Columbia Business School MBA Students » Student Life » Student Leader Resources » Student Travel

Student Travel

Due to COVID-19, normal policies and procedures will be impacted. Any changes will be communicated with club leadership.

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All travel (individual, group, Columbia-related, and personal) must adhere to University travel guidelines. Please review the University guidelines carefully, and keep in mind all members of the Columbia community must adhere to the Columbia Community Health Compact on and off-campus, and in official and personal settings. 

For the purposes of this policy, any travel that does not include overnight stay should simply adhere to standard CBS and CU Events policies as dictated by the COVID-19 Monitoring Plan. The following pertains to any travel that includes overnight stay, for any duration of time: 

  • No Columbia-related international student group travel will be approved this semester. The University is only approving extraordinary exceptions that are critical to the academic mission, and therefore CBS will not support any student group trips to move forward to the University review process.  
  • The maximum number of travelers for any given trip will be 50. As with any event this semester, travelers must be CUID holders, and gatherings must meet current capacity guidelines (maximum of 25 indoors and 50 outdoors).  
  • Please note, given the uncertainty of company visits, no professional treks will be approved for the Fall semester. 
  • Official domestic group travel through a student club or organization, including clusters, will be approved on a case-by-case basis. Trips that are primarily focused on outdoor activities, that cannot be accomplished locally, that are academic or professional in nature, and/or are led by faculty or staff will be given priority. If considered for approval, students leading trips will have to meet with their OSA advisor to discuss the details of the trip to ensure all University guidelines will be met.   

If your proposed travel meets the requirements listed above, please complete the Fall 2021 Columbia Related Group Travel Application no less than 30 days prior to travel. You will receive a response within 5 business days regarding the approval process and will then arrange a meeting with the group’s OSA advisor to discuss the proposal and travel guidelines. After the meeting, the application will then be forwarded to the committee for approval and the group will be notified of the decision.

Travel Definitions

  1. Domestic Travel: Travel inside the continental U.S.

  2. International Travel: Travel outside the continental U.S.

  3. Columbia Travel: Travel that is organized and overseen by Columbia University, may be partially funded or arranged by Columbia, may earn academic credit at Columbia, may be coordinated by a Columbia recognized student group, or may be an extension of a faculty or researcher’s professional work.

    Examples of Columbia Travel
    Columbia course activities and programs that are supervised by, and fully or partially supported by, Columbia (for example, Columbia in Paris at Reid Hall)
    • Columbia-managed study-abroad programs
    • Travel that fulfills Columbia grants or contracts
    • Travel for Columbia athletics
    • Non-student travel sponsored by Columbia for alumni
    • Faculty, researchers, and officers traveling internationally on University business
    • International study through another university or outside organization (such as the CIEE Advanced Liberal Arts Program in Barcelona)
    • Approved exchange programs between Columbia and another university
    • Co-ops, practica, or internships organized by Columbia and CUMC departments (for example, the IFAP Global Health Program)
    • International travel by graduate or professional students to do independent research for their dissertations
    • Civic engagement or service trips such as those coordinated with recognized Columbia chapters of larger groups, e.g., CU Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, Engineers without Borders, Global Brigades at Columbia or Habitat for Humanity
    • Pre-professional and competition groups representing or competing on behalf of Columbia
    • Columbia-funded travel such as travel supported by scholarships, travel grants, or by a Columbia-recognized student organization

  4. Non-Columbia Travel: Travel other than official Columbia travel.

    Examples of Non-Columbia Travel
    Independent student travel, or group travel through a non-Columbia student organization
    • Personal travel, such as spring break or vacations