Incoming Exchange FAQ

To be eligible as an incoming exchange student to UNO, you must be:  

• A current undergraduate or graduate student at UNO’s partner university through University Partnership, MAUI-Utrecht, ISEP, or NSE.  

• Be nominated by your home university coordinator to UNO through the standard nomination process.

The UNO's Incoming Exchange program is offered for the following terms of study. The UNO Academic Calendar can be found at https://www.unomaha.edu/registrar/academic-calendar.php 

• Fall Semester only 

• Spring Semester only 

• Academic Year = Fall Semester+Spring Semester (There are no exchange benefits over Winter Break)

• Calendar Year = Spring Semester+Fall Semester (There are no exchange benefits over Summer Break)

• The tuition and fees should be paid to your home university, while some small fees, housing, meals, and health insurance should be paid at UNO. The detailed and most up to date cost information is shared with your home university advisor during the nomination period. 
• A financial affidavit with an estimated cost of attendance for your exchange is required for the application. 
• 2025-2026 UNO Financial Affidavit for Incoming Exchange Students (opens a PDF)

• Nomination is open: March 15 – April 15 for Fall Semester and Academic Year | September 01 – October 01 for Spring Semester and Calendar Year
• Application is open: March 15 – May 15 for Fall Semester and Academic Year | September 01 – October 15 for Spring Semester and Calendar Year

The application is sent to students via email from their home university coordinator and UNOexchange@unomaha.edu after successful nomination and before 10/15 for Spring and 04/15 for Fall semester. 

All required documents are sent to unoadmissions@unomaha.edu for undergraduate students and gradschool@unomaha.edu for graduate students.

Graduate Dual-Degree exchange students have additional application steps to complete, with directions provided after nomination.

If you are from a non-English speaking country, you will need to provide one of the following proofs of your English proficiency level.

Undergraduate level students:

• TOEFL IBT/PBT 61/500 or TOEFL iBT Home Edition 61
• IELTS/IELTS Online 6.0
• Duolingo English Exam 95
• PTE Academic 44
• ACT English Sub Score 18

Graduate level students:

• TOEFL IBT/PBT 80/550
• IELTS/IELTS Online 6.5
• Duolingo English Exam 105
• PTE Academic 53
• UNO Certificate of English Proficiency completed by student’s professor or instructor of English.

1. Transcript. 
Most up-to-date official transcripts issued in English proving a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate students. No GPA requirement for graduate students. If a transcript isn't issued in English, you must use a certified English translation service. The certified English translation can be completed by a translator who provides a signed statement and indicates that the translation is accurate and true to the original. 

2. English Proficiency. 
Students from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom whose first language is English are exempt from this requirement. Applicants whose first language is not English can submit one of the following:

For undergraduate level of study, TOEFL IBT/PBT 61/500 or TOEFL iBT Home Edition 61. IELTS/IELTS Online 6.0. Duolingo English Exam 95. PTE Academic 44. ACT English Sub Score 18. SAT Reading Sub Score 520. UNO Certificate of English Language Proficiency. ISEP Language Proficiency Report (LPR) B2. Step Pre-1 EIKEN 2304. TOEFL MyBest Scores, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS Indicator are not accepted.  

For graduate level of study, TOEFL IBT/PBT 80/550. IELTS 6.5. PTE Academic 53. Duolingo English Exam 105. UNO Certificate of English Language Proficiency. The proof of English Proficiency should be within 2 years. Other English proficiency exams are not accepted.

The Transcript and English Proficiency must be uploaded to MavLINK - To Do List after the Inbound Exchange to UNO - Application form submission, and then the Claim Account for NUID and UNO Email through the TrueYou Account Self Service. You should check your UNO email daily for important updates. 

You are officially admitted once the Transcript and English Proficiency are accepted. Please expect an email with the subject line “Admission to UNO” and the content “Dear Student Name, Congratulations!...” indicating successful admission. Then, Passport, Financial Affidavit, and Supporting Documents must be uploaded to MavLINK - To Do List - iGlobal after successful admission, to request the initial DS-2019 form for your J-1 visa application.

3. Passport.
Color scan or photo of the biometrics page of your passport, valid for 6 months beyond your intended period of stay or the program end date. 

4. Financial Affidavit. 
Students must provide proof that they have the financial resources to live and study in the United States. Please download the most recent UNO Exchange Financial Affidavit for J-1 Visa to fill out and submit.

5. Financial Supporting Documents. 
To complete the most recent UNO Exchange Financial Affidavit for J-1 Visa, supporting documents that show the total amount listed on page 2, section 2 must be submitted. 

Please refer to the documentation requirements provided to you during the application process as the most up to date information.

• Undergraduate students from all partner universities and networks must take a minimum of 12 credit hours. 9 credit hours must be in person or hybrid in-person instruction for all undergraduate inbound exchange students (minus NSE). If you enroll in more than 15 credits, you will pay the tuition, fees, and other costs associated with the extra credits. 

• Graduate exchange students should enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours and a maximum of 15 credit hours. Among the 9-15 credit hours, at least 6 credits must be graduate-level. If you enroll in more than 15 credits, you will pay the tuition, fees, and other costs associated with the extra credits. Among the 9-15 credits, at least 6 credits must be In-Person or Hybrid-In person instruction. 

• Students on an inbound exchange program from Shizuoka have a minimum and maximum credit load of 12 credit hours for both undergraduate and graduate inbound exchange students. 

• Before admission: Search for UNO courses on Class Search | Registrar | University of Nebraska Omaha (unomaha.edu) https://www.unomaha.edu/registrar/students/before-you-enroll/class-search/index.php 
• After admission: You can search on the website above, or in your MavLINK account 

You will apply online through MavLINK once you receive access to MavLINK. You should apply as EARLY as possible, before 05/15 for Fall Semester and 11/01 for Spring Semester, for your best chance to be assigned a room for on-campus housing.

UNO Housing places applicants to available rooms starting from 11/01 for Spring Semester, based on the order of received applications. The earlier you complete and submit your application to UNO Housing by the deadline, the higher chance you will receive a room assignment.

For incoming exchange students to UNO, an application submitted after 05/15 or 11/01 is very unlikely to receive a room assignment due to the competitive nature of on-campus housing.