• Undergraduate students—Cumulative GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale).
• Graduate students—Cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
• One of the following English proficiency test scores:

*Restricted admission: students must consult with WMU academic advisor regarding their course options. 

**Exchange students from the following countries are exempt from the English proficiency requirement: Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Germany.

Western Michigan University exchange agreements provide for 12 to 15 credit hours per student per semester at the undergraduate level or 6 to 9 credit hours per student per semester at the graduate level. Should your students wish to take more than this number of credits, they will pay non-resident tuition cost per credit.

There are certain standard WMU registration fees that are automatically assessed to all students, including exchange students.  Although these fees will appear on your student’s initial invoice, they will be removed early in the semester based on our exchange agreement.  Read more about exchange tuition and fees. 

Undergraduate

Undergraduate exchange students are required to live on campus. Students should apply online for campus housing as soon as they have been accepted to Western Michigan University and have received their Bronco NetID and password. 

Please visit the WMU Housing and Residence Life site to apply for on-campus housing. Students may wish to read more about the Living Learning Communities and the residential neighborhoods before submitting their application. 

WMU's residence halls are home to nearly 5,000 students who enjoy the friendships, living-learning focus, and diversity of campus life. Residents can take advantage of hall activities, leadership opportunities, high-speed Internet, staff available 24 hours a day, close proximity to the dining halls, and many other campus conveniences designed to support busy college students.

Graduate

Graduate exchange students are strongly encouraged to live in University-sponsored (on-campus) housing during the program period. Although on-campus residency is not mandatory for graduate exchange students, please be advised that graduate students who opt to reside off campus bear sole responsibility for finding off-campus housing, contracting with private management companies and others, and abiding by conditions and terms. They may also find it difficult to lease an off-campus apartment for one or two semesters since most off-campus apartment leases are for a one-year (12-month) period. Breaking a lease is costly.

Please see above for more information on on-campus housing.

If graduate exchange students wish to live off-campus, they are encouraged to visit the website below for private apartment communities for more information: https://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Michigan/Western-Michigan-University/ .

WMU room and board rates 

The cost of health care in the United States is very high; a short stay in the hospital can cost thousands of dollars. International students, scholars, or dependents who are in the U.S. on temporary, non-immigrant visas such as F or J, are not eligible for U.S. government programs like Medical Assistance or Medicaid. You can protect yourself from the high cost of health care by obtaining health insurance coverage.

WMU exchange visitors and international students on J-1 visas are required by U.S. Department of State regulations to have health insurance that meets minimum J-1 requirements while they are in the United States. For more information about health insurance and health services available at WMU, please refer to the International Admissions Handbook.

International students from countries where tuberculosis is prevalent must be screened for TB before traveling to the United States. Visit the Sindecuse Health Center website to determine if you need to have a screening. WMU requires students arriving from countries where tuberculosis is prevalent to present proof that a TB screen has been completed within the last year; if the test result was positive, WMU requires the student to present a TB screen and radiology report in English when they arrive on campus.

For more information, contact Sindecuse Health Center at (269) 387-3426 or view additional recommendations about immunizations here.

• Bogaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
• Daito Bunka University, Tokyo, Japan
• Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
• Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
• Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
• Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
• Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
• HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
• ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
• ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics & Management, Lisbon, Portugal
• Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
• Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
• Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland
• Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
• The Norwegian School of Management, Oslo, Norway
• Otaru University of Commerce, Otaru, Japan
• Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan
• Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
• Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
• Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
• Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
• University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

All applications begin in the ‘Pending’ status. Once the Pre-Decision items have been completed, the application is reviewed by the program’s designated study abroad specialist. Some programs require students to go through a process with a Selection Committee. Your specialist will inform you if this is the case.

Accepted means that the student has been approved by Western Michigan University to study abroad. For exchange programs, it does not mean the student has been accepted by the host university! Students must complete the host program application to gain admission into the program. Students must be nominated for exchange by the study abroad specialist before obtaining this application.

Acceptance Email

Once accepted, an email will be sent to you by your Study Abroad Specialist. This email will include  notification of acceptance, a link to the budget, a commitment deadline, and a reminder that once committed and nominated, they will have to complete a second application with the host university.

Apply for your passport so you have plenty of time to apply for a visa if necessary. Many exchange universities require a copy of your passport just to be nominated. 

Before Committing

Once you know the address of where you will be living, you will need to submit it in your Broncos Abroad account. This is so we can locate you in the event of an emergency.

Share your adventures with us on social media by tagging us @wmuintl or becoming a social media volunteer while studying abroad! 

Study Abroad
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5246 USA
(269) 387-5890

WMU Department of Public Safety
Phone: (269) 387-5555

Carry the name, address and telephone number of your country's consulate in the United States or another entity, such as an educational mission or sponsoring agency.

All essential identification papers and documents should be carried on your person or in your hand baggage. Do not place important documents in checked bags.

Kalamazoo experiences four seasons of weather each year: winter, spring, summer and fall. Winter can get very cold with considerable snowfall. You will need a warm coat, scarf, hat, gloves and boots. We recommend waiting to purchase warm clothes until you reach Kalamazoo.

Summer in Kalamazoo can be very warm. You can usually go out in just a short-sleeve shirt and lightweight pants or shorts. Dresses or skirts are commonly worn by women in the summer. Spring can be rainy; a raincoat and umbrella will be useful.

Most students dress casually when going to class and save nicer outfits for going out at night or on the weekend. Jeans or casual pants worn with a shirt or sweater are fine for class.

In some situations, especially if you are in the Haworth College of Business, you may occasionally need to dress more formally to make a presentation in class or when attending business functions. A suit or other clothes appropriate for an office environment are recommended in these situations.

Linens are not provided in the residence halls. During orientation, an opportunity to shop for linens is provided for students who do not bring them to campus. Following is a list of essential items:

1. Fitted sheet (bottom), extra-long twin size (twin XL)
2. Flat sheet (top), extra-long twin size (twin XL)
3. Pillow and pillowcase
4. Lightweight blanket
5. Wash cloth
6. Bath towel

As a member of the WMU community, international students are encouraged to share their home culture with others. Please consider bringing traditional clothing and photographs of your home and family so that you can introduce your home culture to your new friends at WMU.

• Food from home—U.S. customs prohibits travelers from entering the country with fresh fruit, vegetables and meat from other countries. Read more about these restrictions on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Bringing Food into the U.S. page.
• Large amounts of cash—Carry enough cash to spend for the few days until a bank account can be opened so money can be transferred from home.
• Too much clothing—Campus housing offers limited storage space. Laundry facilities are easily accessible.
• Unmarked medications—Medications must be carried in the original pharmacy container, and must include a label. It is also advisable to bring an extra prescription with the generic name of the medication indicated along with a letter from a home physician stating the purpose of the medication.
• 240-volt appliances—These are not compatible with the 110-volt outlets used in the U.S.