Off-Campus Study Programs

Whether you are considering studying off campus in the U.S. or somewhere halfway around the world, there are some important things to think about. To successfully apply, we encourage taking the following steps.

  1. Start early! Application deadlines fall in November and February.
  2. Talk with an off-campus study advisor. You don’t need to know where you want to go or what you want to do; your off-campus advisor will talk you through the process and explore some options with you. Talk with your advisor about the following:
    • Why do you want to study off campus?
    • What are your academic interests? What can you do off campus to complement or extend these interests?
    • What are your professional interests or career goals? What can you do off campus to support these interests
    • What are your personal goals? What can you do off campus to achieve these goals?
    • What do you want to do in addition to studying while you are off campus?  Have an internship?  Do a service project? Do independent research? Learn a language?
    • What can you do to take the best advantage of the place you want to go?
    • Do you want to attend classes with students from the host country or mainly with other Americans or foreign students?  Do you want the classes to be based on the American model or on another model that may involve much more independent work?
    • Where do you want to live?  If you are considering going abroad, do you want to live with a family, in a dorm with students from the host country, or with other Americans?  If you are considering a domestic program, do you want to live in the neighborhood where you work, perhaps in a big city, or do you want to live with other students doing the same thing?
    • Where would you like to go?  Do you prefer cities or small towns? Large universities or small programs?
    • Is foreign language proficiency necessary to study or do an internship in the country you are considering?  If so, do you have the necessary proficiency, or do you have plans to gain it before you go?
    • Would studying off campus alter your graduation plans?
    • What languages have you studied or might you want to study off campus?
  3. Investigate the off-campus programs listed on this site.
  4. Read the Off-Campus Study Application Handbook you are given in the meeting with your off-campus study advisor.
  5. Inform yourself of all the deadlines and be sure to apply in advance of them.
  6. Talk with your family about financing off-campus study. Start saving at least $10 a week now to help with some of the additional expenses.

Identifying specific learning goals - both academic and personal - are the key in making a successful application and key in having a successful experience off campus. Remember, while off-campus study helps you gain maturity, independence and perspective on the world in which you live, you MUST also provide an academic rationale for why you want to study off campus as a DePauw student earning credit toward your degree.