Advising for Off-Campus Study

As students seek out the many opportunities at DePauw, we hope you will encourage them to consider spending time off campus, whether during Winter Term or during a semester. Here, you will find questions that you and your advisee might want to address together as you talk about the many options available to students for a semester or summer, either in the United Sates or abroad.

Why should a student consider studying off campus?
Where can a student study off campus?
How many students study off campus?
How long should / can a student study off campus?
When do most students study off campus?
Can students earn academic credit when they study off campus?
Does everyone get to study off campus?
How much does it cost to study off campus?
How do students go about studying off campus?
When must students submit an application to study off campus?
What if I have questions about advising students on off-campus study?

Why should a student consider studying off campus?
DePauw offers off-campus study opportunities designed to broaden intellectual horizons and to enable the student to achieve a deeper sense of individual identity and cultural awareness. Through participation in an international program or an off-campus program in the United States, the student is able to enhance and strengthen academic goals and personal objectives. Off-campus study stimulates the growth of new thinking. Leaving the shelter of familiar circumstances encourages greater self-reliance and sophistication in thought and action. With an understanding of other cultures, one becomes dramatically aware of the need to search for solutions to the problems confronting humankind.

Where can a student study off campus?
Students choose to study in programs on 6 of the 7 continents in many countries. DePauw students study in locations as near as Chicago and Philadelphia and as far as South Africa and Japan. Students who study off campus can attend classes in a university, have an internship in their field of interest, perform research in a lab or in the field, and make a difference in a community by volunteering. The Office of International Education & Off-Campus Study works with students to select the best location and program that suits their particular interests and needs.

How many students study off campus?
Nearly 40% of DePauw students study off campus for a semester or a year. With Winter Term and Programs of Distinction, that doubles to nearly 80% of all DePauw students who receive credit for studying off-campus as part of their four year DePauw education.

How long should / can a student study off campus?
Students can study off campus for a semester or two semesters through the Office of International Education & Off-Campus Study. Students can also study off-campus on Winter Term and Winter Term in Service projects held during the month of January. The appropriate length for an individual depends on that student’s interests and goals for off-campus study as well as his or her own academic requirements, personal commitments and financial obligations.

When do most students study off campus?
Most students study off campus during their junior year. However, students can study off campus as early as spring of their sophomore year and as late as their junior year. When students go off campus depends on a combination of their interests, their academic requirements, and the availability of off-campus programs.

Can students earn academic credit when they study off campus?
Students who are approved to study off campus must have the courses they wish to take off campus approved by the appropriate departments before they leave campus to ensure they will continue their progress towards their academic requirements. Students studying off campus may earn credit towards major, minor or general distribution requirements. In most cases, students need help contextualizing their proposed off-campus study semester(s) in their DePauw education and their larger goals and aspirations. In working with your students, it is important to talk about what they are interested in studying and what courses they need to take, but also what their larger goals are for themselves and how a semester or longer becomes an integral and influential part in accomplishing those goals.

Does everyone get to study off campus?
In order to study off campus students must meet all requirements laid out by DePauw as well as all requirements laid out by the off-campus program. In general, this means students must meet a minimum GPA requirement and have made successful progress towards their graduation requirements. It also means students must submit a cogent and compelling application that demonstrates a connection between the off-campus study program and location, as well as the student’s academic and career interests. Each off-campus program has an enrollment limit, which means some students will not get their first choice. All students should select two programs that will work well for them; rarely is a student not able to find a suitable alternative. While the vast majority of students are approved to study off campus, there is no guarantee that every student’s application will be approved.

How much does it cost to study off campus?
Students approved to study off campus are billed DePauw tuition as normal. In addition to DePauw tuition, students enrolling in off-campus study will be billed the Off-Campus Study Fee, which supplements the budget allotted to manage off-campus study. For 2007-08 the fee is $2500 for one semester and $3000 for two semesters. Students studying on an international program will also be billed for the Health Services Fee. The off-campus program bills the student directly for all other expenses, which usually include room, board, and, in some cases, course-related fees (e.g., lab fees, studio fees). Students are also responsible for books and travel from the US to the program site. Students receiving scholarship and/or need-based financial aid will have this applied according to the normal rules for financial aid at DePauw. The Off-Campus Study Fee can be packaged for need-based financial aid loans. Students approved for off-campus study who are on need-based financial aid are also eligible for an Off-Campus Study Scholarship to assist with the fee and additional costs associated with off-campus study. Even if students have never taken need-based financial aid, it is VERY important students have completed the FAFSA form with the Office of Financial Aid. Often, students will have actual need, and it is the need code determined by the Office of Financial Aid that determines whether or not students are eligible for an Off-Campus Study Scholarship (as well as financial support awards for Winter Term and some other programs across campus).

How do students go about studying off campus?
Students are encouraged to think about fitting a semester or year off campus into their academic experience. For some students, such as those with sequenced academic programs like Chemistry or Biology, this might mean starting to plan as early as their first semester. Students wishing to study off campus should contact the Office of International Education & Off-Campus Study as early as possible to schedule an advising session with an off-campus study advisor (at least one advising session is required). Student must complete the off-campus study application, which includes basic information, recommendation forms, and a statement of intent. Strong applications indicate a student has taken the time to research the program and location and think about how the program can be integrated into his/her academic and personal education.

When must students submit an application to study off campus?
There are two application deadlines, one in mid-November and one in mid-February. Any student is welcome to apply at either deadline, assuming they have had at least one advising meeting with an off-campus study advisor. Students must submit a complete application. Students approved through the November application process will have priority in the enrollment limit. It is possible, though not automatic, for students to change programs later in the process (after approval), but it is expected that students apply for their desired program.

What if I have questions about advising students on off-campus study?
The staff members in the Office of International Education & Off-Campus Study are available to answer your questions at any time. The staff members are also willing to come talk with your class or group of advisees about the opportunities for off-campus study and how it all works. Feel free to contact the Office of International Education & Off-Campus Study; contact information is located on the staff page of this site.