Advising for New Graduate International Students |
Advising
All Webster graduate students are required to meet with an academic advisor to obtain a degree plan and review the requirements for their selected academic program. Students may complete this advising session prior to or after applying for admission. An initial advising appointment is required before students can register for their first course. Advising appointments may be conducted via email, by phone appointment, or in person.
International students on F-1 and J-1 visas who intend to enroll at the home campus in Webster Groves, Missouri will be advised by an international academic advisor. Jordan Wienke provides academic advisement for most graduate degree programs at the home campus for international graduate students. Students in specialized programs will be assigned to a faculty advisor by department.
Initial advising appointments may be conducted via email, by phone or in person. Students should schedule telephone or in person appointments in advance by contacting the Academic Advising Center at 314-968-6972 or 1-800-982-3847. Students may contact Jordan Wienke at jordanwienke30@webster.edu for appointments by email.
Graduate International Student Enrollment Requirements
International Graduate students on F-1 and J-1 visas must be enrolled in 6 credit
hours per 9 week terms to maintain full time status. (Students enrolled in a full
program of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes may enroll in less than 6 credit
hours as determined by their academic advisor and the ESL coordinator.). Students
are eligible for a vacation term in the United States after completing four consecutive
full time terms of enrollment.
Students may choose to take a vacation term outside of the United States at any time
in their degree program with permission. Contact International Services for information on travel outside of the United States. For information on applying
for admission, please refer to the International Recruitment and Services web page to apply online.
Orientation Materials
Download our orientation packet, which helps new undergraduate students become familiar with a variety of on-campus and online resources, such as online registration, the online undergraduate catalog and online course schedule, and accessing student email.
Pre-Requisites, Requisites and Course Waivers
Review the graduate materials here.
Drop/Withdrawal Requests
International students on F-1 and J-1 visas must maintain full time enrollment at all times. Students may drop during drop/add periods as long as they remain in the minimum credits required for full time status. As a rule, international students on F-1 and J-1 visas are not permitted to withdraw if such withdrawal reduces enrollment below full-time status. Please see your academic advisor before considering a withdrawal. More about dropping or withdrawing.
Working in the United States
On-Campus Employment: Students on F-1 and J-1 visas are allowed to request permission to work on-campus
for up to twenty (20) hours per week during enrollment sessions. For the current list
of available on-campus employment opportunities, please visit the Career Planning and Development Center's Student Employment Page.
Off-Campus Employment: International students cannot work off-campus without specific legal authorization.
Curricular Practical Training: This allows a student who has maintained F-1 status for at least nine (9) months (or four consecutive full time terms of enrollment) to work within his/her field of study during an approved internship for academic credit. In order to qualify for CPT, students must meet with an academic advisor and obtain a letter of recommendation and register for one to six credits of internship, COOP, practicum, student teaching, etc. Students should consult the faculty in their school or college for specific eligibility requirements for internship-for-credit.
College of Arts and Sciences internships: biological sciences; English. Department of Anthropology and Sociology International Languages and Cultures, Nursing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies (including International Human Rights and International Studies) students will need to contact their faculty advisor.
Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts internships: Art and Art History. Departments of Music, Theater & Dance; students will need to contact their faculty advisor.
School of Business and Technology internships
School of Communications internships
School of Education internships
Optical Practical Training: Optional Practical Training (OPT) allows students to work within their field of study
for up to one year after their degree completion. OPT is work that is applied for
and granted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The student must apply for OPT BEFORE graduation to be eligible by maintaining full
time enrollment for a minimum of 9 months prior to graduation (or four consecutive
academic terms). International Services recommends that students apply for OPT up
to 120 days before graduation. If granted, the student is then allowed to work anywhere
within the US for twelve (12) months full-time or twenty-four (24) months part-time.
OPT is available only once per degree level. (ex. Associates Degree, Bachelor's Degree,
Masters Degree). OPT will not be granted for a second US Bachelor's or Master's degree.
An application for Optional Practical Training must include a letter of recommendation
from the student's academic advisor.