Travel Study FAQ

Travel Study programs are open on a first-come, first-served basis. You do not have to be a UCLA student to participate, but you must be at least 18 years old and have completed high school before your program begins. Students are required to be in good academic standing during the quarter/semester prior to participation. Most programs are geared for undergraduates and offer undergraduate course credit. Participants are typically college students ages 18 to 24.

Click on the program of interest in the Travel Study portal. If the application is live, there will be an application button on the left-hand side of the individual program page. Be sure to read application information carefully. When your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. If there is open space on the program, you will be accepted to the program and invited to confirm your participation by completing your waivers and submitting a deposit. In order to secure your spot, you must submit a nonrefundable $300 deposit through our secure online credit/debit card form. If you pay by credit/debit card, an additional 2.75% surcharge will be assessed. Payments by e-check will not incur this surcharge.

We will accept applications through March 21, 2025 at 11:59PM. However, all spaces are first-come, first-served for enrollment.  Some programs may fill after the priority enrollment window in December. Once all spaces are claimed, students will be added to a waitlist.

Final payments can be made via MyUCLA or by check at the Cashier’s Office in 1125 Murphy Hall.

Students can typically begin to make final payments beginning early March. Email reminders will be sent out when it is time to do so.

Only one application per term is permitted, including UCLA Travel Study.  Students cannot apply to both UCLA Travel Study and a Global Internship Program or UCEAP program for the same summer.  If you are interested in two Travel Study programs that do not have overlapping dates, please contact our office for guidance. If permitted to apply for and participate in two consecutive programs, you will have to pay a nonrefundable $300 deposit for both.

This is a $50 one-time document fee which covers fees for first-class mailing of official transcripts, diploma and much more. Please visit the Registrar’s Office Website for more information.

You will need to contact the nearest passport agency. Many post offices offer passport services. The passport process takes 7-10 weeks (expedited service is available for an additional fee, but still takes 6 weeks). For more information, please visit U.S. Department of State. Please apply as early as possible once you decide you’re interested in studying abroad.

Visa requirements vary by location, your program coordinator will in touch with more information as needed. If you are traveling under a non-U.S. passport, you should consult with the consulates for the countries you will be visiting to determine whether you need a tourist visa and/or any transit visas if you fly through another country en route to your destination.

We recommend you visit the Centers for Disease Control’s website for more information about health and safety abroad. Per the University of California, a condition of physical presence at a location or in a University Program, all covered individuals must participate in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program by providing proof of Full Vaccination or submitting a request for Exception or Deferral: COVID-19 Vaccination Program. Please see Policies page for full details and requirements.

To assist you with selecting the appropriate language curriculum, we have listed the prerequisites for each language level. If you are still not sure of your language abilities, we recommend that you consult directly with the program director or academic department advisor. Please be sure to choose the best curriculum for you at the time of application as changes are not possible due to space limitations.

If you are a UC student, Travel Study program courses are UC-transferable and will automatically transfer to your UC transcript in the fall. Non-UC students should consult with an academic advisor and the Registrar’s Office at their home institution.

Past participants can view and request transcripts on MyUCLA.

Housing varies from program to program. Visit the tab on your program brochure called “Onsite” to read a description of the program housing. Complete details for housing, including address information, will be sent to all program participants in the spring. Exact housing addresses are typically provided 2-4 weeks before arrival depending on housing type. Homestay locations may be provided shortly before arrival. Travel Study housing is required for all participants and is restricted to enrolled participants only. The cost of accommodations cannot be deducted from the program fee.

Guests (includes spouses, children, other family members and friends) are NOT allowed in Travel Study housing or on any Travel Study related activity. Travel Study does not assist with housing arrangements for family, friends, or other guests of Travel Study participants.

It is very important that you frequently check the preferred email address you have designated in MyUCLA. You will receive several notices from Travel Study with important information about your program. If you need to change the email used in our system, you must do so through MyUCLA. External applicants will manually enter their email when applying and should monitor that account accordingly.

Once accepted to a program, please do not confirm participation in a Travel Study program unless you are sure you intend to participate. Remember that your deposit is nonrefundable. See Cancellation Policy. The cancellation deadline is April 2, 2025 at 5PM. Paid program fees (minus $300 nonrefundable deposit) are refundable until April 2, 2024 at 5PM. After this deadline, you must notify IEO if your plans to participate change. Even though no refunds are possible, we will assume you are arriving onsite and participating in the program unless otherwise notified in writing.

Each Travel Study program consists of a required course curriculum. Students are automatically enrolled in this curriculum. These courses are mandatory and cannot be dropped. Substitutions for required courses may be requested, pending faculty approval.

More information about a program’s courses can be found on each program’s site under “Curriculum.”

Please contact the instructor to discuss the details of your project, and then request to enroll by completing the Optional Course form in your application portal (not all programs offer an optional course). Travel Study will administratively enroll you in any requested optional courses in early June prior to the program start date. You can enroll up until the Friday of the second week of your program. Please note that optional fee-bearing courses must be paid for out of pocket and that financial aid is not adjusted until you have earned a grade in the course.

If you change your mind, you can drop yourself from the course– please also notify your Program Coordinator and the program director that you have decided to withdraw. Optional courses may be dropped through MyUCLA with a refund up until August 29, 2025 for the optional course; optional courses may be dropped with no refund until the last day of Summer Session C, September 12, 2025.

UCLA Travel Study offers short-term programs during the summer only. Courses are part of the regular UCLA academic curriculum and are taught by UC faculty. Programs are open to anyone age 18 or older. Students must be in good academic standing with a cumulative & term GPA’s of 2.0 or above. For UC students, courses automatically appear on your UC transcript. UC Education Abroad (UCEAP) is an UC-wide program network that offers full-year, short-term, and summer programs. Students take courses at a foreign university, taught by that university’s faculty. UCEAP is for UC students only. There are GPA requirements to participate. Courses are transferable. UCEAP website for more information.

Each UC campus offers its own unique programming. Programs differ in content and location. To learn more about Faculty Led programs at other UC campuses visit:
a. UC Berkeley
b. UC Davis
c. UC Irvine
d. UC Riverside
e. UC San Diego
f. UC Santa Cruz

We encourage interested students to apply in the priority window (late November), but ideally no later than the end of January. This is both to secure a place on the program and to help Travel Study have a reliable sense of student interest. Programs with significant under-enrollment are subject to cancellation in mid-February. If a program is cancelled by Travel Study, students will be offered either a refund of their deposit -or- to switch to a relevant open program, pending availability.