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Policies
and Procedures
Off-Campus Study Selection Process
Application Deadlines
Visiting Students from Other Institutions
Situations Requiring Special Permission
Selection
Criteria for Off-Campus Study
Summer Study on Non-Dickinson Programs
Fees, Expenses and Financial Aid
Transfer Credits
Selection Process
Study off campus is an opportunity available to Dickinson
students, subject to a selection process. It is the responsibility of
the student to present a persuasive case for off-campus study and to be
aware of all prerequisites and observe application deadlines. Program committees select students for off-campus study.
Committees are composed of faculty members and administrative staff from
the Office of Global Education. Selection is based on a written application
and, in some cases, an interview. Admission to programs may be competitive.
Application Deadlines
Applications must be submitted by the following deadlines. Please keep in mind that applications for most programs are reviewed on a rolling basis. Therefore, some programs may reach capacity prior to the final deadline. Students are strongly encouraged to submit applications as early as possible.
| Program type: |
AY |
Fall |
Spring |
Summer |
| Dickinson |
Feb. 15 |
Feb. 15 |
Sept. 15 |
Feb. 1 |
| Partner |
Feb. 15 |
Feb. 15 |
Sept. 15 |
Feb. 1 |
| Non-Dickinson |
Feb. 1 |
Feb. 1 |
Sept. 1 |
n/a |
NB: Some programs have earlier deadlines. Please see individual program descriptions for exceptions to the above due dates.
Visiting Students from Other Institutions
Each year, more than 40 students from other institutions
participate in Dickinson study abroad programs, some through
special consortial arrangements. These students are warmly
welcomed as “guest
students” of the college for the duration of the program. As such,
they enjoy all the rights and privileges granted by the
program, the one restriction being ineligibility for Dickinson
grant money and endowed
scholarships.
Situations Requiring Special Permission
Off-campus study in the final semester of the senior
year requires special approval from the Academic Program and
Standards Committee. Special approval also is necessary
for participation in more than two
semesters of study off campus. Petitions should be addressed
to Brian Whalen, associate dean and executive director,
Office of Global Education,
and should include the following:
- an essay describing how study off
campus fits in with overall academic goals and plans;
- letters of support from the academic
adviser, department chair, program coordinator and/or
resident director, as applicable;
- an audit showing in detail how off-campus
courses will fit in with graduation requirements.
Selection
Criteria for Off-Campus Study
Successful applicants must demonstrate the following qualifications
for off-campus study:
Academic Background
- Students must successfully complete
all prerequisite courses before participating in a program.
- Preference is given to students
who have completed background courses for the program in which they
intend
to study.
- Strong language preparation is especially
important for foreign language programs.
- Preference may be given to students
who have taken an appropriate foreign language course
in the semester preceding
their anticipated study abroad.
Academic Appropriateness
of Program and Location
Applicants must justify their program choices in terms
of appropriateness for their academic, linguistic and
cultural learning goals. This may be within the context
of a liberal arts education, or
specific academic goals, normally focused on a student’s major field.
The location of a program is less important than how the
program uses a location to foster learning.
GPA Requirement
Generally, a 2.8 GPA is required for acceptance into
an off-campus program. Some programs have higher GPA
requirements. While a student’s GPA is an important factor in
the selection process, meeting a program’s GPA requirement
does not guarantee acceptance.
Initiative, Maturity, Responsibility
and Adaptability
The successful completion of an off-campus program
requires initiative, maturity, responsibility and adaptability.
Studying off campus requires tolerance and a willingness
to adjust to living and learning
conditions very different from and often much less comfortable
than those in Carlisle. While studying off campus, students
are responsible for representing
Dickinson College well in all of their behaviors. As part
of the selection process, therefore, Student Life records
are taken into account.
Progress Toward Graduation
The proposed off-campus stay may not impede students’ normal progress
toward graduation. Students must indicate in their applications
how they plan to complete major and graduation requirements.
Students should discuss
their off-campus plans with their academic advisers.
Declaration
of Major
Students will not be allowed to study off campus on a
semester or academic year program until they officially
declare a major. Major declaration forms are available in the Registrar’s
Office, located in Biddle House, or on the Web at www.dickinson.edu/departments/reg.
Ineligible
Students
Students who are on academic or disciplinary probation
or suspension, or who have delinquent accounts, are not
eligible to apply for or to participate in off-campus study.
Application
to and Selection for Non-Dickinson Programs
Students may participate in a non-Dickinson program
when they can demonstrate compelling reasons why a Dickinson
Program or Partner Program cannot fulfill their academic
objectives. Students interested in a non-Dickinson program should contact
the Office
of Global Education for selection criteria and details
on how to apply.
Students may not apply to programs in countries that host
Dickinson Programs without demonstrating compelling academic
reasons why they choose not to apply to the Dickinson Program.
Reasons include
but are not limited to:
- a student’s academic major cannot be accommodated by a Dickinson
Program or Partner Program;
- another program fits the design of the student’s personal independent
study or career goals;
- the student applies to, but is not accepted into, a Dickinson
Program or Partner Program.
Under no circumstances may a student study, enroll or register
independently at an institution where a Dickinson Program
or Partner Program currently exists. If a student does
study, enroll or register at one of
these institutions, the student will receive no transfer
credit in any subject for the coursework.
Once a student is accepted by Dickinson for study on
a non-Dickinson program, he/she is given a letter of permission
and can then apply directly to the host program. If a student
applies to a program
without official approval from Dickinson College, the credits
from the program will not transfer.
Summer Study on Non-Dickinson Programs
Students interested in participating in non-Dickinson study abroad programs during the summer are not required to complete a Dickinson application. However, the following steps must be followed in order to transfer in any credit from summer study abroad programs:
- Students must fill out an Enrollment in Another Institution Form, listing the course (or courses) they plan to take.
- Students seeking major, minor, or distribution credit must obtain signatures from the chairs of the relevant academic departments, who may want to see course descriptions and/or syllabi.
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Students should then bring the signed form to the Office of Global Education (OGE), along with an unofficial copy of their transcripts.
- OGE will check to make sure that the student has at least a 2.0 GPA (the minimum required to transfer in credit); that the proposed summer course does not duplicate coursework the student has already completed for credit at Dickinson; and that the student has not already transferred in four summer and/or January-term credits (the maximum number allowed).
- If everything is in order, OGE will forward the Enrollment in Another Institution Form to the Registrar's Office, where it will be kept on file pending receipt of the summer transcript.
- Students must earn grades of "C" or better in order to transfer in credits.
Fees,
Expenses, and Financial Aid
Dickinson Programs and Partner Programs
Dickinson College is committed to making off-campus study
affordable for Dickinson students and to supporting off-campus study
with financial aid. Dickinson students are able to study abroad on
any Dickinson Program or Partner Program for approximately the same
price as study on the Carlisle campus.
The fees for academic year and semester international Dickinson Programs
and Partner Programs are based on and correspond closely to on-campus
tuition, room and board and fees, which are announced each spring. Summer
study abroad program fees continue to be determined independently of
the on-campus fees. Airfare is not included in program fees.
Included in most program fees are:
• tuition and fees
• room and board
• pre-departure and on-site orientations
• academic excursions
Additional and incidental costs generally not included in the fee are:
• required primary health insurance
• roundtrip airfare
• passport and visa
• immunizations
• optional travel
• miscellaneous personal expenses
• meals and housing during vacations
• books and supplies
Financial Aid on Dickinson Programs and Partner Programs
Financial aid continues for eligible students during
their time off campus when participating in a Dickinson Program or
Partner Program. To ensure continued support, students should make
the necessary arrangements with the Financial Aid Office upon acceptance
to an off-campus program. Dickinson grant money and endowed scholarships
are available only to Dickinson College students. Students from other
colleges and universities should check with their own financial aid
offices to determine eligibility.
Financial Aid on Non-Dickinson Programs
Under no circumstances may a student use Dickinson-awarded financial aid to fund any type of study on a non-Dickinson program. Students may use federal financial aid, private scholarships (not given by Dickinson), or personal funds for funding participation in a non-Dickinson program.
Bill Payment Service for Non-Dickinson Programs
Dickinson offers a bill payment service for students studying abroad on non-Dickinson programs. Benefits include the uninterrupted use of Dickinson’s monthly payment plan, and greater efficiency in the processing and crediting of federal and state financial aid. Students electing to use this service should send their host school bill to the Office of Global Education (attn: Laurie Mossler). There is a $65 administrative fee for this service.
Students may also opt to pay their host institution directly. Please note that payment may be due sooner than is the case at Dickinson and that the host institution may expect payment in full without consideration of pending financial aid.
Non-Dickinson Program Study Abroad Fee
All students studying abroad on a non-Dickinson program during the 2008-2009 academic year will be charged an off-campus study fee of $1,500 per semester. This amount will be charged to the student’s Dickinson account. The amount of the fee is subject to change for the 2009-2010 academic year.
The study abroad fee that Dickinson charges is for a number of services provided to students, many of them “behind the scenes." The fee is not a "finder’s fee." That is, it is not meant to pay for finding a program for students. The Office of Global Education can advise students on possible programs, or at least point them in the direction of resources where they may find an appropriate program. If Dickinson students have not studied in certain locations of the world, then this chore may indeed prove more difficult than if a student were to choose a more popular destination. However, it has been found that such proactive effort is indeed good preparation for the off-campus experience.
The fee does cover resources available to students in the Office of Global Education; predeparture orientation and information; communication with students while at another institution on matters such as housing and registration; and administration of the transfer credit process for courses students take at another institution. It also covers reentry activities and events, including reentry gatherings and other activities, and communication with the host program regarding logistical issues and student life matters.
Transfer
Credits
Grades and Credits
In general, coursework taken at cooperating institutions
abroad is transferable provided that:
- grades of “C” (2.00
on a 4.00 scale) or better are earned;
- the coursework
is consistent with a liberal arts curriculum;
- coursework
taken abroad does not duplicate coursework for which
students have already earned Dickinson credit.
Final determination of credit will be made by the registrar.
Determination of credit to fulfill major, minor or distribution
requirements will be made by the relevant academic department.
Students participating
in off-campus programs are expected to take a normal
full-time course load as defined by the host program
or institution. For Dickinson Programs
and Partner Programs a normal full load is generally
defined as 4 or 4.5 credits per semester; some programs
require a separate pre-program
orientation course that may yield an additional credit. To take more than 4.5 credits per semester on a Dickinson or Dickinson Partner Program, a student must petition Laurie Mossler, Director of Global Education. In her absence, students may also address their petitions to Brian Whalen, Associate Dean of the College and Executive Director of Global Education. If a student registers for more than the maximum allowed without permission of the Office of Global Education, the course credit will not transfer.
Students studying on non-Dickinson
programs should
consult a representative of their host program regarding
the number of courses that constitutes a normal full
load; the host institution’s
normal full load will transfer back as 4 Dickinson credits. To take more than 4 credits per semester on a non-Dickinson program, a student must petition Laurie Mossler, Director of Global Education. In her absence, students may also address their petitions to Brian Whalen, Associate Dean of the College and Executive Director of Global Education. If a student registers for more than the maximum allowed without the permission of the Office of Global Education, the course credit will not transfer.
Transfer Credit Policies for Semester and Academic Year Programs
Courses taught at Dickinson centers abroad are recorded
on the transcript with titles and grades. Only grades
for “Dickinson
courses” (defined as courses approved by the Academic Program
and Standards Committee and taught by faculty members
approved by the Faculty Personnel Committee) will be
included in the cumulative
grade point average. For courses taken at a cooperating
institution (e.g., the University of Toulouse, the
University of Bologna, etc.)
or on a non-Dickinson program, the equivalent letter grades
earned are recorded on the Dickinson transcript, but
the grade is not included
in the Dickinson GPA (see exceptions below). Although
Dickinson students will not earn credit for grades
of C- or below, the letter grades will
nonetheless appear on the transcript.
The following courses taken at cooperating institutions have been approved as “Dickinson courses” by the appropriate academic departments. Letter grades earned will be included in the GPA for:
- University of East Anglia (Norwich) courses in English, American studies, fine arts, theatre, music, history, philosophy, and religion. Courses in sociology except for core courses 240, 241, and 330/331, for which pre-approval is required.
- University of East Anglia (Norwich) courses in biology, chemistry, environmental science, environmental studies, geology, mathematics, and computer science.
- All courses taken through the School for Field Studies.
- All courses taken at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (ICCS) in Rome, Italy.
Upon return to the Carlisle campus, students must complete an Enrollment in Another Institution Form. Seniors are required to submit these forms prior to the course request period for their last semester. If the form is not in the Registrar’s Office by that time, the student will not be permitted to participate in course request.
For Dickinson or Dickinson Partner Programs: please note that the Enrollment in Another Institution Form is required only when a student is seeking major, minor, or distribution credit for coursework completed at a cooperating university. The form is not required for Dickinson Center courses, or for courses at a cooperating university for which a student is seeking only general credit. After obtaining the required signatures, the student should take the form directly to the Registrar’s Office.
For non-Dickinson programs: please note that the Enrollment in Another Institution Form is required whether a student is seeking major, minor, distribution, or general credit. After obtaining the required signatures, the student should bring the form to the Office of Global Education for approval by the Director of Global Education. The form will then be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office. Students should work directly with their host program to ensure that an official transcript is sent to the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible after the end of the semester.
Overseas Internships
Dickinson College’s international programs are distinguished by
their emphasis on sustained engagement with local society and rigorous
learning about host cultures. Many Dickinson Programs offer students
the opportunity to intern with a company or organization as a way of
fostering this engaged learning. Internships may be completed for academic
credit or done on a non-credit basis. In recent years, Dickinson students
have held these and other international internships—some of which
have led to permanent employment opportunities:
Book marketer, England
Winery marketing assistant, France
Assistant at ecology center, Germany
Assistant accountant, Ireland
Art museum intern, Italy
Marketing assistant, Mexico
English teacher, Russia
Radio station intern, Spain
Media intern, China
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