Office of International Programs

The OIP regularly monitors health, safety, and security updates from the U.S. Department of State and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and considers these when offering guidance related to student health and safety abroad.  It is ultimately the responsibility of the traveler to remain informed of health, safety and security conditions at their travel destination. 

Student travelers are expected to follow the guidance below when making decisions about international travel.

U.S. Department of State
The U.S. Department of State issues a Travel Advisory for every country in the world based on the security conditions that exist in that country/region.  Travel advisories follow a numerical system: ranging  from 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) to 4 (Do Not Travel), Travel advisories describe the risks that exist in a country or region and provide clear guidance that travelers should follow in order to ensure their own safety.

Rensselaer does not support undergraduate student travel to any country with a level 3 or 4 advisory.  

Travel Alerts are issued to inform U.S. citizens of specific safety and security concerns in a country, such as demonstrations, crime trends and weather events. 

Visit the State Department website to view the Advisory/Alert for your destination, and for other important travel resources.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC issues Travel Health Notices (THNs) to inform travelers about global health risks during outbreaks, special events or gatherings, and natural disasters, and to provide advice about protective actions travelers can take to prevent infection or adverse health effects.  THNs are issued for the following circumstances:

• A disease outbreak (higher number of expected cases) in a country or region
• Sporadic cases of a disease in an unusual or new geographic location
• Natural and human-made disasters with severe environmental health risks, or infrastructure damage that would limit healthcare services availability
• Mass gathering events that can lead to disease outbreaks. Travel health notices range from 1 (practice usual precautions) to  3 (avoid all non-essential travel). 

CDC Travel Health Notices are assigned using the following scale:
Level 4 – Avoid All Travel
Avoid travel to this destination unless traveling for humanitarian aid or emergency response; there is an extreme health risk for travelers and no available precautions.
Level 3 – Reconsider Nonessential Travel
Reconsider nonessential travel to this destination. The outbreak or event poses risk to travelers because limited precautions are available.
Level 2 – Practice Enhanced Precautions
Practice enhanced precautions for this destination. The Travel Health Notice describes additional precautions or defines a specific population at risk.
Level 1 – Practice Usual Precautions

Rensselaer does not support undergraduate student travel to any destination with a level 3 or 4 health notice. 

Visit the CDC website for detailed information on health conditions worldwide.