The University of Oregon is a public research university and a proud member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU). Renowned for its research prowess and commitment to teaching, UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of 65 leading research universities in North America. Making it one of two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest, and the only one in Oregon.

Founded in 1876, the institution's growing 295-acre green campus is situated along the Willamette River, within the city of Eugene, Oregon. The UO is organized into 9 Colleges and Schools, offering 316 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The University of Oregon is located on Kalapuya Ilihi, the traditional indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people. Following treaties between 1851 and 1855, Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their indigenous homeland by the United States government and forcibly removed to the Coast Reservation in Western Oregon. Today, Kalapuya descendants are primarily citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and they continue to make important contributions in their communities, at the UO, and across the land we now refer to as Oregon.

Campus Life

There are many ways for exchange and visiting students to get involved at the University of Oregon, including joining student groups, attending on-campus events, participating in intramural sports, or visiting the Multicultural Center or Mills International Center.

Campus Life: https://studentlife.uoregon.edu/campuslife 

Mills International Center: https://mills.uoregon.edu/ 

Friendship Foundation for International Students: https://ffisoregon.org/

Back to Top

Nomination Process

All international students who intend to participate in an exchange or visiting student program at the UO must first be nominated by UO approved partners. Please submit a Nomination form for each student you intend to nominate by the deadlines below. Information required to nominate a student: the student’s full name, email address, major, period of study, and level of study. 

Nomination Deadlines

Fall Term 2025: March 1, 2025

Winter Term 2026: August 15, 2025

Spring Term 2026: November 15, 2025

Application Process

Once a nomination is accepted, the student will receive a link to complete an online application. 

Application Deadlines

Fall Term 2025: March 15, 2025

Winter Term 2026: September 1, 2025

Spring Term 2026: December 1, 2025

Application Checklist

To complete the online application, students will need to provide the following supporting documents. All documents submitted must be in English or include official English translations.

Copy of Passport. Passports should be valid for six months after the end of the student’s study period. US citizens or dual citizens must include a copy of their US passport.

Official Transcript. If the transcript is not in English, please provide both a copy of the original document along with an English translation verified and approved by the host university or exchange organization. All students applying to study at the University of Oregon should have a minimum GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Proof of English Proficiency. Students must submit results of an English test taken within two years of the student’s intended enrollment date. UO accepts the following tests below. We also accept TOEFL MyBest, but not Home Edition. DET is the only online English proficiency test we accept. In order for the University of Oregon to verify English language scores, TOEFL and DET scores must also be submitted to the UO directly through the test provider (ETS for TOEFL, Duolingo for DET). Sending score reports is free for DET tests, but there is a 20 USD fee to send scores to the UO via ETS. To avoid any delay in application processing, students must submit both a PDF of their score report and evidence that they have requested the scores to be sent to the UO through their ETS or Duolingo account, as applicable. The UO’s institutional TOEFL code is 4846.

Note: Citizens of the following countries are exempt from showing English language proficiency: Anguilla, Antiqua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (English-speaking provinces only), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, St. Kits and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, United Kingdom.

Statement of Purpose. Please describe why you are interested in studying at the UO (one page or less). Graduate Students must identify their intended host department in their statement of purpose.

Evidence of Financial Resources. Financial documentation demonstrating sufficient financial resources to support your estimated cost of attendance. All financial documentation must represent liquid assets which are immediately available to pay for your studies at the UO. Please refer to the Cost Sheet on the final page of this document to review the estimated cost of attendance for your program. You can submit one or more documents including:

• Personal or parents’ bank statements
• Sponsor’s bank statement 
• Scholarship awards
• Government funding
• Educational loans 

Application Processing Time

Most applications will be processed in 8-10 weeks, following receipt of a complete application file.

Architecture, Design, Art and Music Students

If students plan to study Architecture, Design, Art, or Music Performance, they must provide a portfolio of their work.

Graduate Students

Admission of graduate exchange students is subject to the approval of the student’s department. Graduate students may be asked for additional documents during application screening. If graduate students are not offered admission to their intended host department, they will be asked if they wish to apply to take undergraduate coursework instead.

Back to Top

The University of Oregon offers more than 300 undergraduate programs and more than 120 graduate programs. 

Academic Calendar

The University of Oregon is on the quarter system, which means that instead of two semesters, we have three 10-week quarters or terms (fall, winter, and spring) during our regular academic year. Exchange and visiting students can choose to study at the UO for one, two, or three terms depending on the agreement with their home university or exchange organization. Please note that exchange and visiting students should plan to arrive in time for International Student Orientation, which is generally held the week before classes begin. Exact dates will be shared with incoming students once confirmed.UO 

2025-26 Term Start Dates

Fall Term 2025: September 29, 2025

Winter term 2026: January 5, 2026

Spring Term 2026: March 30, 2026

International Student Orientation Dates

Fall Term 2025: September 22-23, 2025

Winter term 2026: January 2-3, 2026

Spring Term 2026: March 26-27, 2026

Classes

Once exchange and visiting students are admitted to the University of Oregon, they will receive information about how to register for classes. The UO cannot guarantee placement into specific classes. Undergraduate students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credits per term (approximately 3 classes), and graduate students must enroll in a minimum of 9 credits per term (approximately 3 classes.)

Exchange and visiting students can take classes both in and outside of their academic major. Popular classes and upper division classes may fill up very quickly, so students are encouraged to be flexible with their class selections and register for classes as soon as they can. Course registration is on a first-come first-served basis.

Students may view the UO Class Schedule for the current and upcoming terms. Please note that the classes offered may change from year to year and from term to term. Students are responsible for determining if they are eligible for the classes they intend to take.

Restrictions

• Some classes at the UO have pre-requisite requirements. Pre-requisite requirements will be noted on the course registration page. Students will need to be able to demonstrate that they have sufficient academic background and preparation to be successful in classes with pre-requisites.
• Some classes are restricted to students in a specific major
• Exchange students are not eligible to take graduate-level classes in the School of Law or the College of Business
• Graduate programs in the School of Law and the College of Business are not open to exchange students. In addition, graduate-level business students are not eligible to take undergraduate coursework in the College of Business.

Fees

• All business courses and some art, architecture, biology, dance, sports and outdoor classes have special fees to pay for lab equipment, special programs, trips, supplies, or studio fees: these costs range between $20 to $100 and are not covered by the exchange program’s tuition waivers. Students will be responsible for paying these additional course fees
• To confirm if courses have restrictions or additional course fees, students should pay close attention to the “Notes” sections of the course page.

Transcripts 

After the end of a student’s study abroad program, the UO will email an official transcript to the home university coordinator. Hard copies may be requested if needed. Please ensure the mailing address listed in your nomination is the address where official academic transcripts should be sent and allow 1-2 months for transcript delivery. 
 

Back to Top

Exchange and visiting students may choose to live in on-campus residence halls, university-owned apartments, or in off-campus housing. Placement in the residence halls is not guaranteed - early application is advised to increase the chances of placement. Students are responsible for arranging their own housing, and costs may vary quite significantly depending on where a student chooses to live.

ISSS housing guide for incoming international students: https://isss.uoregon.edu/arrival-handbook-campus-housing-resources 

Students will be able to apply for university housing (both residence halls and apartments) after they are admitted to the UO. 

Residence Hall Capacity Fall 2025

At the UO, first year freshman are required to live on-campus. Non-freshman students (which include exchange and visiting students) are invited to apply for on-campus housing once they are admitted, however they will be placed on a wait list until freshman are all placed. The wait list will be processed as spaces become available, with priority based on earliest housing application date. Students who are not offered on-campus housing by mid-August 2025 will be asked if they would like to remain on the list. On-campus housing is not guaranteed and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Back to Top

Requirement

Exchange & visiting students enrolled at the UO are required to have comprehensive health insurance. Students will be automatically enrolled in the UO’s International Student Plan and will be charged $1,172 USD per term. 

Waiver Criteria

Students may submit proof of personal insurance coverage to waive out of the International Student Plan, but their plan must meet the UO's waiver criteria. Students must provide insurance policy documentation of health coverage which summarizes the covered benefits. A copy of the UO waiver criteria on a certificate will not meet the university’s standards. Incomplete or inaccurate waiver submissions will not be considered. If a student’s health insurance plan fails to meet the UO's waiver criteria they will be denied an insurance waiver and will remain enrolled in the International Student Plan.

Requirement

In an effort to maintain a healthy campus, the UO requires proof of immunization for several communicable diseases that college students are prone to during their time on campus, including measles, mumps, rubella; chickenpox; tuberculosis. Students are able to request vaccine exemptions on the myUOHealth portal. 

Exchange students are highly encouraged to satisfy UO immunization requirements before arriving on campus. University Health Services can also administer these vaccines to students once students arrive in the US, but this will delay course registration. See Costs for Services for vaccine prices. Immunization for measles is required by the State of Oregon. 

Registration Hold

A class registration hold will be placed on the initial registration process until proof of vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) is submitted. All other required immunizations can be submitted up until the start of classes.

DS-2019

Exchange & visiting students will need to apply for a J-1 exchange visitor visa to study in the U.S. Once students are admitted, form DS-2019 will be issued by UO's International Student & Scholar Services and sent via email with the student's admit packet. The DS-2019 is required to apply for a J-1 visa and for entry to the U.S. Students must keep their DS-2019 with their passport. 

SEVIS Fee

The SEVIS Fee ($220) is a required payment to the U.S. government based on your DS-2019 SEVIS ID number. You are required to pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee before you apply for your J-1 visa. To pay the SEVIS Fee go to FMJfee.com, click on Pay I-901 Fee and complete the form using the information from your DS-2019. Print payment confirmation and keep it with your I-20.

Arrival to U.S.

Students may enter the U.S. up to 30 days before the DS-2019 program start date; not earlier! Students should carry their passport with J-1 visa, DS-2019, and letter of admission. Admission to the U.S. should be a smooth experience if everything is prepared in advance.