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Universita Cattolica del Sacro Coure Exchange Program

Albany, NY, United States

At the University at Albany, we pride ourselves on our commitment to creating a diverse and welcoming environment for students from over 100 countries. For more than 175 years we’ve been fueled by a unique mix of academic excellence, internationally recognized research, and world-class faculty. Our students relentlessly pursue possibilities, create connections, and seize opportunities – locally and globally – with a single-minded purpose: to author their own success doing the things that matter. If you’re ready to tackle today’s biggest challenges, answer our most pressing questions, and solve society’s most vexing problems, you’re ready to join the University at Albany community!

Program Information

In today’s evolving world, you need more than the tools of a trade or knowledge that comes from a book. You need a broad view of the world—the ability to adapt, to accept new ideas, and to embrace, even lead, change. At UAlbany, you’ll find the resources and experiences you need to prepare for an unpredictable future. And you’ll study and learn with a diverse group of students from around the globe—enriching your experience and opening you up to endless new ideas.

Whether you’re interested in psychology or biology, informatics or engineering, our diverse academic offerings will teach you new ways to think about your subject and the world. Our wide array of academic choices includes 150-plus undergraduate programs and more than 125 graduate programs, several of which are ranked near the top in the nation.

Academic Training

To complement your program of study in the United States, J-1 visa students are eligible for Academic Training (A/T). Academic Training is designed to provide J-1 students with employment experience in their field of study. Academic Training must be directly related to the your field of study. The International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) in the Center for International Education & Global Strategy (CIEGS) assists currently enrolled students in the Academic Training process.

Attendance Policy for International Students

A strict attendance policy is enforced. To maintain visa status, you are required to submit homework assignments, attend classes, and participate fully. All undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits each semester. Graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 credits each semester.


In every area of study, you are instructed by faculty who are world-class scholars and teachers – many actively engaged in life-enhancing research that contributes profoundly to the public good. They are partners with industry and published authors, and know from experience what it takes to succeed. As mentors, they provide numerous student-research opportunities at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, inspiring students to advance their skills and aspirations.


All undergraduate exchange and visiting students are guaranteed on-campus dorm housing. After acceptance to UAlbany, you will be sent an email from your Program Coordinator with the link from the Residential Life department that is used for on-campus housing sign up.

For general information about on-campus living, please visit the Residential Life web page.

Housing for graduate students is limited to a first come, first serve basis. Graduate students will be notified if they receive housing a few weeks before the start of the semester with an email to your UAlbany email account.

Homestays are also available in a limited quantity. Please email us to learn more.

Some students choose to live off campus. We cannot assist you in finding off-campus housing. For information regarding off campus living, please review the Off-Campus Housing web page.


You must provide evidence of financial support (bank statements and/or other proof that you have sufficient funds for educational and living expenses) in order for UAlbany to issue you visa support.
Click to view the Estimate of Costs: Tuition and fees benefits
Note: there may be several tabs in the Estimate of Costs. Please be sure that you are reviewing the tab for your anticipated semester/academic year of study at UAlbany.

Under this exchange agreement, UAlbany tuition and fees are waived.  You are liable for all other expenses, including mandatory health insurance and the SEVIS I-901 fee.


The UAlbany exchange program receives students for semester or year-long exchange from our partner universities.

To study at UAlbany as an exchange student, your home university must select and recommend you.  Exchange students receive academic and social support from the Center for International Education & Global Strategy (CIEGS).  

English Language Requirement

Your skills in English must be high enough to take regular classes taught in English. You must meet one of UAlbany’s English proficiency requirements to attend the University as an exchange student:
 
  • TOEFL: 70 / 523 pbt
  • IELTS: 6.0 
  • ELS 112
  • Completion of the UAlbany IELP program
If your English skills are not strong enough to attend regular classes, you should consider enrolling in UAlbany’s Intensive English Language (IELP) Program

I have been selected by my home campus, now what?

If you are selected by your home campus, you must apply to UAlbany using the special forms and procedures designed for exchange students.  To be admitted, your application must be processed by the Education Abroad Office which is part of the Center for International Education & Global Strategy at UAlbany. Do not apply directly to either the Undergraduate or Graduate Admissions Offices. 

How long am I allowed to stay at UAlbany as an exchange student?

Your home campus will determine how many semesters you may attend UAlbany as an exchange student. If your university does not object you may choose to remain at UAlbany longer at your own cost, as a visiting student.
 Please note:

  1. Some departments and schools at UAlbany have partnership agreements that are not managed by the Center for International Education & Global Strategy;
  2. If there is no agreement between your university and UAlbany you may still be able to study here as a visiting “study abroad” student.

Scholarship information and advisement for international students is available through the U.S. government’s EducationUSA website.


“My experience here at the University at Albany has been one of the most revitalizing and invigorating experiences. Coming here my expectations were muddled, I was anxious about the educational system, the people and the lifestyle. However, being here for over 8 months I now consider it a home for me, so much so that I have extended my visa for another work. Being an exchange student for one year gave me opportunities and support that was incredible. My family originated from Punjab India, and I am the second generation to be born in the United Kingdom. Both my mother and father were encouraged to work straight out of school and are now self-employed, they did not make it past the earliest stages of school. Being the oldest of four children it was an achievement in itself that I was the first in the family to make it to University. I truly enjoyed every moment of UAlbany.”
— Academic year exchange student from Scotland, University of Glasgow


To learn more about this program, please contact your UAlbany Education Abroad Program Coordinator.


You education abroad program will last a semester, academic year, or calendar year. Review the University’s Academic Calendar. The Fall semester runs from late August to December and the Spring semester runs from late January through mid-May.

As an international student, you are required to participate in two mandatory orientations. The Pre-Arrival orientation is conducted online, before you arrive. The On-Site orientation is held upon your arrival to campus. Both orientations are conducted by the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office. Orientation schedules are available on the ISSS website.


Program Dates

TermApplication DeadlineDecision DateProgram StartProgram End
Spring 2024October 1, 2023October 15, 2023ForthcomingForthcoming
Fall 2024March 1, 2024March 15, 2024ForthcomingForthcoming
Academic Year 2024March 1, 2024March 15, 2024ForthcomingForthcoming

Additional Details

Locations
  • Albany, NY, United States
Subjects
  • _All subjects available at UAlbany, based on eligibility
Terms
  • Academic Year
  • Fall
  • Spring
Internship OpportunityAcademic Training for J-1 visa holders is available

About UAlbany

Founded in 1844, the University at Albany is New York State’s oldest publicly founded university. Located in New York’s capital city, it is the premier public research University in the Capital Region and offers a world of opportunity to over 17,000 students, including more than 1,200 international students from more than 80 countries. UAlbany’s location in the state capital of New York provides students with limitless opportunities for public service and research through which you can gain experience, test your skills, and prepare to launch brilliant careers. The excellence of a UAlbany education is recognized by many independent sources. UAlbany is ranked among the top universities in Forbes’ “America’s Best Public Colleges,” and U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks many of our graduate programs among the top 50 in the United States, including clinical psychology, criminal justice, library and information studies, public affairs, public health, sociology, and social work.

The University at Albany enrolls students in nine degree-granting schools and colleges including its Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, and Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity; the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy; and its Schools of Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Public Health, and Social Welfare.

The Campuses

The Uptown Campus, the University’s main campus, is located at 1400 Washington Avenue in Albany, and has been described as “a distinctive work of modern art.” Home to many of the University’s Schools and Colleges, including the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, and the Schools of Business, Criminal Justice, and Education.

Uptown Campus

The Uptown Campus also features the Performing Arts Center, the University Art Museum, and the Campus Center. The hub of student activity, the Camps Center includes lounges, meeting and dining rooms, a ballroom, a cafeteria, banking facilities, a convenience store, a Barnes & Noble bookstore, and a variety of both fast-food and healthy food options.

Outdoor recreational facilities include lighted tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts, and several multipurpose playing areas, including a turf field for student recreational and intramural use. Indoor athletic facilities are dominated by the newly renovated Broadview Center. With an arena seating capacity of nearly 4,000, the facility is home to NCAA Division I Great Dane basketball, and also houses a running track, a modern fitness center, a fully equipped athletic training complex. The Physical Education Center includes locker rooms, weight and wrestling rooms, a dance studio, and basketball, handball and squash courts. The facilities also include a 8,500-seat multi-sports stadium, home to football and men’s and women’s soccer.

Downtown Campus

The Downtown Campus, located at 135 Western Avenue in Albany, served from 1909-66 as the main campus. It houses the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, the School of Criminal Justice, and the School of Social Welfare, as well as the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Health Sciences Campus

The Health Sciences Campus, a former pharmaceutical complex located at One University Place in Rensselaer, is one of the region’s booming bioscience research and high-tech centers. Its academic anchor is the School of Public Health, and its research facilities include the Cancer Research Center, home to the Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics, and the Center for Functional Genomics.

Airport Information

The International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office arranges pick up for semester and year-long exchange and study abroad students from the Albany International Airport on one designated day. More information regarding this service is available after acceptance to your program.

Many of our international students arrive in the U.S. at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York City or Newark (EWR) International
Airport in New Jersey. If you are coming from Asia, we advise you to book your flight through Chicago (ORD), Detroit (DTT), or other airports with good connections to Albany. If you are continuing by airplane to Albany, use only a direct, non-stop connecting flight from your arrival airport to Albany.

If you arrive at one of the New York City or New Jersey airports, you have to plan your own transportation to Albany. Further information regarding travel to Albany is available here.

Train information

The Amtrak station is 15 minutes from campus and is easily accessible from NYC. Further information regarding train travel to Albany is available on the Amtrak website.

General Travel Advice

Further information regarding travel to Albany is available here.

At UAlbany, you won’t just live – you’ll thrive. Get involved in our 250+ clubs and organizations, root on our 18 NCAA Division I athletics teams, and explore off campus in our great college town or further afield in the great outdoors. Whatever you’re passionate about, you’ll find it here.

NOTE: As of January 1, 2019 the University at Albany will be a tobacco and smoke-free campus, proudly joining more than 1,800 tobacco and smoke-free colleges and universities across the United States. Smoking and other tobacco use will be prohibited on campus. Additional information on UAlbany’s tobacco-free policy and cessation resources (programs to assist in quitting smoking) are available on the UAlbany tobacco and smoke-free campus website.

Campus Recreation
Campus Recreation provides diverse, stimulating, and engaging recreational opportunities that enrich the UAlbany experience. We empower our community to lead healthy lifestyles by fostering an environment that supports physical, mental, and social growth. See the facilities schedules, browse group exercise and wellness programs, join intramural sports teams and open recreation events, or explore the outdoors

Athletics
Cheer on our Division I sports teams! UAlbany’s intercollegiate athletics program excels at the NCAA Division I level, producing competitive teams, successful coaches, and outstanding student-athletes recognized for their accomplishments both on the field and in the classroom. The University sponsors 18 varsity sports for men and women. Visit the DANEger Zone for student tickets.

Student Association

UAlbany’s Student Association is the recognized undergraduate student government on campus which was officially established in 1923, and has been operating in its current form since 1977. Student Association exists in order to provide and foster opportunities beyond those offered in the formal curriculum. The Student Association provides concerts, speakers, comedy shows, multicultural and gender programming, funds more than 200+ student groups, organizations, Student Legal Services, and Dippikill, an 847 acre wilderness retreat complete with cabins, campsites and a pond located in the heart of the Adirondacks. In addition, the Student Association represents the interests of the student body to the faculty, administration, and government.

Clubs and Organizations
UAlbany has more than 200 student clubs and organizations in which you can participate, as well as a wide variety of cultural, musical, and artistic events.

Find organizations, attend events, and track your involvement on the MyInvolvement website.

For a complete list of events, Visit the UAlbany GO website.

Each semester, the Center for International Education & Global Strategy (CIEGS) holds multiple events to assist our international students in becoming comfortable here at UAlbany. Some past events have included day trips to Boston and New York City, local apple picking, ski outings and holiday celebrations. There are multiple clubs, sports teams and athletic events!

View the programs and events listings on the International Student and Scholar Services web page.

In addition, UAlbany has more than 200 student clubs and organizations in which you can participate, as well as a wide variety of cultural, musical, and artistic events.

The University at Albany enjoys a strategic location in the City of Albany. The capital of the State of New York offers something for everyone, the center of a region remarkable for its natural and cultural resources. The Capital Region includes the cities of Albany, Schenectady and Troy, and has a population of approximately 838,000. Within a short distance are the Berkshires, the Catskills and the Adirondacks, the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. Major ski areas such as Killington, Gore, Hunter, Bromley, Stratton and Mt. Snow are within easy commuting distance. Saratoga Springs, 25 miles to the north, is internationally known as a sports, concert, and cultural center, and features outstanding thoroughbred and harness racing at Saratoga Race Track.

Four major malls and shopping centers, including Crossgates, Stuyvesant Plaza and Colonie Center, fall within one mile of campus. Albany nightlife is active with concerts, movies, theater, dancing, and nearly every kind of restaurant or eatery imaginable.