• Fill out Application form

Semester or 'Studienabschnitt'

Diploma Study Programs are fractured into 'Studienabschnitte', every other study program uses semesters.

Duration of Stay

You can choose wether to stay at UNO for one or two semesters. This is not a fixed decision however, you can change our mind later and add one more or not return for the second semester, just bear in mind that if you stay longer you will have to go through the application process again and applying for a year changes some requirements. (see Step 5)

Undergraduate or Graduate Student?

If you are in a Bachelor's Program or in the first stage of a Diploma Study Program you are an Undergraduate Student.

You can enroll as a "graduate student" if you have already completed at least one Bachelor's Program or if you have completed the 2^nd semester after the first diploma examination (“old” diploma study program) before going to study at the UNO.

  Changing the level you study at mainly effects tuition and course selection. (see Step 5 and Step 13)

• Download Transcript of Records

You can download your Transcript of Records on your personal lfu-online. It's important that the transcript is in English. If you are a Graduate Student please hand in your bachelor's/undergraduate certificate or diploma, if it's not in English yet you will have to get it translated.

   Only complete transcripts are accepted, which means all grades must be included, even failing grades.

• Compose Letter of Motivation

The Letter of Motivation can be written in either English or German and should be one or two pages long. It should illustrate why an exchange is of interest to you, e.g. both on a personal and academic level, or why you are interested in New Orleans, UNO, the US or North America in general.

• Have doctor fill out Proof of Immunization Compliance
• Fill out Immunization Waiver (i.a.)

In order to enroll at an American university, you must submit proof of the following vaccinations:

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella
• Thetanus-Diphteria
• Meningitis
• Covid-19

This form has to be filled out by your doctor. It is proof of wether you have received the above vaccinations, wether you choose to get missing vaccinations is up to you, for more information see the form.

   If you are missing one or more vaccinations you have to fill out the Request for Exemption in the bottom of the form and, after receiving your UNO student number,  the Immunization Waiver.

Meningitis

This vaccination is normally administered in one dose instead of two in Austria. If this was the case leave out the second date and note it down below.

Covid-19

The Covid vaccination and boosters are no longer a requirement for entering the United States.

For more information see the form or UNO Health Services.

• Fill out Documentation of Financial Support
• Obtain Letter from Bank

In order to enter the US on a non-immigrant visa and to enrol in an American university, you must complete the Documentation of Financial Support and have your or your sponsor's bank confirm an account balance of at least:

• 1 Semester $14.000
• 2 Semesters $28.000            

The amount varies depending on the length of your stay and is continually adjusted (status Fall 2023).

Letter from Bank

The confirmation has to be issued in English, in Dollar and with the letterhead or stamp of your bank on the page.
This does not mean that your stay abroad will cost this much or that it can't cost more - it is merely an assurance for the United States that you possess sufficient funds.

  This is not a confirmation of your account balance, it is a confirmation that in that exact moment under that specific exchange rate your account balance amounted to at least the above sum or more.

Documentation of Financial Support (Example)

Visa Information: Your exchange at UNO will happen under a J-1 Student Visa. That means that the university applies for the visa for their exchange students, who will then receive the DS-2019 form and finalize the application themselves at the consulate responsible. (see Step 13)

Address Information: It is important you use your UIBK student mail adress on this form. The DS-2019 form will be sent to you digitally. But...:

I-20 Delivery Information: ...please tick the second option (Mail to the following address) here nonetheless. This ensures that the form will be sent to a trusted adress within the US in case of anything unexpected. The adress reads:

Center Austria
University of New Orleans
118 International Center
2000 Lakeshore Drive
New Orleans
LA 70148

Financial Information: The official title of the program is Joint Study Partnership UIBK-UNO. You do not have to specify a definite amount, this is just to make you consider your expenses before you sit on the plane. Possible costs may be:

• Application fees and visa fees
• Tuition
• Books and course materials
• Rent and utilities
• Groceries and dining
• Leisure expenses
• Plane tickets, public transport and cabs/Uber

Finally you are asked to specify how you will fund your stay in the US, tick everything that applies to you from the list. Maybe this selection will even give you ideas that help you with financing in the end!

You definitely have to tick Funding from Parent, Relative, or other Sponsor if the bank account on the Letter from Bank is not yours.

• Scan Passport

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the end of your stay. If this is not the case a new one must be acquired immediately. Depending on the office a new passport may take weeks to arrive, without a passport your visa application will be denied and in the worst case scenario your stay at UNO will not be possible.

• Obtain Proof of English Proficiency
  

American universities usually require a language test of level B2 or above to accept foreign students. These examinations are very time consuming and of course there is a fee. Thanks to the partnership, there is an exception for Innsbruck students at UNO:

Innsbruck students can take a language test at the Language Center.

This test amounts to 65€, however the International Relations Office can issue a 30€ refund after you have successfully completed your stay abroad. Just send the UNO confirmation and the receipt via e-mail to the IRO and ask for a refund.

  Application Deadline starts 19.02.

Further accepted language certificates:

• TOEFL
• TOEFL IB
• IELTS
• Duolingo

For more information see UNO Admissions (Caution, only concerning language certificates)

Now you can submit your application. The first submission goes to Center New Orleans via e-mail. You can send all forms saved separately in pdf format.

Center New Orleans checks the applications and forwards them to the Center Austria at the UNO. If there is a mistake in your application or there is something missing then the Center New Orleans will contact you. 

• Receive Letter of Nomination

After the application deadline has passed the Rector's Appointee for the partnership will issue the so called nominations. The University of Innsbruck has to nominate students for the exchange with the University of New Orleans.

• Attend Info Session

You will reiceive an invitation to the Info-Session via e-mail from CNO.

Please try to attend this meeting. You will receive information on accomodation, plane tickets, entry into the US and arrival in New Orleans, but it is also an opportunity to meet your fellow candidates and discuss possible apartment sharing. Moreover it is a chance to ask questions.

You might even be able to talk to exchange students from New Orleans or the current UIBK group at UNO.

• Fill out Online Application

After the Letter of Nomination from CNO arrives, you have to apply for the exchange again, this time on the UNO homepage. Please handle the online application asap, as it is necessary to receive the DS 2019 form necessary for visa application.

 You will find that you already have all the documents necessary for this step:

• Transcript of Records
• Proof of English Proficiency
• Passport
• Statement of Financial Support
• Letter from Bank

    Click here for Video Guide 

Always fill in non degree seeking when asked, that means that the title you are studying towards will be issued by UIBK, not by UNO.

The Visa that you are applying for is the J-1 Exchange Visitor/Exchange Student still.

Fill in Innsbruck Incoming under Academic Information/Major, so that UNO knows your exchange happens under the partnership.

  There are no application costs for our students, so if prompted to pay any sort of fee, contact us instead.

• Create Webstar Account
• Save Notice of Admission, UNO Mail Adress and Student Number

Once you have received the Notice of Admission and the Welcome to UNO e-mail, you can create a Webstar Account. Webstar is a management system for students similar to lfu:online and allows you access class enrollment and your UNO e-mail account among other things.

To create the account the browser language must be set to English. Access UNO webstar Portal under this link and enter your UNO mail adress and the system will automatically direct you to the registration page.

• Browse Course Catalog
• Talk to UNO Advisor and attain access to Course Registration
• Talk to Dean of Studies and obtain Preliminary Notice of Recognition
• Register for Courses on Webstar

   There are many facets to the topic of course selection, so make sure to read all of the information attentively before taking action.

 You can have a look at UNO's general Course Catalog before Course Registration starts officially, but please note that the selection offered each semester might differ. If you are making a tentative selection try and find more courses than you will actually need to make up for changes along the way:
Issues may occur with accreditation as well as course selection and two people have to sign off at UNO and UIBK respectively, so it his highly unlikely there will be no changes, make sure you have enough time for multiple meetings.

American Universities have a different course system than UIBK. What is important to you is the course level, the credit value and the description, so make sure to look at these things closely.

Course Selection

In general you are not constrained to one specific department, which means you may choose classes from any subject. There are three rules for the exchange however:

• There is a certain amount of courses you have to take.
• The total number of courses you can take at UNO is limited to six.
• The number of online courses you can sign up for is limited to one.

Number of Courses

Our students have to complete at least 16 ECTS worth of courses per semester. That means at least this many courses have to fit into your curriculum and be accredited.

Undergraduate students at UNO have to complete at least 12 Credits (usually four courses).

Graduate students at UNO have to complete at least 9 Credits (usually three courses).

Course Value and Workload

There is no set exchange rate between US Credits and european ECTS. Each is based on the amount of work required and we tentatively suggest ECTS are about double the amount of Credits, but in the end it is up to you and your Dean of Studies to figure out how the classes you take fit into your curriculum and which courses they will replace, so make sure to read the course description attentively.

Workload is distributed differently at UNO:

• Attendance mandatory throughout the semester
• Assignments, homework and smaller exams instead of only one final exam

This is why you might end up doing more work throughout the semester instead of at the end, make sure to negotiate your exchange rate well!

Course Level

Courses are numbered according to their level of difficulty and the amount of previous knowledge you need to bring to the table:

• 1000 - 4900 Undergraduate
• 5000 - 5900 Graduate
• 6000 -> Capstone/PhD Courses

Courses are "downward compatible", which means that Graduates are allowed to take Undergrad Courses, but if you want to take Graduate ones you have to apply as a Graduate Student. The attendance of > 6000 level courses by graduate students is possible, but generally not appreciated, as the level of difficulty and amount of preliminary knowledge they require is quite high.

Effects on Tuition

Your Tuition is made up of many different factors, one of which is your course selection. Generally speaking the more Credits you study towards and the more Graduate courses you do, the higher your tuition will be.

For more information see the UNO Bursar's Office Undergraduate Fee Schedule or Graduate Fee Schedule respectively.

UNO Advisors

You will receive your personal UNO Advisor's e-mail adress from Center Austria when the Course Registration period begins. Your advisors are responsible for ascertaining that you possess the knowledge you need for the classes you want to take and that there are no time-overlaps. If everything is in order, they will open the Webstar course registration for you.

Accreditation

To make sure that your time abroad helps you advance your studies and that you fullfill the 16 ECTS requirement, you have to take classes that fit into your UIBK curriculum. Your curriculum is the full list of modules (subjects) your course of studies consists of. Within each module there is a certain number of either obligatory or free to choose courses. Your goal is to find UNO courses that can either fit the topic of one of the obligatory courses or replace one of the free to choose courses.

Once you have found enough courses you are interested in and have figured out how to fit them into your curriculum, you can set up an appointment with your Dean of Studies, discuss if everything is in order and have them sign the Preliminary Notice of Recognition.

You can find your Dean of Studies/Associate Dean of Studies and your curriculum on lfu:online under INFO.

Course Registration

Here is a guide. 

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• Receive DS 2019 Form
• Make Appointment with Consulate
• Pay all Fees

Once UNO and OISS (Office of International Students) have reviewd all of your documents you will receive the DS-2019 form by e-mail. This form is unique to the J-1 Student Visa and it confirms your time abroad at UNO. Upon receival you should make sure all your personal data is correct, even small mistakes can lead to a visa rejection.

If everything is in order, you can then apply for an appointment with the appropriate consulate:

American Consulate in Vienna

Austrian and italian citizens who are registered in Austria can apply for a visa in Vienna.

American Consulate in Milan

Italian citizens also have the option of going to Milan, but due to past problems with the italian postal service we do not recommend it.

American Consulate in Munich

German citizens have to apply for a visa at the consulate in Munich, passports and visas will only be sent to german adresses however.

You can find information on proceedings of the visa application, the required forms and fees on the websites of the responsible American consulates.

  Please follow the instructions for the visa application to the point! Every mistake at this point will lead to delays. Please take special care to pay all fees (SEVIS and consulate fees) on the spot. The fees can vary depending on which consulate you choose.

• Pay Tuition
• Pay OEH-Fee

On WebStar you will find your "fee bill". Don't be alarmed when the sum adds to more than $ 10,000. That amount still includes the "Non-Resident Fee" and the "Insurance Plan", which you can deduct. The "Non-Resident Fee" is not applicable because of the partnership between the two universities and the "Insurance Plan" is not applicable because you will have your own travel insurance. If the tuition is paid, you can have a student ID issued on-site.

You can pay the tuition fees either at the Bursar's Office in cash (no additional expenses) or online via WebStar with your credit card (works only with Mastercard or American Express). For credit card payments fees of 2.5%  are due. The online payment can be executed in Austria prior to departure.

It is also possible to do a wire transfer, for which you will need the proper paperwork. The (SWIFT) fees for this are about 30$, so make sure you include that amount when you transfer the money.

There will be a deadline for the payment of the tuition fees. If the date is prior to your arrival in New Orleans, the fees have to be paid via credit card or online transfer. (check the Semester Calendar for deadlines). Please be mindful that bank transfers can take up to 5 days to be processed, so please pay ahead of time.

Tuition fees change every year and vary from person to person (depending on the courses you have chosen) so please don't ask us to give you an exact estimate of how much you will have to pay.

Lastly, clarify the credit card limit with your bank at home! You will need a higher limit than banks usually grant, especially in the first few days. If the limit is too low, you may not be able to pay the rent, tuition, etc. It is not possible to withdraw money with a credit card in a bank in the US! Withdrawal at the ATM (Maestro) is possible, but only within the card limit.

• Fill out J-1 Insurance Coverage Form
• Print Insurance Confirmation in English

For the stay at the UNO both travel and health insurance are required. The insurance you choose must meet all criteria stated on the form above.
Please have your insurance company fill it out and take it with you to the USA together with a separate insurance confirmation in English. The Insurance Coverage Evaluation Form must be submitted to the OISS no later than five days after arrival at the UNO! It must be exactly this form, otherwise, it will not be accepted! If you omit to submit the document or if you hand in another form or your insurance doesn't cover the required points you might have to take out the UNO insurance, which is more expensive and offers less favourable conditions. 

In general, we advise against travel and health insurance via credit cards as these often don't meet the requirements.

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