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.

Admission is granted on a rolling basis before the application deadlines outlined below. For questions about an application, please contact our Office of Admissions.

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Application Deadlines

	Summer 2025	Fall 2025	Spring 2026
Aix-en-Provence, France	April 2, 2025	May 7, 2025	October 1, 2025
Barcelona, Spain	April 2, 2025	May 7, 2025	October 1, 2025
Florence, Italy	April 2, 2025	May 7, 2025	October 1, 2025
Madrid, Spain	April 2, 2025	May 7, 2025	October 1, 2025
Rabat, Morocco	April 9, 2025	May 7, 2025	October 1, 2025
Tangier, Morocco	N/A	May 7, 2025	October 1, 2025
Maymester The Biz: Film Making and Marketing	March 19, 2024
Maymester Many Faces of France	April 2, 2025
January Term Programs	October 1, 2025

Late applications may be considered after the deadlines on a space-available basis and require payment of the $1,000 non-refundable enrollment deposit immediately upon program acceptance (for J-Term programs, the non-refundable enrollment deposit is $1,500). 

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

Applying to IAU

• Application Tips
  • Do NOT use an iCloud email to apply with IAU.
  • Use Google Chrome as a browser if possible.
  • Ensure that enroll@iau.edu is on your email's safe-senders list.
  • If at any point you decide to withdraw your application, you MUST write to enroll@iau.edu to inform our team. To understand cancellation fees, please see our Financial Policies Page. 

• PLEASE NOTE: STUDENTS ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THEIR HOME UNIVERSITY STUDY ABROAD APPLICATION PROCESS IN ADDITION TO THE IAU PROCESS.

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

• Application Form - Select the Apply Now button at the top of this page to complete the form. In this form, students will need to submit the following items
  • Unofficial transcript
    • To be accepted by IAU, a student must be in good academic standing at their home university.
  • Valid passport information and a copy of their passport
    • Must be valid for 6 months beyond the end of their desired program of study.
    • If the student is having their passport renewed, they will upload a receipt of renewal.
  • Language background information
    
  • Headshot style photo
    • This is to be used on the student's IAU ID card.
  • Agreement to IAU's Policies and Waivers
  • More information about these requirements can be found on the form. 

• Housing Questionnaire - The questionnaire will be sent to the email used in the Application Form submission. Complete and submit this online questionnaire in a timely fashion and absolutley before the application deadline.
  

• Course Interest Form - The form will be sent to the email used in the Application Form submission. Complete and submit this online form in a timely fashion and absolutley before the application deadline

• Study Abroad Approval Form - The student's study abroad advisor will receive the form via email after the student has initiated their application. The advisor will complete and submit the form for review.
  
  
• $85 Application Fee - The student may be prompted to pay IAU's $85 application fee through email after completing the Application Form. If the student receives communication from IAU about this, they are responsible for making this payment before the application deadline.
  
  
• Language Questionnaire & Placement Exam - All students are asked to complete the Language Questionnaire in the application form and may be asked to take a French or Spanish Placement Exam so that our Language Coordinators can ensure students are enrolling in the best language course for their level of fluency and knowledge of the language. These are merely assessment tools, so there is no pressure to receive a certain score.

When the student has completed all the needed application items, they will receive an "Application Completed" email.

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After a student is accepted to the program, they will be asked to submit a series of post-acceptance items to prepare them for their time abroad. Some of these are listed below:

• Program Commitment - In order to confirm their spot in the program, the student must complete the Program Commitment form sent in their acceptance email. 

• Enrollment Deposit - After students are accepted to an IAU study abroad program, the full enrollment deposit of $1,000 will be due by the established deposit deadline (more information about this can be found on the Financial Policies page). The deposit will be credited towards the student invoice or in accordance with the billing procedures with the home institution. Students will receive instruction in their acceptance email on where to pay the deposit. 
  
  • If you are applying to one of IAU's January Term Traveling Seminars, please see below for instructions.

• Wellness Questionnaire - In order to better assist students while abroad, we request that students complete the Wellness and Accommodations Questionnaire. This information will allow IAU to provide support should physical or mental health concerns arise during the study abroad experience, and particularly in the event of a health emergency.  
  
  • IAU may request additional documentation from students’ health care provider as part of their application. This documentation will provide guidance to IAU on how to best support students during their participation in the program.

• Travel Itinerary - Students will upload their travel information through their acceptance email so our team can advise them on their arrival. Students should not book any flights until they are accepted into the program and receive more information.

• Course Selection - After a student is accepted, they will receive course registration instructions through email.

• Visa Submission - Semester and academic year students with a U.S. passport will need a student visa to participate in our programs that are over 89 days. Students are encouraged to begin working through the appropriate visa process for their study location immediately upon acceptance.
  
  Visa application guides for each location are included in students' acceptance emails. IAU will provide the necessary documentation required to demonstrate the planned participation in a study abroad program, proof of housing, and proof of insurance, but the remaining application items including fees and any additional documentation or materials to receive a visa are the responsibility of the student.

January Term students are responsible for submitting the following in addition to the requirements outlined above:

• Enrollment Deposit - J-Term students are required to submit a $1,500 deposit which is due by October 15th (unless the 15th falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday and in that case the deposit deadline will be the closest weekday/business day to the 15th). Failure to pay the non-refundable $1,500 deposit by the deadline may result in a $100 late fee being added to the final invoice. The full $1,500 enrollment deposit will be credited toward the student invoice or in accordance with the billing procedures with the home institution. Students will receive instruction in their acceptance email on where to pay the deposit.
  
  If the student is waitlisted for their chosen program and they do not wish to enroll in a different available J-Term program, the enrollment deposit will be refunded.

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Find location specific requirements below: