International Students

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

2021 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.

Summer 2021 webinars TBA!

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.

Executive Board Members of the IGSA 2021-2022

President	Shirley Qian	MS Program in Human-Computer Interaction & User Experience, College of Computing and Informatics
Vice President	Ankita Paul	PhD Program in Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering
Treasurer	Bengucan Gunen	PhD Program in Community Health and Prevention, Dornsife School of Public Health
Director of Social Media	Akanksha Bhatnagar	PhD Program in Biology, College of Arts and Sciences
Director of Cultural Events	Cindy Silvero Navarro	MA Program in Music Therapy and Counseling, College of Nursing and Health Professions
Director of Academic Events	Jinjie He	PhD Program in Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
Director of Social Events	Nikhil Ladhe	MS Program in Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering
Event Coordinator	Khiem Nguyen	MS Program in Data Science, College of Computing and Informatics

Contact the IGSA at dsoigsa@drexel.edu.

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.