In 2005, under the direction of UC President Nancy Zimpher, international student services and the study abroad office were combined to form UC International. The University of Cincinnati became one of a few universities with a senior leader and planning division devoted to global initiatives.
Under the leadership of the first Vice Provost for International Affairs, Dr. Mitch Leventhal, UC became one of the founding members of the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC), the national professional organization that sets standards for international student recruitment.
Leventhal was succeeded by UC's director of the University Honors Program, Dr. Raj Mehta, in 2012. Mehta has devoted the resources of UC International to building strategic partnerships around the world, emphasizing university-wide research and teaching collaborations in addition to student and faculty exchange.
In 2018, International Admissions became a unit underneath the UC International umbrella.