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Bachelor's and Master's Programs

Study Abroad - Admissions Requirements

The Admissions Committee appreciates maturity, independence, openness to difference, curiosity, and resilience. Applications from undergraduates in good standing at U.S. colleges and universities are welcome. Non-traditional students, post-graduates, and non-matriculated adults are eligible to apply for admission. All applicants must be emotionally, intellectually, and physically prepared for study abroad and must be 18 years of age or older.

The Institute for American Universities (IAU) admits students of any race, color, national origin and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.  IAU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information in its administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

Once an application is complete, students can expect a response within 2 weeks. Admission is granted on a rolling basis before the application deadlines outlined below. For questions about an application, please contact enroll@iau.edu.

Aix-en-Provence, France

Applicants must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher to apply. Prior French experience is not required.

Students who are interested in participating in the French Honors Program must submit a French professor recommendation (if their original recommendation letter was not from a French professor) and have the permission of their French Department and Study Abroad Office. French Honors Program applicants also complete a language placement evaluation with their online application. Please note that all French Honors Placement Exams are due within two weeks of the application deadline. Exams received after the deadline run the risk of not being considered for the program and will be reviewed on a case by case basis. When completing the online application, French Honors Program applicants must submit their personal essay in French. 

Paris, France

Applicants must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher to apply. 

Students interested in applying to La Sorbonne or L'Institut Catholique de Paris must submit a French professor recommendation (if their original recommendation letter was not from a French professor) and have the permission of their French Department and Study Abroad Office. When completing the online application, Paris Program applicants must submit their personal essay in French. 

Barcelona, Spain

Applicants must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher to apply. Prior Spanish experience is not required.

Students who are interested in participating in the Spanish Honors Program must submit a Spanish professor recommendation (if their original recommendation letter was not from a Spanish professor) and have the permission of their Spanish Department and Study Abroad Office. Spanish Honors Program applicants also complete a language placement evaluation with their online application. When completing the online application, Spanish Honors Program applicants must submit their personal essay in Spanish. 

Madrid, Spain

Applicants must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher to apply. Prior Spanish experience is not required.

Students who are interested in participating in the Spanish Honors Program must submit a Spanish professor recommendation (if their original recommendation letter was not from a Spanish professor) and have the permission of their Spanish Department and Study Abroad Office. Spanish Honors Program applicants also complete a language placement evaluation with their online application. When completing the online application, Spanish Honors Program applicants must submit their personal essay in Spanish. 

Rabat, Morocco

Applicants must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher to apply. Prior foreign language experience is not required.

January Term Traveling Seminars

Applicants must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher to apply. 

Application Deadlines

 

Summer

Fall

Spring

Aix-en-Provence, France


                  April 1


                   May 1


              October 1

Paris, France

 -


                  May 1


               October 1

Barcelona, Spain

               
                  April 1

 April 1 October 1


Madrid, Spain

                
                       -

 April 1 October 1

Rabat, Morocco


                  April 1

 - -

January Term Programs

 October 1

Late applications may be considered after the deadlines on a space-available basis and require payment of the application fee and $1,000 non-refundable enrollment deposit. 

In addition, late applicants should understand that they run a greater risk of not receiving their student visa in time, may be enrolled in fewer of their preferred courses, and may have fewer of their housing preferences met.

Applying to IAU

All applicants are required to complete IAU's online application ($85 fee) unless noted in the online application or instructed by study abroad office/advisor to do otherwise.

Students are also responsible for submitting the following application materials for all programs:

  • Certification and Release Form  - Complete and submit through the online application. 

  • Study Abroad Approval Form - Your study abroad advisor will receive the form automatically via email after you have completed the Education section of the online application.

  • Professor Recommendation - Your professor will receive the form after you have completed the Education section of the online application. *Please note: this recommendation should come from a professor who has taught you in a university class. 

  • Unofficial Transcript - Submit directly in your IAU portal.

  • Enrollment Deposit - Students who are invoiced directly by IAU for the $1,000 non-refundable enrollment deposit will submit the first $200 of the deposit with the IAU application. The remaining $800 will be due within two weeks of acceptance. Failure to pay the non-refundable $800 deposit within two weeks may result in a $100 late fee being added to your final invoice. The full $1,000 non-refundable enrollment deposit will be credited towards the student invoice or in accordance with the billing procedures with the home institution. The deposit can be paid online through IAU's secure Payment Portal. If you are applying to one of IAU's January Term Traveling Seminars, please see below for instruction.

  • Housing Preferences - Complete and submit through the online application.

  • Student Photo - Upload your digital photo in .jpg format in your IAU portal. If you are accepted, this photo will be used to create your IAU student ID card and for other administrative and identification purposes. The photo should show your entire face from shoulders up. Please refrain from sending photos with sunglasses, hats or any other accessories that obscure your image.

  • Language Proficiency- For international students who are non-native English speakers, English proficiency and/or a TOEFL iBT score of 79 are required.

          January Term students are responsible for submitting these additional requirements:

          • Copy of Passport - Please complete the passport form and submit a scan or photo of your passport through your MyIAU portal. Please note that for all IAU programs your passport must adhere to the following guidelines: it must be in good condition, with a date of expiration at least 6 months after the end of your stay in the Schengen area (Europe), and issued within the past 10 years and containing at least 2 blank pages. 

          • Enrollment Deposit - J-Term students are required to submit a $1,500 deposit, divided into two installments. The initial $750 deposit is due with the IAU application (on or before October 1st). Applications will not be considered complete or submitted for review until the deposit has been received. The remaining $750 is due by November 1st.

            The full $1,500 non-refundable enrollment deposit will be credited towards the student invoice or in accordance with the billing procedures with the home institution. The deposit can be paid online through IAU's secure Payment Portal.

          Admissions