Study Abroad Office

(Updated October 17th, 2021)

COVID-19 has and will impact study abroad’s normal operations; however, our commitment to student mobility and access to international opportunities remains central to our operations.  Please be reassured that we are taking the necessary steps to keep our community healthy and safe. As new information is received, we will post up-to-date information on program statuses and any new policies or necessary safety measures at the link below.

The SAO and Office of Global Engagement (OGE) have been closely monitoring the global pandemic in the hopes that we can resume study abroad programs for Spring 2022. We had set October 15th as the date by when we would make a decision about whether or not study abroad could proceed for the spring semester so we are providing these updates:

-Messaging has gone out to all students in process for a Spring 2022 or Spring Break 2022 program, which you can review below. As conditions are improving in countries around the world, thanks to increased vaccination rates and other advances, we are hopeful that some study abroad programs may be able to run next semester.

-The Department of State maintains a system of travel advisories for countries around the world. These advisories are aligned with CDC’s travel notices and COVID-19 guidance. Department of State travel advisories range from Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions to Level 4: Do Not Travel. The SAO and OGE have determined that students who have applied to a Spring Semester 2022 program based in a country with a current travel advisory of level 4 will, unfortunately, not be able to participate in these programs.

-For students who have applied to a Spring Semester 2022 program based in a country with a current travel advisory of level 2 or 3, we need to collect additional information about the conditions in their proposed host countries to determine if their study abroad program is permitted to run next semester. We intend to make decisions by the end of the month.

-For students who have applied to a Spring Break 2022 program, we are now looking to make a decision towards the end of the semester since the travel experience would occur in March.

In all cases, students have been advised to register for Spring 2022 classes at UIC as a backup in case their study abroad program is canceled. You can review the messaging that was sent to each group of students at the following links:

• Spring 2022 In-Process Students for Countries with a Level 4 Advisory
• Spring 2022 In-Process Students for Countries with a Level 3 Advisory (we currently have no students who have applied to a program based in a country with a level 1 or 2 advisory)
• Spring Break 2022 In-Process Students

  Our advisors are still available to meet with students interested in planning for a future term. Visit today.uic.edu/coronavirus for additional information, campus updates and support resources for the UIC community. Please contact us at sao@uic.edu or schedule an appointment with a study abroad staff member.