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Programs Eligibility Skidmore expects study abroad applicants to have a strong academic background. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA to be eligible. Some programs demand more competitive standards and/or require special academic preparation, including course prerequisites and foreign language competency. A student must also be in good social and financial standing at the time of study. When Students Go Students may study abroad during their sophomore, junior or senior years. Skidmore also has a London program for first-year students. We urge students to consider a full year of study to achieve stronger integration with the host culture and to benefit from a wider range of course offerings; however, many students nevertheless elect a semester abroad. Travel seminars are also available during the January, March, and the summer breaks. |
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Credits and Grades
Most students receive major, minor, and elective credit for their time off-campus through careful planning in selecting courses and obtaining faculty and Registrar approvals. Credits earned through Skidmore’s Madrid, Alcalá, Paris, India, Beijing, and Shakespeare programs are Skidmore resident credits and the grades earned are calculated into the Skidmore GPA. Credits earned on Skidmore’s spring London program and on all non-Skidmore Approved Programs are transfer credits; students must earn a "C" or above for Skidmore to accept the credit. Transfer credit grades are not calculated in the Skidmore GPA but all courses appear on the Skidmore transcript.
How Students Fare Abroad
Skidmore students who study abroad nearly always say, “This was the most important thing I have done in my life.” They usually earn grades abroad comparable to their grades on the home campus and their studies are enriched by the faculty and facilities of other nations. They also acquire international perspectives of extraordinary value and grow immeasurably in personal confidence, self-reliance, and academic independence.
Safe and Sound
We understand that parents may be apprehensive about having their child study abroad. At the Office of Off-Campus Study & Exchanges, we are committed to students’ safety. Now more than ever, we are working to ensure that students enjoy a rewarding and safe semester or year abroad. We ask students to consider a program’s safety record as well as U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings for the country in which they want to study. Beyond that, we work with students to orient them in effective safety precautions. We send a contact list to the students that includes our office’s contact information, as well as information for the embassies in major countries and a place for the students to fill in their program’s contact information. We also strongly suggest that students register themselves at the local U.S. Embassy upon arrival abroad. Please see our pages on Health and Safety for additional information.
Cost
Students studying off campus will be charged the Skidmore comprehensive fee for their semester or year away. This fee is equal to Skidmore's tuition, room at the Scribner Apartment rate, board as applicable, and mandatory college fees. If the student's program does not include room and/or board, or only includes partial board, the Skidmore fee will be adjusted accordingly. Skidmore's billing for room charges will reflect students selecting a home stay option if one exists. Students participating in the National Student Exchange or Washington Semester Program will be charged Skidmore tuition and fees, when applicable. The Skidmore comprehensive fee also covers medical insurance and any other mandatory program fees as required by each program. Students are responsible for their own airfare, text books, personal expenses (including passport and visa charges), accommodation upgrades, and voluntary field trips and excursions. Please see “Finance FAQs” for additional information.
Applying
We encourage students to start exploring program possibilities late in their first year at Skidmore and to submit their applications early as well. Typically, a program's application deadline falls during the semester prior to participation, however there are some programs that require applications to be submitted one year in advance. Each Skidmore program has a deadline that falls during the semester before participation, while non-Skidmore approved programs require students to adhere to 2 deadlines. Students applying to a non-Skidmore Approved Program must first submit an “Approved Programs” application to Skidmore's Office of Off-Campus Study & Exchanges. Typical deadlines for the Approved Program application are mid-March for fall or academic year programs and mid-October for spring programs, however the actual deadline will rely upon the non-Skidmore program's own deadline. See our Application Deadlines page for more information.
Application deadlines for travel seminars vary by program and can often be set a full year in advance.
Additional Resources
There are various resources available to students and parents. The most popular ones are:
- OCSE Web site: http://cms.skidmore.edu/ocse (semester-long and short-term programs run during the academic year, as well as information on applying, pre-departure, announcements regarding programming and health and safety issues, etc.).
- Special Programs Web site: http://cms.skidmore.edu/odsp/ (some summer programs and international guests and lecturers).
- Internships abroad: OCSE internship page at http://cms.skidmore.edu/ocse/programs/internships.cfm, http://intern.studyabroad.com AND www.internabroad.com/search.cfm AND http://cms.skidmore.edu/career/interncentral (Skidmore’s Career Services).
- Volunteering abroad: www.avso.org/members/members.html (Association of Voluntary Service Organization) AND www.idealist.org AND www.volunteerinternational.org AND www.peacecorps.gov.
More Information
Off-Campus Study & Exchanges is located in Starbuck Center 202. We encourage you to send your student to see us and use our off-campus study resource library between the hours of 8:30 AM to 12:00 Noon and 1:00 to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. We also offer several Interest Meetings and other events throughout the year; a list of our events is available on our Web site.Parents may also wish to review our Pre-Departure Information section for additional information. Please contact the Off-Campus Study & Exchanges with any questions at ocse@skidmore.edu or +1.518.580.5355.