Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP)

• Students must be actively enrolled at WPI at the time of application. 
• Only sophomores and upperclassmen are eligible to apply for off-campus IQP programs.
• First-year students can apply only for Humanities and Arts programs, unless they can prove sophomore status (check with the Registrar’s Office.)
• A student can apply for a global project while on academic warning but they must improve their academic standing at the next review in order to be eligible to participate in the program. Students who are currently on academic warning may apply to the GPP and may be granted provisional placement in the program. Students who receive provisional placement will undergo a review of their academic record at the next academic review period. Students who are back in good academic standing will be permitted placement in the GPP, and students who are on academic probation will no longer be eligible to participate.
  • It is important to note that the application process for the GPP is competitive and that the strength of a student’s academic record is an important consideration when reviewing applicants for any site.   
• Students on academic probation are ineligible to apply to the GPP.

• You can browse program options on eProjects. We encourage all applicants to read the details of program opportunities carefully and watch videos when available to better understand the project center locations that interest you. On each program page you will find details regarding housing, transportation, climate, and other unique factors specific to the project center location. It is important that you read these details carefully, consulting with family members when necessary, to determine whether or not a location will be a good fit. After placement, the GEO offers a robust pre-departure orientation program, starting as soon as two terms prior to departure, in order to help you prepare for your term off-campus.
• Some factors to consider as you browse programs include (hint: these answers can be found on the program pages!):
  • What type of projects have been completed at the Project Center?
  • Do you have any personal health concerns (allergies, chronic conditions) that could impact where you travel based on climate and/or environmental factors?
  • What term(s) can you feasibly go away?
  • What price range are you looking at for this experience? Have you discussed cost with your family?
• IQP Site Information Videos: Learn more about each site by viewing the site video on eProjects. IQP applicants are strongly encouraged to view the video for as many sites as possible, especially those of great interest.
• The Global Experience Office recognizes that different aspects of your identity may impact your off-campus experience. We encourage you to consider the different aspects of your identity when considering IQP locations. For more information scroll to the bottom of GEO's Preparing to Go Off Campus page to find Supporting Diversity Off Campus resources. 

Preview Application Materials

The application process for the Global Projects Program (GPP) is competitive. Meeting deadlines and completing all components of the application on time all contribute to a successful application. Every application is carefully reviewed and considered. However, no student is guaranteed placement at any project center.  The 2025-2026 Off-Campus IQP Application, includes the following components:

• Waiver to Access Records: You will be asked to sign off on a few application statements including an understanding of the application process and a release of your transcript and judicial records.
• Cultural Hub: The Cultural Hub section is an optional section for students who are interested in potentially using their IQP as an opportunity to expand or apply previous knowledge and experience in one of 4 geographical hubs: Latin America, China/East Asia, Africa, Europe. Students choosing to complete this section should demonstrate language competency, specific cultural learning experiences including cultural courses, extracurricular activities, work experiences, and/or cultural organizations in which you participate, and clear evidence that participation in a specific region would further your academic goals. Participating in this section does not guarantee placement in any hub or project center.
• Language Ability: You will be asked to describe your language proficiency in languages other than English, including years of study, if applicable. 
• Essays: You are asked to complete two essay questions. The length of your submissions is not set, however, as a guideline a 250–500-word count is appropriate. Essays will be scored for quality and content. Written submissions should be well-organized, provide specific examples and demonstrate self-reflection.
  • Essay 1 – Personal Interest - Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? 
  • Essay 2 – Team Experience - On most teams, different team members have different points of view about what the team should be doing, how the team should be doing things, and what direction the project should be headed. If you have experienced this, how did you deal with it? Be specific. Looking back, what if anything, would you do differently and why? If you have never experienced this on a team, how would deal with it if it occurred on your IQP? 
• Extracurricular Activities, Work and Leadership: In this section you will self-rate your extracurricular, work, and leadership experiences using the categories and examples in the provided rubric. In addition, you will be asked to provide a short description of your participation in volunteer or paid jobs, sports, clubs, and other extracurricular hobbies or activities. The Heebner Career Development Center has provided resources to assist you in organizing and presenting your accomplishments experiences.
• Academic History: This section is optional and not a scored section of the application. Students who have unique circumstances, or those who would like to explain inconsistencies or weaknesses in their academic record, are strongly encouraged to reflect on how your academic transcript reflects your ability to succeed in the preparation for and completion of an off-campus project.
• Passport: You are asked to indicate if you have a valid passport. (This section is not considered in the application review. It is a survey of applicants to determine if students may need GEO passport assistance.)
• Preference Survey: You will be required to rate each of the Project Centers as Very Interested, Interested, or Not Interested based on your personal preferences. You must select at least 6 choices in the categories of Very Interested and/or interested, at least 3 of which must be in the Very Interested category. While we require 6 choices, there is no limit to the number of offerings you can include in the categories of Very Interested or Interested. It is important that you understand how the different categories on the preference form interact with your application score and the placement algorithm.
  • 100% of your application score is applied to offerings you put in the Very Interested category
  • Only 50% of your application score is applied to offerings you put in the Interested category
  • Your application score will be zeroed out for all offerings in the Not Interested category
• Each cycle, some sites receive many more applicants than can be accommodated. The sites listed below are considered higher-demand sites for the 2025-2026 academic year. If you include only higher-demand sites in your ratings, you risk not receiving any placement at all.
  • Berlin, Germany D25
  • Cadiz, Spain D25
  • Copenhagen, Denmark D25
  • Kyoto, Japan B24
  • Lausanne, Switzerland D25
  • London, England D25
  • Melbourne, Australia B24
  • Melbourne, Australia D25
  • Prague, Czech Republic B24
  • Reykjavik, Iceland A24
  • Syros, Greece B24
  • Thessaloniki, Greece D25
  • Venice, Italy B24
  • Wellington, New Zealand C25
  • Zurich, Switzerland A24

Complete & Submit the Application

The application for an off-campus IQP can be found on eProjects in the Forms Library, or may be accessed through the "Apply Now" button on the program page for each Project Center.  Please remember that you are applying to the Global Projects Program as a whole and not to an individual Project Center. 

• Student Conduct History Response: If a student has had a judicial incident, we will ask you to complete a reflection essay after you have submitted your application. You may also need to meet with the Conduct Review Committee prior to being accepted to the program. 
• Academic Transcript: We will review transcripts at the close of A term, and may contact students to discuss academic standing.

• You will be notified of your placement by email from the Global Projects Program
• Placements will be available on your eProjects dashboard
• All placements are final.
  • Students must commit to or decline the placement by completing the Participant Statement of Agreement form by the stated deadline.
  • There is no waitlist.
  • The Global Experience Office will not switch, move, or change a student's placement to another project center.
• Students may be admitted to the Global Projects Program by the faculty reviewers but not placed in one of their selected project center preferences. While there is capacity to place the full applicant pool, applicants are only considered for the preferences indicated in their application.
• Program cost estimates may be found on the eProjects program page for each project center. The Global Scholarship may be used to offset program costs.
• Carefully consider GEO's withdrawal policy prior to commitment. Students committing to E or A term project centers may incur charges for withdrawal after the commitment deadline.
• Please visit the GEO Policies and Procedures page for additional information on placement and post-commitment preparation including ID2050 registration.

Students with non-U.S. passports applying to the Global Projects Program will need to consider entry requirements and potential travel restrictions associated with international project center locations. The GEO strongly encourages all non-U.S. passport holders to do their due diligence before completing the preference form in the off-campus IQP application. 

Students participating in the program typically travel to program locations as "tourists" for under 90 days. To check if you will need a visa in certain locations, you can use this resource: https://cibtvisas.com/?login=WPIGeneral

Please note that we cannot guarantee that students will be able to obtain a visa. While the GEO can advise on the process and guide you to the best of our ability,  ultimately your visa is your responsibility. The more proactive you can be in planning, beginning at the point of application, the better.