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Policies

Please find the Education Abroad Policies below for all students participating on a study abroad/away experience. We expect that each student participating on a program read through and understand these policies. If you should have any questions, please contact the Center for Global Study and Engagement by email at global@dickinson.edu or by phone at 717-245-1341.

Applicants Who Do Not Meet GPA Expectations

Conduct and Discipline Policies

Early Withdrawal and Extension of Stay Process and Refund Policy

Financial Aid on Non-Dickinson Programs Policy

General Policies and CGSE Policies

Health Safety and Insurance Policies

International Travel Warning Policy

Personal Property and Liability Insurance Policy

Refund Policy for Emergency Cancellation

Selection Process Policy

Situations Requiring Special Permission Policy

Summer Program Financial Aid Refund Policy

Summer Program Financial Help for Airfare Costs

Summer Program Refund Policy

Summer Study on Non-Dickinson Programs Policy

Transfer Credit Policy

 

Additional CGSE Process Information

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.

APPLICATION DEADLINES
 PROGRAM  ACADEMIC YEAR  FALL  SPRING  SUMMER
Dickinson** Feb. 15 Feb. 15 Sept. 15 Feb. 1
Partner Feb. 15 Feb. 15 Sept. 15 N/A

NOTE: **Dickinson at Oxford deadline is Feb 1. Dickinson in Japan for all terms is Feb 1. 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 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.

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 the expectation 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. No student with a cumulative GPA below 2.5 at the time of applying will be permitted to study abroad.

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.

Progess 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 here.

Ineligible Students

Students who are on academic or disciplinary stayed suspension or suspension 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 only 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 Center for Global Study and Engagement for selection criteria and details on how to apply.

Students may not apply to programs with the same academic focus as Dickinson Programs or Partner Programs, nor may they apply to programs in countries that host Dickinson Programs or Partner Programs, without demonstrating compelling academic reasons why they choose not to apply to the Dickinson Program or Partner Program. The location of the alternative program will not be considered a compelling reason in and of itself, and students are not permitted to apply to multi-country non-Dickinson programs. Students will be expected to study on Dickinson or Dickinson Partner Programs except when:

  • The 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; or
  • 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.

Students who are accepted by Dickinson for study on a non-Dickinson program are 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.