The Center for International Education advances campus‑wide internationalization through support for student mobility, student success, faculty and scholar immigration advising, institutional compliance and the development and management of international programs and partnerships. The following sections provide updates and announcements from each unit. Subscribe to receive this newsletter directly in your inbox.
Announcements
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Graduating seniors and graduate students are eligible to apply for a Fulbright scholarship to pursue graduate studies, conduct research or teach English abroad.
- In-Person Student Information Session
- Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 12 p.m. in Merril Hall 131
- Register for the info session
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers awards for U.S. citizens to teach, conduct research, and carry out professional projects around the world.
- Virtual Faculty Information Session
- Friday, May 15, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. on Teams
- Email Jennifer Gruenewald, CIE Executive Director, for the Teams invite
English Language Academy
UWM’s English Language Academy (ELA) supports multilingual students who speak a language in addition to English at home. Its English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses help both international and domestic students build confidence in academic settings while strengthening reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. In fact, this year about 40% of students taking EAP composition classes were domestic multilingual students.
- EAP courses count as elective credits toward graduation and can fulfill UWM’s Oral and Written Communication Part A requirement.
- With small class sizes, students receive personalized support from experienced instructors while building community and connections.
- Courses are available for both undergraduate and graduate students.
International Admissions
The International Admissions team has a detailed website for newly admitted international students, to help them successfully transition to campus. We also host virtual sessions for students to learn and ask questions, that include campus experts from Housing, the Off Campus Resource Center and the CIE International Student and Scholar Services team.
International Student & Scholar Services
The United States is experiencing its most significant decline in new international students in decades. While UWM also faced notable decreases in the last year, our targeted recruitment strategies and strong global partnerships helped us outperform the national average across every country included in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s, “Latitudes: Is the sky falling for international enrollment?” In fact, UWM saw year‑over‑year gains in two of those countries.
As we navigate this challenging landscape, UWM remains committed to sustained recruitment and strategic collaboration with partners around the globe. These efforts position us to respond quickly and effectively as global conditions improve.
Study Abroad
CIE’s Study Abroad Team supports international academic opportunities that prepare our students for future success. Research shows that education abroad helps students develop career readiness (The Forum on Education Abroad).
UWM Student participation in Study Abroad:
- Two thirds participate in short-term programs, 60% of which are faculty-led programs
- Top three schools/colleges for study abroad: Lubar College of Business, College of Letters & Science, and College of Arts & Architecture
- Top destinations: France, Italy, UK, Costa Rica, Multiple-country programs
- The 6-year graduation rate for UWM students who studied abroad is over 90%, twice as high as those who did not study abroad.
Interested in leading a study abroad program? Contact overseas@uwm.edu. Faculty-led proposals are due 15 months in advance:
- September 1, 2026 for UWinteriM 2028
- March 1, 2027 for Summer 2028