AUCA Visiting/Exchange Student Policy

Definition:

Visiting/exchange students are considered to be students taking courses at AUCA for personal/academic interest and/or conducting a research at AUCA but who are not pursuing a degree from AUCA.    

Eligibility:

Non-native English speakers must present evidence of English language proficiency with either an AUCA institutional Test of English Language Proficiency (TOELP, 500), official TOEFL (500 PBT - paper based test, or 61 iBT - internet based test), or IELTS certificate (5.0).  Students planning to take courses not in English (e.g. Russian, German) do not have to present the evidence of English language proficiency.

Application Process:

1. Students applying to AUCA through a Student Exchange Agreement should follow the conditions of the agreement between AUCA and their home universities.  Such students will have the status of Exchange students.

2. Direct enrollment is possible for students who are not affiliated with an AUCA partner institution.  Students who wish to enroll directly to AUCA and come on their own must apply for admissions through the Admissions Office and follow the steps outlined below.

Application and supporting documents to be submitted to Admissions Office:

• Complete application form and a non-refundable application fee (Application fee for 2009-10 is 500 Kyrgyz soms [$15USD].  Application fees are set by the Administration in soms and are subject to change. Fees are to be converted based on the current KG som/USD exchange rate), to be paid to AUCA cashier; applications can be downloaded from AUCA website www.auca.kg or requested from admissions@mail.auca.kg,
• Complete study card, listing courses to be taken at AUCA during the first semester of study – for early registration (Class schedules can be found online at www.auca.kg/en/students/registrars_office_student and Study Cards can be downloaded online at www.auca.kg/en/forms or requested by email from registrar@mail.auca.kg);
• Copy of main passport pages (including visa page for international students) (Note: international students must check in with the AUCA International Affairs Office within 2 days of arrival to submit copies of their Kyrgyz visa and complete registration paperwork);
• Official English test certificate:  AUCA Institutional Test of English Proficiency or official TOEFL Certificate (paper or internet based; Inst Code 0419) or official IELTS Certificate (Inst Code 8306 for undergraduate and 8305 for graduate applicants). English test certificate is not required of students for whom English is a native language;
• 3 color photographs 3x4 cm;
• Medical certificate: Form 086-Y for citizens of Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and CIS countries; all other applicants should submit medical forms confirming all vaccinations and immunizations as well as health screenings for Tuberculosis; 
• Copy of Bachelor or Specialist diploma with an official transcript or if currently enrolled at in university, a certificate from current school certifying that an applicant is a full-time student at a university and an official transcript (documents issued in a language other than English must be officially translated); 
• Essay describing applicant’s characteristics and stating goals and reasons for applying to AUCA.

Applications are accepted for both the Fall semester for classes starting in August and the Spring semester for classes starting in January. 

Decision on admissions is made within 3 days after submission of application, application fee, and supporting documentation.

Application Timelines:

Admissions for Fall semester - Applications for visiting/exchange students coming in Fall are open after the registration period for full-time students according to the Academic Calendar (late April) until the end of the second week of classes (Add/Drop period, August). 

Admissions for Spring semester – Applications for visiting/exchange students coming in Spring are open after the registration period for full-time students according to the Academic Calendar (late November) until the end of the second week of classes (Add/Drop period, January).

The Registrar’s Office will post on the web-site the list of courses that are still open for registration after the registration period for full-time students ends (late April and late November).

Special Note for International Students:

To allow enough time for visa processing, international students are encouraged to apply at the earliest possible time before the beginning of the semester in which they wish to study. 

The International Affairs Office will notify international visiting/exchange students of action taken regarding their admissions application and help arrange for a visa to the Kyrgyz Republic.  International visiting/exchange students will be provided assistance in finding housing in Bishkek.  More information for international students can be found on our web site: /en/international .

Registration for Courses:

Visiting/exchange students can take any courses listed in the University catalogue, given that course prerequisite conditions are met, where necessary.  The maximum allowable number of course credits a visiting/exchange student may take is 18 per semester.

Earlier applications are encouraged as there is a higher probability for being able to register for desired courses.

After a student has been admitted as a visiting/exchange student, he/she may register for courses.  To register for courses, a student provides a list of courses (Study Card) for which he/she would like to register to the Registrar’s Office.   Then students must pay/transfer their tuition to the AUCA Cashier’s Office.

The Registrar’s Office handles course registration on behalf of visiting/exchange students. If requested courses have already been filled, the Registrar’s Office will coordinate with the visiting/exchange student to register for other courses.

Fees:

Visiting/exchange students pay tuition at the per-credit rate according to the fees set for the academic year to which they are applying.  Fees are differentiated for Kyrgyz, CIS and international citizens.  Upon admission and registration visiting/exchange students must pay fully for the chosen credits.

Financial aid is not available for visiting/exchange students unless special conditions apply as per exchange program agreements.

Transfer of credits to home institution:

In most cases, students must get pre-approval of their courses by their home institution’s Registrar to be sure that they will meet the requirements at their home institution.  The AUCA Registrar serves as the advisor to visiting/exchange students and will help them plan their program. 

All visiting/exchange students are entitled to receive transcripts, unless special conditions apply as may be the case with special programs and institutional agreements. A transcript of your coursework will be sent directly from the AUCA Registrar’s Office to your home institution.

Expectations and Rights:

Visiting/exchange students have access to all the student services that are available to AUCA students and are expected to abide by the AUCA Student Code of Conduct.

Changing status from visiting/exchange to degree seeking student:

If a visiting/exchange student decides to obtain a degree at AUCA he/she must re-apply as a degree seeking student and follow the standard conditions for admission as a full-time student as per the Admission Policy of the academic year in which he/she applies to the degree program. No more than 36 credit hours earned at AUCA as a visiting/exchange student may be counted toward a degree program at AUCA without grades.  Only credits for courses with grades higher than “C” can be transferred.  Credits earned at other universities can be transferred to AUCA as per the transfer policy.