Prepare
Preparing to study abroad can be both exciting and overwhelming. Please carefully review the information below to lay the foundation for a successful experience abroad.
Complete pre-departure online content and attend a session
The Education Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) consists of a series of online modules in Canvas and a synchronous session (online or in-person) with your education abroad advisor. Upon commitment to your term abroad, you will be added to the Canvas course and informed of your PDO session with your advisor.
At this point, we also recommend that you review the Policies for Education Abroad.
Preparing your travel documents (apply for a visa, if applicable)
You are responsible for researching and obtaining all required entry documents including passports and visas for your host country. Your passport must be valid for more than six months past the end date of your program.
You can find information about entry and visa requirements on the host country embassy or consulate website.
Depending on your nationality, the location, and duration of the program, you may or may not need a student or tourist visa for your summer abroad program. Consult the entry information on the embassy or consulate website for the host country.
In most cases you will need to obtain a student visa for a semester or academic year abroad. Planning ahead is essential as it may take a long time to process a student visa. If you have to apply at the consulate in person, you may need an appointment which can book up months in advance.
If you plan to study abroad for consecutive terms in different countries, make sure you have time between terms to obtain the proper visas.
Make sure your U.S. visa is valid for re-entry and have your I-20 signed with a travel signature. If you have any questions on your U.S. visa status, contact your International Student advisor.
Academic planning
You can view the list of courses that have already been evaluated at any given program/institution in the Education Abroad Course Evaluations folder (you must use your Babson login to access this folder).
You should plan to meet with your Student Success Advisor as you map out your course schedule for your term abroad. The courses you plan to take abroad must be evaluated so that the credits will transfer back to Babson. This process will be reviewed in detail in the pre-departure course in Canvas.
Financial planning
Careful financial planning and budgeting is key to your experience abroad. Please visit our Financing your Education Abroad webpage for information about the cost of education abroad and about grants and scholarships.