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Office of International Affairs

Ronan Hall 330; 989-774-4308;

www.oia.cmich.edu

Mission

The Office of International Affairs (OIA) is CMU’s clearinghouse for all international initiatives and academic support unit for the purpose of educating students who will be responsible global citizens and effective world leaders. The OIA provides campus-wide leadership in coordinating, planning and developing international programs and initiatives for students, faculty and staff on campus and abroad that are academically, culturally, and socially beneficial to all. The OIA strives to provide both domestic and international students with life-changing opportunities to expand their view of the world and prepare them for meaningful careers in the global workforce whether at home or abroad.

The OIA is comprised of the following units: Study Abroad; International Recruiting; Ontario, Canada Program Centers, and International Student and Scholar Services. Coupled with these units is the broad oversight of university internationalization in general: strategic planning; coordination of linkage agreements for student exchange or dual-degrees; international and domestic faculty support; community engagement; etc.

To achieve its goals, the OIA:

• develops recruiting strategies to increase the number of international students studying at CMU, as well as the cultural diversity of the international student population;
• attends recruiting fairs and develops direct high school and university contacts abroad to promote CMU;
• develops and manages a worldwide marketing strategy that includes print & electronic media and consulting agencies;
• provides comprehensive initial orientation and ongoing support services to international students and faculty for a smooth transition and a successful academic experience at CMU;
• serves as social and academic advocates on behalf of the international student and scholar population;
• assists international students, scholars and faculty in understanding immigration regulations and maintaining valid legal status in the United States;
• is responsible for ensuring university compliance with Department of Homeland Security and Department of State regulations for international students and scholars;
• offers over 150 approved study abroad programs in more than 50 countries (for the full list of options available, please visit the Office of Study Abroad website at www.studyabroad.cmich.edu);
• ensures a wide range of short-term, semester and year-long study abroad opportunities in almost every major;
• offers opportunities to study languages not taught at CMU;
• performs academic and health/safety evaluations of current and potential exchange and study abroad partner locations;
• works closely with students to ensure opportunities abroad for a semester, or even a year, allow for on-time graduation;
• supports faculty’s internationally-focused professional development.

Knowledge of a foreign language is not a requirement to study abroad because there are many programs around the world that offer courses taught in English. The Office of Study Abroad’s highly trained study abroad advisors meet with each student to help them choose an appropriate program to match their budget and academic needs. All students participating in a CMU approved program will receive academic credit for their program. Students can have all their courses pre-approved by their academic department, so they will know in advance the course credits that will be awarded by CMU. Students must be in good standing at CMU and have a GPA of 2.5 or higher to apply.

Studying abroad does not have to be expensive. Students looking for affordable programs can choose from a variety of tuition exchange programs offered around the world. Tuition exchange programs allow students to pay CMU tuition and enroll in courses at the foreign university with no additional charge. There are also a number of resources available to help fund study abroad. The Office of Study Abroad offers a large number of study abroad scholarships each year. In addition, there are scholarships available through on-campus departments and from sources outside the university to help students fund their international study. Students participating in a CMU-approved study abroad program may also continue to receive financial aid and may apply for additional assistance to cover the study abroad program costs. See the “Fund Study Abroad” section of our website for the list of scholarships available.