DePaul Study Abroad COVID-19 Updates

DePaul's Study Abroad office is carefully and constantly monitoring the news regarding COVID-19 and how it may affect all of our study abroad locations. Some of the sources we are using include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Department of State, global risk management resources designed for study abroad professionals, news and media outlets, benchmarking with peer institutions, and conversations with local partner institutions and contacts in our program locations.

As situations arise, we are carefully considering each program on a case-by-case basis as we decide how to proceed. We take a variety of factors into consideration, with student safety being our top priority.  All decisions regarding program cancellations are made by the Study Abroad office and/or DePaul's COVID-19 Planning and Response Task Force. 

DePaul University has canceled the following study abroad programs prior to their start, due to issues related to COVID-19:

• All university-sponsored Spring Break 2020 study abroad programs
• All university-sponsored Spring 2020 study abroad programs
• All university-sponsored Summer 2020 study abroad programs
• The following Fall 2020 and Academic Year 2020-21 university-sponsored study abroad programs:
  (Note: While the programs below with fall start dates have been canceled, students are able to shift to a Winter, Winter-Spring, or Spring 2021 start date, depending on the host institution calendar.  DePaul is working closely with students accepted for these programs to give them the option to move to an upcoming term.)

• Amman: Arabic Language and Internship
• Australia: Australian Catholic University Exchange
• Florence: Study Hospitality at Florence University of the Arts
• Guadalajara and Mexico City: Study at Universidad Panamericana
• Kyoto: Japanese Language and Culture
• Leuven: Community, Policy Making, and the EU Parliament in Belgium
• Lima: Study at Universidad Pontificia Catolica del Peru
• Linköping: Study at Linköping University
• London: Study and Internships at London South Bank University
• Madrid: Spanish Language and Culture
• Mexico City: Study at Iberoamericana
• Osaka: Studies at Kansai Gaidai University (Exchange)
• Rome: Italian Language, Culture, and Society
• Tokyo: Study at Temple University Japan (TUJ)
• Vienna: Illinois in Vienna Program (IiVP)
• Vienna: Vienna University of Economics and Business College of Law International Exchange
• Viña del Mar: Study at Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in Chile

• The following December 2020 university-sponsored study abroad programs:

• Argentina: International Promotional Campaigns
  
• Argentina: The World of Wine
• China: Imagining the Future
• Hong Kong & China: Financial Services
• Hong Kong, Macau, & Singapore: Exploring the Growth of the Hospitality Industry in Three Colonial Pearls of Asia
• India: India's Identities
• Italy: Religion in Rome in Spirit & Stone
• Japan: Kyoto, Hiroshima, & Nagasaki
  
• New York: The New York Way – Journalism
• New York: The New York Way – Public Relations & Advertising
• Portugal: Chemical Dependency Assessment & Addiction Treatment Methods
• United Kingdom & Ireland: Travel, Heritage, and History in London & Dublin

The status of DePaul University students studying abroad on Academic Year 2019-20 and Winter-Spring 2020 DePaul programs is as follows:

• Students studying abroad on DePaul programs that have been suspended or canceled by the overseas partner have returned home.
• Students studying abroad on DePaul programs that have not been suspended or canceled by the overseas partner have received communication from DePaul strongly recommending them to return home.
• DePaul will refund any recoverable costs to students studying abroad who have returned home.

We will continue to monitor and assess all of our current and upcoming programs and will alert students and emergency contacts in the event of any potential changes.

At this time, some programs for Fall 2020 and Academic Year 2020-21 have been canceled, with the option for students to move their participation to an upcoming term instead.  Other Fall 2020 and Academic Year 2020-21 programs are currently proceeding as planned. 

Some December 2020 programs have been canceled, while others are still proceeding as planned. All Winter 2021 and Winter-Spring 2021 programs are proceeding as planned. 

See the "Which study abroad programs have been canceled?" FAQ for more details.

Despite uncertainty regarding the pandemic and the U.S. Department of State’s current alert, we are moving forward with program planning in order for participating students to select the courses they need for degree progress and, in some cases, plan for visa processing.  

If any programs must be canceled, Study Abroad will notify students in a timely manner via email with a copy to their emergency contact. Students will not be charged any tuition or fees and will be given the option to 1) switch to another study abroad program (pending health and safety concerns, space, and logistics, including visa processing) or 2) enroll in courses on campus.

Study Abroad has also modified the standard withdrawal policy. If a student commits to a program and then decides to withdraw 90+ days prior to the program start date, they will not be charged any withdrawal fees.  Students who withdraw within 90 days of the program start date, especially students with unexpected medical situations, can submit a Withdrawal Fee Appeal. Study Abroad will be as accommodating as we are able to, given the current global circumstances.

The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory to U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends avoiding all nonessential international travel during this time.

If DePaul University makes the decision to cancel an upcoming program, students will be refunded 100% of their program fee. If students have been registered in any associated classes and the classes have not started, they will be withdrawn from the classes and refunded 100% of tuition. If any associated classes have already started, students will either complete an adapted version of the class on-campus or be withdrawn from the class and refunded 100% of the tuition, to be determined on a case-by-case basis. 

DePaul University is not responsible for any additional expenses related to study abroad programs which are outside the program fee (e.g. flights not included in the program fee, housing arrangements, visa/passport fees, etc.) and all costs that students may incur related to non-program fee expenses are their responsibility.

If a program is canceled while students are on-site, DePaul will make every effort to refund recoverable costs to students.

We understand that the decision to study abroad might be particularly difficult at this time. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has changed how all of us approach our everyday lives, with new health and safety measures and a heightened degree of uncertainty surrounding much of what used to be commonplace. Everyone has their own tolerance for uncertainty and risk, and we encourage students to discuss their plans with their support network as they arrive at their decision.

If a current student abroad decides to withdraw, DePaul will work with them to either complete an adapted version of class(es) on-campus or be withdrawn from the class(es) and refunded 100% of the tuition, to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Under our modified Study Abroad Withdrawal Policy, there is no withdrawal fee for students who decide to withdraw more than 90 days prior to their program start date. Students who withdraw within 90 days of the program start date, especially students with unexpected medical situations, can submit a Withdrawal Fee Appeal. We will be as accommodating as we are able to, given the current global circumstances.

If a student gets sick or students need to be evacuated from a study abroad program location due to COVID-19 or any other reason, DePaul University relies on our international travel health and accident insurance partner and its 24/7 medical and security partner to provide assistance securing flights and/or other transportation home. All students do need to adhere to any local or governmental restrictions on travel to or from areas of mandatory quarantine.

In the event that a DePaul student’s travel is disrupted due to mandatory or recommended quarantine, absences from class will be excused and alternate arrangements will be made for completing assignments. If a student is required to remain in the study abroad destination after the program ends due to mandatory quarantine, DePaul will ensure that there is a DePaul faculty/staff member or personnel from a local partner institution to support the student while they wait to return home.

Study Abroad is operating a virtual office and is available by Zoom, phone, or email. Advising appointments and Study Abroad 101 sessions are being held daily.

Students with questions about study abroad programs should contact their Study Abroad advisor.  The virtual office page lists all the different types of programs available and the corresponding advisors. All advisors are available via e-mail and some have appointment scheduling via BlueStar. Phone and Zoom video advising sessions are also available—just contact a Study Abroad advisor to schedule a call.

General study abroad questions may also be directed to the DePaul Study Abroad office at abroad@depaul.edu or 312.362.6962. We will accept all documents, including Course Planners, host institution application materials, transcripts, etc. via email to abroad@depaul.edu.

All students and their emergency contacts will be contacted by Study Abroad if the status of their program changes or if there are any significant updates to share regarding their program and/or the COVID-19 outbreak. This FAQ page will also be updated with any new information related to COVID-19 and its impact on study abroad programs at DePaul.

Members of the media should contact DePaul Media Relations.

Please refer to DePaul's Return to Campus website for comprehensive information related to all areas of the University.  This site will continue to be updated with any relevant information for the DePaul University community. At the bottom of the page, there are links to University updates, Frequently Asked Questions, and campus and public health resources.