Minnesota State Mankato Establishes Mid-Semester Start Option for New Undergraduate International Students
Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato has established a new mid-semester start option for new undergraduate international students enrolling at the University in the 2025 fall semester.
The mid-semester start option was created to assist undergraduate international students whose visa applications were delayed this summer by a U.S. Department of State pause in visa issuance that was initiated May 27.
The pause in the federal visa issuance process resulted in some international students not being able to obtain visas in time to travel to Mankato, attend orientation sessions and register for Minnesota State Mankato classes before the start of the fall semester on Aug. 25.
Will Coghill-Behrends, dean of global education at Minnesota State Mankato, said that MSU Division of Global Education and Kearney International Center staff became aware in July that a significant number of international students wishing to attend U.S. colleges and universities in the fall would be affected by the visa delays.
As a result, said Coghill-Behrends, Minnesota State Mankato staff and administrators worked for more than six weeks leading up to the Aug. 25 fall semester start to set up the mid-semester start option for affected students.
Undergraduate international students who take advantage of MSU’s mid-semester start option will be able to get full credit for the fall semester by taking classes in a compressed eight-week schedule that begins in mid-October.
“We’re grateful to the many people across the University who have worked to make this mid-semester start possible for our new undergraduate international students,” said Coghill-Behrends. “It is a unique option in higher education and demonstrates Minnesota State Mankato’s commitment to global education.”
To be eligible to enroll in the mid-semester start program, undergraduate international students were required to notify MSU by Sept. 1 of their interest in the program, and receive a visa appointment by Sept. 19.
Members of the news media interested in learning more about the mid-semester start program may contact Dan Benson, director of media relations, at daniel.benson@mnsu.edu to schedule an interview with MSU Dean of Global Education Will Coghill-Behrends.
New undergraduate international students seeking more information about the mid-semester start program may send inquiries by email to international@mnsu.edu.
Minnesota State Mankato’s Division of Global Education, along with its departments, is responsible for planning, coordinating and delivering the principal aspects of the University’s international education efforts in alignment with the University’s commitment to promote global solutions, embody quality and excellence.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 15,251 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 26 colleges and seven universities.
