The ABC of
EXCHANGE STUDENTS
Welcome to El Colegio de México. Thank you for your interest in spending a month, a semester, or a year with us. We are looking forward to receiving your exchange or research stay application!
The academic calendar at El Colegio de México consists of two semesters: Fall and Spring. The Fall semester begins on the first Monday of August and ends on the second Friday of December. The Spring semester begins on the second Monday of January and ends on the first Friday of June. The dates might vary, so you must look at the definitive calendar before taking any travel decisions.
BEFORE GETTING HERE
SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Mexican government offers financial support for this kind of exchange programs through the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID).The application for admission is independent of financial support and there are times when the deadlines do not match, so we recommend considering this and planning ahead.
Visa
If the student stays in Mexico for less than 180 days, there is no need to process a student visa. He/she will stay as a tourist. If the student stays for more than 180 days, it is mandatory to apply for a student visa.
It is not possible to obtain the visa once you arrive into Mexico, nor is it allowed to leave the country and renew your migratory status with a new entry. For more information, students should visit in person the closest Mexican Consulate.Please, note that some countries do need a tourist visa to enter the country as specified here.
MEDICAL INSURANCE
Every foreign student enrolled at El Colegio de México, either for an exchange program or a research stay, must have a valid medical insurance during his/ her stay in Mexico.
Usually, students travel to Mexico with an international medical insurance certificate acquired in their country of origin. However, to make official procedures and reimbursement easier, students can get the medical insurance offered by El Colegio de México. Before your trip, ask for the details (cost, conditions, etc.) of this insurance at the Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo..
Important: In order to enroll in El Colegio de México, every student must file at the Academic Exchange Office, two copies of his/her health insurance policy during his/her first appointment. If the original document is in Spanish, English or French, no translation is needed. If it is in any other language, an unofficial translation of the basic information (name of the student, name of the insurance company, policy number, and coverage) must be attached.
HOUSING
El Colegio de México does not offer an accommodation service for exchange students, although the Academic Exchange Office may be able to advise and provide students with general information regarding rent of rooms and apartments for students in nearby areas. There are also some public websites where foreigners that live temporarily in Mexico City may find accommodation. Some of them are www.compartodepa.com.mx, www.dadaroom.com, www.airbnb.com.
Please notice we are unaware of both the quality and safety of the options available, and we are not responsible for the contractual agreements or the experiences that students might have.
SPANISH COURSES
El Colegio de México does not offer Spanish courses for foreign students during regular semesters.
An option for those students looking for courses taught in English, as well as elementary (A1), basic (A2), and intermediate (B2) Spanish classes, is the International Summer Program. For more information, please contact the Program Coordinator, Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo..
ENROLLMENT AND REGISTRATION
ACADEMIC EXCHANGE OFFICE REGISTRATION
We would like to be your gateway to El Colegio de México and help you with the paperwork you will have to do. Please, get in touch with us as soon as you arrive into Mexico to schedule a brief orientation session.
In this session we will register your arrival, show you the campus, tell you how to enroll in your corresponding Center of Studies, how to get your ID card and how to sign up for the classes you want to take.
During your first visit, please do not forget to bring with you a copy of the migration form given at the port of entry in Mexico and or a copy of your student visa, a copy of your passport (data page) and a copy of your medical insurance certificate.
ENROLLMENT
You must visit your corresponding Center of Studies to notify them of your arrival and request the schedule and the offer of semester courses.
ID CARD
You can get the ID card that identifies you as a student of El Colegio de México and that allows you to make use of the facilities such as the library and the cafeteria at the Student Services Department (Dirección de Asuntos Escolares). To request it, it is necessary to provide a copy of your passport and your immigration documents (either your student visa or the FMM -Forma Migratoria Múltiple- you were given as you entered the country).
COMPUTER ACCOUNT
Once you have your ID, you can request at the Computer Services Department (Coordinación de Servicios de Cómputo) an account to access the computers at El Colegio de México. With it, you will also receive 500 pages of printing or photocopying during the semester (depending on your period of stay at the institution).
You can also request an e-mail account from El Colegio de México or you can ask them to add your current e-mail to the list through which important announcements are made to the community.
COURSE SELECTION
El Colegio offers a wide range of courses that you can consult here.
The first week of the semester you are allowed to attend any courses that might interest you in order to have the information you need to choose the ones you will enroll in. Towards the end of the week you must resgister the selected courses with the administrators of the academic program. Do not forget that at least 3 classes should be taken at your Center of enrollment.
Important: Due to the reduced number of students enrolled in our academic programs, not all the courses are available every semester.
WELCOME RECEPTION
At the beginning of each semester, during the first or second week of classes, the Academic Exchange Office staff organize a reception to welcome all the exchange students at El Colegio de México. In this social event, the students can meet each other and receive information about the different services offered by the institution.
FACILITIES
dining hall and CAFETERIA
El Colegio de México has a dining hall in which you can have breakfast from 7h00 to 10h30 and lunch from 12h30 to 16h30.
Lunch costs 7 pesos if you present your ID.
There is also a small cafeteria where you can find sandwiches, coffee, candy, etc. It remains open until 18h00.
TRANSPORTATION
El Colegio de México offers a free transportation service with established routes and times for students and employees of the institution.
The buses leave from the subway stops Taxqueña, CU, and Juanacatlán, as well as from the corner of Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza and Canal de San Juan, between 7h50 and 8h00.
Buses return to those places from El Colegio de México between 15h10 and 15h40.
At 20h35 a bus will leave El Colegio de México to Taxqueña.
This information might change, so we recommend consulting the current schedule at the General Services Department (Dirección de Servicios Generales).
FIRST AID
In case of minor illnesses and discomforts, the nursing service is available from 9h00 to 15h00 and from 16h00 to 19h00.
CULTURE AND SPORTS
Some of the athletic activities include soccer, volleyball, basketball, zumba and yoga.
Some of the main cultural activities are the choir, the student magazine (Ágora), guided visits and free language lessons (English, German, French, and Russian, among others).
The students can also benefit from multiple lectures, seminars, workshops, book presentations, courses, and symposiums, national and international, which are organized daily at El Colegio de México.
Due to our compact student body, the reception and welcome of the visiting students is immediate and happens naturally.
ACCESS AND PARKING
You must present your student ID to access the facilities. In case you do not have it, it is possible to get in by showing an official ID to one of the security officers. They will exchange your ID for an access badge. On your way out you will get your ID back when you return the badge.
The parking lot is exclusively for the academic and administrative staff until 16h00. At that time, it opens to students with a valid ID.