Outgoing Study Away/Exchange Students

Requirements:
- Minimum CGPA of 2.70
- Minimum 12-15 elective credits remaining for your exchange term.
- Note: Advanced standing and transfer students are not eligible for exchange/study away.

Deadline:
- For Summer 2024, Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 exchanges, students must apply by Monday, 15 January 2024.
- Should any spots remain available, a second round of applications for Winter 2025 exchanges will be due in May 2024.

How to apply:

1. Fill in the appropriate Minerva online application ("Request for Exchange" or "Request for Study Away" or both).
2. Submit your CV, a copy of the proof of language proficiency form [.pdf] and a completed degree audit form electronically via Microsoft Forms: https://forms.office.com/r/mN83mtS95f
3. Application Fee: $150, charged to your student account: Non tuition charges

Proof of language proficiency form: This form is required only if you will be studying in a language other than English or French and you are unable to provide proof of your proficiency in the language of the host institution. Please submit one form per university choice if the main language of instruction at that university is not English or French.

Degree audit form: please fill in the credits you have completed so far, and your study plan for the remainder of your program. The audit should show the credits you plan to complete in the terms leading up to, during and following your exchange term. Even if you don't know exactly which courses you will be taking in each term, please indicate the number of credits you plan to take in each term for the remainder of your program, and how you plan to complete your course requirements.

Note: this online application is only used internally - if you are nominated for an exchange, you will have to submit a separate application to the host institution.

Selection process:

1. The Faculty's selection process is based on the student’s stated academic, career and/or personal reasons for wanting to undertake law studies at the host institution, as well as the student’s academic record in the Faculty of Law.
2. By end of January-beginning of February 2023, students will find out whether or not they have been nominated for an exchange.
3. If you have been nominated: you will receive an automatic email saying that the SAO has processed your nomination on Minerva. You will then receive a second automatic email saying that the Service Point has approved your nomination. After receiving the second automatic email, please accept/decline your exchange nomination on Minerva by the deadline that will be indicated on Minerva in the 'special instructions' section of your application.
4. At a later date, you will receive instructions on how to apply to your host institution either by the SAO, Service Point or the host institution. Your Minerva application is for internal use only, we do not send this information to the host institution - you will have to apply directly to the host institution.

*The final admissions decision rests with the host institution.

The Student Affairs Consultant, in consultation with the student, will establish the student's curriculum of study for the exchange or study away program. At the start of their exchange semester, students must obtain confirmation from the Student Affairs Consultant that the courses they have selected are approved for credit toward their McGill degrees - see the course approval procedure below. Students must take the equivalent of 12-15 McGill credits during their exchange. Students who participate in a formal university exchange shall be eligible to transfer earned credits back to McGill if the grade earned for each course is equal to or higher than the grade/CGPA required to graduate form the host university. Students who study away at a non-partner institution or another Quebec institution must receive a minimum grade of "C" for credits to be granted. For details, please see the McGill Calendar, University Regulations and Resources.

Please see attached the document of credit equivalency/conversions here:  Table for Course Credit Equivalency (2024)

The credits completed on exchange/study away are elective credits and do not fulfill any required or complementary course requirements. The courses must be graded (i.e. not pass/fail) and credited. The courses cannot be taken online while on exchange. The grades and credits will appear on your transcript from the host institution. Upon receipt of an official transcript sent directly by the student's host institution, successfully completed transfer credits are entered on the McGill transcript (without grades) and are credited towards the law program. Grades for transfer credits do not enter into any McGill grade point calculations (TGPA/CGPA).

During their exchange, students must coordinate with their host institution to have their official transcript mailed/e-mailed to the SAO (or sao.law [at] mcgill.ca) at the following address:

McGill University
Faculty of Law - Student Affairs Office
3644 Peel Street, Room 433
Montreal, QC
H3A 1W9
Canada

**If you are graduating at the end of your exchange term, the SAO will need to receive your transcript by the second Friday in January for Fall term graduation and the second Friday in May for Winter term graduation**. Students should check the host university calendar for semester dates.

Course Approval Process:
To ensure that the courses taken on exchange are approved for their program, students must complete the following approval process before the course change deadline at their host institution:
1) Log into Minerva, select the Exchange/Study Away Menu, select the Transfer Credit Assessment form. Search for McGill LAWG courses to see if any of the law courses you are taking on exchange have previously been approved. If you find the courses you are taking on exchange, you can add them to your form. Once added, email sao.law [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Completed%20Transfer%20Credit%20Assessment%20Form) to let us know that you have completed the form. We will then assess your courses for your program.

If you are unable to find all of your courses on the Minerva Transfer Credit Assessment form, follow the next two steps:

2) Log into the McGill Course Equivalency Database, select Home, then select Submit a new course request. Students must submit a new request for every course they wish to take on exchange and include the course outline with every request. All Law courses are to be submitted using the McGill Course Code LAWG. For non-law courses, select the appropriate McGill Course Code that best matches the course. Once approved, students will receive a confirmation email.

3) Once the courses are approved in the database, log into Minerva, select the Exchange/Study Away Menu, select the Transfer Credit Assessment form. Search for the McGill course LAWG and you will see the list of law courses approved for your host institution. Add the courses you are completing on exchange to your form, then email sao.law [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Completed%20Transfer%20Credit%20Assessment%20Form) once you have completed the form. We will then assess your courses for your program.

Students must also fill out the following Learning Agreement with the coordinator at the host institution to confirm the courses and credits that they will be completing on exchange. Once filled in, please send the form to SAO.law [at] mcgill.ca. The form must be submitted before the course change deadline at the host institution.
- Learning Agreement (English) [.pdf]
- Convention apprentissage (Français) [.pdf]

Students who go on exchange pay the tuition of 15 McGill credits per term. Students who go on a study away attend the host institution as a visiting student and pay the host institution's tuition fees.

On the Exchange application form, students can select the option of receiving the Mobility Award. Students in financial need can also apply for the Mobility Financial Aid Supplement. See McGill Abroad's Undergraduate Mobility Award.

The Faculty of Law and McGill University have entered into a number of bilateral exchange agreements with several universities around the world. The complete list of McGill's partner institutions may be found on the McGill Abroad website. You are welcome to apply for an exchange at any of the universities listed on the McGill Abroad website - provided, of course, that they have a law faculty! When selecting your preferences, keep in mind that we have guaranteed exchange spots for McGill law students with the partners listed below.

In the past, December exams have been arranged at many of the host institutions in the chart below that are listed as having a Fall term end date in January. If you require December exams to be arranged, please contact the sao.law [at] mcgill.ca (SAO )before you leave for exchange. The SAO will contact the host institution to see if December exams are possible at your host institution.

For additional information, such as contact information and fact sheet, please visit the McGill Abroad website.

Oceania

Americas

Europe

Asia

Middle East

Students may also request permission to study for one term at a law faculty with which there is no established exchange program. If permission is granted, the student is responsible for applying directly to the host institution and must pay the host's tuition fees. In order to attend another university as a "study away" student, one must have sound academic and/or personal reasons for wanting to study at that institution. Please fill in the "Request for study away" form on Minerva. The application deadline for study away has been extended to February 1st, 2024.

You will continue to receive your US Direct Loan while on exchange as long as the host institution you are attending is a participant of the US Direct Loan program and is located outside of the United States. For more information, go to Scholarships and Student Aid's Study Abroad and Exchange page.

Before you leave for exchange/study away, make sure to visit the McGill Abroad website about Safety Abroad. The website includes:

Print a copy of the Travel Safety Card [.pdf] to keep with you during your exchange.

All students going abroad for University-related activities are required to complete the McGill Student Travel Registry.

• Students must download the app on their personal Android or iOS device and register any University-related activity outside of the Greater Montreal Area a minimum of three weeks before departure.
• Exchange students must register as soon as they receive confirmation of their exchange activity. If your travel dates are not yet confirmed, please create your entry using the beginning and end dates of your exchange activity. McGill Abroad will email a reminder to students of the deadline to complete the registry.
• If you are unable to register using the app, please contact safetyabroad [at] mcgill.ca.
• The McGill Student Travel Registry has replaced the previous travel registry tool to provide McGill with a confidential registry of all students participating in University-related travel activities, in order to be able to check-in with them, in the event that a major travel advisory is issued for their host destination. It also provides access to safety tools and links to resources.
• Staff and Faculty who require access to student travel information must fill out the SIS Authorization Form  to gain access to the McGill Student Travel Registry dashboard, which they will login to using their McGill credentials: mcgillu.apparmor.com.

Pre-departure Orientation covers practical information related to pre-departure preparations, your time abroad, and your return to McGill. The sessions are offered entirely online via MyCourses! This orientation remains mandatory for all students* who are traveling outside of Canada for University-related international activities, including exchanges, internships, co-ops, independent study-away, field study semesters, performances, athletic competitions, courses, and research.