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International Students

Cultural Connection Hour

Drexel's 5,000 international students come from 117 countries and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to Drexel. The Office of International Students and Scholars Services provides international students with valuable academic, immigration and personal guidance. Students also receive ongoing support and social engagement from the International Graduate Student Association through webinars, airport pick-ups, dinners, and cultural and recreational programs. In addition, the English Language Center offers various academic and student life resources for international students and English language learners.

For more information about applying to Drexel as an international student or for international student resources, visit the Graduate Admissions website.

International Graduate Student Webinar Series

2020 WEBINAR DATES

As new, incoming international graduate students prepare to begin their graduate study at Drexel this fall, we are committed to helping make the transition as smooth as possible. The Graduate College and International Graduate Student Association (IGSA) host a series of pre-arrival/pre-start webinars.

Please see the following on-boarding information sessions (live webinars) for new, incoming international graduate students:

  1. Monday, July 20, 2020 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (US and Canada)
  2. Friday, July 31, 2020 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (US and Canada)

The webinar provides:

 

  • A comprehensive overview of Drexel from the Faculty Advisor of IGSA, Dr. Michael Ryan;
  • A welcome from our the current IGSA President;
  • A panel discussion comprised of current international graduate students, faculty and professional staff members, including representatives from International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) and Health Insurance and Immunizations; and
  • An interactive Question & Answer (Q&A) session about a wide range of topics concerning international students.

If you have any questions about these webinars and/or to RSVP, please contact graduatecollege@drexel.edu.

 

International Student Arrival Guide [PDF]

Living in Philadelphia [PDF]

International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS)

Drexel's International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) serves the University's approximately 5,000 international students from around 117 countries with valuable academic, immigration, financial and personal guidance. ISSS supports international students with valuable resources and support services upon admission through graduation and beyond. For more information please visit the ISSS website or email isss@drexel.edu.

International Graduate Student Association (IGSA)

The International Graduate Student Association (IGSA) advocates for the interests and addresses the concerns of Drexel's international graduate students. As one of the most dynamic and active graduate student organizations, the IGSA augments graduate student life at Drexel for international students and collaborates across the University to offer the following support services.

  • Webinars for new international students which include presentations from faculty and professional staff and time for questions answered by current international students. Webinar topics are related to life in the United States and at Drexel, packing information, banking recommendations, electronics advice, immigration, health insurance and more.
  • Welcome programs for new international students.
  • Shopping trips before classes start to local stores for furniture, electronics and other important supplies.
  • Cultural and informational tours of the Philadelphia and Drexel areas.
  • Group visits to Philadelphia attractions including the zoo and aquarium.
  • Academic and professional workshops valuable for international students related to financial management, English writing, software and technology, career exploration and other professional development.
  • Multicultural receptions and dinners throughout the year for holidays across many cultural backgrounds.
  • Community events during Drexel breaks including Thanksgiving and winter.
  • Hiking, shopping, amusement park and recreational trips throughout the year.

The Executive Board of the IGSA is composed of graduate students, professional staff and faculty advisors. IGSA events and programming are open to all Drexel graduate students. To contact the IGSA, email dsoigsa@drexel.edu.

IGSA Logo

Executive Board Members of the IGSA 2020-2021

President
 Zhouquan (Harry) Fu PhD Program in Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering
Vice President Weixiang Yu PhD Program in Physics, College of Arts and Sciences
Treasurer
 Sumeet Suryawanshi MS Program in Engineering Management, College of Engineering
Co-Director of Social Media and Public Relations Akanksha Bhatnagar PhD Program in Biology, College of Arts and Sciences
Co-Director of Social Media and Public Relations Mohamed Ghayeb MS Program in Marketing, LeBow College of Business
Co-Event Coordinator, Co-Director of Social and Cultural Events Yi (Eva) Liu MS Program in Fashion Design, Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
Co-Event Coordinator, Co-Director of Social and Cultural Events Puneet Sihag MS Program in Information Systems, College of Computing and Informatics
Co-Event Coordinator, Co-Director of Academic Events Sonia Pascua PhD Program in Information Science, College of Computing and Informatics
Co-Event Coordinator, Co-Director of Academic Events Paige Sturrup MA Program in Dance/Movement Therapy, College of Nursing and Health Professions
Event Coordinator, Director of Civic and Personal Development Events Bledar Noka MS Program in Information Systems, College of Computing and Informatics

 

English Language Center

Among many academic and student life resources, Drexel's English Language Center provides high quality English language instruction and support services to English language learners, including English Language Tutoring.

The English Language Center also provides an International Teaching Assistant (ITA) program for new international TAs. The website of the English Language Center has valuable information for new and international students related to housing, dining, banking and the city of Philadelphia.

More Information

For more information on transitioning to the United States, the Philadelphia area and to the Drexel community please see Drexel's Office of Faculty Affairs'
Guidebook for International Faculty which contains information pertinent to international graduate students as well.

The Journal of International Students also offers pertinent webinars related to the international student experience.

For more graduate student resources, visit the More Resources page.