Exchange Scholars

Inbound exchange eligibility:

If you are a graduate student currently enrolled in a full-time degree program at one of the Graduate School's international partner institutions, you may apply to be admitted to the Division of Special Registration (DSR) as an Exchange Scholar. During your exchange, you may engage in coursework, research, or a combination. Before applying to Yale using the application link above, you must be nominated by your home institution to participate. Please contact the relevant exchange coordinator at your home institution with questions about this process.

Admission to Yale as an Exchange Scholar varies from a period of at least three of months up to one year. Applications for an exchange of fewer than three months will not be accepted. During the exchange, you will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences with associated student privileges. You may enroll in up to four courses per term for a maximum of two terms (one academic year) with some exceptions. Please consult the relevant Yale program or department with which you would affiliate about any exceptions. Tuition for Exchange Scholars is waived per our exchange agreements. Exchange Scholars are not otherwise eligible for financial aid or student loans and are required to demonstrate sufficient financial resources to cover cost of living during their exchange.

Prerequisites:

Before applying, you should contact the department or program with which you propose to be affiliated about any specific eligibility requirements. You must have the department's permission to apply before submitting an application and you will be required to list the name of a Yale faculty member in that program who has agreed to serve as your exchange adviser during your stay. If you have any questions or concerns about receiving this permission, please contact Dean Sarah Insley.

Deadlines:

If you are planning to submit an Exchange Scholar application to Yale, please adhere to the deadline set by the exchange agreement (note that most deadlines for the fall term or full academic year are in early March; for the spring term, deadlines are in early October). Consult with the exchange program coordinator at your home institution for more information.

• International applicants: for a spring term start date, your Exchange Scholar application must be submitted to Yale no later than 60 days prior to your intended start date for visa purposes. For a fall term start date, applications must be submitted no later than 90 days in advance.
• US Citizens/Permanent Residents: your application must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to your intended start date.

Before starting your application, please note the following:

• All documents must be in English.
• You must have the permission of the program. 
• You may apply to enroll for a minimum of three months up to a maximum of one year.
• All materials in support of your application must be uploaded to the application prior to submission.

Application materials:

To submit an application, you will be asked to provide the following:

• Basic biographical information and education history, proposed dates of study, the name of the Yale faculty member who will act as your adviser, and department of affiliation 
• A statement of purpose of 500-1000 words describing your past work, your preparation for the proposed exchange, and an overview of your planned academic activities at Yale
• A current resume/CV
• Transcripts for all degrees at institutions of higher education
• Enrollment verification from your current graduate degree program
• A letter of recommendation from your academic adviser at your home institution
• A letter of nomination from the administrator at your home institution who manages international exchanges
• Proof of health insurance
• Non-US citizens or permanent residents must also provide proof of sufficient funding to cover living expenses while at Yale
• Applicants whose native language is not English must provide TOEFL or IELTS scores (unless the language of instruction of the bachelor’s degree was English)

All documentation must be in English.

Outbound exchange eligibility:

Yale PhD students who have completed the first year of their program are eligible to participate in an exchange with the approval of their director of graduate studies (DGS) and their Yale faculty adviser. Yale students must apply first to the Graduate School to be nominated for an exchange via the application link above and then directly to the host institution after their request for nomination has been approved.

Prerequisites:

Before applying for an exchange, Yale PhD students must have the approval of their DGS and faculty adviser. You should discuss your plans for an exchange with your department well in advance of your application, and at the very least at the beginning of the semester prior to your intended start date. You will also need to list a faculty adviser and department of affiliation at the host institution on your application and should reach out to the relevant faculty members there prior to applying for the Graduate School's nomination.

Before starting your application, please note the following:

• All documents must be in English.
• You must have permission of your department at Yale and the host program. 
• You may apply to enroll for a minimum of three months up to a maximum of one year.
• All materials in support of your application must be uploaded to the application prior to submission.

Deadlines:

For Yale PhD students planning for an exchange during the spring term, applications to the Graduate School for nomination are due on or before October 1.

For a fall-term or full-year exchange, applications to the Graduate School for nomination are due on or before March 1.

If your anticipated program dates do not align with an academic term, you should submit your application to the Graduate School at least 90 days prior to your intended start date.

Application materials:

To submit an application for the Graduate School's nomination, you will be asked to provide the following:

• Basic biographical information and education history, proposed dates of study, the name of the faculty member at the host institution who will act as your adviser, and department of affiliation 
• A statement of purpose of 500-1000 words describing your past work, your preparation for the proposed exchange, and an overview of your planned academic activities while abroad
• Current resume/CV
• Current Yale transcript (the unofficial academic record from DegreeAudit is sufficient for this purpose)
• A letter of support from your Yale faculty adviser approving your exchange proposal and detailing the benefit of the exchange to your degree program
• A letter of nomination from the Graduate School in support of your proposal (please contact Dean Sarah Insley in advance of applying to discuss this nomination letter)
• Proof of health insurance