Center For Global Education

How To Apply

Photo of a student abroad

Butler University welcomes exchange students from partner universities in other countries to spend one or two semesters on our campus. If your home university is one of Butler's student exchange partners (see the list on the side) or is a member of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), you may be eligible to participate in an exchange.

Student exchange programs provide a very cost-effective way for you to have a high-quality overseas educational experience. With a little careful planning - which we and your home university will help you to do - you can expect to spend a semester to two at Butler and still make normal progress toward completing your university degree at home.

Typically, exchange students pay tuition and mandatory fees at their home institution and receive instruction at the host university abroad. The costs of accommodation and meals sometimes are paid to the home university and sometimes are paid to the host university; be sure to check the details of the agreement between Butler and your home institution. Butler University strongly encourages all incoming exchange students to live on campus so you can be fully integrated into campus life.

NOTE: If you wish to earn an academic degree at Butler University, you must follow the international student admission procedures.

Who to Contact at Butler University

Jill McKinney M.A., Associate Director Center for Global Education
Email: jsmckinn@butler.edu
Phone: (317) 940-8473
FAX: (317) 940-3232

Dr. Monte Broaded, Director Center for Global Education
Email: mbroaded@butler.edu
Phone: (317) 940-8312
FAX: (317) 940-3232

Jerome Dueweke, Senior Assistant Director & Coordinator of International Admission
Email: intadmission@butler.edu
Phone: (888) 940-8100
FAX: (317) 940-8150

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How to Apply

Typically, you must apply to your home university to be selected as an exchange program participant. You should visit your International Office as soon as possible to learn more about the opportunity and to begin the application process.

Once your home university has selected you to participate in the program, you will also need to complete a Butler University application for admission as an exchange student. Application for Exchange Student Admission (PDF).

Your application to Butler must also include:

  1. Evidence of English proficiency if you are not a native speaker of English (you can find a list of acceptable measures of proficiency at go.butler.edu/international/index.aspx?pg=3803#other).
  2. A transcript of your work at your home university;
  3. Documentation to show that you have sufficient financial resources to meet your educational and living expenses for your intended period of study at Butler (for exchange students, this is one or two semesters). Financial documentation must include both:
    1. An original and signed affidavit of support or letter of sponsorship from the person(s) assuming responsibility for the applicant's fees associated with a Butler education; and
    2. A sponsor's original or official bank statement or other proof of sufficient funds or official scholarship notification letter from a governmental or private sponsoring agency

Certificates of Eligibility (I-20 for F-1 student visas and DS-2019 for J-1 student visas) cannot be issued without complete and official financial documentation.

Butler's application deadlines for in-coming exchange students are June 1 for fall semester (which begins in late August), and November 1 for spring semester (which begins in early January).

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Housing and Estimated Expenses

As long as application deadlines are met, Butler will insure that incoming exchange students have a space in an on-campus residence hall. For 2008-09, the cost of a double room in Residential College (the usual assignment for exchange students) is $2,305 per semester. All students who live in Residential College are required to purchase a meal plan as well. The cost of a meal plan is $2,400 per semester.

In-coming exchange students who are 21 years of age or older are asked to live in Butler's new Apartment Village. Each apartment has four single bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a shared kitchen and lounge room. The cost is $3,650 per person per semester. Because they are self-catering, students in the Apartment Village are not required to purchase a meal plan.

(Note for ISEP participants and students from Lingnan University: our exchange agreements cover placement in a double room in Residential College. If you wish to live in the Apartment Village, you will need to pay the difference in cost.)

You will also be responsible for paying for your international travel, health insurance, books and other personal expenses. For the 2008-09 academic year, we estimate that exchange students will need approximately $6,500 per semester for such expenses as room and board, books, medical insurance and personal expenses.

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Courses of Study and Pre-registration

Once you are admitted as an exchange student, Butler's Center for Global Education will help you register for your classes. You will need to communicate with the Center's Associate Director, Ms. Jill McKinney, about your academic interests and course preferences.

As an exchange student, you are required by the U.S. government to carry a full-time academic load of at least 12 credits (usually this would be four three-credit courses or "units of study"). Most Butler students take five or six courses per semester for a total of 15-18 credits. Your home university may have its own requirements for how many courses you are expected to take, so be sure to check with the international office there.

When planning for your courses at Butler, it will be important for you to provide us with several alternative selections. Flexibility on your part is necessary for a number of reasons: two courses you are interested in may be scheduled at exactly the same time, so you cannot take both; some courses may require background knowledge that you do not possess; some courses may be in such high demand that no spaces are available, or their seating capacity may be limited because of technology requirements; and so on. Please be aware that the earlier you begin the process of selecting courses, the more choices you will have.

You can find information about courses of study at Butler on-line by using the Course Search. Your university's International Office should also have copies of the printed Butler University Bulletin for your reference.

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