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Understanding global and cultural perspectives is an important goal of a liberal arts education. To achieve this end, the University offers a wide variety of international and domestic off-campus study groups, which are directed by a Colgate faculty member. Students whose academic needs and interests are not met by a Colgate study group may elect to enroll in an affiliated program, a foreign college or university, or a foreign study program sponsored by another domestic institution. Other students may be served best by experiencing another culture in a non-academic setting for which no academic credit will be granted. In those cases in which students are seeking academic credit for off-campus study, Colgate is concerned that those programs be of the highest quality.
Researching the options for off-campus study, selecting a program, submitting applications and making the necessary arrangements on campus for registration, transfer of credit, housing, etc. takes a considerable amount of time. In the final analysis, however, it is time well spent, though it frequently requires careful planning, usually as much as a year before departure. We in Off-Campus Study/International Programs hope these guidelines prove useful in your planning and selection of an off-campus study opportunity.
Selecting an off-campus study program Before you select an off-campus program, you need to decide what you are looking for in a program and how that program might fulfill your academic and personal goals. Carefully consider the following before coming to a decision:
1. General Goals: Closely consider what you hope to achieve on an off-campus program. What aspects of off-campus study are important to you? Is your goal to achieve fluency in a foreign language? Do you want to explore your cultural heritage? Have you a long-standing personal or intellectual interest in a particular country or culture? Are you seeking to provide an international dimension to future academic study or career opportunities? Or, are you simply seeking an adventure or a break from Colgate? If the latter happens to be the case, you may want to consider internships or other non-academic, non-credit bearing programs. For an overview of your options, read the brief introduction "Planning for Study Abroad" in Academic Year Abroad (available in Off-Campus Study/International Programs).
2. Educational Plan: Determine how a semester off campus will fit into your course of study. Consider your educational background, academic objectives, and long-range career goals. Ask yourself how studying off-campus can become a key component of your liberal arts education. Also, be sure to consider the remaining courses you need to fulfill your major, distribution and graduation requirements. Will any of the courses you plan to take off-campus meet these requirements? If not, will the courses you need be offered in the semesters remaining before you graduate? It is extremely helpful to discuss your course of study with your Faculty Adviser before coming to any decisions.
3. Location: Consider where you would like to study off-campus. Do you prefer to live in a particular country, region or city? Are you willing to consider other places? Would you prefer the excitement of a large international city like London or Paris, or a smaller city or town where the local culture has been less influenced by outside forces? A program in a location that suits you personally coupled with an academic program that allows you to pursue your academic course of study usually provides the ideal off-campus experience.
4. Timing: Most Colgate students choose to study off-campus during their junior year. However, think about your academic requirements that may influence your choice of semester or year and note that many programs are offered only during one semester each year and some are offered biennially.
5. Academic Setting: Think about the academic setting you prefer. Would you rather take courses at a foreign institution with host-country students, or attend classes with Americans only? Would you prefer classes taught in English, or in the language of the host country? How would you assess your current foreign language ability? (In cases where the language of instruction is not English, the minimum requirement is usually two years of college-level language study or its equivalent.) Study abroad provides an excellent opportunity to sharpen foreign language skills. Note, also, that many programs require other prerequisite courses.
6. Housing: Consider your preference in housing. For example, would you prefer to live with a host family, in a dorm with host-country students, or in an apartment with other Americans? Would you like to find a program that provides housing, or would you rather be responsible for finding your own? Some programs give you an option; others do not.
7. Finances and Financial Aid: Consider program costs and your financial means. When you examine an off-campus program, determine exactly what the program fee covers. Are tuition, transportation, room, board, field trips, books, supplies, etc. covered by the fee – in whole or in part? Not all programs include the same things. Understand your financial obligations before you apply.
Financial Aid
Students who receive Colgate University financial aid will continue to receive aid during participation in a Colgate Study Group. Colgate grants and state aid are not available for participation in non-Colgate or affiliated programs, except for programs approved as part of the President's Interim Portable Aid Initiative; however, federal aid is transferable. Please be aware that a student may be required to begin repayment on federal loans when participating in certain non-Colgate programs. Additional information about Colgate financial assistance may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.
Home School Tuition/Approved Programs - Class of 2016 and beyond
In spring 2011, the faculty adopted changes to Colgate's study abroad offerings that will be in effect for the Class of 2016 and beyond. Beginning with the 2014-15 academic year, students will pay Colgate tuition to study abroad on an approved non-Colgate program. In addition, starting in 2014-15, students will be allowed to apply their Colgate financial aid to approved non-Colgate programs.
8. For more information about these issues or the options listed below, attend a general information meeting conducted by Off-Campus Study/International Programs. - Back to the top -
Researching options
Students who plan to study off-campus for a semester have several options: Colgate University Study Groups, affiliated programs, and foreign study sponsored by another domestic institution or through direct enrollment in a foreign institution.
1. Colgate University Study Groups
Colgate sponsors approximately twenty study groups each year. General information about these groups is available in Off-Campus Study/International Programs and on the OCS/IP website. More specific information about each group can be obtained from the sponsoring department or the study group director. Colgate Study Groups are offered either annually (A) or biennially (B).
All Colgate academic regulations, financial aid, registration changes, and drop/add deadlines for each term are applicable to students enrolled in a Colgate Study Group. Participation in a study group counts as Colgate residency and students receive Colgate credit for all approved study group courses. Study Group
| Semester | Sponsoring Department/Program
|
| Australia | Fall (A)
| Environmental Studies/Geography
|
Australia II
| Spring (A)
| Natural Sciences
|
| China | Spring (B)
| East Asian Languages/Literatures
|
| Dijon | Spring (A) | French |
| Freiburg | Spring (A)
| German |
| Geneva | Spring (A) | Political Science/International Relations |
| Japan | Fall (A) | East Asian Languages/Literatures |
| Korea | Spring (B)
| Asian Studies/Education Studies
|
| London-Art & Art History | Fall or Spring (A)
| Art & Art History |
| London-Economics | Fall or Spring (A) | Economics |
| London-English | Fall and/or Spring (A) | English |
| London-History | Spring (A) | History |
| Madrid | Fall (A) | Spanish |
| Manchester | Fall (A) | Interdisciplinary |
| National Institutes of Health (NIH) | Fall (A) | Natural Sciences |
| Native American | Fall (B) | Native American Studies and SOAN |
| Scotland | Spring (A) | Philosophy & Religion |
| West Indies | Fall (B) | Caribbean Studies |
| Venice | Fall (A) | Interdisciplinary |
| Wales | Spring (A) | Natural Sciences |
| Washington, D.C. | Spring (A) | Political Science |
2. Non-Colgate Programs: Affiliated Programs
Affiliated programs have special contractual agreements with Colgate University but are conducted entirely by other institutions. General information about affiliated programs is available in Off-Campus Study/International Programs and on the OCS/IP website. More specific information is available from the Colgate faculty member listed below who acts as the program's on-campus contact.
Courses taken on an affiliated program will not be counted against Colgate's six-course transfer limit. Titles of courses taken and grades earned will be entered on the transcript; however, these grades will not be calculated into the Colgate Grade Point Average (GPA). Program
| Semester
| Faculty Contact
|
Biology Field Study, Montana
| Summer
| Professor Fuller
|
Mystic Seaport/Maritime Studies
| Fall/Spring
| Professor Leventer
|
Sea Semester
| Fall/Spring/Summer
| Professor Leventer
|
Semester in Environmental Science
| Fall/Spring
| Professor Fuller
|
Swedish Program
| Fall/Spring
| Professor Grapard |
3. Non-Colgate Programs: Study at Foreign Institutions and Foreign Study Programs Sponsored by Other Domestic Colleges, Universities and Organizations
Colgate permits students the opportunity to attend another accredited institution for the purpose of off-campus study. Off-Campus Study/International Programs maintains a library of study abroad programs by other colleges and institutions. Included in this collection are general reference tools, study abroad program catalogs, and evaluations by Colgate students of non-Colgate programs. Because the rigor of study-abroad programs varies tremendously, credits from some programs you might find or learn about will not transfer. You should use the following criteria in selecting a non-Colgate program:
a) The academic demands of the program should be comparable to the academic demands of Colgate, and the teaching faculty of the program must be well qualified in the field in which they teach. This means that the majority of the program instructors should have the Ph.D. or the accepted terminal degree for the discipline in that country.
b) The program should offer extensive orientation (either in the U.S. or immediately upon arrival abroad) and readily available advising throughout the semester.
c) The program should provide a variety of opportunities for students to learn about the culture of the host country. Immersion into the culture can be facilitated through living arrangements such as home stays, living in dorms with host-country students, or by enrollment in classes at host institutions.
d) The program should offer some arrangement for student excursions or field trips in the host country. However, Colgate does not award credit for programs that are fundamentally study tours through several countries and cultures during a single semester.
e) The program should provide access to reasonable library and cultural resources.
f) The program must be accredited by a recognized regional or (in the case of a foreign institution) national accreditation board.
g) Students who attend programs in non-English speaking countries are expected to take at least one course in the language of the country. (Note: Language departments at Colgate have specific criteria for awarding credit for courses taken on non-Colgate programs. Please speak to the language department’s chair early in your process to confirm transfer credit eligibility.)
h) The program should carefully evaluate student work and provide an official transcript from either the host or the sponsoring institution.
Questions about these criteria or about specific non-Colgate programs can be discussed with a member of the Off-Campus Study/International Programs staff.
- Back to the top - Procedures for enrolling A. Colgate Study Groups 1. Submit application(s) to study group directors in the fall semester for both fall 2012 and spring 2013 study groups by Friday, November 18, 2011. Applications for Colgate Study Groups are available from the department sponsoring the program, from the study group director and from Off-Campus Study/International Programs. Informational meetings will be held for each 2012/2013 Colgate study group during the fall semester. Meeting times and locations will be announced in the student newspaper, in posters, and on the Off-Campus Study/International Programs web site.
2. If accepted, register for the study group classes with the study group director during the Colgate pre-registration period.
3. If you receive Colgate financial aid, consult with the Office of Financial Aid about your plans.
4. Make housing arrangements for your return to campus.
B. Non-Colgate Programs: Affiliated Programs, Foreign Institutions and Foreign Study Programs Sponsored by Other Domestic Institutions Students interested in participating in non-Colgate off-campus study programs must first be approved for an Academic Leave of Absence (ALOA). Colgate tries very hard to approve academic leaves that will enable students to deepen their liberal arts education with course work sponsored by other institutions. Nonetheless, the university needs to balance enrollments across both semesters, and therefore reserves the right to regulate the number of students who are granted fall or spring leaves. Students should discuss projected academic leaves of absence with their faculty advisers and with an adviser in Off-Campus Study/International Programs, considering options for both fall and spring terms. Additional factors under consideration for an academic leave of absence include: the student’s overall grade point average, his/her level of preparation for the intended program, and the quality of the Academic Leave of Absence Application.
1. Students must declare a major prior to applying for an Academic Leave of Absence. Schedule a meeting well in advance of the ALOA deadline to review your plans with your faculty adviser.
2. Research and discuss your program options in consultation with an adviser in Off-Campus Study/International programs. Once you have identified one or two programs that meet your general goals and educational plan, complete an Application for an Academic Leave of Absence for each of these programs (available from Off-Campus Study/International Programs). Note that our experience is that students applying to numerous programs and/or countries tend to have weaker academic rationales.
As part of the ALOA application, you should be prepared to address the following considerations:
a) Your academic rationale for selecting the particular program(s): How the program builds on what you have already studied at Colgate or enhances your liberal arts education; the courses you already have taken at Colgate in preparation for this experience; the aspects of the program and location that make it a good fit for your academic interests; and, how the proposed coursework integrates with your major or academic program.
b) The courses you plan to take if accepted. You should list four courses and, if available, four alternates for each of the programs to which you will be applying. Indicate the type of credit you wish to receive for these courses. If you would like to receive major credit, specify the particular course or courses – for both your first choice and alternate courses – which you will be asking to transfer into your major. Students who attend programs in non-English speaking countries are expected to take at least one course in the language of the country. (Note: Language departments at Colgate have specific criteria for awarding credit for courses taken on non-Colgate programs. Please speak to the language department’s chair early in the process to confirm transfer credit eligibility).
c) Your general knowledge of the program itself and any safety considerations within the host city and/or country in which you will be studying.
3. Since not all spring leaves can be accommodated, we expect students to consider off-campus options for both fall and spring semesters. If a student has a unique and compelling academic reason for needing to be on campus for a specific semester, the student must submit supporting documentation from the student’s major department chair or faculty adviser clearly indicating the reason. This documentation should be submitted at the time of application. Examples of reasons that are not considered compelling include but are not limited to: needing to stay on campus to improve your GPA, needing a course for a minor, preferring to take a course with a certain professor, or wanting to take your first Colgate language class in the fall.
4. Present your Academic Leave of Absence Application to your Faculty Adviser. Your adviser may want to review the catalogs and other program materials you have collected. Be sure to take course descriptions, syllabi, term length and other pertinent information with you. Discuss your plans for off-campus study with your adviser – in particular how those plans relate to your major and options for fall and spring semesters. Obtain your adviser's signature on the application. You should submit your completed application to Off-Campus Study no later than Friday, February 24, 2012.
If you plan to take courses for major credit, you should discuss those courses with the appropriate Department Chairperson or Program Director to determine if major credit may be awarded.
5. ALOA applications must be submitted no later than Friday, 24 February 2012 for both the fall and spring semesters of the 2012-2013 academic year. You will be notified of the status of your ALOA on or before 09 March 2012. If you are granted an Academic Leave you will be notified via your Colgate email address and, as is stated in the Colgate Catalog, you will subsequently be billed a $500.00 administrative fee. No leave of absence is required for summer terms.
Please note that the decisions of the ALOA Review Committee are considered final. For this reason it is critical for students to plan in advance for both fall and spring options.
6. Submit your program application(s) to the non-Colgate program(s) for which you have been granted an ALOA.
7. Transfer credit information: After acceptance but before submitting a deposit to the program, we recommend that you submit your Transfer of Credit Application to the Registrar's Office. Please note the following:
• Colgate students may receive credit for a maximum of six equivalent Colgate courses taken at other institutions or in non-Colgate programs. This includes all Advanced Placement credits and other college credits earned prior to entering Colgate as a first-year student, courses taken as a visiting student elsewhere, and courses taken at another institution during the summer or during the time that a student is on an academic leave of absence.
• A course must fall under the category of “Liberal Arts,” bear a minimum credit of three semester hours or five quarter hours, be comparable to Colgate courses in terms of classroom hours, and a grade of "C" or above must be earned in the course in order to transfer the course credit to Colgate. Note that courses in marketing, business, journalism, or other subjects beyond the scope of Colgate’s curriculum are not eligible for transfer credit.
• If you are seeking major credit for a course or if you are seeking transfer credit for any English or Natural Sciences and Mathematics courses, obtain the signature of the appropriate Department Chairperson for those courses only. Note that even though the deadline for submitting your Transfer of Credit Application to the Registrar's Office is not until May 1 for fall programs and December 1 for spring programs, we highly recommend that students submit it before committing financially to the program.
• Grades for courses taken on non-Colgate programs will not appear on the Colgate transcript and will not be factored into the Colgate Grade Point Average.
• Transfer of credit will not be automatically approved. No credit is guaranteed for courses or programs not approved in advance of enrollment. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain pre-approval for courses to be taken on an affiliated or non-Colgate program. Credit will be approved only for those programs of high academic quality. The ultimate decision regarding programs of questionable quality will rest with the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.
8. Finances and Financial Aid: Students approved for an academic leave will be charged an administrative fee of $500 to Colgate University. Colgate grants and State aid are not available for participation in non-Colgate or affiliated programs, except for programs approved as part of the President's Interim Portable Aid Initiative; however, federal aid is transferable. Please be aware that a student may be required to begin repayment on federal loans when participating in certain non-Colgate programs. Additional information about Colgate financial assistance may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.
9. Colgate housing: Make housing arrangements for your return to campus.
10. Transcripts: Be certain to request from your study abroad program that an official transcript be mailed to the Registrar's Office upon completion of your course work.
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Deadlines 1. Academic Leave of Absence – applications must be submitted to Off-Campus Study/International Programs before Friday, 24 February 2012 for both the fall 2012 and spring 2013 semesters. Notification of academic leave approval will be given on or before 09 March 2012.
2. Program Application – this varies from program to program. Be sure to inquire about application deadlines from your program provider as soon as possible.
3. Transfer of Credit Application – must be submitted to the Registrar:
prior to 1 May for a summer program
prior to 1 May for a fall program
prior to 1 December for a spring program
- Back to the top - Questions? To speak with an adviser, stop by Off-Campus Study/International Programs in 101K Lathrop Hall during our drop-in hours (Monday - Thursday 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.) or give us a call at x7216 to set up an appointment. You may also e-mail your questions to OCSIP@colgate.edu. We encourage all students to attend a general information meeting conducted by Off-Campus Study/International Programs. Meetings are held in Lathrop 101K at 11:15 a.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday when classes are in session. - Back to the top -