HOW TO CHOOSE A PROGRAM

1.     Discuss your academic plans in detail with your advisor.

2.     Consult the chair of the department of your intended major.

3.     Discuss options with David Clapp.

4.     Explore the programs listed on this web site by primary language.

The first step toward finding the right program for you is to meet with your academic advisor and create a basic four year plan for graduation.  Once you have done this, you will be able to choose, not before.  Please see the section Academic Advisor, for assistance with this requirement, then return to this page.

There are hundreds of off-campus study programs.  Some are domestic, some are international; some are good, some are not.  The programs listed are available to Wabash College students.  First, you must identify your academic reasons for studying off-campus. Then, you need to consider the standards that the Off-Campus Studies Committee has set for approval of students’ applications, and choose a program that meets that criteria.  What are your academic and personal goals?  Above all, what will you be able to do off-campus that you cannot do on-campus?  What must you accomplish during the semester off-campus?  Do the programs that you are considering provide a reasonable chance for getting the courses you need during that semester? 

If you are you a person with any kind of disability, interested in studying off-campus, please check out the information provided by Mobility International.  In the "search" type in "study abroad."  The result will yield numerous references, including a list of questions to investigate when considering study abroad.

Before you can seriously consider off-campus study programs, you must have an in-depth discussion with your academic advisor during which you plan out your path to graduation, and you must attend one Introduction to Off-campus study class. 

Please look at the big picture of your life and your career and the effects of this program on them. How will the program further your academic and career goals? Have you, for example, taken courses that relate to your proposed study, engaged in foreign language studies, engaged in reading/research, spoken with advisors, etc.? How will this program contribute to your academic development, particularly in your major, minor, or area of concentration, in ways that are not possible here at Wabash College? What do you expect this off-campus experience to contribute to your personal development? 

A few other questions that you probably should consider are:    Do you want to study a particular subject in depth?  Would you be able to take “content” courses in that language, or just study the language?  Are you interested in classroom study, or do you wish to gain practical experience by pursuing research or field study?  Do you want to study with other students from the United States, or would you rather have students of the host country as your classmates, as foreign students at U.S. universities do? Would you like to live with a host family, in a dormitory, apartment? Do you want a program that requires a lot of independence and personal initiative, or do you prefer one that handles most of the arrangements for you and lends more on-site support?

Below is a list of programs which have been good for Wabash College students in the past.  If you do not find what you feel that you need, please contact David Clapp.

Programs primarily in English, Spanish, French, and German.

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 General Study Abroad Search Engines

These search tools will provide a quick look at numerous programs offered by organizations, colleges & universities from all over the USA.  Please use these as tools only.  As a result of these searches, if you find a program that seems promising, please contact the OCS Office for further information.  This is very important to you if you want credit and financial aid for your program.

Be aware that these search tools are highly commercial, and contain advertising and listings of programs for which Wabash will NOT award credit or financial aid.  If you find a program that seems promising to you, please do not proceed further without contacting the OCS Office.  This will save you a lot of time.  MANY OF THE PROGRAMS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE for WABASH COLLEGE students.

IIE Passport

Petersons

StudyAbroad.com