Skip to content

Advising Tips

Tips for Advisors


Students are excited to learn about opportunities on campus while continuing on their academic path. Going Global (aka study abroad) is a great way for students to learn and experience the world beyond NDSU, connecting with diverse cultures, and growing academically, personally, and for their professional future. Here are some advising tips about study abroad for when you talk to your advisees or if they inquire about study abroad.

Global Opportunities

  • Beyond study, there are internship, service learning, performances, field studies, practicums, and more
  • Go Global incudes both domestic and international experiences
  • Students may be taking NDSU courses or studying at a host university, but all are credit-bearing
  • Short-term: winter break, spring break, summer, are often Global Seminars led by NDSU instructors
  • Long-term: semester, summer or academic year, are typically Global Practicums and are immersive

Who We Are

We’re here to help students from initial planning through to when they return. Our staff advises students based their college

Before They Go

  • Identify the best term for your advisee to spend time overseas. If possible, add this to their academic plan document. Let your advisee know if there is more than one appropriate term to study abroad. We have created Discover Your Path sheets that highlight program options that would be a good fit for students based on their majors.
  • Advise them on the best courses they should plan to take while abroad. Will these be courses towards their major, minor, general education requirements or electives? Students may request you to assist them with the Substitute/Waive a Course Form, which can be completed before they go or when they return. The academic department determines how courses taken abroad count towards their major/minor.
  • All students who go on one of our programs will register at NDSU for the semester they will be away. Students who are going on a program lead by an NDSU instructor will enroll in a specific course determined by their department, while those participating in a long-term program will register for, UNIV 492: Global Practicum. They will automatically be enrolled in the correct course through our office.
  • Suggest your advisee drop by to meet with a Peer Mentor about their options. We are located in MU 116 (next to the coffee shop).

While They Are Away

  • Your advisee may make changes to his/her schedule after arriving at the host university and may ask for your advice on the changes. Additional Request to Waive or Substitute Courses forms may be completed at this time as an update to show additional courses that have been approved.
  • Your advisee may need your assistance in registering for the upcoming semester or may be considering extending their study abroad experience for another semester. In this situation the student may need additional guidance regarding course selection.

When They Return

  • If they participated on a longer exchange, direct, or affiliate program, it may 2-5 months for the transcript to arrive from abroad. Encourage the student to regularly contact the university or provider to ensure the transcript will be sent directly to Study Abroad Services for processing.
  • Once the transcript has arrived, a copy will be uploaded to the student’s online study abroad application for them to have access to immediately. The transcript is then processed onto Registration and Records where it may take up to a month for their NDSU transcript fully to be updated.

We are always here to help you and students throughout the study abroad process, so please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.