Global ME Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
About FAQs
Wanting to plan your exchange but don't know where to start? We've got you covered!
Participating in a study abroad experience requires a lot of planning and preparation but don't fear - we are here to help!
Below you can find answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) when it comes to outbound student mobility. Review the information below to learn all about program eligibility, the planning and application process, academics, housing, finances, safety abroad, and much more!
If you have any more questions throughout your planning process, don't hesitate to book an appointment or reach out to the Coordinator, Global Mobility Programs at globalme@lakeheadu.ca.
Getting Started
What is the Global ME (Mobility Engagement) Program? |
Lakehead University's Global ME (Mobility Engagement) Program allows students the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner institutions for a semester, full-year, or short-term summer program. You can choose to spend 1-2 semesters or a few weeks in the summer to explore different cultures in another country and gain credit(s) towards your Lakehead University degree. For 1-2 semester exchange, you still pay your tuition fees directly to Lakehead University, while having the opportunity to experience exciting new courses abroad at one of our partner institutions around the world. For short-term summer programs, they typically charge a tuition fee (for one 0.5 FCE) and a program fee, which includes short-term housing, some meals, and excursions and activities. Some of our short-term summer programs will waive their tuition fees, so be sure to book a meeting with our Coordinator, Global Mobility Programs to learn more about your options. As well, you will be taking all of your classes in English while you're abroad so there's no need to worry if you don't know another language before you depart! |
What are the eligibility requirements? |
In order to be eligible to study abroad, students must meet the following requirements:
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What deadlines should I be aware of? |
In order to study abroad there are two major applications that you need to be aware of (sometimes there are three applications, but this doesn’t apply to all students).
Global ME Application: The first step is to apply and be accepted to Lakehead University's Global ME Program. There is no deadline for the Global ME application, and we accept applications on a rolling basis all year round. Typically, students apply between 6-12 months prior to their departure. Consortium Application (if applicable): Secondly, if you are applying to a consortium such as North2North, NSE, OBW, or ORA, then you must apply to the consortium by their indicated deadline below. Please note: you are only permitted to apply to a consortium if you’ve been accepted into the Global ME Program. To have enough time to process your application, we recommend applying to the Global ME Program at least 1 month prior to the posted consortium deadline. For example, the North2North consortium closes on February 15th, so we recommend you apply internally to Global ME no later than January 15th. If you are applying to one of our bilateral partner institutions, then you can skip this step and apply directly to your institution. Host Institution Application: As a final step, you must complete some additional paperwork and apply directly to your host institution. These deadlines are set by each of our partner institutions and they vary by institution. You should reference the institution’s Fact Sheet and connect with the Coordinator, Global Mobility Programs to ensure that you’re on time for applying and to ensure that you’re meeting all deadlines. Please note: you are only permitted to apply to a host institution if you’ve been accepted into the Global ME Program. Consortium Deadlines:
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Where can I study abroad? |
Lakehead University has more than 40 partner institutions in 20+ different countries. You can find a complete list of our partner institutions here, and you can search by program offering or by country. In addition to our bilateral partner institutions, Lakehead University is also a member of numerous consortiums that offer exchange programs.
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When is the best time for me to study abroad? |
Students typically study abroad during their third year of study, although it may be possible to study abroad in your second or fourth year depending on your academic program. Also, there are short-term study abroad opportunities during the Spring/Summer semester which are also available annually. Short-term Spring/Summer programs might be a good fit for students in more restrictive academic programs, where a semester abroad might not be possible (such as Engineering, Social Work, 2-year Consecutive Education, and Nursing). You should consult your Program Chair to determine if there is an ideal time in your degree to pursue a global mobility experience. You can find your Program Chair here by accessing the Faculty and Staff Directory. |
Where will I live during my study abroad experience? |
Students will typically stay in student housing offered by the host institution. Typically these are on campus residence, or nearby off-campus accommodations specifically for exchange students (sometimes managed by a third party organization). Once you’ve officially been accepted by your host institution, you will receive information from them about housing options and how to apply. |
Do I need to know another language to study abroad? |
No, it is not a requirement to know the language of your house country to study abroad there. The majority of Lakehead's partner universities offer a wide range of courses in English for incoming exchange students to take. That being said, it is advantageous for students that are interested in learning a second language to take language courses while they are abroad (i.e. French majors going to France). As well, you can often choose to enroll in an elective language credit during your exchange and sometimes this can be transferred back to Lakehead University as a 0.5 FCE Unspecified Language Credit (subject to the approval of your Letter of Permission and the Languages Department Program Chair). If you are interested in studying exclusively in another language for all of your courses while abroad, we have a handful of institutions that offer courses exclusively in French (France), Spanish (in Ecuador), and Portuguese (in Brazil). |
How does a semester abroad differ from an international short-term summer program? |
If you're looking for an alternative to a semester or full academic year abroad, a short-term summer program could be a great option for you to explore! Our short-term summer programs are typically between 2-6 weeks long and these programs give you a culturally immersive experience and a taste of studying abroad. Our short-term summer programs are updated every year in January for the upcoming summer months (May-August). In the meantime while you're waiting for the new summer programs to be announced, you can view the previous year's list of programs here to get an idea of where you might want to go, what the fees are, how long the program lasts, and more. The program offerings are very similar year to year, so it will be helpful to review information from the previous year. Lastly, it's important to note that short-term summer programs charge a program fee and/or a tuition fee, which will account for the course you choose to take (typically a 0.5 FCE), the excursions and activities, short-term housing, and some meals. However, some of our partner institutions waive their tuition fees for Lakehead students (such as Hong Kong Baptist University in Hong Kong, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and Dankook University in South Korea) so you would only need to cover the program fee and your travel/personal expenses. |
Can international students study abroad? |
Absolutely! International students are eligible to participate in the Global ME Program. When you study abroad during the Fall or Winter semester, you are still registered as a full-time Lakehead student meaning you will only be required to pay Lakehead University tuition. When you study abroad, you are still registered as a full-time Lakehead University student, meaning you will still meet the requirement of your Canadian study permit. When planning to study abroad, you should pay careful attention to the visa/entry requirements for international students based on their country of origin, so applicants must carefully ensure that they meet the visa requirements of their host country. As well, you should ensure that you pay attention to your Canadian study permit expiration. |
Are there international co-op opportunities? |
Unfortunately, through Lakehead International’s Global ME Program, we do not currently offer any international co-op opportunities. However, you can connect with the Career Services and Co-op Department at coop@lakeheadu.ca to inquire about your co-op options with them. |
Are there international co-op opportunities? |
Yes! However, Lakehead International’s Global ME Program supports undergraduate students who take courses abroad. If you’re interested in pursuing international research (undergraduate or graduate), please contact Jill Sherman at intl.research@lakeheadu.ca. |
Can I participate in more than one study abroad program? |
Yes! Depending on your academic program, destination preferences, and the timing of your mobility programs, it may be possible for you to participate in more than one exchange program. Students who wish to study abroad for the full academic year (Fall and Winter semester) may choose to spend their full exchange year at 1 institution, or switch halfway through the year and spend their Fall semester at one institution and their Winter semester at a second institution. This will not be possible in every case, but in certain circumstances it is an option, so please discuss this with the Global Mobility Programs Coordinator at globalme@lakeheadu.ca. Alternatively, if you wish to study abroad for a short-term Spring/Summer program, then you can likely participate in these programs multiple times. Spring/Summer programs are fee-paying, meaning that they are not competitive (i.e. there isn’t often a limit to how many students can participate). If you wish to study abroad during the Spring/Summer semester, you can typically study abroad the following Spring/Summer semester as well, as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements. |
Finances
How much does studying abroad cost? |
We're happy to share that Lakehead University does not charge an application fee to join our Global ME Program! Students are responsible for covering all aspects of this program (including accommodations, travel, food, etc.) and you can find more detailed information about this below.
Different destinations around the world can have very different costs of living or travel costs, so it is important that you take time to research various costs such as roundtrip flight, groceries, You can use the budget estimator tool called Numbeo to get a better idea of comparing costs between different cities. |
How can I financially prepare for the costs of studying abroad? |
Ontario/Baden-Württemberg (OBW) - Germany ($1,200-$4,000) Ontario/Rhône-Alpes - France ($1,200-$4,000) North2North - Nordic regions ($2,000-$8,000) |
Will studying abroad impact my OSAP or federal funding? |
When you study abroad during the Fall or Winter term(s) you are still registered as a full-time Lakehead University student. This means you are still "coded" in Lakehead's system as a full-time Ontario student and your OSAP should not be impacted. If you have any other questions regarding studying abroad and OSAP, we encourage you to reach out to Student Central at studentcentral@lakeheadu.ca. |
What is the Global ME Award? |
Every student who studies abroad through Lakehead International's Global ME Program is eligible to apply for the $1,000 Global ME Award (for 1-2 semesters or for a short-term program in the Spring/Summer semester). You will be given a link to apply to the Global ME Award approximately 1-2 months prior to your departure through the MyAwards Portal. Once you have confirmed your arrival at your host destination, your award will be deposited to your Lakehead financial account. Some important notes:
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Academics
How do I know if I'll receive credit for my courses taken abroad? |
As you research which destination you wish to study abroad at, you will review the program and course offerings at potential host institutions, ensuring that they have courses that interest you and match your Lakehead program. Once you’re accepted into the Global ME Program, we will guide you through the Letter of Permission (LOP) process. The LOP request form is a document where you list the courses you wish to take while you’re abroad, and we match them to courses at Lakehead University in collaboration with Student Central and your academic Program Chair. After your LOP is submitted and processed, you will know exactly how the credits you plan to take abroad will transfer back to your degree at Lakehead. If your courses change upon your arrival at your host institution, you can modify your LOP and re-submit it. |
How many classes do I take while I'm abroad? |
Most students who study abroad will be enrolled full-time which is equivalent to 2.5 FCE at Lakehead University. If you are currently enrolled at Lakehead part-time or you’re receiving accommodations through Student Accessibility Services (SAS) it is still possible to study abroad and stay on track with your academic program. Some host institutions around the world require students to take a certain number of courses however, so please be sure to inform the Coordinator, Global Mobility Programs if you wish to be part-time while abroad so that we can advise you accordingly. Please reference the legend below to understand a bit more about course weights around the world. A 0.5 FCE at Lakehead University is equivalent to the following:
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Are part-time students eligible to study abroad? |
Some of our international partner institutions require students to register for a full course load (equivalent to 2.5 FCE at Lakehead), but we can typically find a suitable option for wish to take only part-time courses while abroad, or require a part-time course load due to accessibility requirements. |
I'm registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS). Can I study abroad? |
Absolutely! Students with disabilities and/or medical conditions are more than welcome to study abroad through our Global ME Program. We will work 1:1 with you to ensure that your accessibility needs are met and that you're supported throughout the planning process, your time abroad, and upon your return. Please note that your each international partner institution will have their own Student Accessibility Services and your Lakehead accommodations won't automatically transfer to your host institution. As well, each institution might have slight variations in the accommodations they provide to students, so please pay attention to that when doing your research about which institution you wish to study abroad at. You will be required to register yourself for academic and/or residence accommodations at your host institution, however, we are happy to support you throughout this process and liaise between you and your host institution as needed. |