Please pay special attention to the action items listed below. All deadlines listed are dates by which items are due to Northeastern. Some materials require that you submit these items to the program director at your home institution who will submit them to Northeastern on your behalf. Please communicate with your program director to determine your deadline for submission so that items can be sent to Northeastern by the dates listed. Deadlines are final and must be followed to assure timely processing.

Jump to Section

Action items to be completed by you directly

myNortheastern Account Activation

All Northeastern students are given access to their own student portal through which most University services and processes are offered. Features include: housing application, billing & payment information, access to Blackboard (used by professors to post the course syllabus and assignments), a gmail account and many more.

Before the expected availability date listed above, you will receive an e-mail from Robin Cohen with your student ID number and PKID number. The PKID number is required for account activation. Please closely follow the instructions for myNortheastern account activation.

Activate your account as soon as possible so that you are able to complete the application in time.

Back to Top

Housing Options / Application

Exchange students are not required to live on campus. Students may choose to apply to live in on-campus housing, or can decide to find an apartment off-campus. A lease for an off-campus apartment usually requires that students commit to one full year.

On Campus Housing

Application Available: 1-2 business days after payment of deposit
Application Deadline: 21 April 2019

Housing selection for the general population occurs before exchange students have been nominated by their home institution. For this reason, special arrangements have been made with NU Housing & Residence Life to set aside a limited number of rooms for incoming exchange students. These are single or double occupancy rooms. The cost varies based on building and bedroom type. Students are not able to choose between the different buildings as they are housed based on availability. Specific residence halls and roommates cannot be guaranteed.

2018-2019 Rates – subject to change for 2019-2020
Housing Cost (room): $5,870.00 – $6,070.00 per semester
Profiler Meal Plan: $445-1,845 (25-110 meals)
**meal plan is required in traditional residence halls and is optional in apartment style dorms

Submit your application online via myNortheastern. Before submitting, please carefully read the housing application instructions.

  • If you submit the application for on campus housing, you will be notified end-July/early-August of your housing assignment. If a space is not available for you, you will be notified at this time as well. Notifications are sent to your Northeastern e-mail address.
  • If you choose not to apply for housing, you will not be able to request accommodation on campus after the deadline.
  • If you apply, accept and move in to your assigned residence, you will be billed for the entire semester even if you decide to vacate the residence before the end of the housing contract.

Off Campus Housing

Boston is a “college town” with over 50 institutions of higher learning in and around the city. This means that the population of Boston increases noticeably each Fall. This also means that there are many opportunities to find apartments that will lease to college students. This can be a competitive process. Below you will find some information to get you started in the apartment search.

Off Campus Student Services at NU maintains a listing of real estate agencies in the Boston area as well as lists of available apartments and other students looking for roommates. Be sure that you check out the information listed under the “Apartment Search”. There is a specific section for International Students where you will find a lot of important information including:

  • descriptions of Boston neighborhoods
  • legal rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords
  • information about renter's insurance
  • leasing information and frequently used abbreviations

To search the on-line apartment database, you will first need to register. You can register as a “Guest” if you do not yet have access to your myNortheastern account.

Other websites that may be useful when searching for an apartment in Boston are listed below.  Please be careful when you request information, make payments or sign any documents before you have had the chance to visit the property or meet the individual renting the apartment. It is wise to enlist the help of a realty company if you plan to arrange for an apartment without personally being in Boston. Realty companies often charge a fee to provide their services, but provide additional security and the certainty that you are dealing with a legitimate landlord. Always be sure to obtain a record of any payments made and avoid making cash payments without a receipt.

Find more information on Boston neighborhoods, leases and the apartment search in the Incoming Exchange Student Handbook.

Note: Leases usually run for the duration of one full year. While most landlords welcome students as tenants, many require the signature of a financial guarantor and may require that this guarantor is a US Citizen. The Business School is not able to sign as a guarantor.

Back to Top

Student Visa Application

myOGS Access Available: 24 hours after myNortheastern account activation
Deadline: 22 April 2019

This program sponsors international students for a J-1 Exchange Student Visa. All students (except US citizens and permanent residents) must enter the US on this type of visa. Other types of US visas are not supported by this exchange program.

In order to receive the visa, students must visit the US Embassy or Consulate in their home country. Before making a visa appointment, the student must have the visa eligibility form (DS-2019). This form is generated by the Office of Global Services (OGS) at Northeastern University. In order to receive this form, students must follow the steps outlined below:

Step 1: Your myNortheastern Account must be active. See myNortheastern Account Activation for activation details. You will use the myNortheastern logon information to access your myOGS account – creation of this account can take up to 24 hours after the myNEU account is first activated.

Step 2: Complete the e-form, which you can find in the myOGS Guide. Be sure to follow all steps and submit a complete application. Illegible or incorrect documents will result in a delay in your DS-2019 form and will delay the visa process.

Begin to prepare the following documents now. You will be asked to upload scanned copies of the originals to the myOGS form. All documents must be in PDF or JPG format with an image quality of at least 3 megapixels.

1. Identity page of your valid passport – must be valid for at lest 6 months after expected completion date: 14 December 2019 for 1 semester exchange; 24 April 2020 for 2 semester exchange.

2. Original financial documents showing a balance that is related to your duration of study at NU (see specific amounts below)
1 Semester of study: at least $6,764 USD
2 Semesters of study: at least $13,526 USD

  • All financial documentation must be in English or an official notarized translation must be attached to the original.
  • All financial documents must be dated within 9 months of your program start date – 1 September 2018.
  • All financial documentation must be from liquid assets that can be immediately accessed.
  • Proof of financial support can be in the form of any ONE of the following:
    i)  A letter from your bank, or your parents' bank certifying that the account holder has enough funds to cover the amount listed above. See a sample letter here.
    ii) A bank statement of your account, or your parents' account, that shows enough funds to cover the amount listed.
  • If your funding comes from someone other than yourself (i.e. Parents, Grandparents, etc) you will also need to upload a completed affidavit of support.

You will need to enter personal data (full legal name, date & place of birth, citizenship, permanent home address). You will also be asked to attest that you have read, understood and intend to comply with J-1 health insurance requirements. Read more about this requirement in the Health Insurance section of this website.

DS-2019 forms should be ready by late June. They will be mailed directly to the contact at your home institution, who will distribute them to you.

You must present this eligibility form along with other documentation at your local US Embassy to complete the second part of the process and receive the J-1 exchange student visa. You can find some information about the process on the OGS website, but be sure to visit the website of the US Embassy in your home country to find out exactly what documentation and fees they require.

We suggest that you do not schedule an appointment at your embassy before July as you may not have the DS-2019 document until then.

You can enter the US on a J-1 student visa up to 30 days prior to the start date on the visa. You may NOT enter the US on a tourist visa.

Back to Top

Action items to be submitted by your home institution's program director

English Proficiency

Deadline: 26 April 2019
Submit to: Program Director at your home institution

All international students at Northeastern are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS results before they are enrolled in classes.

  • TOEFL scores below 100iBT will require additional English classes at Northeastern.
  • Students with scores less than 79iBT will not be accepted to study in the program.
  • IELTS scores below 7.0 will require additional English classes at Northeastern.
  • Students with scores less than 6.0 will not be accepted to study in the program.

Back to Top

University Transcript

Deadline: 12 April 2019
Submit to: Program Director at your home institution

Submit a scanned copy of your most recent transcript along with a list of subjects currently in progress.

Back to Top

Course Selection & Enrollment

Form Submission Deadline: 12 April 2019 (will be finalized at orientation)
Submit to: Program Director at your home institution

A regular course load at Northeastern is 4 courses (16.0 credit hours total). The expectation is that students carry a full academic course load while at Northeastern. Enrollment in less than 4 courses is not allowed. The exchange agreement allows a maximum of 16.0 credit hours, any student who wishes to take additional courses will be charged at the full NU tuition rate for credits that exceed the 16.0 maximum.

Please use the Course Selection Form to indicate your choices. We ask for at least 10 options so that we can accommodate class schedules and in the event that a course fills to capacity.

Please choose from the course offerings for Fall 2019.

If you wish to take courses outside of the School of Business, you may request to do so at your orientation session. Please be aware that the Economics Department is not part of the School of Business at Northeastern.

You will automatically be registered for courses. Once you have been registered for classes, you will be able to see your schedule in the myNortheastern system. DO NOT make any changes to this schedule. Your class registration is not final until Orientation day and your registration is subject to change.

You will receive your final course schedule at Orientation.

Back to Top

Informational Items  

Academic Calendar

The current academic calendar can be found on the Registrar's website. You will want to use it as a guide, but be aware that dates may change.

Suggested arrival date: Tuesday, 27 August 2019 (residence hall move-in begins this day)

First day of classes: Wednesday, 4 September 2019 (attendance mandatory)

Last day of final exams: Friday, 13 December 2019 (makeup day is Saturday, December 14th)

Back to Top

Orientation Programs 

Mandatory School of Business Exchange Orientation: Saturday, 31 August 2019
Mandatory Immigration Clearance Session: Date to be announced

Specific times and locations will be communicated to you via e-mail in August.

You are required to attend these orientation sessions, where you will:

  • Learn about necessary policies & procedures
  • Complete Immigration Clearance
  • Get important J-1 visa information
  • Receive your class schedule

Note: there are many different types of orientation sessions occurring at NU during this time. You are only required to attend the two sessions listed above. The other sessions that are held by the D'Amore-McKim School of Business are for freshmen and transfer students and the information does not apply to you.

Back to Top

Health Insurance Requirement  

Exchange students studying at NU for one semester only are not required to purchase the Northeastern Health Plan (NUSHP). Exchange students are required to meet the health insurance standards of the J-1 visa. Please carefully read through the information provided below to better understand your options for health insurance while in the US.

The US healthcare system is entirely privatized, and healthcare is very expensive. There are no government programs that reduce healthcare costs for international students, and students can often be required to pay out of pocket for healthcare expenses if they cannot provide the doctor or hospital with a valid US health insurance card. It is wise for ALL international students to carry a US based health insurance plan while studying in the US.

J-1 Visa Requirements

As an international student studying in the US, you are required by law to have adequate health insurance coverage as defined by visa requirements.  All J-1 exchange visitors are required by the U.S. Department of State to procure medical insurance for the entire duration of their J-1 program in the United States. Failure to maintain required health insurance coverage is a violation of J-1 status and may result in loss of valid immigration status and termination from the Exchange Visitor Program. Relevant U.S. Department of State regulations are published in the Code of Federal Regulations [22 CFR 62.14]. J-1 Exchange Visitors must obtain a health insurance policy that meets or exceeds these benefits:

  1. Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness;
  2. In case of death, repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000;
  3. Expenses in the amount of $50,000 associated with medical evacuation of the J Exchange Visitor to their home country;
  4. A deductible amount not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

You are required to attest that you have read the information regarding health insurance minimums and pledge to obtain and maintain insurance that meets all of the requirements for the duration of your J program when you submit the visa application. Failure to abide by these regulations will result in the termination of your J-1 Exchange program.

Medical care in the US system can be extremely expensive and we suggest that you purchase a plan that will provide you with plenty of coverage. You should consider coverage that compares to the NUSHP plan outlined below.

NUSHP – Northeastern University Student Health Plan is the only plan endorsed by NU.  It is offered to all students, and is the most complete coverage available.  This plan will cover you for routine care as well as emergencies.  Coverage is through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, a well recognized US health insurance provider.  Please read more about NUSHP benefits on their website.

If you decide to enroll in this plan, you will need to complete a petition to enroll form. Completing this form authorizes NU to bill your student account for the cost of a full year of the insurance plan. If you are only studying in the US for one semester, you have the option of terminating your coverage in December and being reimbursed the remainder of the fee. You may do this by completing the petition to terminate form. Please also refer to the deadlines and fees for the NUSHP plan.

Back to Top

Expected Costs & Fees

While specific costs vary by student and depend greatly on spending habits, we have compiled a list of expected costs and fees. These are limited to fees that you can expect to pay at Northeastern and do not include entertainment costs and estimates for any travel you may choose to do while in the US. Please be aware that these are estimates based on published costs for the 2017-2018 academic year. These are subject to increase by 3-5% for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Back to Top

Making Payments

Once you have activated your myNortheastern account, you will have access to your NU Bill. This is where the University will charge fees for on-campus housing, health insurance and other University fees outlined in the expected costs and fees above. You can make payments to your account via the “NUPAY” link on your myNEU portal. Payments are accepted via international transfer, wire transfer and direct deposit to the University. Please find more specific information regarding payments and money transfers on the Student Financial Serviceswebsite.

All payments are expected to be paid in full within the first two weeks after the start of the semester.

If you are unable to pay the full amount of your bill by that time, you may choose to enroll in a payment plan that will split your payments into smaller increments each month. You can find more specific information about the payment plan under Financing Options on the Student Financial Services website. Failure to pay your bill or enroll in the payment plan by the due date will generate a late charge.

Back to Top

Incoming Exchange Student Handbook

Please download the Incoming Exchange Student Handbook as a guide to your time in Boston. This guidebook is designed to give you important information regarding pre-arrival, arrival, living in Boston and studying at NU. It should answer many of the questions you have and help you with the transition to your new home away from home.

Back to Top