Off-Campus Study Advising and Application Process
We believe students should plan off-campus study in active collaboration with faculty advisors, our office, and other trusted people in their lives. Our office relies on faculty advisors to support students in planning their majors, while finding ways to thoughtfully and purposefully integrate study-away plans with ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ-based academics. Please see our Guiding Principles section for more of our philosophy around advising and program selection.
The application process to gain ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ approval to study off-campus requires submission of a pre-application due in early November and a full OCS application due mid-February. The full OCS application includes an online form as well as a hard-copy course exercise form signed by faculty that is uploaded to students' application portals. More information about this process can be found in the Applying section of our website.
Please take this opportunity to speak with your students about departmental offerings, major/minor requirements, and timing. Please note that the OCS application period coincides with the major declaration process.
Choosing a program:
ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ students may choose from , though occasionally students will petition for an opportunity off this "Options List". When it comes to program/university selection, we are happy to review the Options List with students in one-on-one meetings, providing them with a variety of recommendations to research and discuss with trusted faculty advisors. We encourage you to reach out to us if you have a question about a program/university brought to you by a student, or to ask us why we are recommending it to your student. Likewise, we are happy to listen to your recommendations about other trusted programs/universities in your field. While there tend to be limited opportunities to revise our Options List, we will certainly take your feedback into consideration!
Letters of recommendation:
Many program/university applications require a faculty recommendation form or letter. We ask students to request these letters/forms from faculty members in a timely manner and to provide faculty members with information about the program and their interest in it. Every institution’s process and timing is different, but most are rolling-admissions and only render admissions decisions once an application is complete. Therefore, prompt completion of recommendations is greatly appreciated!
Generally speaking, the application process is not as competitive for study abroad programs/universities compared to fellowship and scholarship applications. Therefore, while these letters are greatly appreciated and often required, we do not anticipate that faculty will put the same effort into these letters as compared to other opportunities, such as national fellowships and scholarships. Letters of recommendation should be on letterhead and they should speak to the following: a) in what capacity do you know the applicant; b) how did the applicant perform in that capacity; c) do you support the student's application to the program/university (e.g., will the applicant be able to adjust to a new academic setting, will it contribute to their academic studies). If you have any questions about an institution's admissions process, please let us know.
Earning Credit While Off-Campus
It may be helpful to review the OCS Academic Policies and Eligibility section of our website.
As part of the OCS application process (due mid-February each year), students must submit a Course Exercise form signed by faculty in their major departments (and in their minor department if seeking credit for their minor). These signatures indicate general approval for a student's study away plans as well as pre-approval for major/minor credit for specific courses.
The courses a student lists on this form lmay be subject to change once the student is admitted to their program/university and finalizes their course enrollments. OCS requires students to inform us of their final course schedule, and to inform their faculty advisor(s) of any course changes that may impact their original major/minor credit pre-approvals.
Faculty may request a copy of an individual student's course exercise form from our office at any time.