Study Abroad Programs & Opportunities
Travel should be part of everyone's time at Concordia. Enrich your degree by spending a term, or up to a year, in another country. Or, if you want to study at an institution anywhere outside Quebec that doesn’t have a partnership with Concordia, we can arrange for a visiting-fee-paying student exchange as well.
Concordia Student Exchange Program (CSEP)
CSEP application deadlines
January 15: Main deadline, Fall term, Academic year, and Winter only terms abroad
June 1: Alternate date for only Winter term departures – fewer host options available
CSEP Process
1. Review the information & watch the online info session Concordia International information session for CSEP process
2. Attend a FOFA Study Abroad Info Session hosted on ZOOM (October-December and April-May)
Up-coming Live FOFA Study Abroad Info Session:
- Tuesday May 19th 2026 12pm
- Thursday May 28th 2026 11am
- Tuesday August 4th 2026 2pm
- Wednesday September 23rd 2026 11am
- Friday October 16th 2026 2pm
- Monday November 9th 2026 10am
- Tuesday December 1st 2026 9:30am
- Wednesday December 16th 2026 4pm
- Thursday January 7th 11:30am
Optional CSEP Application Drop-in Questions on ZOOM:
3. Submit a completed CSEP Application by the deadline through the Concordia International portal
Virtual Drop-In Advising for quick questions
- Outgoing Concordia Fine Art students who have attended the FOFA Study Abroad Info Session
- Outgoing Concordia Fine Art students who are currently abroad or recently returned
- Any potential or current Incoming study abroad participant to Fine Arts
Click on the link below and you will enter the Zoom Meeting Waiting Room. Students will be brought into the main meeting to meet one on one in the order they join the waiting room.
Monday 11h00-12h30
FOFA CSEP/Study Abroad Virtual Drop-In Advising
CSEP Restrictions
- You CANNOT go on the CSEP doing ‘extra credits’ beyond your degree requirements. All credits taken abroad must advance your degree program and you must pursue a full-time credit load abroad.
- Capstone courses (e.g. FMAN 402, DRAW 400, etc) will not be considered for CSEP transfer credits
- Students participating on the CSEP cannot take courses concurrently at their host and at Concordia University, even if the courses are being delivered remotely.
- Restricted courses abroad which cannot be taken for credit include, but not limited to: English as a Second Language, Tourism, Physical Education, Internships, courses with missing required pre-requisites & any restrictions set by the host institution.
- You cannot do an internship or independent study abroad for credit.
- Undergraduate Concordia Students (BFA) on the CSEP may NOT take Graduate Level courses abroad for credit.
- Graduate Concordia Students (MFA/MA) on the CSEP may NOT take Undergraduate Level courses abroad for credit.
- Department Advisors cannot approve CSEP undergraduate credit transfers, only potential substitutions or equivalencies (course abroad is EXACTLY equal to one of ours).
After you apply
Register for one of the following mandatory FOFA CSEP Outgoing Workshops – failure to attend will result in the cancellation of your CSEP participation:
If you applied JUNE 1st:
Post-FOFA CSEP Outgoing Workshop you will need to submit the following to amanda.holt@concordia.ca prior to June 30 (for June 1st applicants) or February 15 (for January 15 applicants):
- CSEP Course Selection Form
- Program Guide
- 1 PDF document with host course descriptions that you listed on the CSEP Course Selection Form
BACK from your Exchange semester abroad?
- Concordia International will email your Official Host Transcript to FOFA SAS for the CSEP credit transfer with you in copy.
- FOFA SAS will transfer your CSEP credits as outlined in your CSEP Equivalencies Contract (R70).
- Courses appearing on the host transcript which were not officially approved by FOFA SAS, will not be considered for transfer for credit into the Major.
- You will be copied on the email confirmation to Concordia International when your transfer credits are posted to your Student Record.
**Graduate Exchange students – your credit transfers will be handled by the School of Graduate Studies
Visiting fee-paying option
Fine Arts students who wish to study at an institution outside of Québec that does not have a partnership with Concordia for the exchange program, may apply to be a Visiting fee-paying (VFP) student at an alternate qualified institution.
Students must have approval to study abroad prior to taking courses at another institution. Courses taken at another institution outside of Québec without prior authorization, will not be considered for transfer.
Students interested in this option should make an advising appointment by emailing finearts.sas@concordia.ca - include your name, ID#, Major and request advising to get course permission to transfer credits from an institution outside of Québec. Please also indicate if you prefer an in-person or virtual advising appointment.
VFP Application Deadlines
- March 15 (for all Summer term departures)
- June 15 (for all Fall semester departures)
- October 15 (for all Winter semester departures)
FOFA VFP Program Process, Regulations & Eligibility
- Complete the Student Request Form, completed Program Guide (pick the year of entry to the BFA, indicating where within your degree the courses abroad apply), letter of intent explaining why you wish to study at this host institution & any supporting documentation if this is a special request contra-indicating Residency Requirement Rules, provide full-course listings & course descriptions for the intended courses and send it to finearts.sas@concordia.ca
- Students with cumulative & last annual GPAs 2.70 and above will be considered.
- FFAR 249* must either be completed or in-progress at time of application or FFAR 250 previously completed
- Students are responsible for assuming all costs & tuition-fees paid directly to the host institution.