Skip Navigation
Education Abroad - College of International StudiesOU HomeEducation AbroadCollege of International Studies

Before Arrival

Apply for a visa / SEVIS payment / Internships

Information on how to apply for a J-1 visa and payment of the SEVIS fee can be found here.

When you enter the US, you will receive a I-94 card.  It is a small, white card you will be asked to fill out at customs.  THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.   Ask if you do not get one and staple it into your passport.  Do NOT leave the Customs area without this card!

Example of I-94 card

Internships and Employment

Because internships do not form a part of our reciprocal exchange agreement between OU and your home university, students cannot obtain authorization for an internship. The program objective as stated on the DS2019 is to be a short-term exchange student.  There are different program objectives for different J-1s.  Once the student enters the US with their DS2019 that states the program objective (student), we cannot change it.  These are US immigration regulations.

If students wish to work for a US company, they must coordinate with that employer to obtain an employment-based visa that will permit them to work in the US.  The University of Oklahoma nor the office of Education Abroad will be able to facilitate this.

Check your immunization record

Oklahoma law requires that all students who enroll as a full-time or part-time student in an Oklahoma public or private post secondary institution provide documentation of vaccinations against:

Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR). 

For more information, please check the immunizations page of Goddard Health Center.

TB Testing Policy

Tuberculosis (TB) testing is done for free at the University of Oklahoma for all incoming exchange students. 

For more information about TB testing, click here.

Housing Information

Fall 2012 mandatory move-in date is August 13, 2012.

Housing applications are available upon acceptance, receiving an OU ID number and email from Exchange Advisor.  Do not contact the Housing office until you have been notified of acceptance.

For further information on housing, please contact Luis Salvatierra at luis@ou.edu
Available housing at OU is the Traditions Square Complexes.

Dates and Academic Calendar

All exchange students are required to be in Norman no later than Monday, August 13, 2012 at 3:00pm.

  Students are not allowed to arrive after classes have begun.

The academic year at OU is nine months long and consists of two fifteen week semesters, followed by a week of final examinations each semester.  The Fall semester begins the third week of August and ends mid-December before the Christmas break.  The Spring semester begins in mid-January and continues through early May. 

To visit the OU Academic Calendar, please click here.

Do not schedule your return flight home before the end of final exam week!

Hotel Reservations

The office hours of any on-campus office are 8:00-5:00pm Monday-Friday.   

If you arrive in Norman anytime after 4:00pm, you will be required to get a hotel room for the night and come to campus the next business day. 

Please click here for more information about lodging for international students.  Note that there are no youth hostels in Norman. Many hotels in Norman have free shuttles that will bring you to campus; ask when making a reservation if this service is available.

Best Airport for Arrival

  • Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City is the airport of arrival for the University of Oklahoma. 
  • It is about 25 minutes by car from Norman. 
  • There are a couple shuttle services that will bring you to Norman from the Airport to the City of Norman for approximately $33 to $38 with $3 for each extra passenger.  Airport Express Service or Oklahoma City Shuttle Service.

Public Transportation in Norman

Information on the CART system can be found here. A map of the Norman bus routes is available for download here.