About International Students
Purchase proudly welcomes dozens of international students every year to live, learn, and exchange ideas on campus. The Office for Global Education supports these students to navigate life at Purchase, and we are here to help the faculty who interact and engage with these students.
If an international student approaches you with questions about credits, withdrawals, employment, or taking a leave of absence, please direct all students to reach out directly to our office by emailing international@purchase.edu
Some important information to be aware of:
Credits
International students must be registered as full-time students; 12 credits for undergraduates and 9 credits for graduates.
Students must complete coursework for their degree within the time allotted on the I-20 form (typically 8 semesters for undergraduates or 4 semesters for graduates.)
Students must notify our office if they are graduating ahead of the date listed on the I-20 form by emailing international@purchase.edu
Withdrawals
Students can only withdraw from a class if it will not drop their overall registration below their full-time status (12 credits for undergraduates and 9 for graduate students.)
While exceptions can be made, there are restrictions governing this; please email us at international@purchase.edu if you are concerned a student might drop below the minimum credit requirement.
Employment
If students have specific requirements around paid AND unpaid work both on campus and off campus, please have them email international@purchase.edu
Leave of Absence
Students must receive authorization from OGE (among other offices) before taking a leave of absence, medical leave, transferring to another school or permanently leaving Purchase College prior to graduation.
Please email international@purchase.edu if you know of a student who is considering one of these options.