Division of International Affairs

The Division of International Affairs fosters collaboration with institutions around the world to enrich the experiences of our students and faculty, and broaden the scope and impact of our research activity.

The University of Memphis is a Tennessee Flagship Carnegie R1 Research Institution, reflecting our position as a premier public research university. Home to more than 30 research centers and institutes, partner institutions will find specialists here in a large variety of disciplines.

Agreements with more than twenty-five higher education institutions in Europe, Asia, and the Americas facilitate student and faculty exchanges and support joint research projects. DIA encourages UofM faculty and staff to consider establishing partnerships with institutions outside the U.S. and provides support throughout the process. 

To get the conversation started, contact: 

Types of Agreements 

Agreements are developed based on the activity proposed and provide an opportunity for parties to define the terms of collaboration. Please contact our office for guidance on determining which agreement is suitable for a proposed international activity. The State of Tennessee requires the duration of agreements to be a maximum of five years with renewal possible after the end of the 5-year term. 

• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a non-binding agreement between two institutions to declare an intent to explore opportunities for collaboration. MOU’s may lead to more specific activities and goals, which may be expressed in a memorandum of agreement. MOU’s do not require any party to commit funds or other resources.  
• Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is a legally binding document which details specific activities, resources, outcomes, institutional and financial obligations of each party. MOA’s are used to establish reciprocal exchange programs, joint or dual degree programs, and vendor or affiliation agreements.  

 Types of MOA’s 

• • Dual Degree agreements confer two separate degrees from each participating institution.  
  • Under Joint Degree agreements, two institutions agree to award a single joint degree from both institutions.   

• • Bilateral or Reciprocal Student Exchange Agreements are programs where students from each institution can spend either a semester or year at the host institution as a non-degree transient student, or participate in a short-term program during the summer. Articulated Transfer Credit Agreements (1+3, 2+2 or other plus programs) are partnerships between two institutions to provide a roadmap on how specific courses taken at one institution will transfer and apply towards the student’s degree plan at another.    

• • Faculty Exchange Agreements are an exchange of faculty between two institutions to teach or research at the partner institution.  

• Contracts for vendor services specify agreements with another party (a business, university, non-profit, or individual) who provides a service in exchange for a fee. Service provider contracts are usually reviewed by the procurement office and the legal counsel’s office. 

• If you are pursuing an agreement that does not fit these categories, please reach out to DIA at dia@memphis.edu and we will be happy to assist. 

DIA is preparing an online submission and approval process for all international agreements, which will streamline the approval and compliance requirements. In the meantime, send an email to dia@memphis.edu for assistance on building your agreement from our existing templates and obtaining the necessary reviews and approvals.