Information for Incoming Exchange Students

Brooklyn College welcomes exchange students from its participating partners to our campus for a semester and/or the academic year. During the application process, exchange students will receive information from at least two different Brooklyn College offices—International Programs & Study Abroad (IPSA), which manages Brooklyn College exchanges and outgoing students, and International Student Services (ISSS), which assists in all matters of admission, visa documentation, course registration, international student orientation (shared responsibility), and, in general, your soft landing on the Brooklyn College campus.

Exchange Partners With Brooklyn College

We are in the process of developing partnerships with universities abroad. Our current exchange partners are:

City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China)
Dongguk University (Seoul, South Korea)
Edinburgh Napier University (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Glasgow Caledonian University (Glasgow, Scotland)
John Cabot University (Rome, Italy)
Korea University of Media Arts (Seoul, South Korea)
L'Institut Supérieur de Gestion (Paris, France)
RUDN—The People's University of Russia (Moscow, Russia)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)
Université Paris—Dauphine (Paris, France)
University of Sussex (Brighton, England)

If your institution is not on this list, contact the study abroad or student exchange office on your home campus to show your interest and to see if a partnership is in the process of being developed.

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Downloadable Important Information Sheets

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Overview of Admission Process

Exchange students apply through their home university's study abroad office for study at Brooklyn College as an exchange student.
Your application will be reviewed by your home institution's outgoing (direct) exchange adviser. Once you have been accepted, your home institution will "nominate" you for placement on the program and forward your application to IPSA at Brooklyn College. Check with your home institution to see if you are expected to submit the J-1 application directly to IPSA or if they will send it for you. Be sure to include all supporting documentation as incomplete applications cannot be processed. The application deadlines for IPSA are:
- April 1 for the following fall semester/academic year
- November 1 for the spring semester
IPSA will review your application, notify you and your home institution if accepted. Your application is then forwarded to Brooklyn College's Office of International Student Services.
ISSS will send electronically an official admission letter and a packet of forms that you will need to complete and return to ISSS. Then the DS 2019 form for the J-1 visa will be processed and sent to the e-mail address you have indicted on your application.
Once you have completed and returned all the forms, your DS 2019 will be sent by a special mail service (there may be a charge to you of approximately $60). Immediately review the DS 2019 for accuracy and note the date you are expected to arrive in the United States.
As soon as you have determined the DS 2019 is accurate, make an appointment with the U.S. Embassy for a visa interview and to obtain your visa. You will be required to pay a SEVIS fee of about $180 (semester) or $380 (academic year).
The date of your required arrival in the United States is indicated on the DS 2019. The date is generally two to three weeks prior to the start of classes.

We look forward to meeting you here at Brooklyn College!

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Choosing Your Course Work—Academic Offerings

Incoming exchange students may choose from any of the courses offered, if prerequisites are met and space is available.

To locate classes of interest to you for the term you will be studying at Brooklyn College as an exchange student, you will want to use two sources of information: the Brooklyn College Bulletin and the Schedule of Classes.

Both documents can initially be accessed on the Course Schedules and Bulletins page. The Brooklyn College Academic Calendar will be accessible from there as well.

Brooklyn College Bulletin: Scroll down the above link to locate the Undergraduate Bulletin for the year you plan to study (or the previous year). Here you will find descriptions of courses offered by the different departments, as well as a large amount of other information on opportunities at Brooklyn College.
Schedule of Classes: The Schedule of Classes will inform you of courses being offered for a specific term. Go to the Course Schedules and Bulletins page and click on the term of interest. If the Schedule of Classes is not posted as a PDF file, it may not be finalized yet. However, you can find currently listed courses by visiting the CUNYfirst Class Search and doing the following:
- For "Institution," select Brooklyn College.
- For "Term," select the term that you wish to study at Brooklyn College.
- Choose a "Subject" (can repeat in additional searches).
- For "Course Career", choose Undergraduate.
- Scroll to the bottom and click on "Search" (can repeat for related courses).
The results will give you the course work in a specific department. Courses of interest may be offered in different departments (Communications, English, Film, etc.), and you are welcome to choose courses from any field.
Another method of looking at class offerings is to visit the academic department websites and look for undergraduate courses. Some departments also post the course syllabus so you can get a more complete idea of the course content. You can access each department via the Academic Departments webpage.

When submitting your exchange application for study at Brooklyn College, please provide a carefully selected prioritized list of six to eight courses that includes both the course number and course name. Note that, in general, the 1000 numbers refer to introductory courses, 2000 to second year, etc. It is important that you pick courses that match your needs at your home institution (talk with your adviser there). In choosing courses for a specific field, review the list on the departmental website and contact the head of the department or program should you have any questions.

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English Proficiency

Exchange students whose native language is not English, or who are coming from countries where English is not the official language, should take the TOEFL (minimum 61) or IELTS (minimum 6) tests to ensure that their level of English is sufficient to intensively read and discuss in English in class, and are able to write papers in English. Exchange students may also confirm their level of English with a signed letter on official university letterhead by an English-speaking professor certifying their level of English.

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How to Apply as an Exchange Student Coming to Brooklyn College

Once you are accepted by your home university as an exchange student to Brooklyn College, send the following to IPSA via post-mail or scanned e-mail:

A completed J-1 Undergraduate Student Visitor application. You will find the required forms and materials on the International Student Services: Forms page of the Brooklyn College website.
A statement of why you wish to study at Brooklyn College and what you plan to get out of the experience
A résumé
Academic Transcript
Preliminary Courses of Interest List (six to eight courses, in order of preference, so we have an idea of the type of programs you are interested in).
Inoculation/Vaccination Record (pdf)

Post-mailed documents should be addressed to:

International Programs & Study Abroad
1212 Boylan Hall
Brooklyn College
2900 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210 USA
studyabroad@brooklyn.cuny.edu

After review and acceptance of your initial application by IPSA, you may be asked by ISSS to provide additional documentation.

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Important Dates and Academic Calendar

The Brooklyn College Academic Calendar can be accessed on the Course Schedules and Bulletins page and is updated on a regular basis. Check there for more specific information and exact dates.

Mid-August: Expected arrival in Brooklyn for new Fall/Academic Year students. Authorized arrival date is indicated on the DS 2019.
Last week of August: One-day mandatory orientation
Last week of August: Fall classes begin
Fourth Thursday and Friday in November: Thanksgiving holiday
Mid-December: Fall classes end
Mid-December through December 23: Fall final exam period
December 24 through January 1: Holiday break
First week of January: Winter Intersession begins* (classes are optional)
Mid-January: Expected arrival in Brooklyn for new Spring students. Authorized arrival date is indicated on the DS 2019.
Last week of January: One day mandatory orientation for new exchange students during last week in January
Last week of January: Spring classes begin
One week in March or April: Spring break (dates vary according to Passover date)
Mid-May: Spring classes end
Late May: Spring final exam period
Early June through early July: Summer I term begins (classes are optional)
Early July through mid-August: Summer II term begins (classes are optional)

* Exchange students who opt to take additional course work during the Winter Intersession (January) will not be charged additional tuition and fees.

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When to Arrive in the United States and at Brooklyn College

You must arrive on the date indicated on the DS 2019, which will be two to three weeks prior to the beginning of the term. Prior to your arrival, you will receive information on the J-1 orientation and welcome workshop, both of which attendance is required. Please note these dates on your calendar.

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Housing

Exchange students find housing through a variety of sources such as friends and family; or online resources such as Airbnb, Craigslist, and Sara's Homestay. Most students find shared housing in Brooklyn, or in another borough of New York City. Keep in mind that rental housing is in high demand and goes quickly. It is very difficult to rent an apartment as an international student unless you have a U.S.-based guarantor.

It is important that wherever you choose to live, your lodging will be near transportation that will get you quickly to the college and to areas of interest to you in the New York City area. The subway lines that have stops closest to the college are the 2, 5, and Q. There are also many buses that bring you close to campus. An MTA MetroCard applies to buses and subways. Remember that a long commute can reduce the time you have available for study and social activities.

Below is a quick reference to some of the resources that may assist you in locating housing for your stay and studies at Brooklyn College.

Tips on Finding an Apartment in New York City

Websites of Interest for an Apartment Search

Please note that the residence hall near campus is privately owned and run. Some students have stayed here in the past, but due to student feedback, it is NOT recommended.

Transit Information for Subways and Buses in New York City

Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)

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Health Insurance

Health care is very expensive in the United States. For this reason, all J-1 visitors and their dependents are required to have a valid health insurance policy to cover their full stay in the United States. Information on policy requirements will be included in the DS 2019 packet that you receive from ISSS.

For initial health concerns and most immunizations, all students have access to the Health Clinic on the Brooklyn College campus.

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Please note that all information listed above is subject to change at any time.

Page last modified on November 12, 2019.