Exchange and Visiting Students

Fall Admissions: March 15
Spring Admissions: October 1

The following items are required as part of an application to study at UB either on exchange or as a visiting student:

• Online Application with contact and demographic information
  
• Copy of Passport
• Personal Statement
  
• Educational Background
• English Language Test Information*
• Financial Documents (Source of Funds and Financial Form)
  
• Transcripts*
• Course Request Form**

*Original transcripts and TOEFL or IELTS documents may need to be hand delivered to the Admissions Office upon arrival to UB. If originals are required, you will be notified in the acceptance materials from UB.

** Restricted Subjects Include: ART 221, ART 309, ART 320, ART 322, ART 419, ART 422, all DAC except for 116 & 118, all MTR, and many ECO courses. The following UB School of Management undergraduate courses are not available to exchange and visiting students: Management Information Systems (MIS), all MGA 300 & 400 level courses, MGG 303, MGG 433, MGO 403, MGQ 408, and MGT 403. Only students enrolled at AACSB accredited institutions will be permitted to enroll in UB School of Management graduate level courses in the following majors: Finance MS and Management Information Systems MS (and Operations & Supply Chain Management MS beginning Fall 2020).

Language proficiency is paramount for academic success as an exchange student. The University at Buffalo has established a minimum level of English language proficiency for all international undergraduate and graduate students. This requirement applies to all incoming exchange students whose native language is not English.

To satisfy the language requirement, exchange student applicants must take a formal TOEFL or IELTS exam and submit an official score report with their UB exchange student application. In general, an institutional TOEFL exam or letter from an English language instructor is not acceptable.

Unless special arrangements have been made between UB and your home institution, you must achieve one of the following scores to be eligible to study at UB as an exchange student:

• TOEFL: minimum score of 70 on the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL exam or 523 on the paper-based (PBT) TOEFL exam.
• IELTS: a minimum overall score of 6.0 

Graduate exchange students attending UB under reciprocal exchange agreements are exempt from the English language proficiency requirement.

Exchange and Visiting students can search available courses by clicking the following link: http://registrar.buffalo.edu/schedules/index.php.

Please note that we do our best to register students for desired courses prior to their arrival on campus. However, there are some academic departments where we are unable to do this advance registration on behalf of our exchange students. Those departments include: Economics, Political Science, Romance Languages & Literatures, and Medical Technology.

Students may arrange independent research for academic credit (courses with code 496), but they will be required to make arrangements directly with interested faculty and should submit a complete course request form with at least 12 credits of regular coursework.

100-400 level courses are for undergraduate students. 500 level courses and higher are for graduate students. Any variances will have to be negotiated with academic departments upon arrival.

Due to limited space, the University at Buffalo cannot officially guarantee on-campus housing to all exchange students. However, our exchange application deadlines have been set to give exchange applicants the best chance for securing an on-campus room. Generally, exchange students who apply for on-campus housing before May 10th or December 1st will receive an offer for an on-campus room. Therefore we strongly encourage you to submit your exchange application by our deadline so we can process your application in time for you to apply for on-campus housing. Please note you cannot apply for on-campus housing before you receive official notification of your acceptance to UB.

1. Traditional Residence Halls: Rooms are shared with one, two or three roommates. There are shared kitchens, bathrooms, and common lounges for students on each floor. For students coming to UB in August, the residence hall agreements (housing contracts) will be for the fall and spring semesters. Students staying for the fall semester only will have to apply for early termination of their housing agreement before the end of the fall semester. Please note there are residence halls on both the North Campus and the South Campus. There is a free UB shuttle service that connects the two campuses.
2. Apartments: Rooms are single bedrooms in an apartment with three roommates. Each apartment has a kitchen, living/dining area, and semi-private bathrooms. It is important to note that the apartments are on the North Campus and have 10- or 12-month contracts.
    

Visit the UB Campus Living website for more information on housing options.

When you receive official notification of your acceptance to UB, you will receive a housing booklet and instructions on how to apply for on-campus housing. You will be required to apply online, pay a housing deposit of $300, and complete an online Residence Hall Agreement and Housing Preference Questionnaire.

 UB's Campus Dining & Shops operates four residence hall dining centers (breakfast and dinner), two food courts, two restaurants, a kosher deli, and four satellite lunch centers. There are also numerous coffee and snack shops in addition to a variety of campus vendors. Several meal plan options are available for purchase.

Off-Campus Housing: If you prefer to live off campus, it is your responsibility to arrange your own housing. You are strongly encouraged to make use of campus resources and advice while searching for housing and before you sign a lease or contract.

Before you begin, please review the Living Off-Campus advice and information provided by Campus Living.

The University at Buffalo requires all international students to have health insurance that meets the requirements mandated by the State University of New York. The UB international health insurance policy meets these requirements and all international students are automatically enrolled in this policy. The cost of the policy is billed to the UB student account. For cost and coverage dates information, visit the Student Health Insurance Office website. This policy is intended for your protection and is very comprehensive. It is administered by the UB Student Health Insurance office. The policy includes regular coverage and medical evacuation/repatriation coverage. Details of both are available on the Student Health Insurance website.

It is possible to waive this insurance after you arrive at UB but only if you have proof of insurance that meets or exceeds the UB requirements. Very few international insurance plans are considered comparable, so you are advised not to purchase other insurance before coming to UB. The inability to cancel another insurance policy will not release you from the requirement to purchase the UB policy if the coverage is not deemed comparable to the UB policy. If you wish to request a waiver, you must complete an International Health Insurance Waiver Form and have your insurance company complete the Clarification of Insurance Policy Benefits Form. These forms are available on the Student Health Insurance website. The forms must be returned directly to the Student Health Insurance office in 1Capen. If they do not accept your insurance you will be required to keep the UB policy.

For questions on how to use the UB policy, please contact UB's Student Health Insurance Office.

The information below is intended for those who have been officially accepted to study at UB as an exchange student. Further information will be sent to accepted students by email.

Orientation:You are required to attend the International Student Orientation that is sponsored by the UB Office of International Student Services (ISS). Therefore you should plan your travel so you arrive in time for the orientation. A special exchange student meeting will also be held during the orientation week with the staff of the UB Education Abroad office.

On-campus Housing: The University Residence Halls & Apartments office will send on-campus housing placement information directly to students in late July and late December. Students with an on-campus placement can check in early for the International Student Orientation. A fee of $35/night may be charged for each night spent in the dormitories until the regular contract begins. Details for early check-in will be sent to you prior to your arrival.

Airport Transportation: We will provide you with free transportation from the Buffalo airport to your accommodation with Airport Taxi Service. Details and a voucher will be sent to you by email prior to your arrival.

Temporary Accommodation: If you need temporary accommodation, it is your responsibility to make arrangements for this prior to your arrival. Local hotel information is available here. Select “University” under Location for accommodation close to the UB North Campus.

Visiting students are those who come to UB from an affiliated institution and pay tuition for the duration of their time at UB. These students are not matriculated and are not part of a formal exchange agreement. Visiting students from the following institutions/organizations are welcome to apply to UB:

• Beijing University of Technology
• Capital Normal University
• Kyungpook National University
• Prince Sultan University
  
• Study Abroad Foundation
• Xi'an Jiotong University