Preparing for Your Exchange

 

In addition to securing on-campus housing, satisfying any Government of Canada immigration requirements (e.g. study permits, visas, etc.) related to your exchange (see the notes at the bottom of the "How to Apply" webpage to find out when and how to satisfy Canadian immigration requirements), and registering in courses at UAlberta, there are other things you can do to prepare for your exchange at UAlberta: 

Monitoring your ualberta.ca Email Account
  • Once you've been assigned a ualberta.ca email account please be sure to check it at least once a day, every day, until you have returned home after the end of your exchange.
  • You should check its inbox, spam folder, and trash folder daily.
  • This will be important since personnel from UAlberta, for example, might need to get in touch with you to have you act quickly to complete or fix something related to your exchange application or might need to contact you in the event of any emergency.
  • In some instances important emails might only be sent to your ualberta.ca email account and not to any other email account you may possess.
Online Orientation Modules
  • You’ll have access to a series of online orientation modules to help you prepare for your journey to and time at UAlberta.
  • The online orientation modules are only accessible once you've been assigned a Campus Computing ID ("CCID"), and you'll find an entry point to the modules in your Bear Tracks account.
  • Not all of the online orientation modules will be relevant for exchange students.
  • Module completion is voluntary.
Welcome Services and In-person Orientation Events
  • You’re welcome to participate in any relevant welcome services and in-person orientation events that are scheduled before the start of classes each term.
  • Welcome services and orientation events can change in nature, timing, and length from year to year so make sure that any information you find on the ualberta.ca website is correct and up-to-date for the time that you wish to participate.
  • When registering for welcome services and orientation events please identify yourself as an undergraduate student or graduate student if no option is provided to identify yourself as an exchange student.
  • If you wish to participate in any welcome services and/or orientation events offered before the start of classes and you will be living in on-campus housing then you should check with UAlberta Residence Services at housing@ualberta.ca to ensure that you will be permitted to move into your on-campus housing early enough to facilitate your participation.
Virtual Tours of the UAlberta Campus
We invite you to view our “Virtual Campus Experiences” that can help you get a sense of what to expect from our Student Life and Events, Research and Learning, Study Spaces, Sports and Recreation, and Residences.
Avoiding Scams
  • Watch out for scams!
  • Don’t fall prey to scams while preparing for your time in Canada, travelling to and from Canada, and during your time on exchange.
  • We provide advice regarding how to recognize and avoid scams that might target you.

Return to the sitemap of the Incoming Exchange Student Application Guide.

Updated for 2025/26 applications