Requirements for Study Abroad
Note: You may scroll down to read this entire document, or click on any of the topics below to jump to a specific section of this page. Copies of this document may be picked up outside the door of the Office of International Studies. It is a good idea to read through this information before making any decisions about studying abroad.
[Introduction]
[*PASSPORTS*]
[Wesleyan Programs]
[Wesleyan-Approved Programs]
[Application Procedures and
Deadlines]
[Petition Procedures]
[Foreign Language Requirement]
[English Speaking Programs]
[Program Requirements]
[Credit Toward Graduation]
[Credit Toward Completion of a Major]
[General Education Expectations]
[Eligibility: Academic and Disciplinary Good Standing]
[Fees and Financial Aid]
[Visas, and Insurance]
[Students Who are NOT U.S. Citizens]
[Keeping in Touch While Abroad]
IMPORTANT PASSPORT
INFORMATION FOR U.S. CITIZENS
The U.S. State Department's Passport Services unit is
experiencing a major backlog in processing applications.
Routine, non-expedited applications and renewals are taking
approximately 12-14 weeks. Expedited service is taking
approximately four to six weeks. Additionally, because the
service uses a centralized system, travelers cannot get their
documents faster by submitting applications directly to a
regional processing facility. Although the passport agency has
hired extra help, the anticipated surge due to Phase I of the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was far larger than
expected.
We recommend that all students have a valid passport, regardless
of when they plan to study abroad. You cannot go abroad without
a passport, and most countries require that you have a student
visa, which you cannot secure until you have a passport. If
you plan to study abroad in the spring 2008 semester, and do not
have a passport or have one that will expire less than 6 months
AFTER THE END OF YOUR PROGRAM, it is imperative that you
apply immediately. Use the expedited passport process and
express postage to send your passport application and receive
your passport back from the Passport Agency. It costs more, but
will put you in the 4-6 week turnaround time, rather than the
12-14 week time frame. You need this time to apply for and
receive a student visa AFTER you receive your passport.
Passport applications can be obtained from the Clerk of Court at
all county court houses and at U.S. Post Offices. In Middletown,
passport applications may be obtained at the U.S. Post Office,
11 Silver Street (telephone 638-6977) or the Probate Court
office, 94 Court Street (telephone 347-7424). You must
send a certified copy of your birth certificate and two
passport-sized photographs with your application. Passport
photos can be purchased at various locations in Middletown,
including CVS, Brooks, and Walgreens. The cost at all three
locations is currently $7.99 plus tax; photos can be taken at
the Post Office, but the cost is $15. The passport processing
fee is $55, the application execution fee is $30, and the
security surcharge is $12, for a total of $97. The additional
fee for expedited service is $60, bringing the total passport
cost to $157. The Passport Agency recommends that you use U.S.
Postal Service Express Mail to send your application and to
receive it. Express Mail is $16.25 each way for a total of
$32.50
INTRODUCTION
Study abroad is an essential gateway to
the cross-cultural awareness so necessary today, as well as to
competence in a foreign language. Knowledge of the language,
history, and culture of another country, as well as its
political, economic, religious, ethnic, and environmental
particularities, greatly enriches any academic pursuit on the
home campus. Study in another culture and society sharpens our
understanding of ourselves in relation to the world in which we
live, and is thus a central component of a liberal-arts
education. For most students, total immersion in the culture and
language of another country is the only path to becoming
bilingual.
WESLEYAN-ADMINISTERED PROGRAMS
Wesleyan provides an array of opportunities
for its students to study abroad through the programs it
administers, wholly or in part, in China, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain (see below). Each of these
programs is monitored by faculty on the home campus, and run by
a resident director on site. Most programs offer a varied
selection of courses in the humanities and social sciences, as
well, in some cases, as direct enrollment at a local university,
and students from all majors are encouraged to apply. In these
programs Wesleyan has a voice in the establishment of the
curriculum, housing, and extracurricular activities (such as
field trips, concerts, and plays), and thus we feel confident
that these programs are excellent choices for our students.
For this reason,
students intending to study abroad should first consider
Wesleyan's own programs. For brochures, application forms, and
further information, consult either the Office of International
Studies or a representative of one of the following departments:
Asian Languages & Literatures:
Duke in CHINA Program (Beijing)
Associated Kyoto Program (JAPAN)
English:
Wesleyan University/University of Sussex Spring Semester Abroad Program (ENGLAND)
(Will not run spring '08; resumes spring '09)
German Studies:
Wesleyan University Program in GERMANY
in collaboration with Vanderbilt University and Wheaton College(Regensburg)
Music:
Music Department Exchange with University College Cork (Ireland)
Physics:
Physics Department Exchange with Dublin City University (Ireland)
Romance Languages and Literature:
Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Paris
Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Madrid
Eastern College Consortium Program
in Bologna (E.C.C.O.)
Wesleyan University Spanish
Language Acquisition Program in Puebla, Mexico
Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris ("Sciences Po") Exchange Program
WESLEYAN-APPROVED PROGRAMS
The Committee on International Studies approves approximately
140 programs sponsored by other institutions in Africa, Asia,
Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. Although
Wesleyan does not have control over the quality of these
programs, the Committee on International Studies monitors
student experience on, and the reputations of, the programs,
conducting site visits when appropriate, and updates the list
regularly. Evaluations are kept on file and made available to
students. For more information or a copy of the list, consult
the Office of International Studies (OIS) or visit the web site:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/ois/studyabroad/thelist.html
Wesleyan
requires that all American institutions whose study abroad
programs are used by our students have, as part of their
policy documentation, a non-discrimination clause comparable
to Wesleyan's. Petitions for programs run by American
universities or organizations that do not have such a clause
will not be approved.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Wesleyan-administered programs: The sponsoring
department or an inter-departmental campus committee establishes
criteria for admission and reviews applications. Applications
for Madrid, Paris, Bologna, Puebla and Regensburg are processed
by the Office of International Studies. For the Sussex, Cork,
Dublin and Sciences Po exchanges, selection is handled by the
relevant department, and successful applications are processed
by OIS. Applicants also must complete Wesleyan’s general
study-abroad permission application, due March 1 for fall or
full-year and October 15 for spring. Information about all
Wesleyan programs is available at OIS. Admission is competitive,
and students are encouraged to apply to an approved-list program
as backup.
Wesleyan–administered program application
deadlines:
Location
|
Semester of Study
|
Deadline
|
| Bologna |
Fall/Full Year
Spring |
February 15
October 1 |
| Madrid |
Fall/Full Year
Spring |
March 1
October 1 |
| Paris |
Fall/Full Year
Spring |
March 1
October 1 |
| Regensburg |
Spring |
November 1 |
Wesleyan-approved programs: Students apply directly
to the sponsoring institution for acceptance and also
to the Office of International Studies for permission to study
abroad. OIS applications are available in the office and
on-line. Application deadlines for permission to study abroad
are March 1 for the fall semester or full year and
October 15 for the spring semester.
Deadlines for individual programs may be earlier than Wesleyan's
deadline. Programs increasingly fill well before their
deadlines, so early application is essential to avoid being
closed out of many of the most popular programs. However,
students always should consult with the Office of
International Studies first, since OIS must check every
student’s academic and disciplinary status before certifying to
the sponsoring institution that credit will be transferred or
that the student is in good standing.
Petitions:
Students interested in participating for credit in programs not
on the approved list must submit a petition to the Committee on
International Studies. Such petitions may be submitted only
after meeting with the Director of International Studies to
discuss the specific program, the student's goals, and the
petition process. The petition form is available at the OIS but
not online. DEADLINES for submitting a petition are February
15 for fall-semester or year-long programs and September 30 for
spring-semester programs. Only one petition can be submitted
at a time. The Committee on International Studies meets every
other Wednesday during the academic semester, and cannot
consider petitions at other times; petitions are reviewed on a
rolling basis. The Committee's decisions are final and not
subject to appeal.
The Committee on International
Studies considers three primary factors in a petition: the
quality and substance of the proposed program, the petitioner's
academic preparation for participation (e.g., language study,
area studies courses, academic performance), and the
petitioner's academic justification as to how this program meets
his/her academic needs in a way approved-list programs do
not. Approximately 60% of petitions are approved; petitioners
are strongly encouraged to apply to at least one approved-list
program as a backup.
N.B.: Although the OIS will try to help Wesleyan
students gain admission into the programs of their choice,
OIS approval does not guarantee admission. Students are
responsible for understanding and meeting the regulations,
requirements, and deadlines specific to the programs of their
choice. In general, deadlines range from early February to
mid-April for the fall semester or year-long programs, and from
mid-September to mid-November for the spring semester. Many
programs process applications on a rolling basis, so to avoid
disappointment, students should check space availability.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
Most programs in non-English speaking
countries require that students complete a certain number of
semesters of language study before going abroad. This number
varies according to the program; in some cases, Wesleyan has
more stringent requirements than the program. Students should
therefore consult the List of Approved
Programs, and plan their course selections accordingly
and as early as possible. It is Wesleyan policy that:
a.
students going to a
program in a country whose language they have studied take
courses only in that language;
b.
students going to a
country whose language is taught at Wesleyan study that language
to an appropriate level (identified in the
List of Approved Programs) before
attending the program;
c.
students going to a
program in a country whose language Wesleyan does not teach
study the language of that country while abroad.
Exceptions to these rules are made only for
certain thematic programs (identified in the
List of Approved Programs), or by
petition to the Committee on International Studies.
Students attending one of the thematic programs for which
language is not a prerequisite are nevertheless strongly
encouraged to study the relevant language for as long as
possible before attending the program.
Students majoring in Wesleyan's College
of Letters are required to spend the second semester of
their sophomore year abroad, preferably in a country where
French, Russian, German, Hebrew, Italian, or Spanish is spoken.
Before studying abroad, COL students are required to complete
two full years of French or Spanish, three semesters of German,
Russian, or Hebrew, or two semesters of Italian, at the
university level. Note that students are not automatically
granted permission to study abroad or acceptance to a program on
the basis of a major requirement.
Students taking courses abroad on approved
programs in foreign languages taught at Wesleyan, but who have
not progressed beyond the intermediate level before going
abroad, should be prepared to take the placement test upon their
return. This will allow us to determine the appropriate level
for the continuation of their language studies at Wesleyan, and
also help us assess the quality of language instruction in
approved programs abroad.
Students with native or fluent competence
in a foreign language may enroll directly in universities abroad
without petitioning, but only with the approval of the Director
of International Studies.
ENGLISH SPEAKING PROGRAMS
The list of Wesleyan-administered and Wesleyan-approved
programs includes opportunities for study abroad in several
English-speaking countries. The Committee on International
Studies gives preference to programs that place students in
universities rather than to programs that offer courses
organized only for American students, outside a university
context, with the exceptions of a small number of highly-focused
programs in the sciences or arts that meet specific disciplinary
needs. Direct enrollment in universities is also encouraged
where feasible.
Programs with instruction in English in countries where
English is not the native language form a separate category.
Although Wesleyan generally does not encourage this type of
experience, there are important academic reasons for including a
few such programs on the list of Wesleyan-approved programs.
Students are required to enroll in at least one course in
the language of the country as part of their academic program,
and full weight (1 Wesleyan credit) is always given to that
course. The Committee on International Studies prefers
programs with instructors from the host country, even if the
instruction is in English, rather than American instructors, and
avoids approving programs where students find themselves
isolated from the host culture.
For some students, health concerns may dictate where they can
or cannot study abroad. Such students are encouraged to speak
with OIS or Health Center/Behavioral Health staff regarding
these concerns, as well as to research health, medical, and
medication issues in the countries of interest. Students who
plan to study in Australia and take medication for chronic
health conditions should refer to
http://www.tga.health.gov.au/docs/html/bringmed/intoaust.htm to
read the most current information on laws covering the kinds and
quantities of medications that can be brought into Australia.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Students must commit themselves to full-time enrollment,
regular class attendance, and strict compliance with all program
regulations and individual course requirements in any program
they choose. Students who leave a program before it is
officially over will not receive credit for their work. The
Committee on International Studies looks at a number of factors,
including the number of contact hours required for each course,
before approving programs. Courses are expected to be
academically rigorous, meeting approximately the same number of
hours as a Wesleyan course and requiring assignments of
equivalent length and difficulty within the context of other
nations’ pedagogical systems. The Committee recognizes that
class participation, reading, and writing assignments are more
difficult when courses are not taught in the student's native
language, and adjusts its expectations accordingly.
CREDIT TOWARD GRADUATION
Credit will be given toward graduation for
all appropriate courses (courses in the liberal
arts) taken on Wesleyan-administered or
-approved programs abroad. Students must obtain
written approval for their proposed program from
their major advisor or department chair, or, if
they have not yet declared a major, from their
faculty advisor. Special rules apply to
internships, which must be pre-approved by a
department for credit, even for credit outside
the major. Four credits are allowed for each
semester of study abroad. Permission for a fifth
credit for any given semester may be granted by
the program director in the case of
Wesleyan-administered programs, and by the
Director of International Studies for
Wesleyan-approved programs.
Grades are reported on the Wesleyan transcript and count
toward the student's overall GPA. All courses
including internships must be taken A-F unless this
option is not available, but credit for internships will appear
on the Wesleyan transcript with CR only. COL majors should
consult with the department for grading mode information. Some
modifications in grading systems for study abroad have been
found necessary, and A+ grades received abroad will be posted to
the Wesleyan transcript as A grades.
Credit for approved programs may be measured differently than
at Wesleyan, often in semester credits or, for students
enrolling directly in foreign universities, in other units. One
Wesleyan credit is the equivalent of 3.75 semester credits, and
students are required to enroll in a minimum of
15-16 semester credits, which is equivalent to a full Wesleyan
load of 4 credits. Students should be sure, before they leave
Wesleyan, that they understand the credit system of the
institution giving them credit abroad; the OIS can provide this
information and explain how courses will be weighted. The OIS
ensures that courses and grades are entered on the Wesleyan
transcript by the Registrar.
Upon completing their period of study abroad, students will
be required to complete an evaluation for the program
they attended to ensure that current information about
programs is always available to the Committee, the OIS, and
prospective participants. Once the evaluation is returned to the
Office of International Studies and the program transcript is
received, credits will be transferred.
Students who must make changes in their curricular plans
after arriving on site must consult the OIS immediately,
preferably by e-mail (gwinter@wesleyan.edu) or fax
(860-685-2551). They are expected to choose a replacement course
or courses compatible with the plans previously approved by the
major advisor. Where major credit is concerned, the student also
must communicate with his/her faculty or departmental advisor,
and must ask said professor to inform the Office of any credit
approval granted. Credit for unapproved courses will not
be transferred to the Wesleyan transcript; there can be no
retroactive approval after the student's return to campus.
It is therefore particularly important that students communicate
with the Office if in any doubt about their curriculum abroad.
Both before leaving and once abroad, students should contact
the OIS with questions about GenEd and graduation credit for
courses taken abroad during the academic year.
CREDIT TOWARD COMPLETION OF A MAJOR
Students must
discuss credit toward the major with a departmental advisor
in advance, and applications must be endorsed by students’ major
or faculty advisors. Individual departments have specific
regulations about the granting of major credit for work done
abroad, which are posted to the OIS web site at
http://www.wesleyan.edu/ois/studyabroad/majorcredit.html. It
is essential that students maintain communication with their
major advisors and with the OIS. Students should bring syllabi,
papers, and exams in courses they wish to count towards their
major back to Wesleyan for review by their advisors, who will
determine equivalencies.
GENERAL EDUCATION EXPECTATIONS
In order to be eligible for study abroad, students should
be in compliance with Wesleyan’s general education expectations
for the stage of their education they have completed at the time
of their departure. Many courses on Wesleyan’s own programs
are coded for general education equivalency. It is possible to
petition for general education equivalency for courses taken on
approved programs abroad if the student is able to identify an
equivalent Wesleyan course. Course descriptions for the two
courses must be submitted to the OIS, and the Director will
forward such requests to the Academic Deans, who make all such
decisions, if she considers them legitimate. This must be done
before the courses are completed, and will not be done
retroactively.
ELIGIBILITY: ACADEMIC AND DISCIPLINARY GOOD STANDING
Students who apply to study abroad must be in good
academic and disciplinary standing at Wesleyan. In applying
for foreign study, they must sign a waiver allowing the OIS
to check with the Dean’s Office regarding both academic
(Good Standing and Honor Code) and disciplinary (Code of
Non-Academic Conduct) standing. Any current or pending
disciplinary issue will be reported to OIS and taken into
account in evaluating a student’s application for permission
to study abroad. Should a student be placed on academic
discipline or have disciplinary proceedings filed after
receiving approval to study abroad, this will be reported to
OIS, and approval to participate in a program may be
revoked.
Students are required to sign a “Standards of Conduct Pledge”
as part of the internal Wesleyan application. This pledge holds
students accountable to Wesleyan’s Honor System and Code of
Non-Academic Conduct while participating in a
Wesleyan-administered or –approved program. Infractions abroad
may result in Honor Board or Student Judicial Board charges or,
in extreme cases, expulsion from the program.
Permission to study abroad may be denied or withdrawn if a
student’s account with Wesleyan’s Student Accounts Office has a
delinquent balance from the semester prior to the proposed
semester(s) of study abroad.
Students required to resign may not use study abroad
as a way of gathering the credit they need to return to
Wesleyan, unless they are citizens of the country in which
they wish to study. In that case, their credit taken abroad
is processed as if it were domestic transfer credit, and they do
not work through the Office of International Studies.
Students must have any incompletes, X’s or AB’s in
courses taken the semester before study abroad resolved two
weeks prior to departure date. Head Residents make a
full-year commitment to the Office of Residential Life; students
who accept positions as head residents for a particular academic
year are not eligible to study abroad during that time.
FEES AND FINANCIAL AID
Students
are considered to be enrolled at Wesleyan while abroad, in the
category of non-resident study (NRS), and thus pay
Wesleyan tuition and, in many cases, program room and board
fees, directly to Wesleyan University; Wesleyan then pays the
program. This is the only way in which credit from academic-year
programs abroad can be applied toward the Wesleyan degree.
Students remain eligible for financial aid, for which they apply
to the Financial Aid Office. They receive assistance from the
OIS in planning the financing of their programs. Since the
formulae by which Wesleyan-approved program costs are assessed
and billed vary considerably, students are asked to consult the
detailed statement of Financial
Procedures, and to make an appointment with Gail
Winter, Assistant Director (gwinter@wesleyan.edu
or x3006).
Some programs offer their own scholarships, for which
Wesleyan students may be eligible; the same is true for several
federal and non-program specific scholarships for study abroad.
It is the student's responsibility to investigate these
opportunities. The OIS has established a special fund to assist
students for whom study abroad poses a financial hardship above
and beyond the cost of remaining at Wesleyan (e.g. due to
airfare, higher cost of living, or forgone work opportunities).
These grants are not intended to replace summer earnings, so
unless the program calendar makes summer work impossible,
applicants should plan accordingly. Students may apply,
providing a budget and explanation of their circumstances, for
amounts not to exceed $1000 for a single semester or $1500 for
the full year. Application must be made by the last day of
classes each semester.
VISAS AND INSURANCE
Whether on Wesleyan-administered or -approved programs,
students are responsible for obtaining their own passports
and student visas for travel abroad unless they are
specifically informed otherwise by the program directors.
Students are responsible for their own health insurance if
the program does not provide it. One option is to purchase the
student insurance plan available through Wesleyan. In addition,
we strongly encourage the purchase of an International Student
Identity Card, available through the OIS. In addition to
discounts on travel and activities, this card provides some
insurance coverage, including medical evacuation and
repatriation.
STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES
Since visa, passport, and U.S. and foreign country
immigration requirements and regulations differ widely,
students who are not U.S. citizens MUST speak with the
Coordinator of International Student Services, at x2793,
North College room 29. The coordinator will counsel you
on the necessary steps to follow in order to stay in
compliance with immigration regulations if you are a U.S.
visa holder, and discuss your plans for obtaining a visa for
your country of destination if you hold a green card.
KEEPING IN TOUCH WHILE ABROAD
Students who are
accepted by Wesleyan-approved programs (including those approved
via petition) must provide the OIS a copy of their acceptance
letter immediately, with a notation that they plan to attend
said programs, so that their status change at Wesleyan can be
processed in a timely manner. The OIS will communicate with
students abroad via email on events at Wesleyan and logistical
issues during their stay abroad.
If a student decides at the last minute not to go, it
is important that the OIS be notified promptly, so that
arrangements for the coming semester can be handled smoothly.
Students are encouraged to keep the Office posted as to their
activities and travel plans.
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