International Graduate Student Resources

Resources for our international community studying in our graduate executive programs.

University of the Cumberlands Executive Programs are designed to meet the need of both international and domestic students seeking Masters and Doctoral level studies in the U.S. On-campus class days include personalized interaction with UC faculty and renowned guest speakers, tying course topics to current business trends.

Our Executive Programs include hybrid course days designed for international graduate students studying in the U.S., or domestic students seeking a hybrid-format program. We strive to incorporate professional experience and real-world application of course curriculum into our programs to enhance the learning experience. Practical Training is an integral part of program coursework and available to all students. At the University of the Cumberlands our degree programs focus on quality education at an affordable price.

Executive Program students take three (3) courses per semester. The program semester is based on the existing UC semester calendar, with three (3) annual semesters: fall, spring, and summer. Two of the courses each semester focus on the specific program content. Additionally, students will be required to attend an intensive residency weekend as part of their course enrollment each term. The third class includes an Applied Learning Practicum, in which students apply what they are learning in their other two courses to the real world via work or internship experiences.

Executive graduate students celebrate following Commencement

Executive Academic Programs

University of the Cumberlands Executive Programs are designed to meet the need of both international and domestic students seeking graduate degrees.

Registration and Orientation

Registration and Orientation

Use the information found here to get you started on campus. Our student success coordinators can help guide you in course registration and get you set for orientation.

Registering for Courses Registering for Next Semester Executive Orientation Residency Session Dates Move Right

After your first semester, you are able to self-register for your courses in MyUC once a registration period is open.

When you are registering please make sure that you register for 7 credits if you’re on F1 Status. One main residency course, one online course either B1 (First bi term) or B2 (Second Bi term) and INTR599 (Masters Level) or INTR 799(PhD Level) or INTR 899 (Dissertation stage).

To find the RESIDENCY courses, utilize the advanced search function and filter by building. To find online courses, you will have to remove this filter and search by “Part of Term” for first bi-term and second bi-term. INTR courses will be in the full term, but will not have a building code. Additionally, all dissertation courses are in the full term and not offered in bi-term (8 week) format.

Note: The 3 credit hour residency courses (full-term courses) also have section numbers that are associated with their location. Those sections numbers are as follows:
NKY – 20 through 29
Seattle – 30 through 39
DC area – 40 through 49
Dallas – 50 through 59

Viewing Schedule Details in MyUC by going to Academics > View My Courses

Additional Information

Important Dates

Check the Academic Calendar page for important dates in each semester.

Terms of interest for Executive-format students are the Full Term (16 weeks), First Bi-Term (8 weeks), and Second Bi-Term (8 weeks).

Payment Plans

You will want to set up a payment plan at the beginning of each semester. Payment plans are processed by the campus Office of Student Accounts. If you have questions regarding payment plans, tuition balance, or payments please contact studentfinancial [at] ucumberlands.edu (studentfinancial[at]ucumberlands[dot]edu) . You can also access your balance and make payments by logging into MyUC.

If you are wanting to set up a payment plan so that you can pay in installments, you will need to do that through the MyUC.

Tuition Hold

Tuition holds are placed on student accounts by the Office of Student Accounts. If you have an outstanding tuition balance for the current semester then you will not be able to register for courses until your tuition balance has been paid in full or you are up to date on all payments in a payment plan. You can make a payment by logging onto your MyUC.

To view your balance and/or make a payment in MyUC, you will need to do so through the MyUC.

Address Hold

This stop will prevent you from registering for courses in the future. To avoid any delays in future registration periods, you will need to update your address in MyUC.

Once at the above link, please click the ellipsis at the top, left-hand corner of the page (4 boxes in the corner).
Then, you will simply select “Personal Information” > “View Addresses and Phones.”
Then, you will need to select “Update Addresses and Phones.”

On this page, you will need to click on “Current” beside the address or phone number that you want to edit. Before submitting the address changes, you must also enter the date in which you want the address change to be effective (valid) from. You do not have to enter an end date for the address. Click “Submit” to finalize the changes.

The Department of International Graduate Services will contact you via your UC student email as registration for the next term approaches. Please remember that you are required to register for (one) main class, (one) online class, and Applied Learning Practicum each semester in order to maintain your F1 status – late registration will not be accepted and can result in the termination of your student status.

Once you register for a class you will want to make note of the residency weekend that your class is scheduled, as that is the only session for that class that will be scheduled for the semester. You will need to be sure to plan your travel accordingly to ensure that you are in attendance for the full residency session.

Registration is done on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once a course is full, there will not be additional seats added, as we cannot exceed classroom seating capacity; therefore, it is advised that you register for classes as much in advance as possible. As a reminder, students cannot register for future semesters until their current tuition balance is paid in full.

University of the Cumberlands and the Department of International Graduate Services are excited for you to join us as a Patriot! To help with your transition into our graduate program, the Department of International Graduate Services (DIGS) hosts an orientation for new international students at the start of each semester. Make sure you keep the orientation date in mind when making your travel plans.

Additional Information

What Happens at Orientation?

During orientation, international student advisors and faculty discuss a variety of topics to help you learn about maintaining your immigration status and being successful at University of the Cumberlands. We plan a full schedule of sessions to get you acquainted with the University and provide many opportunities to answer your questions.

Sessions will include topics such as accessing your MyUC account and immigration compliance. These sessions will introduce you to your responsibilities as an F1 student and review university expectations. Each session provides detailed information about your rights and responsibilities as an international student.

Student Immigration Check-In

Immigration regulations require F-1 students to report to International Graduate Services after they arrive in the United States. Students transferring to UC from another institution must also report. A hold from International Graduate Services will remain active on your student account until all check-in and orientation sessions have been completed.

Prior to Arriving What to Bring

These dates have been set, however, if any changes are made they will be made prior to registration for that semester. Not all dates are available at each residency location.

You can view your semester schedule in your self-service portal in your Student Profile. Once you log into your myUC account, click on Academics and then Current Schedule. Your schedule details will indicate the date and location of your residency weekend.

You can find information on the residency site locations here.

Summer 2024 (May 6th – August 23rd) Fall 2024 (August 26th – December 13th)

Residency Session Information

Basic information to get you ready for your on-site Residency Session

Residency Weekend Dates

Residency Session dates are determined by the course that you are registered for. Save these important dates!

Times for Residency Sessions

Meet one weekend each semester during the same scheduled hours. This allows for meaningful coursework.

Residency is Mandatory

All three days are mandatory and requests to arrive late or leave early will not be approved. Plan accordingly.

Make-Up Sessions

A missed session will result in a make-up session, and a $300 session charge. Sessions are held on our Williamsburg campus.

Registering for Next Semester

We will contact you via your UC student email as registration for the next term approaches. Late registration is not accepted.

Highline Seattle site location

Residency Site Locations

Plan out the in-seat components of your executive programs at one of Cumberlands convenient site locations.

Additional Support Resources for International Graduate Students

The Department of International Graduate Services is our one-stop international student resource center at the graduate level and enjoys providing support resources for our international students - from admission to the international student graduation experience and beyond. Below you will find tutorials and information regarding offices and policies for the International Graduate Students and programs.

Executive Programs Attendance Policy

Attendance to each Executive Residency class sessions is mandatory. Any absence request(s) must be reviewed and approved by the Program Director in collaboration with Director of Graduate International Student Services in advance of a residency session. Students may request to miss no more than one (1) residency session throughout the duration of their academic program.

Each missed session (approved or unapproved) will result in the student completing the absence request form and submitting official documentation, attending a make-up session, and paying a $300 Residency Make-Up fee. Make-Up session must be completed prior to the end of the term during the scheduled make up session. Noncompliance with this policy will result in dismissal from the executive program.

Students who enrolled in the Executive Programs prior to Spring 2017, will be eligible to miss only one (1) three-day residency session if they have not had two (2) previous one-day residency session absences.

Contacting International Graduate Services

For admissions, advising, CPT/OPT, and other international Graduate Student issues.

How to request shipping for documents

To request shipment of your documents, go to MyEduDocs using the following secure website: : https://ucumberlands.myedudocs.com

1. Login or Register an account.

2. Add the desired document (I-20) to your cart and proceed to checkout.

Once you request a document via MyEduDocs, you will receive email confirmation of your request. When your request is processed at the University, your MyEduDocs dashboard will reflect the status update and you will be sent an email update and be provided the UPS tracking number. From your dashboard you can view your recent orders, manage your shipping and billing addresses, and edit your password and account details.

Note: We cannot provide soft-copies of your I-20 and we are not able to provide you with copies of your past I-20s.

IMPORTANT Shipping Information: The 1 or 2 day shipping timeline will begin ONLY when the shipment is processed and picked up by the carrier, not when the shipment request is placed.

***Shipments are only processed during business hours Monday-Friday.***

How to access tuition balance or make payment
  1. You may submit payment through your myUC Payment Portal with a credit/debit card, electronic check/ACH. There are no associated fees with payment by either method.
  2. A short tutorial video is available here.
How do I earn transfer credit?

We are happy to assist students with transfer credit requests after they have been admitted into the University, official transcript(s) have been received, and student place transfer request. It is University policy that a maximum of nine credit hours can be accepted of completed coursework from another institution. Approved transfer courses must have a grade of ‘B’ or better, and be relevant to courses that are part of the student’s program at UC. Transfer credit from a previously completed degree will not approved. All transfer courses are determined by the Director of each individual department. We request that students allow at least five business days for transfer requests to be processed.

How to access your unofficial UC transcript

Please see this guide to generate your unofficial UC transcript.

How to sign up for a payment plan?

Payment Plan Information - Students must complete the payment option form before the beginning of each semester indicating which method of payment you intend to pursue. Payment plans are processed by the campus Office of Student Accounts; if you have questions regarding payment plans contact studentfinancial [at] ucumberlands.edu (studentfinancial[at]ucumberlands[dot]edu) . Students enrolled in a payment plan will not be permitted to register for future semesters until their current semester tuition balance is paid in full.

Process for Letter of Invitation

Inviting Relatives or Friends to Visit You in the U.S.
University of the Cumberlands does not issue invitation letters for students' relatives or friends. According to guidance from the U.S. Department of State, such a letter is neither necessary nor useful to the application for a visitor’s visa. Specific information regarding the criteria for applying for a visitor’s visa can be found on https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html

Writing an Invitation Letter
You may write a letter for your relatives or friends inviting them to visit you in the United States. You may use this sample letter, or you may choose to write your own.

Graduation Information
If you are writing an invitation letter for the purpose of inviting your relatives or friends to the annual commencement ceremony, please refer to https://www.ucumberlands.edu/graduation for specific program information and dates.

You may also purchase formal graduation invitations from the UC Bookstore by going to https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1069069/University-of-the-Cumberlands/

Academic Certification
If you’d like to provide your relatives or friends with additional proof that you are a University of the Cumberlands student you can access an Enrollment Verification as well as your University of the Cumberlands transcript by visiting the Office of the Registrar. You may also provide a copy of your current course schedule.

Additional Documentation
If you are providing your visitor(s) a place to stay and meals, it is best if you can document this with a lease or room contract and your bank statements from the last 2 - 3 months. If you are not providing this support, your visitor(s) will need to provide evidence of their own financial resources for the visit.

You should also include a copy of your I-20 or DS-2019 and I-94 card as evidence of your immigration status in the U.S.

U.S. immigration law requires an applicant for a visa to overcome "the presumption of immigrant intent". This means that the individual should demonstrate that they have strong ties to their home country such as employment, property, and family and have no intention of staying permanently in the United States.

International Graduate Student Forms