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International Student FAQs

Are there still COVID travel restrictions for International Students? Is it required to be vaccinated to travel to the United States?

As of May 12, 2023, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States.

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/order-safe-travel.html

I am an international student starting a new degree program on campus at Drew. May I take online/remote classes?

Drew University welcomed students back to campus for in-person learning and coursework is mostly in person. 

Undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours (undergrad) / 9 credit hours (graduate/theology) to be considered full-time.  

INTO Pathway and Academic English students are required to be enrolled 100% in person.   If you need a course that is only offered online, please discuss with the INTO Academic Director or Pathway program manager for a case by case evaluation

Graduate programs will offer courses in a combination of in-person, online, and flex formats.  Graduate students seeking to enter the U.S. to begin a new program of study must register for in person learning.  At least 6 of the 9 credits must be delivered in person.

I am an international student who began a new degree program online from my home country and plan to come to the U.S. for in person learning. May I take online/remote classes?

Students are not allowed to pursue a program of study that is 100% online.  Undergraduate students should engage in as many in person classes as possible since Drew has returned to an in person mode of instruction for most classes.

Graduate programs will offer courses in a combination of in-person, online, and flex formats.  Graduate students seeking to enter the U.S. to begin a new program of study must register for in person learning.  At least 6 of the 9 credits must be delivered in person.

I am an international transfer student and plan to enter the U.S. to begin my studies at Drew for the fall semester. May I take online/remote classes?

Undergraduate students must engage in as many classes as possible that are in person for the fall semester.

Graduate programs will offer courses in a combination of in-person, online, and flex formats.  Graduate students seeking to enter the U.S. to begin a new program of study must register for in person learning.  At least 6 of the 9 credits must be delivered in person.

I am a new undergraduate international student and currently in my home country. May I take online/remote classes?

New students who are unable to travel to the U.S. because of visa issues should reach out to [email protected] and [email protected] to further discuss your situation.

If you are unable to secure a visa appointment and have received an I-20, your SEVIS record will be deferred.  You will be issued an updated I-20 for the semester you plan to begin your studies on campus.  The SEVIS number will remain the same – you do not have to pay the SEVIS fee again and F-1 visas that were issued for the original I-20 continue to be valid. 

I am a new graduate international student and currently in my home country. May I take online/remote classes?

New students who are unable to travel to the U.S. because of visa issues may be able to begin their studies online from their home country if online courses are available

Students in the Theological School, please work with the Graduate Academic Services for registration so that you have courses which may be taken in person or online. Please contact [email protected] to further discuss.

Students in Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, please contact your program convener or the Graduate Academic Services [email protected].

If you are unable to secure a visa appointment and have received an I-20, your SEVIS record will be deferred.  You will be issued an updated I-20 for the semester you plan to begin your studies on campus.  The SEVIS number will remain the same – you do not have to pay the SEVIS fee again and F-1 visas that were issued for the original I-20 continue to be valid. 

I am an international student and currently in the U.S. May I take online/remote classes?

INTO Pathway and Academic English students are required to take classes in person.  If you need a course that is only offered online, please discuss with the INTO Academic Director or Pathway program manager for a case by case evaluation.

Degree seeking students in the College of Liberal Arts are required to take at least 12 credits in person.  If this requirement would prohibit progress towards degree requirements, students should discuss their needs with the CLA Dean’s Office [email protected] . In order to maintain status, undergraduate students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credits.  

Graduate programs will offer courses in a combination of in-person, online, and flex formats.  Graduate students must register for in person learning.  At least 6 of the 9 credits must be delivered in person. In order to maintain status, graduate students must enroll in a minimum of 9 credits each academic semester.

I am a current international student studying in my home country. May I take online/remote classes?

Drew has returned to in person learning.   Undergraduates, if you are outside the US and are not able to return to the US because of visa issues or travel restrictions, you must contact your academic advisor to determine if there are sufficient online courses available for you to study online from your home country. Graduate programs offer courses in a combination of in-person, online, and flex formats.  Graduate students seeking to enter the U.S. to continue their program of study must email [email protected] to change their residence status and receive an I-20 immigration document to pursue the F1 visa application.   study must register for in person learning.  At least 6 of the 9 credits must be delivered in person.

If you have questions please contact;

CLA Dean’s Office: [email protected]

Theological School: [email protected] 

Caspersen: [email protected] 

In order to maintain status, undergraduate students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credits; graduate students 9 credits. If a student drops below full-time enrollment, the SEVIS record will be terminated. A new I-20 can be created when the student is ready to return to campus.