Academics

This week's pre-departure newsletter from OCSE focuses on academics - the STUDY part of study abroad. Below we'll be highlighting some of the key academic policies and academic differences to expect when studying off campus.
 

‌REMINDER - Tonight (Wednesday) is our Pre-Departure Orientation in Gannett from 7-8 pm. See you there!
 

What type of credit will I earn?

Skidmore students may participate in two types of programs – Skidmore Programs or Approved Programs. Depending on the program, students will either earn direct Skidmore credit or transfer credit. Regardless of program, it's possible to earn credit towards major, minor, and general education requirements with department approval.

DIRECT SKIDMORE CREDIT

Credits earned on the Skidmore in Spain and Skidmore in New Zealand programs are direct Skidmore credit, just like the credit you earn when taking a course on the Skidmore campus. The grades you earn on these programs will appear on your Skidmore transcript and are factored into your Skidmore grade point average.  

 

TRANSFER CREDIT

Credits earned on Approved Programs and Skidmore in France are transfer credit. All courses must be taken for a grade, and students must earn the equivalent grade of ’C’ or better to transfer the credit to Skidmore. The course titles of the courses taken abroad will be listed on your Skidmore transcript, as well as whether you successfully transferred in the credit. However, the grades you earn will not be listed on your Skidmore transcript and will not be factored into your Skidmore GPA. 
 

Register for a full course load

Skidmore expects all students studying off campus to register for a full course load, typically about 15 credits. Please remember that a full course load is different from having full-time status. A full course load means the typical enrollment at your host university or your off-campus study program. You must also take enough classes to maintain full-time status at Skidmore - the equivalent of at least 12 credits. Students interested in enrolling in less than 15 credits should contact OCSE prior to the end of the drop/add period onsite about petition options.
 

Getting more courses approved

It's common for students to register for courses that they didn't list on the Proposed Course of Study form at the time of application. So, how do you get more courses approved? It's pretty easy and you don't need to edit or submit a new Proposed Course of Study form. Instead, you can get more courses approved by emailing the relevant department chair at Skidmore. Then forward the email with the approval to ocse@skidmore.edu. OCSE will save the approval and share it with the Registrar.

But wait, before you send that email, be sure to check the OCSE Course Equivalency Matrix to see if the course has already been approved.
 
 

What academic differences should I expect?

Have you thought about how your academic experience while studying abroad will be different? Regardless of program, you should expect the academic style to be more independent than what you experience at Skidmore.

Try answering these questions to help prepare for the academic differences you will find when studying off campus: 

 

  • How is the program structured? Are you directly enrolling at a university or are you taking classes at a study abroad center?
  • How big is the program or university? What is the average class size?
  • Who are your classmates - other study abroad students or local students?
  • How will your register?
  • How will you be graded? What is the grading scale and how do grades convert to the Skidmore grading scale?
  • How much work will you be expected to do out of class?
  • Have you looked at the academic calendar? What are the start and end dates and the dates for any breaks?
  • Do you need to request any academic accommodations?
 
 

Additional things to consider
  • Students must maintain good academic standing after being accepted. OCSE reserves the right to withdraw a student from an off-campus study program if they do not meet the 2.75 GPA requirement.
  • Students cannot receive credit for courses they have already taken or received credit for on campus. You will not receive ANY credit for courses that are repeated while off campus.
  • If you need to request academic accommodations for your semester off campus, please contact the Coordinator of Student Access Services at Skidmore to request a letter outlining your academic accommodations that you can share with your program provider.
  • Students studying off campus will register online for their next semester on campus at their assigned registration appointment date and time. Please account for any time differences.
 
 
 
 

Coming up next week...

In next week's pre-departure email, we will focus on Social Identities Abroad.

 
 

#globalskidmore

This is an internal email and not intended for external distribution. Please do not forward.
©