Read more here:
Dr. Souders is available to review all scholarship applications before submission. Contact him by emailing souders@umbc.edu. For students thinking about applying for our fall scholarships, including the Gilman Scholarship, it is never too early to start thinking about your essays - after you finish with finals, of course.
Fulbright Base Camp #1 Getting Started!
You have come to an information session and plan to apply for this year’s competition. Now what? Come to the first of our Fulbright Base Camp series, where we learn how to navigate the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s website and choose the program and country that best suits your skills and interests.
Saturday, May 10, 12:00 pm on Webex. Registration required at this link.
Saturday, May 31, 12:00 pm on Webex. Registration required at this link.
Embark on an immersive academic journey in Panama with our January 2026 Management Study Abroad Program! Learn about global management practices as you engage in cultural activities and meet industry professionals!Applications for UMBC Faculty-led: The Practice of Management: Global Perspectives in Panama and all other Winter/Spring Break Faculty-led programs are now open and due on September 22, 2025!
As we’re preparing for finals week here at UMBC, our Abroad Ambassador Madison is in Nanzan preparing for her finals too! This week in her blog post, she wrote about some of her favorite memories from her classes and what her finals are like. You can read all about it in her Abroad Blog. You can also check in with many of our students who are studying abroad this semester!
Are you interested in studying abroad in Winter 2026 or Spring 2026? Advising with our Education Abroad Advisor, Alicyn Curtis, is happening now! Be sure to attend a Study Abroad 101 session before scheduling an appointment by emailing educationabroad@umbc.edu.
Are you interested in studying abroad in Winter or Spring 2026? Advising with our Education Abroad Advisor, Alicyn Curtis, is happening now! Be sure to attend a Study Abroad 101 session before scheduling an appointment by emailing educationabroad@umbc.edu.
Fulbright Base Camp #1 Getting Started!
You have come to an information session and plan to apply for this year’s competition. Now what? Come to the first of our Fulbright Base Camp series, where we learn how to navigate the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s website and choose the program and country that best suits your skills and interests.
Saturday, May 10, 12:00 pm on Webex. Registration required at this link.
If you can’t make this meeting, there will be another FBC#1: Getting Started meeting after finals are over.
Are you a BIOL/BINF/BIOC major interested in academic growth, cultural immersion, and unforgettable exploration in the heart of Barcelona, Spain? Then apply for our Winter UMBC Faculty-Led: Phage Hunters in Barcelona, Spain Course! This is a three-credit, three-week program at the prestigious Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) that offers students an enriching opportunity to enhance their intercultural competency while earning valuable academic credits.Applications for this and all other Winter/Spring Break Faculty-led programs are now open and are due on September 22, 2025!
Celebrate our immigrant communities at UMBC – A Day of Community, Art, and Storytelling!
Join the Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity on Thursday, May 1st for a vibrant, day-long celebration honoring the contributions of our immigrant communities at UMBC and beyond.
Let’s come together to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the vibrant, diverse experiences that make up our UMBC community. No matter where you’re from or what language you speak, you belong here.
Learn more about Immigrant Appreciation Day events here.
This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
Dr. Souders is available to review all scholarship applications before submission. Contact him by emailing souders@umbc.edu
April 30th: DAAD’s Young Ambassadors Application Due!
Young Ambassadors are undergraduate students who recently studied abroad in Germany (including this coming summer) and promote study in Germany at their home colleges/universities with help from DAAD. Only one student may be nominated per university.
Fulbright Base Camp #1 Getting Started!
You have come to an information session and plan to apply for this year’s competition. Now what? Come to the first of our Fulbright Base Camp series, where we learn how to navigate the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s website and choose the program and country that best suits your skills and interests.
Monday, April 28, 6:00 pm, UC 204. Registration required at this link.
Saturday, May 10, 12:00 pm on Webex. Registration required at this link.
Are you interested in learning about the foundational concepts of intercultural communication? Do you want to develop critical thinking and cross-cultural competences? If so, then apply for our UMBC Faculty-Led: Global Experiential Learning in MENA: Exploring Morocco course next Spring Break, where you can combine these experiential activities, analysis, and reflections! Applications for this and all other Winter/Spring Break Faculty-led programs are now open and due on September 22, 2025!
Our Ambassador Madison is making international friends while studying abroad in Japan! Last week, she even went to the Spanish Club’s Dance Party! You can read all about it in her Abroad Blog. You can also check in with many of our students who are studying abroad this semester!
Are you interested in studying abroad in Spring 2026 or Winter 2026? Advising with our Education Abroad Advisor, Alicyn Curtis, is happening now! Be sure to attend a Study Abroad 101 session before scheduling an appointment by emailing educationabroad@umbc.edu.
The Education Abroad Office is excited to announce the J-1 Exchange Buddy Program at UMBC's Center for Global Engagement! This program offers a rewarding opportunity for students to assist our new international exchange students as they adjust to life in the U.S. By joining the Buddy Program, students will be paired with a new exchange student, helping them navigate their transition and enriching their experience at UMBC. We are launching the program again for the upcoming Fall 2025 and Academic Year, and we’re looking for enthusiastic participants.
Application Deadline: April 21
How to Apply: Please review the application via this link.
If you are interested in participating, please apply! Thank you for your support, and we look forward to welcoming new buddies into our program!
Upcoming Program/Scholarship Deadlines:
Dr. Souders is available to review all scholarship applications before submission. Contact him by emailing souders@umbc.edu
April 30th: DAAD’s Young Ambassadors Application Due!
Young Ambassadors are undergraduate students who recently studied abroad in Germany (including this coming summer) and promote study in Germany at their home colleges/universities with help from DAAD. Only one student may be nominated per university.
Fulbright Information Session
Attend an information session to learn more about this life-changing scholarship opportunity. This award supports U.S. citizens interested in conducting research, earning a master’s degree, or teaching English in up to 140 countries throughout the world. UMBC’s Fulbright Program Advisor, Dr. Brian Souders has been holding information sessions to help UMBC students learn more about this exchange opportunity. Register through the link below.
Monday, April 21, 12:00 pm - Virtual Registration required at this link.
Start Your Fulbright Application Now!
Applications for the 2026-27 competition cycle for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program are open.To start your application, go to the Fulbright Program website <us.fulbrightonline.org>, and go to the tab marked Applicants. At the bottom of that tab, go to Online Fulbright Application.
Fulbright Base Camp #1 Getting Started!
You have come to an information session and plan to apply for this year’s competition. Now what? Come to the first of our Fulbright Base Camp series, where we learn how to navigate the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s website and choose the program and country that best suits your skills and interests.
Tuesday, April 22, 7:00 pm, UC 204. Registration is required at this link.
Monday, April 28, 6:00 pm, UC 204. Registration is required at this link.
Are you interested in immersing yourself in the heart of Rome, where ancient history meets contemporary governance? Would you like to unravel the complexities that shape Italy's political landscape? Then you should apply for our Winter Faculty-Led course Comparative Politics and the Italian Political System in Rome, Italy! This unique program combines rigorous academic exploration with the unparalleled charm of the Eternal City and will elevate your understanding of global politics by studying the nuances of Italy's political dynamics in one of the world's most iconic settings! Applications for this program and all other Winter/Spring Break Faculty-led Programs are now open and due on September 22, 2025!
Our Abroad Ambassador Hana is currently studying abroad in Izmir, Turkey! After traveling to Greece last week, she has returned back and has realized how difficult it has been to live in a place where English isn’t widely understood. While it does leave her tired, she has enjoyed being able to immerse herself in the language and is seeing the progress that she is making in her vocabulary. She recommended some tips to other students who may have the same experiences, and you can find them in her Abroad Blog. You can also check in with many of our students who are studying abroad this semester!
Are you interested in studying abroad in Spring 2026 or Winter 2026? Advising with our Education Abroad Coordinator, Alicyn Curtis, is happening now! Be sure to attend a Study Abroad 101 session before scheduling an appointment by emailing educationabroad@umbc.edu.
Upcoming Program/Scholarship Deadlines:
Dr. Souders is available to review all scholarship applications before submission. Contact him by emailing souders@umbc.edu
April 30th: DAAD’s Young Ambassadors Application Due!
Young Ambassadors are undergraduate students who recently studied abroad in Germany (including this coming summer) and promote study in Germany at their home colleges/universities with help from DAAD. Only one student may be nominated per university.
Fulbright Base Camps - Coming Soon!
You have come to an information session and plan to apply for this year’s competition. Now what? Come to the first of our Fulbright Base Camp series, where we learn how to navigate the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s website and choose the program and country that best suits your skills and interests. Dr. Souders will hold several of these workshops in late April before things get too busy with end-of-semester activities.
Winter/Spring Break Faculty-Led Programs: Applications Open!
Applications for the Winter/Spring Break faculty-led programs are open! Check them out on the Education Abroad website. The deadline to apply is September 22, 2025.
Other Upcoming Events/Opportunities:
Applications for the 2026-27 competition cycle for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program opened on Monday, March 31, 2025. This award supports U.S. citizens interested in conducting research, earning a master’s degree, or teaching English in up to 140 countries throughout the world. UMBC’s Fulbright Program Advisor, Dr. Brian Souders is holding multiple information sessions to help UMBC students learn more about this exchange opportunity. Register at the links below.
Wednesday, April 16, 6:00 pm - Virtual Registration required at this link.
Thursday, April 17, 5:00 pm - Virtual Registration required at this link.
Monday, April 21, 12:00 pm - Virtual Registration required at this link.
Students Abroad!
While many UMBC students have been making the trek down to D.C. to see the Cherry Blossom Festival, our Abroad Ambassador Madison went to the festival in Japan! You can read all about it in her Abroad Blog, where you can check in with many of our students studying abroad this semester!
Wild Card
Advising for Spring 2026 and Winter 2026 programs is happening now! Be sure to attend a Study Abroad 101 session before scheduling an appointment at educationabroad@umbc.edu.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has escalated immigration enforcement actions against noncitizens across the country. The Secretary of State cancelled the visas of multiple individuals for the stated reason that their continued presence in the country “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
More recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), began terminating the SEVIS immigration records of international students who are alleged to have criminal records or whose visas have been cancelled by the Department of State. In some cases, neither students nor their schools are being notified of these terminations.
UMBC conducts daily audits of all SEVIS immigration records it manages, and will inform affected students and scholars of changes to their immigration status as quickly as possible. Any UMBC student or employee who receives a communication from the U.S. Department Homeland Security or U.S. Department of State regarding the validity of their visa or immigration status should contact the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) immediately.
Any member of the campus community who has concerns that they may be at risk of status termination or visa revocation is encouraged to speak with a qualified immigration lawyer who specializes in deportation defense. Such attorneys may be located through the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
On April 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin considering antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.
Executive Order 14159, issued on January 20, 2025, directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to require all noncitizens in the United States to register with the government, under section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. § 1302).
While this law has been on the books for many years, until now there was no formal process to comply with the rule apart from mandatory fingerprinting when applying for a visa abroad or submitting certain applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In addition to the registration requirement itself, noncitizens are required to carry with them proof that they have satisfied the requirement, a policy known as the “document-carry” requirement. Both the new registration requirement and the document-carry requirement are set to go into effect on Friday, April 11, 2025.
Most people in F-1, J-1, or H-1B status already met the registration requirement when they applied for their visa and for entry to the United States. Proof of compliance with the registration requirement for most individuals is the Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, which is available online for those admitted at a U.S. port of entry, or in paper form attached to the Approval Notice issued to those who filed a change of status application within the U.S.
Among those who will need to take action to meet the new registration requirement are those who last entered the U.S. before they were 14 years of age. At UMBC, this is likely limited to individuals in F-2, J-2, or H-4 dependent status, based on a parent’s principal F-1, J-1, or H-1B status. Anyone who is the parent of an F-2, J-2, or H-4 status child who is (1) under 14 years of age and (2) was not registered (or fingerprinted, if required) when applying for their visa must register within 30 days of arrival. And anyone who is the parent of an F-2, J-2, or H-4 status child who last entered the U.S. before reaching 14 years of age is now required to register their child with DHS within the 30 days following their child’s 14th birthday.
There is a helpful guide to this new requirement available here from Cornell Law School, Penn State Dickinson Law, and the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Additional resources from NAFSA: Association of International Educators are available here, and a detailed write-up of the new requirements is available from Klasko Immigration Law Partners here.
In addition to meeting the registration requirement, all noncitizens in the U.S. are required to carry proof that they have done so. As noted above, for the vast majority of individuals, their I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is their official proof of compliance with the registration requirement. Individuals can and should download a copy of their most recent I-94 record as soon as they enter the U.S. after a trip abroad. In order to ensure compliance, individuals in F-1, J-1, H-1B, and other nonimmigrant statuses are required to carry a paper copy of their I-94 record with them at all times.
We recommend printing out a copy of your I-94 record from the online system and placing it in your wallet or purse so that it is always with you. In addition, individuals in F-1 status are advised to carry a copy of their Form I-20 with them, and those in J-1 status should carry a copy of their Form DS-2019 with them at all times. Lawful permanent residents (LPRs) should always carry their green card (Form I-551) with them. Additional information about the document-carry requirement is available from NAFSA here.
]]>Location: Admin Building, Second Floor, Room 218
There are only 25 seats available. If you plan to attend, please RSVP as soon as possible via google form HERE. Once you have indicated your intent to attend, a calendar invite will be sent over to you.
Whether you're new to campus or have been here for years, this is a wonderful chance to meet fellow international faculty, researchers, and staff, exchange insights, get to know the Provost and build a supportive community.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Location: Admin Building, Second Floor, Room 218
There are only 25 seats available. If you plan to attend, please RSVP as soon as possible via google form HERE. Once you have indicated your intent to attend, a calendar invite will be sent over to you.
Whether you're new to campus or have been here for years, this is a wonderful chance to meet fellow international faculty, researchers, and staff, exchange insights, get to know the Provost and build a supportive community.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Dr. Souders is available to review all scholarship applications before submission. Contact him by emailing souders@umbc.edu
April 30th: DAAD’s Young Ambassadors Application Due!
Young Ambassadors are undergraduate students who recently studied abroad in Germany (including this coming summer) and promote study in Germany at their home colleges/universities with help from DAAD. Only one student may be nominated per college/university.
Dr. Filomeno in the Global Studies Department is looking for students interested in developing intercultural communication skills and learning about climate policy in a 4-week collaborative online international program with Brazilian students from the Federal University of Santa Catarina. The program consists of 4 online meetings conducted in English through Webex on Wednesday April 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th between 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm. All majors are welcome! Interested students should email Dr. Filomeno at filomeno@umbc.edu or fill out the interest form.
Applications for the 2026-27 competition cycle for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program opened on Monday, March 31, 2025. This award supports U.S. citizens interested in conducting research, earning a master’s degree, or teaching English in up to 140 countries throughout the world. UMBC’s Fulbright Program Advisor, Dr. Brian Souders is holding multiple information sessions, register at the links below.
Tuesday, April 8, 7:00 pm - online. Registration required at this link.
Thursday, April 10, 4:00 pm - UC 201B. Registration required at this link.
Wednesday, April 16, 5:30 pm - UC 201B Registration required at this link.
Make sure you check out the Abroad Blogs from our students studying abroad this semester!