There's a whole world out there waiting to be explored! Discover what it has in store for you by studying abroad. WCU's study abroad opportunities range from a few weeks in the summer to a semester or a full year overseas.
The Office of Global Engagement is here to help you navigate along the way as you familiarize yourself with the eligibility requirements, application deadlines, fees and program options below.
Interested in learning more about study abrod programming at WCU? Attend a Study Abroad 101 session! Study Abroad 101s are opportunities to learn more about the nuts and bolts of the study abroad process. Study Abroad 101s for the Fall 2024 semester will be held from 1:30pm - 2:30pm in Killian Annex 136 beginning Wednesday, August 28th. For more information, please contact studyabroad@wcu.edu!
An Exchange Program is when a student from Western Carolina University attends a partner university abroad and in turn, they send a student to study here in Cullowhee.
With this type of program, you pay your regular tuition and fees to Western Carolina University. For your room and board charges, you will be treated as an off-campus student, meaning you will decide on your housing situation directly with your host institution and handle that financial relationship independently of Western Carolina University. Additional costs to consider include flights, mandatory travel health insurance, visa expenses, personal spending money and miscellaneous expenses such as books, lab fees, and the WCU Global study abroad administration fee.
To apply for an exchange program, you must first be approved by the Office of Global Engagement. Once approved, you will then be your partner university's application to complete. Feel free to contact us with any questions, or to start your journey...
Affiliate Programs are approved study abroad programs that are administered by a partner provider or institution that falls outside of our exchange portfolio. You can still receive credit from participating in these programs and your financial aid package can carry over for the term you go abroad.
For these programs, you pay your tuition, fees room and board, and any additional program fees to the Affiliate Program. Additional costs may include flights, program specific fees, and miscellaneous expenses such as books, lab fees, social activities, etc. Students participating in these programs will still be charged mandatory health insurance and the WCU Global study abroad administration fee.
To apply for an affiliate program, you must first be approved by the Office of Global Engagement, then you will need to complete the program provider's application.
Explore the list below of members of our approved affiliate network:
Academic Programs International (API)
A Faculty-Led Program refers to a short-term study abroad program led by a Western Carolina University Faculty or Staff member in an international setting for anywhere between one to eight weeks. You'll earn course credit, experience life abroad and build lifelong relationships with fellow students.
Note: The application deadlines for Faculty-Led Programs are different than other Study Abroad experiences. For the most up to date information, please click the link below.
Explore the Current Faculty-Led Travel Courses
With this type of exchange, you pay your tuition and fees to WCU and your room and board to your host university. Additional costs include flight, mandatory travel health insurance and miscellaneous expenses such as books, lab fees, social activities, etc.
Note: The Office of Global Engagement is currently in the process of updating these links and some of the information below may be out-of-date. For the most updated information, please check these programs in the Study Abroad Application Portal.