Entrants must be students who have participated in, and earned credit in, an MSU-sponsored education abroad program. This includes current students as well as recent graduates; MSU students as well as students from other universities who went on an MSU program.

A maximum of two entries per student may be submitted and must be original, un-altered, and un-manipulated work (no professional photos or digitally enhanced photos). Images may be color, black & white, or sepia.

Photos must have been taken by the entrant during the entrant's education abroad program. Photos taken by another participant on the entrant's program is acceptable as long as it was with the entrants camera (i.e. a friend took your photo with your camera).

Photos must be taken outside of the United States and may include locations traveled to during free time (must have occurred within the official program dates).

Photos containing people must adhere to the ISP Model Release Policy as follows: Entrants should be sensitive to the privacy of human subjects. Winning photographs which include people will require signed "Model Release Forms" in cases where the privacy of the individuals pictured may appear to have been infringed upon. Such cases would include but not necessarily be limited to ones where the artist appears to have been intruding on another's seclusion, making private facts public, or making the viewer believe something that isn't true about the subject. In order to facilitate royalty-free use, artists must provide signed release forms upon request.

Photos that include alcohol or the consumption of alcohol, drug use, or other illegal activities will not be accepted. Defamatory, slanderous, obscene, threatening, hateful, or otherwise offensive photos are also prohibited.

All entries must be submitted via the online submission form no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 13, 2023.  Entries received after the deadline will not be eligible.

Photos must be JPG files (highest resolution possible) and be titled to correspond with your entry.

By entering the contest you will be giving the Office for Education Abroad permission to use your photo(s) in various marketing activities, publications, and/or on the Web for the purpose of promoting education abroad at Michigan State University. This means all photos, not just winning entries, will be eligible for inclusion in such activities. 

Winning entries will be selected on the best quality photographs that convey a strong sense of place or express a cross-cultural experience in one of the following categories:

• LIFE ABROAD: Photos that show students engaging in the local culture or participating in program-related activities.
• SPARTANS ABROAD: Photos of students wearing MSU attire or displaying Spartan pride.

Applicants may write an optional description about why their photo fits the category and how the subject or event inspired the photo.

Staff from the Office for Education Abroad will judge the entries, looking for the most interesting, compelling, exciting and awe-inspiring photos that evoke emotion about your experience abroad.

The winning photo in each category will be awarded a $50 gift card from the Spartan Bookstore. Only one award per entrant will be given. Honorable mention awards will also be chosen for each category.

Winners are expected to be announced during International Education Week 2023 in November.

Judges decisions are final.