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Undergraduate Exchange Program

The following are the requirements to be fulfilled by undergraduate students who wish to engage in academic mobility programs at Universidad de Antioquia - UdeA, under different exchange and academic internship options:

1. Exchange programs for undergraduate students

Students coming from universities abroad, whether there is a preexisting cooperation agreement or not, will be able to complete one or two academic terms at Universidad de Antioquia. Those students coming from universities with which there is a preexisting cooperation agreement may benefit from tuition waivers at the Colombian host institution. Courses to be registered by international students need to be previously reviewed and approved by the academic departments both at the home institution and at the host institution.

Requirements

• Being registered at a partner university, with a preexisting cooperation agreement with Universidad de Antioquia [see agreements].

• Having a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of minimum 3.50 in a 5.00 scale.

• A certificate of proficiency in Spanish issued by an accredited language institution with at least a B1 CEFR level. The previous requirement only applies to students coming from non-Spanish speaking countries.

• Submitting all the necessary documentation when and as required by UdeA.

Required documents for exchange application

The home university is to submit the following documents on behalf of their students to Universidad de Antioquia's International Relations Office, in digital (PDF) format, to the e-mail addresses: movilidadinter@udea.edu.co and apoyointer@udea.edu.co. Applications sent directly by international students, and not by their home universities, will not be accepted.

1. Official transcripts (academic record) in Spanish or in English.

2. A certificate of proficiency in Spanish issued by an accredited language institution with at least a B1 CEFR level. The previous requirement only applies to students coming from non-Spanish speaking countries.

3. A letter of intent, explaining the candidate's interest in participating in an exchange program (to be written in Spanish)

4. A recommendation letter from a faculty member at the home institution.

5. Nomination letter from home university.

6. Copy of valid passport.

7. Exchange application form from Universidad de Antioquia.

Once applications have been reviewed, results will be sent via email both to the home university and to the students. Response times will vary depending on the academic unit to which the student applied.

Health Insurance

International students admitted to Universidad de Antioquia must purchase an international health insurance plan with coverage in Colombia, which should include medical care and treatment in case of accident or illness, hospitalization, repatriation in case of death or for health reasons, and any other need related to international mobility.

Students must present a copy of their insurance plan upon arrival at UdeA, before registering for the academic term to which they have been accepted. This requirement is mandatory, and students are advised to obtain, from their insurance company, contact information (health care providers and contact numbers) relevant to the location they will be visiting before they travel to Colombia.

Health insurance for students in the medical field may require additional coverage for other types of risks or situations. Relevant information will be provided as needed.

Academic internships

Students willing to participate in our internship programs need to meet all the requirements previously listed. It is important to bear in mind that being admitted to our internship programs depends on the available vacancies each school or department defines.

Please note:
Any international student admitted to UdeA for the purposes of academic mobility is subject to the same norms and regulations the University has established for its students.

Completing a degree at UdeA

Universidad de Antioquia offers internationally competitive undergraduate and graduate programs, in various fields of knowledge, which contribute to our students' comprehensive education, both as professionals and as human beings.

Undergraduate admissions for international students

Universidad de Antioquia offers to our prospective students, both at home and abroad, over 90 undergraduate programs. Updated information about our undergraduate programs, number of applicants to be admitted, and application requirements can be found in this link.

International students may be admitted to the undergraduate programs at Universidad de Antioquia under one of the following options:

• New applicants

Any foreign national who has completed studies corresponding to Colombian secondary school (baccalaureate) or who is completing the final year of secondary school in Colombia may apply as a new applicant to our undergraduate programs.

• Transfer candidates

Any applicant who has completed at least two academic terms in a program at a higher education institution recognized by each country's Ministry of Education will be eligible for transfer to Universidad de Antioquia.

Please note: An admission letter is required for international students to apply for their TP-3 temporary student visa. Applications to student visas should be submitted before registration. Any international student admitted through transfer must register and pass at least 40% of the courses in their programs in order for them to obtain their degree.

Graduate admissions for international students

Universidad de Antioquia offers to our prospective students, both at home and abroad, over 120 graduate programs. Updated information about our graduate programs, number of applicants to be admitted, and application requirements and procedure can be found here.

In addition to specific requirements established by each program, applicants must submit:

• Degrees obtained (both at the graduate and undergraduate levels) and a copy of the program's curriculum, issued by the corresponding office at the home university, if requested.

• Curriculum Vitae.

• A certificate of proficiency in a foreign language other than Spanish.

• Undergraduate degree conferred by a higher-education institution.

Academic Units at Universidad de Antioquia

In the following links you will find the programs offered at each academic unit at Universidad de Antioquia.

Research Internships

Research internships are a form of academic mobility in which a researcher coming from a foreign institution participates in research activities at Universidad de Antioquia.

Research internships are a form of academic mobility in which a researcher coming from a foreign institution participates in research activities at Universidad de Antioquia.

Those interested in this mobility type can apply during the entire academic year. This mobility type does not imply an enrollment process, and, therefore, it does not entail the payment of enrollment fees. However, expenses related to accommodation, transportation, visa, research, and other living expenses stipulated by the research group or agency hosting the internship are the responsibility of the visiting researcher.

Internship Application Process

1. Identify the UdeA research group you want to establish contact with. In the following link, you will find information about all  UdeA research groups, classified by the knowledge areas they belong to.

2. Contact the appropriate researcher or research group coordinator at UdeA, and provide your contact information and a brief description of your academic training, your research experience and your motivation for doing your research internship at UdeA.

3. If your internship is accepted by the research group at UdeA, please fill in the internship acceptance form in full with the help of the professor who would be your tutor at our university.

4. Send the following documents 30 days before your internship begins to the e-mail address investigacioninter@udea.edu.co:

• Completed Research Internship Application Form

• Work Plan Form

• Curriculum Vitae.

• Passport copy

• Endorsement or support letter issued by your home university or institution.

• Intern's letter of commitment.

Once this information is received, the intern researcher will send an official letter of acceptance, addressed to the migratory services of Colombia, specifying the type of activity that will be carried out, the length of stay, and the type of migratory status with which the intern should enter the country.

One week before arriving at UdeA, the intern must send a copy of his/her international insurance policy with coverage in Colombia to the e-mail address investigacioninter@udea.edu.co. That policy must include medical care and treatment due to accident or illness, hospitalization, health and funeral repatriation, and all other provisions that are characteristic of international mobility. This requirement is mandatory. Furthermore, it is recommended that, before traveling to Colombia, the intern obtain the contact information of his/her insurance company -including care providers and telephone numbers- in the place where he/she will carry out his/her research activity.

Once the intern arrives in Colombia, he/she must present a copy of the passport page with the entry-to-Colombia stamp to the International Relations Office, Edificio de Extensión, Office 706. Once there, the intern must ask for the Coordinator of Scientific Cooperation.

Interns in health-related areas may need insurance coverage for other types of risks or situations. Relevant information will be provided as needed.

Consider the following:

• Your academic activity will not be graded through the MARES system. Therefore, no certificate of grades will be issued to you.

• You will not have access to an institutional e-mail account.

• You are not allowed to directly borrow books or other material from the university's library system, unless your tutor sends a letter to the system administrators in which he/she takes responsibility for the materials eventually borrowed by the intern.

• None of the activities undertaken in the framework of a research internship may be remunerated.

• No field trip may be made without the intern first acquiring a policy.

Contact:

Juan Camilo Gaviria
Scientific Cooperation Advisor
investigacioninter@udea.edu.co
Phone: (+ 57) 4 2198212

Entry to Colombia and Alien ID Card (Cédula de Extranjería)

Every foreigner interested in visiting Colombia for academic purposes can do so after being granted an Entrance and Stay Permit (PIP) or a visa.

The Entrance and Stay Permit (PIP) is a seal printed by migration authorities at the destination airport once the foreign citizen arrives in Colombia. Students coming from countries that do not require a visa to enter Colombia (see list), and who have been accepted for an academic exchange of less than 6 months must present their letter of acceptance to Migration Colombia upon entering the country, for the issuance of the PIP permit. For further information, please click here. On the other hand, visas are requested at the country of origin and they apply to stays that exceed 180 days (6 months).

Requirements

• Copy of the passport's main page, which includes the owner's personal data.

• Copy of the passport page on which the last seal of entry or exit of the country has been stamped.

• For old visas without OCR or quick reading code, please attach a copy of the page containing your last Colombian visa. If your visa was granted with an OCR, this requirement does not apply.

• If the procedure is to be performed by a proxy, attach a duly legalized power of attorney.

• Letter from the applicant or the person who is financially responsible for the foreign citizen, together with a bank certification stating that the account balance average for the last 6 months is greater than ten (10) Statutory Monthly Minimum Wages (SMLMV). As of 2017, SMLMV in Colombia corresponds to COP 737,717.

• Attach the documents described in the first five points and a photocopy of the certificate of admission or registration issued by the education institution, or the letter of acceptance in which the agreement between the sponsoring entity and the education institution is specified, in the case of exchange students. Or a document certifying that the program of studies requires work practice, an internship or a research stay as an academic requirement, in the case of student-practitioners. In the case of studies other than primary, secondary, technical, technological, or higher education -the latter including undergraduate, postgraduate, master's, doctorate, diploma or university courses- you must provide certification or a document issued by the corresponding institution indicating a hourly intensity of minimum ten (10) hours per week, or, in the case of scholarship students, a certificate issued by the international organization, or public or private entity that grants the scholarship.

• Fill out your visa application electronically through the following link: Visa Application Form or in person at the issuing office. In the case of artistic, sports and cultural groups, the visa application may be filled out by their representative, specifying the personal data of each one of the members of the group.

Remember:

1. In order to carry out the visa application process either online or in person, your passport has to be valid for more than 180 days, and have at least two blank pages.
2. In order for your visa to be stamped on your passport, you must present it at the consulate where your visa was issued or at the offices in Bogotá. You can enter Colombia by presenting the electronic visa sent to you via e-mail.

Note: If you apply face-to-face, you will not be required to bring photographs.  They will be taken at the issuing office.

For more information about the visa you can go to the following link of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites_servicios/visas/clases

Alien ID Card

Foreigners over and under age who hold visas valid for more than 3 months, must apply for an Alien ID Card to Migration Colombia at the time of registration as foreigners, or at the latest within 15 calendar days, counted from their entry into the country or the visa's issuance date, if it was obtained within the national territory. See requirements and procedure.

Failure to comply with this measure may result in economic sanctions. The validity of the Alien ID Card will be the same as that of the visa. If you request an extension, you must renew your Alien ID Card. To apply for the Alien ID Card go to the office of Migration Colombia located in Calle 19 # 80A-40 Barrio Belén La Nubia, from 8:00 to 4:00 p.m., (without lunch break).

Parcero Program

The Parcero Program of the Universidad de Antioquia is one of the few that offers companionship to foreign students in Medellín, being led by volunteer Colombian students, under the supervision of the International Relations Office.

Eight years ago, the International Relations Office created the Parcero Program as an initiative of voluntary companionship by students, which provides support and assitance to students, professors or administrative staff from incoming mobility at the Universidad de Antioquia, contributing significantly to the success of their experience in the institution, the region and the country.

This initiative constitutes a high value strategy for the fulfillment of the objectives of internationalization at home of the university community and of the institutional visibility at regional and national level.

Who is the partner (parcero)? An undergraduate or graduate student from the Universidad de Antioquia who is part of the Program. Who gets a partner? A foreign visitor or a visitor from other cities of Colombia, who performs his or her academic mobility at the University.

1. 1. The process for foreign visitors and visitors from other cities in the country to belong to the Program is as follows:

1. Young visitors are officially invited to be part of the Parcero Program by the International Relations Office.

2. In order to assign a partner to the visitor, he or she should write to programaparcero@udea.edu.co with the following contact information:

• Full name.

• Email address.

• University of origin and academic program/profession that will pursue in the Universidad de Antioquia.

• Country of origin.

• Approximate date of the trip.

The companionship that the visiting student will receive from the Program is as follows:

• Support in the legalization process to enter the country.

• Support to search for housing and location in the city.

• Support for visitor registration at the Universidad de Antioquia.

• Information on health services and police stations.

• Information on the places of provisioning and supply.

• Information on entertainment places in the Department of Antioquia, and invitation to various activities organized by the Program during the semester.

On the other hand, the student of the Universidad de Antioquia who aspires to enter the Parcero Program must follow the following procedure:

1. Fill out the application form designed for this purpose.

2. Send to programaparcero@udea.edu.co the documentation listed below.

3. Attend one of the two informative meetings of the Program (the date of which will be sent to the mails of the registered students at least one week in advance).

4. Present to an interview.

5. Read and sign an informed consent form.

6. Attend the training meeting if admitted to the Program.

Required documentation:

• Current virtual study certificate in which you are accredited as a regular student of the Universidad de Antioquia (to obtain it follow these steps: authenticate yourself on the website of the University, go to): Somos UdeA > Estudiantes > Trámites > Solicitar Trámite > Semestre Académico > Solicitar Trámite > Consultar Trámite > In the magnifying glass: "Ver Trámite" > Download).

• Photocopy of the Social Security affiliation document

• Photocopy of ID card

Scholarships for foreigners

Colombian and international entities that offer scholarships and financial aid to foreigners who wish to study in Colombia. This list does not include scholarship programs that foreign universities have for their respective academic communities.

University of Antioquia Doctoral Scholarship Fund

Through Rectoral Resolution 38090 of November 29, 2013, the Universidad de Antioquia created the "Universidad de Antioquia Doctoral Scholarship Fund", whose purpose is to allocate scholarships for doctoral studies at our institution.  The Fund is attached to the Postgraduate Office and is therefore the agency responsible for making the call, assigning and executing the resources provided by the Vice Rectorship of Research and the University Postgraduate System.

At this moment the Doctoral Scholarship Fund has not opened its call.

Universidad de Antioquia Master's Scholarship Fund

By means of Rectoral Resolution 41521 of June 07, 2016 the Universidad de Antioquia created the Fund "Master's Scholarships Universidad de Antioquia", whose object is to assign scholarships to pursue master studies in our institution.  The Fund is attached to the Postgraduate Direction and therefore is the agency responsible for making the call, assigning and implementing the resources provided by the Postgraduate Direction and some Academic and Administrative Units.

Click here for more information

Reciprocity Program for Foreigners in Colombia - ICETEX

Financial assistance offered by the Government of Colombia and in reciprocity to international cooperation received under existing cooperation agreements. Through this program, ICETEX offers foreign citizens the opportunity to pursue specialization, master's, doctorate or research studies in Colombia. It also offers financial support to guest professors and language assistants.  It covers all areas of knowledge.

Click here for more information

OAS Scholarship Program

The OAS provides scholarships to individuals interested in pursuing graduate studies and/or graduate research at a university or institution of higher education in one of the member states. The studies can be carried out face-to-face, distance or a combination of both modalities. The total value of the OAS scholarship does not exceed USD 30,000 per academic year, including tuition, other scholarship benefits and administrative costs.

Click here for more information