximum numbers of students.

Review for Students Below Eligibility Requirements

You may wish to consider students that are below the eligibility requirements of the program. IAP will provided you with established guidelines for evaluating students below program requirements. If you have additional criteria you would like to consider, you must provide clear guidelines to IAP as it pertains to how you will evaluate these students.

Program Leaders