Office of International Programs
The Office of International Programs (OIP) supports UT Tyler's mission to create graduates who understand and appreciate human diversity and the global nature of the new millennium by providing our students with opportunities to gain international understanding for participation in the global society. The OIP team is passionate about transforming lives and making UT Tyler a more culturally diverse community. Our ultimate goal is to provide every UT Tyler student with meaningful and safe opportunities to develop intentional and transformative multicultural and global competencies, and to better serve the East Texas region through our globally competent graduates, strategic international partnerships, and multi-disciplinary research collaborations.
The Office of International Programs (OIP) leads UT Tyler's international outreach through programming, advising and collaboration. University preparation is encouraged through
Intensive English Language training and issuance of visa documents to incoming students.
International study and research opportunities are facilitated for current students and faculty through
travel study programs and collaborations with
universities abroad. The OIP is responsible for institutional reports to Homeland Security and leads student compliance with UT System’s health
insurance policies and federal
immigration requirements through advising, workshops and publications. Other institutional-level support includes hosting
international scholars and visiting delegations, international marketing and recruitment, and ongoing international risk management.
Study Abroad and Faculty-Led Programs
The OIP assists students and faculty at UT Tyler to travel abroad and facilitates exchanges with our partner universities. The OIP facilitates four types of study abroad experiences:
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Short-Term Faculty-Led Trips – Travel Study and Recreational Travel experiences organized by UT Tyler faculty and staff vary in length from one to eight weeks, typically occurring over vacation periods such as Spring Break and during the summer term. Often times, these include study abroad opportunities and regional study programs created through collaborations among faculty in multiple departments and colleges.
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Longer-Term Programs – Travel Study at foreign universities through University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) approved semester-long or academic year programs abroad.
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Exchange Programs – Semester or academic year study abroad opportunities at collaborating universities that have an exchange agreement with UT Tyler.
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The Friends of UT Tyler Travel Program – International travel opportunities for community members to travel with UT Tyler faculty who are extremely knowledgeable and experienced in visiting the locations included in the tour, and share their insights and expertise all along the way.
For more information about Study Abroad visit www.uttyler.edu/oip/study-abroad or call 903.565.6155.
International Student, Scholar and Faculty Services (ISSFS) Center
The OIP International Student, Scholar and Faculty Services (ISSFS) Center provides post-admission advising, institutional reporting to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and immigration information and support to UT Tyler's international students through workshops, individual student advising and outreach. International Advisors at the ISSFS Center assist all international students, scholars and faculty who come to UT Tyler for academic study or research purposes, providing services related to F-1 students who wish to study at UT Tyler, as well as information on the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (J-visa) and H-1B petition for international faculty at UT Tyler. OIP ISSFS staff work closely with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a part of the National Security Investigations Division in the Department of Homeland Security, to advise, monitor and report on all nonimmigrant students attending UT Tyler in the F visa classifications and their dependents, as well as work closely with the Department of State (DoS) Exchange Visitor Programs to advise, monitor and report on nonimmigrant exchange visitors in the J visa classification and their dependents. In addition, OIP ISSFS Center staff provide assistance with international health insurance requirements and organize cultural and social programming for UT Tyler international students, students attending the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI), and visiting scholars, faculty and their family members.
For more information visit the Office of International Programs Student, Scholar and Faculty Services Center webpage at www.uttyler.edu/oip/ISSFS.php or call 903.565.5960.
Intensive English Language Institute (IELI)
The Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) is a self-supporting auxiliary unit within the OIP designed to prepare non-native English-speaking students to improve their language and culture skills, successfully meet the requirements of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson Test of English (PTE), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and matriculate into the university. IELI students are non-degree seeking students who take non-credit generating English classes.
The IELI Program is organized into two 8-week sessions each semester (168 instructional hours per 8-week session) and offers seven (7) levels of instruction, based on clock hours, from beginning to advanced levels, ensuring that classes do not exceed an average of 12-15 students in each. Classes meet five days each week (from Monday-Friday), with daily homework (21 hours weekly).
English Waiver for undergraduate students: TOEFL, PTE and IELTS scores will be waived for students who complete Level 6 of UT Tyler’s IELI Program with no grade lower than an A, or those who complete Level 7 with no grade lower than a B.
English Waiver for graduate students: TOEFL, PTE and IELTS scores will be waived for students who complete Level 7 of UT Tyler’s IELI Program, however waiver of the English requirement depends on grades received in the IELI Program and specific English requirements in each college at UT Tyler.
For more information visit the Intensive English Language Institute website at www.uttyler.edu/oip/IELI.php or call 903.565.6155.