Academics
Academic Planning
Before applying for a semester abroad, consider how your program choices will impact your academic life at HWS. How will you fulfill the courses and credits you need for your major(s) or minor(s)? Will you be able to get the courses you need abroad, or will you have to carefully plan to take them before or after your time away from campus? Be sure to meet with both Amy Teel at the CGE and your academic adviser(s) to discuss which program might be a good fit for you and your academic plans. Explore your options on our program brochure website.
Once you have been accepted to a program, you will need to submit an Academic Advising Form in the CGE Portal. If you have not yet declared a major, we strongly advise you to do so before going abroad (if possible). Make an appointment with your academic adviser and complete the form with them. Together, you will identify the courses you would like to take while abroad, making sure to discuss and map out how your time abroad fits within your academic degree plan. Both you and your adviser will need to sign the form before you submit it to the CGE for review. Please also consult with a professor in your intended major department if you have not declared a major.
Some programs have prerequisites that must be fulfilled prior to participation. If a student has not fulfilled a program prerequisite at the time of application, they will need to do so if admitted to the program. Students must be on campus the semester before their program starts in order to meet the prerequisites and to attend all mandatory meetings. Exceptions will be made only in extraordinary circumstances, as determined in advance by the Center for Global Education. Once admitted, students must remain in good academic, financial, and social standing. The CGE reserves the right to withdraw students from their respective programs if they fail to meet these conditions, miss required meetings, or do not submit required documents in a timely manner.
Academics and Credits Abroad
Students participating in HWS off-campus programs are required to take a standard 4.0 credit HWS course load, except in cases where the host institution has a different requirement. Students may not withdraw from courses that are a required part of an off-campus program and will not be permitted to exceed a standard course load of 4.0 HWS credits except in extraordinary cases as determined by a student’s Dean’s Office, academic adviser, and the Center for Global Education.
Grades and credits for the courses students take will appear on their HWS transcripts and will factor into their GPA. Students may receive credit toward their major, minor, or other graduation requirements as determined in consultation with their academic adviser and appropriate department chairs. If you hope to receive credit for a major or minor for classes taken abroad, complete the Course Substitution Request Form, attach a syllabus, and forward to your adviser and the chair of the relevant department at HWS. Don’t assume a class will count for your major if you haven’t petitioned for it.
Grading systems abroad may be quite different from those you may be used to at HWS. Once you have been accepted to a program, we will send you information on the grading system in your destination, but all grades received abroad will be converted into standard HWS letter grades for your transcript.
Note that for some of our programs final grades will not be available until well after the end of the semester abroad. If you chose one of your abroad classes as CR/NC while still abroad, then you cannot take another one CR/NC once you come home. Therefore, we recommend that you exercise the option after you return, once you know all your grades and can make the best choice.
Academic Culture and Standards
There is no single “standard” or classroom culture abroad; each professor will run their classroom their own way and your job, as the student, is to adapt to their expectations and teaching style. Still, there are general principles that apply to most classroom settings outside the US.
- Learning is YOUR responsibility. Faculty abroad will not seek you out if your work is deficient or if your attendance is unsatisfactory. They expect that you will ask for help if you need it and before the grade has been assigned.
- Assessment (i.e. graded papers or exams) is less frequent so each grade carries greater weight. In the US, we’re accustomed to frequent feedback. This is not always true abroad. If you feel uncertain about how you are doing, talk with the professor to ask where you stand. For some classes the only assessment may be a final paper/exam. Ask for help if you are unclear about standards or expectations and request support/assistance from your host institution or the CGE.
- Faculty abroad frequently provide students with a list of required readings and supplemental “recommended” readings. Whether or not readings are discussed, if they are assigned they may be fair game for exams. You are expected to do the readings, understand them, and incorporate them into your thinking about a particular topic.
- Grading standards may vary from what you’ve experienced at HWS. If you aren’t certain what a professor expects, ask for clarification. If applicable, a grade equivalency table will be in your program handbook.
- Feedback abroad may be more public and candid than what you would expect from faculty at HWS. While it might seem harsh, it is intended as an opportunity for all students to learn from the critiques of other students’ work.
- Classrooms abroad are often more formal than what you may expect in the US. Unless you are told otherwise, here are a few basic tips about classroom etiquette:
- Don’t eat or drink in class.
- Don’t shout out an answer without being called upon.
- Don’t put your feet up on desks or chairs.
- Don’t address your professors by their first names without being invited to do so.
- Don’t challenge a professor’s grade or assessment. You can ask for an explanation of how a grade was determined and what you can do to improve your performance in the future.
- Don’t assume that “dissenting” or original opinions are equally rewarded on exams and papers.
- Don’t miss class. Class attendance is mandatory and being tardy is unacceptable.
Students with Learning or Physical Disabilities
If you have a physical or learning difference that requires accommodation, you should: 1) disclose this to the CGE upon admission to a program; and 2) be prepared to find arrangements more ad hoc than they would be here on campus. You can expect that accommodations may vary from what you would receive at HWS (extended time on exams, access to a notetaker, etc.) and these must be arranged and agreed upon well in advance with the faculty and on-site administrators. To request accommodation, log into HWS “Accommodate”, print your diagnostic paperwork and most recent accommodations letters and submit these to the CGE.