Study Abroad Services & Coronavirus-Related FAQs

Update as of Friday, March 20, 2020 (10:30 a.m. EST)

Effectively immediately, Office of International Education (OIE) and Study Abroad staff are working remotely. Students and scholars who decide to depart the U.S. do not need any signature or visa document to depart, but we encourage all travelers to consult with their OIE or Study Abroad advisor to discuss their specific situation.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020 (10 a.m. EST)

The Office of International Education (OIE) understands that this is an uncertain time for many of Carnegie Mellon’s students, parents and scholars and many of you will be ending your semester in a different location than where you began. The COVID-19 situation is constantly evolving. We ask that you visit CMU’s Coronavirus website to stay up-to-date on the latest information for the CMU community.

Lists of frequently asked questions to immediately address many of your concerns have been posted to our websites, and we are adding to the lists as more questions come in. View study abroad FAQs at www.cmu.edu/studyabroad/coronavirus-faq.html, and for international students specifically, FAQs may be found at www.cmu.edu/oie/faq/coronavirus.html.

A common question we are receiving from many of you is related to the change to pass/no pass grades. Since CMU does not record the actual grades earned, on their official transcript study abroad students receive a TR grade if they passed their course at their host institution. The credit is accepted by CMU to fulfill degree requirements.

If you have additional questions that are not answered in OIE’s FAQs, send email to goabroad@andrew.cmu.edu, and we will respond as quickly as possible.

It is also important to note that to carry out the recommended social distancing, we are limiting meetings and appointments to phone or zoom only until further notice. If you need to schedule an appointment with your study abroad advisor, do so through the Study Abroad CMU Portal. For international student meetings and appointments with your OIE advisor, call our front desk at 412-268-5231.

Thank you for your understanding and patience, as we all navigate this challenging and unprecedented time.

Linda Gentile
Director, Office of International Education
oie@andrew.cmu.edu