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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you may cancel your exchange closer to the departure date if you feel uncomfortable about travelling abroad. We completely support your decision especially during these uncertain times. We encourage you to register for classes at Concordia University for your exchange semester as a back-up plan and drop them before the DNE if you decide to leave for exchange.

You can withdraw from your exchange program at any time prior to your departure date or latest before the DNE deadline for the semester for which you are going on exchange. You must inform your Concordia International Liaison Officer in writing of your withdrawal.

In the case of an unforeseen emergency, you can withdraw from the exchange program by first informing your International Liaison Officer as soon as possible. If you decide to withdraw from the CSEP past the DNE deadline, you will be financially responsible for all expenses incurred, including STOQ credits (15 credits).

We encourage you not to commit to any financial contributions for your exchange semester until;

a) you receive your admissions offer from your host university.
b) iyou are certain that you will travel to your host destination.

That being said, and due to the current COVID-19 circumstances, there are numerous aspects that we have no control over and as such, we encourage you to carefully monitor all the emails you receive from your host university, as well as stay up-to-date on all the travel advice being offered by your host government and the Government of Canada Travel Advisory

Please contact Concordia International's Coordinator of Bursaries, Bertille Tayoung, at Bertille.Tayoung@concordia.ca for all questions regarding bursaries.

The Concordia Student Exchange Program allows an undergraduate student to study abroad for a period of up to one academic year (two semesters) throughout the student's degree program. These two semesters do not necessarily have to be back-to-back, or at the same institution. Students who have completed a year of exchange are still eligible to participate in Concordia's Short-Term Summer Programs.

Graduate students can study for one semester abroad only (this condition does not include collaborative research activities).

When planned appropriately and in consultation with your academic department, the exchange term(s) is intended to be an integral part of your degree program without delaying graduation. However, if you go on exchange in the final semester of your degree, your graduation will probably be delayed due to the time required for processing your credit transfer.  You must contact your Faculty advisor to ask for permission to attend a final semester exchange.

Our selection process takes in consideration the following criteria:

  • Meeting the eligibility requirements.
  • Availability of spots at partner institutions.
  • Suitability of the host institution’s program for your degree requirements.
  • Interest and motivation for participating in the program.
  • Reason for choosing institution(s). 

Students participating in the Concordia Student Exchange Program must select an institution from our list of partners. To study for a semester or a full-academic year at a non-partner, you will have to apply as a visiting student through your Faculty, apply to the school directly, and pay their visiting student fees, as opposed to your regular Concordia tuition fees. You can find out more about this option at the links below:

No. You must wait for either your International Liaison Officer (ILO) or your host university to invite you to complete the host application. For student who are leaving for exchange in the Fall semester, the invitation to complete the host application will be sent in the late spring or early summer months. For students who are leaving for exchange in the winter semester, the invitation to complete the host application will be sent in late summer or the fall semester. If you do apply on your own before invited to do so, your host university will reject your application. 

You may apply for two semesters in two different destinations, but it is important that the semester dates of your selected institutions do not overlap. It is very important to take note of the start date, including orientation at the beginning of each term and the end date, including final exams at the end of each term. This option will also require two sets of host application, immigration documents and housing, so you must be organized in your planning. 

The interactive map allows you to select from our list of bilateral exchange partners.

When assessing your CSEP application, your International Liaison Officer will take into consideration your Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).  Your CGPA will count for 50% of the assessment, followed by 30% for the suitability of the host for your program and 20% on your letter of motivation. Thus, a student with a high CGPA does have a starting advantage. 

The decision to leave for a full academic year is the student’s and depends on several the following factors.

  • Availability of courses at the partner institution suitable to your program at Concordia
  • Your Concordia faculty’s permission for a year-long exchange.
  • Your available budget
  • Semester dates at the partner institution

The Quebec Mobility Bursary is a non-competitive bursary that is available to all students who receive permission to leave for exchange and also meet the bursary requirements. The bursary is available to Quebec residents, out of province Canadian students and international students. Please visit the Concordia International webpage for details on the Quebec Mobility Bursary.

All students who receive permission to leave for an exchange will receive the Quebec Mobility Bursary if they also meet the Quebec Mobility eligibility requirements.

A bilateral exchange means that we must receive the same number of students from our partner as we send to that partner. The more students we can receive from a partner, the more Concordia students we can send to that partner. Therefore, places at a host institution is limited and differs from one institution to the next. Some institutions are more popular, and thus more competitive than others. Partners in western Europe, Australia, Singapore and some United Kingdom partners tend to be in high demand and thus more competitive.

If your host university cancels their exchange program for the fall 2021, we may change your host university to another institution on your CSEP application if;

  • There is space remaining for Concordia students at the institution(s) in question.
  • The institution(s) in question has not cancelled their exchange program for the fall 2021. 
  • The institution(s) in question is a suitable choice for your program and course selection requirements.
  • The institution(s) in question is still able to accept applications.

You can list up to 3 Institutions to attend on your CSEP application. Concordia International will determine which partner you will attend, based on the factors listed in Question 3 above. Thus, students are not guaranteed their first choice. Therefore, your second and third choice should also be places that you would also love to attend, and you should put thought into their selection. You are free to decline your placement.

The requirements for the letter of recommendation will be determined by your host institution. If you are required to provide a letter of recommendation as part of your host application, you must verify the requirements with the host.

If you wish to study for a semester or year at an institution that does not appear on our partner list, you must contact that institution as a visiting student and pay your fees to that institution. You would have to contact that institution to find out what you must do to apply for a semester or year of studies. 

It is Concordia University and not the student who will decide which of the institutions selected on your CSEP application you will attend. The decision will be based on the factors listed in Question 3 above. Once the decision is made, it isn’t possible to change your destination to another choice on your application.

While you are abroad, you will be registered with a “Studies Outside Quebec” (STOQ) place holder code. This code is equivalent to 15 Concordia credits and will trigger a tuition of 15 Concordia credits, which includes the miscellaneous fees that you would normally pay as part of your tuition fees. You are expected to pay your tuition by the usual payment methods and by the tuition payment deadline.

Unfortunately, you do not currently meet the general eligibility requirements. Please contact your Faculty for more information as they oversee providing permissions to participate in the CSEP.

If your host university cancelled your winter 2021 exchange semester and you wish to re-apply   for an exchange for the fall 2021 or winter 2022, priority will be given to students whose exchanges were cancelled in 2020/21 and who cannot leave on exchange in 2022-23 or later.

We aim to provide updates regarding possible summer/field schools by beginning of 2021.

No, there are no limits pertaining to the number of students who can be accepted for the exchange program, but spaces are limited per destination. Therefore, we encourage students to list 3 different schools in their application in order to maximize their chances to obtain a placement.

You will not be able to do internship at the same time than exchange. Please discuss with your co-op advisor whether an internship abroad could be done the semester before or after your exchange and plan carefully how would it work the best for you.

No, MBA students can only complete 1 exchange semester.

Normally, leaving on your final semester delays graduation at least by one semester but it could be delayed by more than that depending of the semester dates of the host school and when the official transcript is received, and the credits are transferred by Concordia University.

It is not possible to postpone your Winter 2021 exchange to the winter 2022 semester. The winter 2022 is in the new academic year 2021/2022 and thus your faculty would have to re-assess your eligibility for the program. Please inform your International Liaison Officer that you wish to withdraw from your Winter 2021 exchange and submit a new application for the academic year 2021-22. Please discuss with your Faculty whether Fall 2021 would be more suitable for you if Winter 2022 will be your last semester.

Your Concordia International Liaison Officer and Faculty advisors can help with the application process and will be happy to answer any questions students may have regarding it. However, the student is responsible for completing and submitting the application independently.

Not every applicant needs to take a language test. Only students taking academic courses in a language other than English or French must book an appointment for the language evaluation or test with the department of Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics. The evaluation or test should be completed before the CSEP application deadline so that the language proficiency form completed by CMLL could be uploaded to the online application.

Yes, but other than LOJIQ, other funding available on the CSEP funding webpage cannot be combined with the Quebec Mobility Bursary. 

Students choose their own housing independently. If their host institution has a student residence available for exchange students, students can apply for it during the host application period if they wish (not mandatory). If the host institution does not offer housing or student does not want to live in a student residence, students will have to find their own housing independently. Students can find information regarding available housing from the partner schools’ websites and from the past exchange reports. 

Approximately 75% of students who apply for exchange leave for an exchange abroad. 

Your ability to travel abroad will depend on the travel restrictions of your host country. We encourage you to visit the Winter 2021 Outbound Exchange & Covid webpage for guidelines on preparing for an exchange abroad in the Covid pandemic era.

Yes, there are currently Concordia students on exchange.  For information and guidelines on how to prepare for an exchange abroad during the Covid pandemic, please visit the Winter 2021 Outbound Exchange & Covid website. 

Yes, you are eligible to receive the Quebec Mobility Bursary if you go outside of Quebec. For details, please visit the Quebec Mobility Bursary webpage.

Yes, all the institutions visible on the interactive map are available for an exchange abroad, however not all of them are open to all faculties. Please make sure to verify the available discipline under the institution’s details tab.

Yes, you can. Your government Financial aid is for your studies in Quebec and therefore it will not impact your Quebec Mobility Bursary amount.

Each host institution has its own deadline. Your International Liaison Officer will provide you with more information on your application submission when the time comes.

The visa requirements depend on your destination, your duration and nature of your stay as well as your citizenship. Therefore, it is highly possible that you might not be able to work at your host destination.

Yes, the Concordia Student Exchange Program (CSEP) is open to undergraduate and graduate students. For more information about eligibility criteria, please visit how to apply.

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