Graduate and Professional Students

This guide outlines rules, guidelines, procedures, and resources related to graduate and professional student traveling abroad. For questions, contact Education Abroad at abroad@tamu.edu or 979-845-0544.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which Texas A&M University policies apply to foreign travel and to whom?

Texas A&M University-College Station, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen, Texas A&M School of Law, and Texas A&M Health are firmly committed to the welfare, health, and safety of all students and, as such, have established rules and guidelines to ensure support for students abroad for any university related activities. Per the University Rule on Student Travel (13.04.99.M1), all students traveling abroad must register their travel with Education Abroad prior to traveling.

What type of international experience does Texas A&M Education Abroad monitor?

Per the University travel rules, Education Abroad is charged to monitor international mobility from undergraduate and graduate students, whether the experience is credit or non-credit bearing. International experiences may include: Academic Competition, Athletic Competition, Capstone Project, Conference, Internship, Research, Study, Teach Abroad, Volunteer, Workshop/Training, Other University Business, etc.

Do graduate students traveling with employment-related duties register with Education Abroad?

While these experiences may include work-related duties in the capacity of GAT, GAL, GAR, or GANT, and that role may necessitate travel, they remain students while traveling and therefore must register with Education Abroad. Please note that certain employment-related travel may also require the submission and approval of an International Alternate Work Location.

What is the role of Education Abroad?

Registration ensures Education Abroad can provide several valuable services to students traveling internationally. This includes:

Access to Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI), a comprehensive and affordable international travel medical insurance and emergency evacuation plan contracted by the Texas A&M University System;
Student advising, online pre-departure orientation, and web resources (on funding, health and safety, support);
Trip-specific risk assessments, monitoring of world events and travel advisories, notification of relevant information pertaining to travel plans; and,
Access to Education Abroad’s 24/7 hotline and assistance in emergency response and evacuation

Note that countries and regions listed on the TAMU System International Travel Advisory List may require pre-approval from System Risk Management and University leadership. Travelers are encouraged to contact Education Abroad at abroad@tamu.edu for questions and to start the process as early as possible.

Which services of Education Abroad are available to the public?

Education Abroad is also a Passport Acceptance Facility. Students, faculty, staff, and members of the community can apply for a U.S. passport at its College Station campus location by Evans Library. The office also provides photo services for U.S. and foreign passports, as well as visa applications. The office is open to the public and parking is available nearby. For information on hours, application process, and fees, visit the Education Abroad Passport website.

Program Types & Registration Process

For an overview of the different program types, visit https://global.tamu.edu/ea/students/programs. Each program or registration process will have different deadlines and a designated Education Abroad staff member to assist with questions, the application process, and general travel preparations. The Education Abroad portal is also available to review program options and access the application portal.

Upon committing to an international experience, a non-refundable service fee will be assessed. Students registering an independent experience multiple times within the same semester will be charged the fee only once and may not need to complete the online pre-departure orientation again for that academic year.

Registering with Emburse Expense (Chrome River)

All foreign travel by University employees and students on official University business must be approved in advance according to University Rule 21.01.03.M0.02. The authorization for travel must be submitted and processed through the Emburse portal prior to the travel start date. Pre-approval travel requests may be initiated by the students’ department or business office. Many units are part of the review and approval process. To ensure adequate time for each office to complete their review, pre-approval travel request submissions and Education Abroad registration should be completed at least 6 weeks prior to the planned departure date.

NOTE: Graduate and professional students traveling on university business must submit the appropriate program application or registration application through Education Abroad before Education Abroad can approve a travel request. To verify the status of a program or registration application, check for a ‘Submitted” or ‘Committed’ status under ‘My Programs’ section in your Education Abroad profile. Creating a Travel Plan is not the same as completing an application or registration.

Next steps:

Verify with a department business coordinator if a travel request is needed and regulations to keep in mind. For students who don’t have access to the Emburse Expense (Chrome River) portal, travel requests may be initiated by the student’s department or business office on their behalf.
Submit an Emburse pre-travel request through the Texas A&M Single Sign On (SSO). A users guide on How to Create a Pre-Approval Request is available. Emburse has multiple approval flows, and it may take weeks for a request to be fully executed.
Depending on the destination selection in Emburse, a Global Risk Manager may follow up for supplementary information.

NOTE: Situational risk assessments are conducted on an ongoing basis. Therefore, the decision to proceed with travel may be reconsidered even after approval to proceed with travel is granted.

Medical Insurance & Emergency Assistance

Education Abroad strongly recommends that all students traveling overseas have international health insurance coverage. Information about the inclusion of medical insurance coverage, which may differ by experience type, can be found at https://global.tamu.edu/ea/health-and-safety/insurance. Please refer to your program’s insurance policy for more details as well.

Emergency Response: Education Abroad has a team of staff trained to monitor events around the world and travel plans from students, groups, and Program Leaders. In the event of an incident abroad, students and Program Leaders may reach Education Abroad 24/7 through its emergency phone at +1-979-255-6103 (call only), and for less urgent reports with response within 24 hours, email: abroademergency@tamu.edu. Students may also contact their international insurance provider’s emergency number for medical support and information.

Additional Travel Preparation Resources

General Advising

Education Abroad Find a Program (search engine)
Graduate Student Career Services (additional internship options)

Scholarships & Funding Opportunities

Health & Safety Resources

Education Abroad Health & Safety Resources
Education Abroad Safety & Culture Resources
Traveler’s Health (CDC)
Texas A&M University Health Services
Travel Health Clinic (available for any currently enrolled TAMU student)

U.S. Department of State

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