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International Students

SIPI encourages applications from international students, whether currently in the US or abroad. Students who are currently in the US on a student visa may be able to apply the same visa for their study at SIPI. Applicants from outside the US may need to obtain a short-term visa for their summer study.

For anyone who may need a visa, the UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies will assist in the application process. If you think you may need a visa to attend SIPI, we ask that you apply to the program as early as possible to ensure that there is enough time for processing any necessary paperwork on your behalf.

Please note that these visa requirements do not apply to US citizens who are currently attending a non-US institution and would like to study at SIPI.

Examples of typical visa situations:

  • A non-US citizen (including Canadian citizens) is currently in a degree program at a US institution. This student has an F-1 visa for their study at their home institution. Most likely, this same F-1 visa can be used to study at SIPI.
  • A non-US citizen is currently enrolled in a degree program outside of the US. This student will need to obtain a visa for their summer study at SIPI. UW-Madison will assist with the visa application process. Apply to SIPI as early as you can!
  • A US citizen is enrolled in a degree program outside of the US. This student will not need to process any extra paperwork to study at SIPI.

Health Insurance for International Students

All international students at UW-Madison are required to have UW-Madison approved health insurance coverage. International students attending SIPI will either need to enroll in the UW Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or provide a waiver. More details can be found on the SHIP website. International students should be sure to check their wisc.edu email address (or have it forwarded to another account) for any insurance- or visa-related communications from UW-Madison.