Information for New J-1 Exchange Students

You've been nominated for an exchange program at Kennesaw State University and have completed your application for a DS-2019. Now what?

The information below provides resources for those initial logistics surrounding your stay at KSU.

Courses

 

KSU offers a wide range of courses that you can register for. The KSU Course Catalog provides a short description of each course offered. When it is time for you to register for courses, you can conduct a search of available courses in Owl Express. Here are some tips to help you with course selection:

ksu studying human skeleton model in class room
  • In the search engine, be sure to select "Kennesaw" and/or "Marietta" in the "Campus" field. Courses for dance, music, theatre, education, business, humanities and social sciences, science and mathematics majors are generally on the Kennesaw campus.  Courses for architecture, construction, apparel and textiles, computer game design and development, computer science, information technology, engineering and physics are generally on the Marietta campus. An approximately 30-minute bus ride separates the campuses. You can find the bus schedule here. 
  • Classes that are open will be marked "Open" in green to the left of the title. If the class is closed this means you cannot take this course, “Closed” classes are marked in red.
  • Some courses require pre-requisites that may prevent you from registering. You can view any pre-requisites by clicking on the course title. If a course has a pre-requisite, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to take it, as special permission may be required.
  • 1000-level courses are introductory courses, while 4000-level courses are advanced courses. We generally do not recommend that exchange students take the 3000- and 4000-level courses, as they may expect the student to have specific prior knowledge built on the lower-level courses.
  • Pay attention to the time that your classes meet.  You cannot enroll in classes that meet at the same time.
  • Some classes have extra fees, which are your responsibility to pay.
  • Undergraduates must select at least 12 credits and may select as many as 15 credits. Graduate students must select at least 9 credits. However, we recommend that you take no more than 12 credits in order to allow yourself to adjust to a new academic environment and to have time to enjoy your experience as well. If you take more credits than your exchange permits, you will need to pay for them.

Housing

ksu campus housing

Most exchange students live on campus in the student dormitories. In the dormitories, students usually have a private room and may have the option for a private bath if openings are available. The ISSS office reserves rooms for the exchange students. However, the students will be required to submit an application and an application fee (if applicable to your program) by a certain deadline in order to confirm the reservation.

If your exchange program requires you to pay for your housing, you can do so online. Be sure to pay by the Housing Payments deadline. All exchange students are required to pay their rent in full by the deadline.

See the Housing Move-in website for a list of items you may want to bring or buy for your room. Please note that sheets, towels, etc. are not provided by the university. Some items may be provided for free by previous students. However, they will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so you should be prepared to purchase these items from Walmart or other stores if they are no longer available. Plan on spending between $200-$400 on supplies for your dormitory.

Students may generally move in the day before International Student Orientation. Students may not move in earlier, so if you are planning to arrive a few days in advance, you should make plans to stay in a hotel. Additionally, students must move in during regular business hours, which are 8am-5pm. Students from countries whose flights arrive in the afternoon are encouraged to arrive to the U.S. the day before move-in so that delays at U.S. Customs and with Atlanta traffic do not prevent them from moving in on the correct date.

Move-out day is generally the day after final exams end. Students who are staying for the whole academic year may stay in the dormitories during the winter break. Students who have completed their final semester at KSU must move out by the move-out date; this is so that KSU Housing can prepare your room for the next student. If you wish to stay in the U.S. after your move-out date, you will need to look into alternative housing options.

Meal Plans

ksu students eating together
KSU has an award-winning cafeteria called The Commons, along with several on-campus restaurants. You can check them out here. Some exchange programs include a meal plan with the exchange. For others, students are required to purchase their own meal plan. Meal plans are approximately $2,000 for three entries per day. Students who are responsible for paying for their meal plans must do so by KSU's final payment deadline. 

Health Insurance and Medical Care

All J-1 exchange visitors are required to have health insurance that meets specific requirements while they are in the U.S. With limited exceptions, exchange students are required to enroll in the university's student health insurance plan (SHIP). You can find the insurance details and cost on the United Healthcare Student Resources website. The process for enrolling in the plan or requesting a waiver can be found here.  

When needing medical care, exchange students have a variety of options in the U.S. However, some insurance will only pay, or will pay more, if you go to one of the doctors or facilities in their network. Be sure to find out if the doctor or facility you wish to visit is part of the insurance provider network by contacting your insurance company or visiting their website.

Where to Go

  • As a KSU student, you can visit the health clinic when you need to get a check-up, immunizations, have a cold, the flu, and in times when your injury or sickness is not very serious. If needed, the clinic can refer you to other doctors or facilities.

    For more information, please visit Student Health. 

  • Counseling & Psychological Services offers a variety of counseling services for currently enrolled KSU students, including group counseling, individual counseling, and psychiatric services to assist students experiencing a wide array of issues, including anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.
  • This person might know your medical history. You can also go to a doctor's office to see a specialist (a doctor who specializes in a certain part of the body.) Sometimes you will not be able to see a doctor for several days. If this is the case and you need more immediate care, please go to one of the other locations (clinic, urgent care, emergency room) for assistance.

  • Choose this option if you need urgent care for injuries and illness but NOT emergencies, such as when you have a bad case of the flu and the clinic is not available, or you think you broke your arm. 

    Urgent Cares are located all over Metro Atlanta.

  • Go straight there if you are experiencing a medical emergency and you need SERIOUS help immediately. If you cannot drive yourself or have someone that can help you, call 911 and an ambulance will take you to the hospital, and you will be transported straight to the emergency room. 

    You should only go to the emergency room if you have an EMERGENCY!

Immunizations

All students are required to show immunity to certain diseases prior to the start of classes. These include: 

  • 2 MMRs (Measles, Mumps and Rubella)
  • 1 TDAP (Tetanus, Pertussis and Diphtheria) shot within the past 10 years
  • 2 doses of chicken pox (Varicella) vaccine or history of disease
  • 3 doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine for persons aged 18 or under at time of entering KSU

To show immunity, have your doctor or nurse complete the Immunization and Tuberculosis Risk Assessment form and submit it to Immunization Services. Students living in the dormitories must also complete the Meningitis Statement. For more information about the immunizations and to download the forms, visit the Immunizations website.