Planning Travel Abroad for USC Students
USC tracks all student travel, except personal. Department designated Program Coordinators (faculty/staff) act as liaisons between programs and Strategic and Global Initiatives (SGI), the Student Health Insurance Office, and Campus Support & Intervention. All travel, including student-initiated travel abroad, are required to have a Program Coordinator. The University depends on Program Coordinators for their department’s data collection and crisis response.
The information and instructions provided here are for Program Coordinators planning or facilitating international trips to do so in a well-informed and safe manner, and to facilitate providing the required notice to the University about their travel for emergency purposes.
Program Approval
All international study abroad, exchange, internship, student-led travel, and short-term programs abroad (i.e. semester / academic year / maymester / summer / spring break programs) at USC, whether for credit or not, must be approved prior to advertisement and/or program launch.
The Off-Campus Studies Panel (OSP), a subcommittee of the University Committee on Curriculum (OCOC), reviews all for-credit, off campus and international programs.
Coordinators supporting student-led international travel for a recognized student group or organization must have students review Student Handbook Appendix IX: Miscellaneous Policies, pages 122 to 127. This document is not for study abroad programs organized or led by USC faculty or staff.
Preparing for Departure
Documents
The following items are signed and collected via the Student Travel Abroad portal. They are available here just for reference:
- Know Before You Go Informed Consent Form
- Medical Treatment Authorization
- Student Travel Abroad Release
- USC-Sponsored Student Travel Health Insurance Packet
- USC-Sponsored Student Travel Health Insurance Packet (Travel to Spain)
Additional Resources
For questions about student travel abroad planning, roster data points or any concerns, please contact Christine Jamoralin.
For questions about health insurance, please contact Valerie Hill.
For questions about contracts and agreements with institutions abroad, please contact Kana Sugita.