Thank you for sending your students to Willamette University for one or two semesters as exchange students. We are delighted to welcome students to our community and we will do our best to support their academic and personal goals while in our care
The information on this page is focused on the Salem Campus. For nominations to the PNCA Portland campus, please view the PNCA Exchange Coordinators Fact Sheet.
If you need information not covered below, please email oieadvising@willamette.edu.
Eligibility Requirements
- 560/83 on the TOEFL, 6.5 on IELTS; 105 on Duolingo
- WU prefers a minimum of 3.0 GPA but trusts partners to make selections appropriately
- Students should be in good academic and conduct standing at the home university
Deadlines
Host nominations and exchange applications must be submitted by the following deadlines. If you have concerns about these deadlines, reach out to the OIE in advance by email at oieadvising@willamette.edu. We cannot guarantee flexibility because of our course registration windows that we must meet to ensure exchange students are enrolled in classes they need or want to take here.
- Fall semester start: (Salem Campus)
- Priority deadline for nominations - March 1
- Final deadline for nominations/completed applications - March 15
- Spring semester start: October 1 (nominations and applications)
Nominating Procedure
Home university coordinators should nominate students via email to oieadvising@willamette.edu Include the following information about your student(s):
- Full name of the student
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Academic term(s) you intend them to be with us
- Their major(s) at your institution
- Their anticipated graduation date from your institution (month, year)
Exchange Application Procedure
Step 1: Nominate your students for exchange to Willamette. See details above.
Step 2: Have your student(s) access the online exchange application portal using the button below. The application portal will be open approximately during these windows:
When possible, we encourage your students to work in advance of the final deadlines.
A completed application will include the items below. Applicants will upload all supporting documentation directly within the portal.
SUBMITTED BY APPLICANT: (all items will be uploaded into the portal by applicant)
- Online exchange application questionnaire
- Personal Statement
- In English addressing the following: As you prepare to spend a semester or year abroad studying at Willamette University, introduce yourself and explain your goals for immersing yourself into the academic life and culture of Willamette University and the surrounding community. What specific situations from your past (i.e. coursework, job experience, travel, intercultural experience) have helped you prepare to accomplish these goals? (about 500-750 words)
- Copy of passport:
- Must include the biographical information/photo page. It is more important that we can read the text, including the information across the bottom, than that we can see the picture.
- English language proficiency exam:
- If English is not your native language you must provide an official copy of your English language proficiency exam. WU requires a TOEFL score of 83 (560), an IELTS score of 6.5 or a Duolingo score of 105.
- One signed academic recommendation letter on university stationery/letterhead.
- Official transcript from each college or university attended.
- Affidavit of financial support:
- All exchanges covers tuition. Some exchanges provide additional coverage but most student will pay their own room, board (meals), insurance, books, and some fees. For room, board, insurance, books and fees for one semester: $10,500 (estimate for 2024-25)
- Please upload the completed form (found in the portal) along with your financial documentation (please provide as one document/PDF of all pages)
We are unable to approve students for exchange with use with an incomplete application. Until the application is complete and they are processed by our admission office, we cannot register incoming students for classes. Course registration happens early in the pre-arrival process, so adherence to the deadline dates is key to students having a successful and rewarding exchange experience at Willamette.
We appreciate your efforts to send students to Willamette University!
Fact Sheet for WU - Salem Campus
We hope the following will be useful to you as you advise students. If you have additional questions, please contact oieadvising@willamette.edu.
Costs
If your exchange only provides for tuition coverage, the following costs (based on 2024-25) may be helpful as you advise students about budgeting. All estimates are per semester.
- Room and board, on-campus, is a shared residence hall with a standard meal plan: $8,400 (a single room or apartment may cost over $9,000) per semester
- Housing fees assessed to on-campus residents:
- $75 per semester (used for residential programming);
- $300 refundable cleaning deposit for all on-campus residents (this charge is paid by the incoming student even when room and board is included in the exchange)
- Insurance - WU Student Health plan: approximately $1,900 per semester
- Books: $600 per semester
- Bed pack rental: $25 for length of exchange
Costs are generally listed online for the current year and typically increase a bit for subsequent years.
One thing your students are most surprised about is the cost of our on-campus housing and meal plan. Costs are listed both for an academic year and per semester. Room rates and meal plan costs are posted separately, so be sure to combine room and meal plan costs for a total of what your expected living costs will be.
Courses
NEW FROM FALL 2022: Willamette has developed an undergraduate business degree and has also designated some of its graduate law courses as suitable and open for undergraduate student participation. Incoming exchange students are allowed to register for these classes as long as they've satisfied any pre-required courses at their home university. In the case of graduate law courses, it is expected that these courses will be taken by those who are majoring in law at their home university. IMPORTANT NOTE: Enrollment will be limited to 2 courses per semester so the rest of the courses will need to be chosen from other undergraduate offerings.
- Business students can sometimes find related content in Economics, Civic Communication and Media (CCM), and Data Science.
- Law students should also look at Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics (PPLE), CCM, and History for related content.
Class registration begins soon after our posted deadlines for application materials. We are not allowed to register exchange students until AFTER their paperwork has been processed by our admission office. Although we can take documents from your students at any time, please keep in mind late submissions may delay their abilities to register for classes.
Important notes about classes:
- Not all courses are offered every semester. The Course Catalog lists all courses offered by Willamette, but does not confirm which semester courses will be taught. The class schedule indicates courses that will be taught in the upcoming semester. It is released a few weeks before the registration period begins.
- Online course schedules go 'live' just before class registration begins. It is often not possible for us to know for sure if particular classes will be offered until the class schedule is released. Students should keep a list of alternate classes they want to take, in case the first choice classes are not available.
- Prerequisites: We cannot register a student for a course with a prerequisite (a pre-required course) if we cannot determine that they've taken that course at their home university.
- Some classes have class standing restrictions. These are noted on the course schedule. In most cases, this prevents upper-level students from entering some lower-level courses which are protected for 1st and 2nd-year students. Most exchange students are coming either as 3rd or 4th-year students, but some are 2nd-year students. WU determines this by the graduation date at the home university.
- Taking a diverse class schedule: It can be difficult to take more than 2 courses per semester in a particular academic discipline. The WU curriculum is based on a "liberal arts" design where students take courses in their major and minor as well as courses across the curriculum. If your students can also register in this way, they will find course registration to be an easier process.
- US immigration requires minimum in-person enrollment. Students must take at least 12 credits to satisfy the U.S. immigration requirement for full-time enrollment. The exchange allows students to take up to 18 credits. A normal course load for a WU student is between 12 and 18 credits.
- Exchange students coming to Willamette are NOT allowed to take graduate courses in business. Instead, incoming students interested in business must select from the undergraduate business course offerings at WU.
- Graduate Classes in Law: WU has designated a limited selection of graduate law courses for undergraduate student participation. Exchange students majoring in law at their home university may be able to take ONE or TWO of these designated law classes at Willamette along with other classes in the College of Arts & Sciences. Please consult the OIE staff for more information (oieadvising@willamette.edu). This is not available for students in majors outside of Law at their home universities.
- WU has limited offerings in studio art and computer science so we may not be a good match for students in those majors. Additionally, WU's computer science department focuses on Python programming language so students not familiar with this programming language may not be allowed into higher level courses until they take CS 151, Introduction to Programming with Python.
Helpful links to course listings:
- Online catalog (not all courses offered every semester)
- Online course schedules (indicates courses to be offered in a specific semester)
Insurance
WU enrolls all students in a Student Health Plan because we require all students have health insurance that meets set minimums established by regulation and WU policy. Students have enrolled automatically and billed for the coverage. If they want to waive (opt-out of) the WU coverage, they must submit waiver paperwork by the deadline set each semester. Waivers are not guaranteed.
For insurance information (including cost) and all forms for enrollment or to waive the WU plan: http://willamette.edu/offices/health/insurance/international/
Calendar
All students will be given specific arrival information AFTER they are nominated. WU will provide free transportation from the Portland, Oregon airport (PDX is the abbreviation) if students arrive on the days and times we specify in our instructions. We will inform students about arrival procedures by email as part of the pre-arrival processes.
In general, fall semester starts in late August. Arrival precedes this date by approximately one week, but students should not book tickets until they receive their official email from WU Office of International Education (OIE).
In general, spring semester starts in mid-January. Arrival precedes this date by approximately four days, but students should not book tickets until they receive their official email from WU Office of International Education (OIE).
Winter Closure and Housing and food: WU has a 4-5 week long winter break. During this time, students may be asked to leave campus housing or pay an additional fee to remain in their rooms. Meals are not provided during the break. Campus apartments typically remain open during the break. It is strongly advised that any year-long students select campus apartments if they choose to live on campus so they will have flexibility for their housing during the winter break. If they choose a housing option that closes, they may need to budget for another $1,500 - $2,000 to support themselves when the residence halls are closed.
WU has a one-week break during fall and spring semesters (late November in fall and mid-March in spring). Campus housing remains open, but meal service is not provided during these breaks.
Non-Smoking Campus
As of January 1, 2016, Willamette became a non-smoking campus. WU prohibits smoking and vaping anywhere on University property (classroom, residence halls, and campus walkways) and in university vehicles. More information can be found on the Smoke Free Campus Policy.
The Office of International Education reminds all international visitors that they are responsible for following federal immigration regulations.
As an international student or scholar, you are subject to federal (U.S. national level) law. While many U.S. States have legalized recreational cannabis use, it is not legal under federal law which governs all immigration statutes. Evidence of illegal drug use (including cannabis) can lead to visa revocation and entry/re-entry problems.
In addition, Willamette University policy prohibits cannabis on campus and in campus housing at all times. The policy is found here.
When you enter the U.S. at an airport or border, your social media accounts, texts, and email are all subject to search. For international students or scholars, cannabis use--even in Oregon--is considered an illegal activity by Federal Agents. Evidence of cannabis use (such as photos or texts to friends about buying or using, even as a joke) can be reason enough for agents to refuse your entry into the U.S.
Yes, you can be deported or barred from entry into the U.S. for evidence of cannabis use.
The Oregon State law does not change this Federal policy. Please use extreme caution when joking about drug use or illegal activity on your social media accounts, texts, or phone.