Required Documents and Information

You must have an academic reference and non-academic reference submitted as part of your application. Your references will receive an email from our application system requesting they provide the reference. You do not need to submit a separate letter.

Provide Your Reference in Journey

In Journey, enter the contact information for both of your references. We recommend you enter this information at least four weeks before the application deadline to give your references adequate time. Late references will result in a late application.

Reference Guidelines

Update: Academic reference is not required for 2023/24 applications, only non-academic reference is required.

An academic reference is someone who can comment on your academic performance at Laurier and can be a:

• professor or contract faculty member
• teaching assistant
• lab instructor
• instructional assistant

A non-academic reference is someone who knows you in a non-academic setting and can speak about your character. This can be a:

• doctor
• religious leader
• coach
• supervisor or employee

Your non-academic reference cannot be a family member, peer, fellow student, friend or Laurier International staff member.

The Departmental Approval Form is the list of courses you’d like to take while on exchange that has been reviewed and approved by your Academic Advisor or Program Coordinator.

1. Access Journey to download the form. You can find the form under the Document Library tab.
2. List your selected courses on the Departmental Approval form and have it signed by your advisor or coordinator.
3. Save the file using the naming convention Lastname_Firstname_Dept and have it ready when you begin your exchange application.

If the institutions you list on your online application are different from your Department Approval form, the Department Approval form will be taken as correct since it has been approved by your Academic Advisor or Program Coordinator.

BBA, Economics and Double Degree Students

Email the Departmental Approval Form, with courses listed, to BBAadvising@wlu.ca as a Word document. Exchange-related documents cannot be processed during the first few weeks of January as advisors need to prioritize assisting students with concerns related to the winter term. Be sure you submit your form with enough time to have it approved and returned to you by the application deadline.

Communication Studies Students

Email csaadv@wlu.ca before December to schedule an appointment with your Academic Advisor. There are limited appointment times in December and early January, to be sure you schedule your appointment and have your form approved by the application deadline.

Tell us about yourself! Answer the questions in the Letter of Motivation template found in Journey so we can learn more about your reasons for wanting to study abroad, including academic reasons.

The total word count of all your answers should not exceed 700 words. Don’t include the questions in your word count. The questions we ask are:

• Why do you want to study abroad?
• How did you decide what your top four choices would be? Please be specific for each choice, including academic reasons. If you didn’t select four choices, please tell us why.
• What do you hope to learn from your study abroad experience?
• How does an exchange term fit with your overall personal or professional goals?
• What will be your biggest challenge to overcome to have a successful study abroad experience? How do you plan to overcome it?
• Please describe any extra-curricular activities that involve a cross-cultural or community-building dimension.
• Please describe any extra-curricular activities that demonstrate your leadership skills.

You must include a photocopy or scan of the photo page of your passport with your application.

If your passport is expired, submit a copy of the expired passport then submit the updated copy when it’s available.

A copy of your passport is required as our partner institutions require your name as it is listed on your passport to create a document supporting your exchange.

If you consider yourself an Indigenous person and aren’t traveling on a Canadian passport, contact the Indigenous Student Support Centre about this section of the application and submit a document stating this. An Indigenous person is a member of the First Nation (status or non-status), Inuit or Métis people of North America.

Submit Your Passport Photocopy

There is no form to complete to submit your passport copy. Your passport copy will be submitted through Journey, which provides a secure way to submit your information. 

1. Include your passport as an attachment to your application.
2. Save the document using the naming convention, Lastname_Firstname_Passport.

You must read through the Laurier Student Exchange Participant Agreement (formerly called "Acknowledgement of Risk") in Journey to ensure you understand what’s expected of you and the risks involved with going on exchange.

Topics covered include courses, transcripts, visas, fees, student conduct and more.

Allow at least 60 minutes to go through the information.

You must indicate the funding sources you have to ensure you are able to cover the expenses incurred while on exchange. We recommend you compile your budget information before you begin the application.

This information is entered directly into the application (there is no separate form).

Entering Budget Information

When you enter your budgeting information, ensure all amounts are entered in Canadian dollars.

Complete the budget information for the most expensive of the four institutions you chose, and only enter information for one term even if you are applying for exchange for two terms.

You can save your information and come back to it if you need to, but you must submit the budget information by the application deadline.

Expenses and Funding Sources

The budgeting information you’ll enter will be divided into expenses and funding sources.

Expenses can include, but are not limited to:

• tuition and fees you’ll pay to Laurier for the exchange term
• airfare
• health insurance and medical costs
• meals/food
• in-country travel and entertainment costs
• accommodations

Funding sources can include, but are not limited to:

• personal savings
• family contributions
• OSAP
• grants and awards that you know you’ll receive (not just ones you’ve applied for)
• fundraising
• bank loans

If you plan on attending a partner institution where the language of instruction is not English, or plan to take courses in a language other than English, you must complete a Language Assessment Form.

Confirm the language of instruction at your chosen partner institution, and any courses are taught in multiple languages.

Complete the Form

You can find the Language Assessment Form in Journey.

1. Submit the form to the Languages and Literature department and allow three weeks for your form to be processed.
2. Include the signed assessment document with your application.
3. Save your language assessment form using the naming convention, Lastname_Firstname_Language.

If your GPA is between 6.0 and 6.9, you must have a GPA Waiver Form signed by your academic advisor. Once signed, have your academic advisor email the waiver to exchange@wlu.ca. When you complete your exchange application, note on the application the name of the advisor who will be emailing the waiver.

Submitting this form doesn’t guarantee an exchange placement.

Kinesiology students aren’t eligible for a GPA waiver and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 7.0 to go on exchange.

If your GPA is below 6.0, you’re not eligible to go on exchange and your application won’t be accepted.

Get the Form

1. Access the GPA Waiver Form in Journey from the Document Library tab.
2. Save your GPA Waiver Form using the naming convention, Lastname_Firstname_GPA_Waiver.