Visiting Student Appointments

A limited number of visiting student appointments are made each year. Visiting student status is restricted to students who hold a bachelor’s degree and are current graduate students at another institution. The invitation process requires sponsorship by a Caltech faculty member, and requests should be made directly to the Graduate Studies Office, following the visiting student instructions on the Graduate Studies Office website. The Dean of Graduate Studies may limit the number of visiting students in any given year. Visiting students are subject to the Honor System and to all Institute policies, including the Institute Sex- and Gender-Based Misconduct Policy. Violations of policy may affect a student's eligibility to continue enrollment.

Visiting graduate students are categorized into two main classifications: Special Students and Visiting Student Researchers.

Special Students are a classification of visiting students who are currently on leave from another graduate degree program and are invited by a Caltech faculty host to conduct research for a limited duration. These students are eligible to receive academic transfer credit to be reflected on a Caltech transcript and may receive a stipend. Full-time enrollment, in a graduate research course and/or coursework numbered 100 or higher, is required and credits may be transferred to the home institution. Special Students, however, will not be considered to be working toward a Caltech degree, and courses taken under this program cannot be used to fulfill the requirements for a Caltech degree, nor does registration count toward the minimum residency requirement for an advanced degree. Special Student appointments are granted for a minimum of one term to one year, renewable each year up to a maximum of three years. Special Students are required to provide proof of vaccinations in accordance with Institute policies, and any other required medical and immunization records for the duration of the visit.

Special Students are eligible for Caltech benefits and other student privileges as defined by their enrollment status. Special Students who receive a full Caltech stipend will also receive tuition and fees coverage, paid by the faculty host. Special Students who do not receive a Caltech stipend will be responsible for paying a reduced tuition and fees rate. (For current rates, see the Expense Summary.)

Visiting Student Researchers (VSR's) are a classification of visiting students who are not eligible to receive academic credit from Caltech but will receive a Caltech identification card. VSR's are limited to short-term visits of one month to one year and the status is not renewable. Participants are required to provide proof of health insurance, vaccinations in accordance with Institute policies, and any other required medical and immunization records for the duration of the visit.

VSR's are not eligible to receive a stipend through the Institute payroll and are not otherwise eligible for Caltech privileges that are normally extended to enrolled students. Reimbursements for research-related expenses is possible, but it is the Caltech faculty host’s responsibility to ensure that the supporting grant can be used for such purposes and that there are no restrictions. Visiting students who wish to receive a stipend through the Institute payroll and/or require academic credit reflected on a Caltech transcript must instead be appointed as a Special Student.

Some academic options have formal exchange programs that they have arranged with other institutions. Exchange students must have a visiting student appointment, and the type of appointment will depend upon the terms of the agreement for the particular exchange program. These programs are administered by the option, and requests should be made directly to the Graduate Studies Office following the same procedure for visiting students.