Visiting Scholar Requirements

Faculty Sponsorship

In order to be considered for Chazen Visiting Scholar status, applicants must receive an invitation from a Columbia Business School faculty member willing to serve as the applicant's faculty sponsor while they are on campus. This is an academic advisory role and not a financial one. It is the responsibility of the applicant to locate a faculty sponsor.

Application

To apply, interested scholars should compile the following items and e-mail them to chazen@columbia.edu no fewer than three months before the anticipated start date:

  • An invitation from a Columbia Business School faculty member with expertise in your area of research
  • A cover letter stating the purpose of research and desired dates of stay (not to exceed one year) in the United States. The statement of research should clearly indicate how research at Columbia Business School is critical to the outcome of the applicant's proposal.
  • A curriculum vitae

Exchange Visitor Visa (J-1)

International visiting scholars from countries that do not participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and those scholars from VWP countries that will be in residence for over 90 days will require a J-1 visa. Federal regulations require that the applicant for J-1 status meets the health insurance requirements of the Exchange Visitor Program while in the United States and that the applicant has sufficient funds for the period of stay at Columbia. The current minimum fundring requirement is $2000 per month. More detailed information can be found in the Scholars' FAQ.

If applying for a visa, the scholar must submit additional documentation required for the university to issue the DS-2019 form to support the J-1 application.  The Chazen Institute will provide the applicant with information about these required materials. Visiting scholars are responsible for covering a university-mandated $250 fee to the ISSO, which is charged when the university prepares the scholar’s DS-2019 form, creates the designation, and prepares the email account for the scholar. This fee does not include visa fees charged by the US government.

Costs

In addition to visa fees and living expenses in New York, there is a mandatory monthly visiting scholar fee, which covers the scholar's university ID, library borrowing privileges, and additional administrative costs.

The fee structure for visiting scholars is as follows:
Visiting Doctoral Student
$125 per month
Visiting Professor
$250 per month
Practitioner or Corporate-Sponsored Scholar     
$500 per month

This fee must be paid in full upon the scholar's arrival to campus. Please note that the monthly fee cannot be prorated.

Office Space

Due to the tight constraint on office space, no office space is provided to scholars. Scholars often work out of the university libraries. In exceptional cases, the sponsoring faculty member may arrange a temporary office space on his/her own.

Housing

Visiting scholars are not eligible to receive university housing, as the housing resources allocated to the Business School are limited, and there is often an insufficient supply for full-time students. The Chazen Institute can provide some general resources for finding accommodations in the New York area, but visiting scholars are responsible for securing their own housing.

Language Proficiency

Visiting scholars must demonstrate high English language speaking and writing proficiency in order for their application to be accepted.

Auditing Courses

Even though visiting scholars' primary focus must be on their own independent research, they may audit up to three classes per semester, provided they have permission from the instructor of the desired course. Scholars are not permitted to audit oversold classes.

Program Completion

Upon completion of their stay, visiting scholars must submit a one to two page summary of the progress they made on their research while at Columbia Business School.
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