Study Abroad

Greetings from Jesse Starkey, Study Abroad Coordinator.

Welcome to Sam Houston State University! We are honored that you are considering coming to SHSU as an exchange student. Please use this website as a guide to get you through the (sometimes) complicated process of applying to SHSU, getting your I-20 sent to you, registering for classes, finding housing, arranging your flight, and enrolling in the Buddy Program.

As the Study Abroad Coordinator, I am here to help you every step of the way, and am greatly looking forward to meeting you here in Huntsville, Texas very soon! Please feel free to email me at jcs052@shsu.edu for any questions.

~Jesse Starkey

STEP ONE: Home University Nomination

Have your home university submit the exchange student nomination form to the Study Abroad Office.

STEP TWO: Apply to SHSU

Apply to SHSU through the ApplyTexas portal. Be sure to choose "International Freshman" if you are an undergraduate student or "International Graduate" if you are a graduate student as the application type. DO NOT PAY THE APPLICATION FEE! At the end of the application, you will be asked for a payment option. Choose to "pay with a check or money order." You will NOT be charged the application fee, but you must choose this option or we will not be able to view your application. It is very important that you enter a correct email address in the application because you will receive further instructions at that address once you have been accepted.

APPLY HERE

APPLICATION DEADLINES: November 1 for Spring Semester and May 1 for Fall Semester

Send an email notification that the application has been submitted to jcs052@shsu.edu.

STEP THREE: Submit Supporting Documentation

With the exception of the English Proficiency Scores, these documents can be submitted via email to jcs052@shsu.edu. For TOEFL or IELTS scores, please request that the scores be sent directly to SHSU when you take the test. If you have already taken the test by the time you apply, please mail the scores to SHSU at the mailing address to the left.

Some of our partner universities have alternative agreements regarding English Proficiency. Please consult with your home university on the language requirement.

1. Proof of English Proficiency: TOEFL (550 paper-based or 79 IBT) or IELTS (6.5). At this time, no other English proficiency tests are accepted.
2. Transcripts from your Home University: Must be translated into English, and should show titles of courses taken and grades earned.
3. Proof of Financial Support:This is the amount you must show in a bank account in order for SHSU to issue the I-20 (the document you'll need to get your visa). For the Academic Year, you'll need to show US$9000 and for one semester it will be US$4500. Please use this FORM.
4. Color Copy of your Passport: Be sure that your passport will not expire for at least 6 months AFTER your scheduled departure date. If it will, you will need to renew your passport before applying for your visa.

Once we have received all your documentation, and as long as your English proficiency meets our standards, you will be academically accepted to SHSU as an Exchange Student.

STEP FOUR: Pay for I-20 Shipment

Once you have been acdemically accepted, we will notify you by email that it is time to set up your E-ship Global account and pay to have the I-20 shipped to you. Set up your E-Ship Global account HERE.

It is important to do this promptly after you are notified of your acceptance so that you will have enough time to apply for and receive your visa.

STEP FIVE: Set up SHSU Computer Account & Access MySam Portal

Once you are accepted to SHSU, you will be emailed instructions on what your user name is how to set up your computer account. This email should be sent within 24 hours of your acceptance. You must follow this procedure in order to be able to register for classes and apply for on-campus housing. This email will be sent to the email address you supplied in the ApplyTexas application.

STEP SIX: Apply for Visa

As soon as you receive the acceptance packet from SHSU, read ALL the contents carefully and arrange to visit your nearest U.S. Consulate for your visa interview.

STEP SEVEN: Get Meningitis Vaccination

All incoming SHSU students are required to show proof for a Bacterial Meningitis vaccination. For more information and the form for your physician to fill out, click HERE.

STEP EIGHT: Register for SHSU classes through the MySam Portal

Once you have set up your computer account (Step 5) you will have access to the MySam Portal. The link to MySam can be found at the top of the SHSU homepage. You will use this portal to access all your information relevant to SHSU, and to register for courses. It is VERY important to start the registration process as soon as you are accepted because many classes fill up fast. To learn how to register, WATCH THIS VIDEO.

You WILL receive registration errors. Please send screen shots of these errors to jcs052@shsu.edu. Each error will have to be addressed individually, and can sometimes take several days to resolve. This is due to the fact that our system does not recognize credits you have taken at your home university, and will often say that you do not have the proper pre-requisites for a course. I will review your transcript for  each request and determine if you are actually eligible to take the course.

We identify courses in two ways- either by a 4-letter and 4-number combination (ex: ENGL 2000) or by the CRN- a 5-digit number unique to the section of the course (ex: 23562). Please use either of these descriptors when asking questions about a course.

To determine the difficulty of a course, look at the 4-number code (ex: ENGL 2300) the 2000 level indicates it is a second year course. 1000 level courses are typically for first year students, up to 4000 level courses for fourth year students. 5000, 6000, and 7000 courses are for graduate and doctoral students.

To maintain visa status, you must register for a minimum of 4, 3-hour courses, equaling a total (usually) of 12 credits. This is an average course load for students in the U.S., and what I recommend for all exchange students.

STEP NINE: Find Housing

Exchange students have two options for housing: on-campus dormitories and off-campus apartments within walking distance. If you are considering on-campus housing, it is important to apply for the housing as soon as you are academically accepted. Apply for on-campus dormitory housing HERE. If you choose to live on campus, a meal plan must also be purchased. Cost information can be found here.

If you would rather live off-campus, and have the option of cooking your own meals, there are several apartment complexes within walking distance to SHSU, or which have a shuttle service to the campus, offer short-term leases, furnished apartments, and roommate matching services. You can access this list here.

STEP TEN: Arrange for Airport Pickup

It is highly recommended that you arrive in time to attend the international student orientation. Orientation usually takes place the Thursday BEFORE class starts. Once you are accepted into the exchange program you will receive an exact date for the orientation and suggested arrival times.

IMPORTANT: There are two airports in the Houston area- we ONLY provide airport pickup from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (code IAH). If you mistakenly fly into the other airport (Hobby) you will be responsible for arranging your own transportation to IAH or even Huntsville. This can be very expensive (around $100) and should be avoided.

Once you have reserved your flight, submit this FORM

STEP ELEVEN: Apply to Buddy Program

Study Abroad Coordinator
Ms. Jesse Starkey
jcs052@shsu.edu
001-936-294-3276