Big 10 Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) Traveling Scholar Program

The Traveling Scholar Program enables doctoral-level students at any CIC university (Big 10 universities and the University of Chicago) to take advantage of educational opportunities--specialized courses, unique library collections, unusual laboratories--at any other CIC university without change in registration or increase in tuition.

A student who wishes to become a CIC Traveling Scholar must first consult with his or her adviser, who will determine whether the off-campus opportunity is likely to enhance the student's education and ascertain that it is not, in fact, available on the home campus.

Admission procedures follow these steps

  • adviser discusses the proposed visit with a colleague at the host university; both faculty members should agree that the student is qualified to take advantage of the visit.
  • adviser sends the student's application, credentials, and details of the visit to the Traveling Scholar Liaison Officer on the home campus.
  • If the home campus Liaison Officer approves the visit, the recommendation and the student's credentials are sent to the host campus Liaison Officer. If both Liaison Officers approve, the home campus officer notifies the student of his or her acceptance as a CIC Traveling Scholar, and both campus officers provide information regarding registration procedures.
  • The application must be completed at least six weeks before the start of classes at the host university. Applications arriving after the deadline may not be accepted by the host university.

Additional Information

  • Visits of Traveling Scholars may not exceed two semesters or three quarters regardless of the number of courses taken.
  • Traveling Scholars remain in registration at their home universities, paying only the regular fees charged when they are in residence. Traveling Scholars are not billed by the host institutions for registration or tuition fees, however they must provide evidence of tuition paid at their home university.
  • Host universities provide access to libraries, laboratories, recreational facilities, housing, etc., on the same basis as they are made available to resident graduate students, which may involve the payment of fees for certain services or benefits.
  • Credit earned by Traveling Scholars is automatically accepted by the home university upon receipt of grade reports or transcripts from the host university.