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You can take courses for graduation or personal interest as long as they meet SFU residency requirements and you fulfill the host institution's prerequisites.

Start by reviewing SFU's residency requirements, the following courses are restricted and must be taken at SFU: BUS 100/203, 300, 496; BUS 201/202; BUS 217W, 360W; BUS 393; BUS 478; and all upper-division accounting courses. Collaborate with your Academic Advisor to plan your courses for the academic year.

Explore course offerings at your preferred exchange institutions, noting any restrictions, prerequisites, and language requirements. Find links to your exchange institution’s website or course catalog on the Horizons program page.

Use the SFU Beedie Course Planning Database to compare equivalent courses and ensure that your selected business courses meet your program requirements before your exchange. Submit your intended course for Exchange Evaluation if it is not already on the Course Planning Database.

Yes, you can. Contact the Study Abroad Advisor before enrolling in the sequential course to request a course waiver. This includes notifying them if you complete 60 or 90 units abroad to obtain a unit waiver, as some upper division courses have unit pre-requisites.

A full-time exchange requires at least 9 SFU units (typically 9-15), while short-term exchanges may require fewer than 8 units. Be aware that many institutions use different unit systems; for example, in Europe, 2 ECTS = 1 SFU unit. Aim for at least 18 ECTS. Exchange credit ratios are listed on the exchange institutions program page.

Factor in your extracurriculars and strive for balance to ensure a successful term abroad.

All course grades from your exchange will transfer to SFU as Pass or Fail (P/F). Since partner institutions may have different grading systems, you must understand their guidelines to ensure you pass. Your SFU CGPA will remain unchanged if you pass all exchange courses.

After your exchange, you must apply for exchange credit; courses do not transfer automatically. Refer to "How to Apply for Exchange Credit" for details on transferring your courses to SFU.

When applying for graduate programs requiring undergraduate transcripts, you may be requested to include all transcripts from your host institution and they will show your final grades.

Most programs provide resources or partnerships for housing. Check the SFU Horizons page for accommodation details related to your program, including to see whether your host institution offers on campus accommodations.

Living costs vary by country and region. Your expenses will primarily include housing, food, and travel, with costs determined by your chosen destination. Use Numbeo for cost-of-living comparisons. Do not forget to factor in the Exchange Program Fee, SFU tuition, airfare, and daily expenses. The Budget Planning Worksheet can help you estimate costs.

For most institutions, students continue to pay all tuition, supplementary fees, and special fees to SFU at their domestic or international rate, while being exempt from host institution tuition. For full-time exchanges, tuition is equivalent to twelve units per term; for short-term programs, students pay the maximum units available. All students are charged at normal and course challenge rates, not subject to special rates, including those from the SFU Beedie School of Business.

Students must cover the costs of any additional special courses, like language courses, at the host institution.

Select institutions are “direct fee-paying,” meaning students pay tuition and required fees directly to the host institution, which will communicate the rates. Students will not pay any tuition or fees to SFU for these programs. The program page indicates if a program is direct fee-paying.

Yes, but it may delay graduation. You must remain an active undergraduate student and cannot have applied for graduation before or during the exchange. Expect a delay of up to four months for credits to appear on your SFU transcript. International students should consult an International Student Advisor regarding the post-graduate work permit and enrollment implications.

Overall, we recommend going on exchange earlier in your program, if possible.

As a business major, you can apply to all partner institutions* but prefer those marked as business partners. Verify that non-business preferred institutions offer business courses before applying.

You may appeal against this requirement on a case-by-case basis. Consult your Beedie Study Abroad Advisor and a Study Abroad Officer before applying to appeal the CGPA requirement. Learn more about the exchange appeal and if you may be eligible to apply for one: Eligibility and Selection.

The primary deadline to apply for exchange is January 10. This deadline applies to students planning to go abroad in the upcoming Summer, Fall, or Spring terms. For example, the January 10, 2025, deadline is for students wishing to go abroad in Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026.

A secondary deadline of May 25 is available for any remaining spaces from the January deadline. This deadline applies to students aiming to go abroad the following Spring term. For example, the May 25, 2025, deadline is for available spaces in the Spring 2026 term.

As a Business Minor student, consult your major program's academic advisor to complete the Advisor Discussion Worksheet, which helps clarify your program requirements.

Most business minor courses should be taken at SFU, except for BUS 341 Fundamentals of Marketing and BUS 311 Introduction to Managerial Accounting and Financial Management, which can be completed abroad. If taken on exchange, these will be credited as:

BUS 311 → BUS 312
BUS 341 → BUS 343

This recognition applies only to these two courses while abroad; if taken at SFU you are expected to complete the minor courses. Check the Course Planning Database for course equivalencies to ensure alignment with your academic goals.

You must complete the entire exchange term, which may require missing a semester at SFU. Some students choose to go on exchange in the Spring term and then take the Summer term off. You can find your host institution’s term dates on the Horizons program page.

Please note: During your exchange term, your SFU transcript will display “FEP,” a placeholder that keeps you active in the SFU course enrolment system while you are abroad. However, this placeholder is only valid for the duration of your exchange term. If you take a term off after your exchange (e.g., abroad in Spring 2025, taking Summer 2025 off, and returning to SFU in Fall 2025), your status in the SFU course enrolment system may be affected, which could impact your registration date and time for future terms.

You can express a preference to go with friends in your application, but it is not guaranteed. Indicating this preference allows the team to assist if adjustments can be made.

Many SFU Beedie preferred partners offer entire programs in English. However, some may have limited English options, so check the host institution’s course offerings before applying.

Students on a Fall exchange may extend into Spring, depending on availability. If you are considering a longer stay, we strongly recommend you apply for a two-term exchange initially rather than applying for an extension.