GENERAL INFORMATION & POLICIES

Important Contact Information

USD International Center
5998 Alcala Park, Serra 315
San Diego, CA 92110

Tel: 619-260-4598
Fax: 619-260-5924
Email: internationalstudies@sandiego.edu

Emergency Contact Information

In the event of an emergency, students should contact USD Public Safety at 619-260-2222. Public Safety will contact the USD administration and put the two parties in contact. Students can also contact the administration directly:

• Dr. Kira Espiritu (Director) ~ 619-302-5699
• Jessica Luchesi (Associate Director) ~ 619-507-9047

IMPORTANT STUDY ABROAD POLICIES & PROCEDURES

It is the students’ responsibility to be aware of and comply with the policies of the Office of International Studies Abroad. Information can be found on the Policies page of the International Studies Abroad website.

Conduct Abroad

The Office of International Studies Abroad collaborates with the Office of Student Conduct to review the conduct records of all USD students applying to the programs and reserves the right to deny acceptance to students who have problematic or questionable conduct histories. Students must be clear of any conduct probation prior to participating in any study abroad program and probationary terms cannot coincide with the intended study abroad term (ex: students who apply to study abroad in fall 2013 cannot be on probation for any portion of the fall 2013 semester and must be clear of any probation prior to the program start date). All students will have their student conduct record reviewed the semester prior to the intended study abroad term. These reviews will take place periodically up until departure and although an application status may read “accepted”, this could be revoked at any time for conduct infractions that occur prior to departure.

Any student with a conduct record that is cause for concern will be contacted directly by the Office of International Studies Abroad. Such students may be required to sign a Conduct Contract. It is in the student’s best interest to immediately notify the Office of International Studies Abroad if any conduct infraction occurs prior to departure. Students who are deemed ineligible to participate in a study abroad program will be withdrawn from the program and will be required to pay any fees associated with their withdrawal (program deposit, program fee, etc.) per the Refund & Payment Policy. No exceptions.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

Passports

Passports are required. If you don’t already have one, you should apply for a passport immediately. You should plan on at least six weeks for standard processing. U.S. and non-U.S. citizens need a passport both to enter other countries and to return to the United States. If you already have a passport, make sure it is valid until at least six months after your return date. New U.S. passports take six to eight weeks for processing, depending on the time of the year and passports are usually valid for 10 years.

If you need to apply for a passport and there is adequate time for processing, please visit the US Department of State website for instructions on how to apply. Please keep in mind that before applying for a visa, you will need a valid passport in-hand. Need a passport in a hurry? Contact your Study Abroad Advisor IMMEDIATELY to learn how to get a rushed passport from the San Diego Passport Agency.

Visas & Immigration Documents

Some students may need a visa to enter their country of study and it is the students’ responsibility to procure this visa. This will depend on 1) the length of stay; and 2) the students’ citizenship. A visa is an entry/residency permit and official permission granted by the authorities of the countries where you will study or travel which allows you to enter and remain in that country. The visa itself is frequently a stamp in your passport, not a separate document. You will need a valid passport before applying for a visa (and the entire “passport-plus-visa process” may take three to four months, so start early). If you are a U.S. citizen (carrying a U.S. passport), a visa is not required by most Western European countries if you are spending fewer than three months in the country. However, the regulations change regularly, so check with the Office of International Studies Abroad or the embassy/consulate of your host country.

The cost and requirements for obtaining visas vary. It is the students’ responsibility to determine visa requirements for all countries they plan to visit while abroad (including countries visited before of after the study abroad program). You may be denied entry into, or be deported from, a country for which you have not obtained a required visa. The Office of International Studies Abroad and the University of San Diego are not responsible for obtaining visas, nor are they in any way responsible for visa or entry denial. For some countries, certain medical requirements must be met before a visa will be issued.