Health and safety are SJSU’s primary priority. With this in mind, we have aligned fully with the San José State University COVID-19 vaccination policy. In accordance with this policy, we strongly recommend that all students participating in an SJSU Study Abroad and Away (SAA) program be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. 

Our primary focus in aligning with the SJSU vaccination policy and respecting local, regional, national, and international regulations/requirements is to ensure our students, faculty, and staff enjoy a successful and healthy experience abroad/away, and to respect and support the wellbeing of the communities in which we operate programs.

Please note that if there is an external (non-SJSU) mandate, regulation, guideline or policy requiring proof of vaccination or testing for any portion of the study abroad and away program, students must comply with these requirements; exemptions will not be allowed. 

We have added an easy to identify label to program brochures to quickly identify programs that have a component(s) that will require proof of full vaccination. If you see this label, it means that you will need to be fully vaccinated to participate in the program. 

Group programming (Faculty-led Programs and Alternative Break Programs)

Group study abroad/away programs (Faculty-Led Programs and Alternative Break Programs) will follow the SJSU health and safety protocols and vaccination mandates as they are on campus, as well as any location-specific health and safety protocols of the host organization/city/country. 

On a short-term program, students travel as a group, sharing hotel rooms and local transportation (namely coach buses, trains, etc). Students participating in Faculty-led Programs are also completing 3-6 academic units in an expedited time frame. As such, if a student were to miss any of the program or not be allowed to participate in a program component because proof of vaccination is required, they would not be able to successfully complete the program. 

Some partner organizations, hotels, museums, and other excursion/site visits on our Faculty-led Programs may require proof of full vaccination. Some countries may require quarantine upon arrival for unvaccinated travelers and/or rigorous and frequent testing protocols and regulations. If there is a required quarantine for fully vaccinated travelers mandated upon arrival, and it is a) prohibitively long or b) prohibitively expensive, SAA reserves the right to cancel the program to mitigate and reduce any unnecessary financial burdens that may be a result of such a policy.

Individual/Independent Study Abroad Programs (SJSU Exchange, ISEP, CSUIP, Summer School Abroad)

SJSU’s individual/independent study abroad programs include SJSU Exchange, ISEP, CSU IP and Summer School Abroad. Entry requirements are constantly evolving, and although a COVID-19 vaccine requirement may not be required upon application to an individual study abroad program, vaccination could be required at a later date if there are changes in country-specific entry requirements. Students participating in individual study abroad programs are required to adhere to location-specific health and safety protocols of the host organization/city/country.