A. Eligibility - Your Home Institution
In order to attend San Diego State University on an exchange program, your home institution must have a formal, bilateral student exchange agreement with SDSU. Check with the exchange coordinator in the International Programs Office at your university to determine whether such an agreement is in place.
If a valid exchange agreement between the two institutions exists, you must be nominated by your university to participate in the exchange. Meet with your exchange coordinator to discuss your university:
- Requirements for nomination
- Terms and conditions of the exchange
- Selection process and internal deadlines for applying.
If your university does not have a student exchange agreement with SDSU, you are not eligible for this type of exchange program.
B. Eligibility - Admission to San Diego State University
1) Academic Requirements: Undergraduate Exchange students must have a Grade Point Average equivalent to at least 2.5, and Graduate students must have a 3.0, based on a 4.0 scale. All students must have the approval of their department of study at their home institutions in order to participate in an exchange.
2) Financial Requirements: As an exchange program participant, you will not have to pay SDSU registration fees and/or non-resident tuition. However, you will be responsible to pay for living expenses (Food, Housing, Books, Personal Expenses) and purchase the required ISC approved Health Insurance. You will be required to submit a financial statement from and proof of finances with your application that shows you have sufficient funds to cover these items.
3) English Proficiency Requirements: SDSU requires that all applicants demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in English. All applicants who have not attended secondary or postsecondary educational institutions where English is the principle language of instruction for at least three years of full-time transferable level enrollment (12-15 transferable units per semester), must submit either:
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System) - score of 6.5 or higher OR
- A paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) - score of 550 or higher OR
- Computer-based TOEFL - score of 213 or higher OR
- Internet based TOEFL (iBT) - score of 80 or higher OR
- My Best TOEFL (iBT) - combined score of 80 or higher OR
- Pearson - score of 58 or higher OR
- Duolingo - score of 105 or higher.
All English Language Proficiency (ELP) scores must be obtained within two years prior to application at SDSU. Participants who do not meet ELP standard are not elegible to participate in the Exchange. They may wish to enroll in a fee-based Intensive English Program with SDSU's American Language Institute.
C. Application Deadlines
Applications for the Fall Semester (late August through mid-December): The deadline to submit all aplication materials - including the report of ELP score - is March 1.
Applications for the Spring Semester (late January through mid-May): The deadline for all application materials- including the report of ELP score - is September 15/
These deadlines have been established to allow sufficient time for the processing of your application so that you can be admitted in time to register for classes along with other SDSU students. In addition, this will also allow for enough time to process your visa and related immigration paperwork. If you are unable to submit your completed application to us by the deadline, we urge you to defer to the following semester.