Planning, Study Abroad, Off Campus Study, Claremont McKenna College

Study Abroad: Planning

Can I study abroad during the summer?
I am a science major. Can I study abroad?
I am a psychology major. Can I study abroad?
I am an ME major. Can I study abroad?
I am a pre-medical student. Can I study abroad?
Can I attend a non-approved program?

Planning

Begin Planning Freshman Year.

Can I study abroad during the summer?
Many summer programs are available for those who cannot reconcile study abroad with their CMC course of study. Students apply directly to the program sponsor and are not subject to CMC policies for study abroad. However, students must request credit approval in advance from the registrar to be eligible for credit. Final credit determination may be made upon the student's return. Approval by department chairs or faculty alone does not guarantee credit. As a rule, summer study at programs approved for study during the academic year will receive favorable consideration. No credit will be granted for summer study on programs reviewed, but not approved by the Off-Campus Study Committee. Financial aid is not available for summer study. Students are advised to research summer study options at www.iiepassport.org. More information on studying abroad during the summer can be found here.

I am a science major. Can I study abroad?
Science majors will find a multitude of advanced courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Health at English-speaking universities as well as an impressive list of options for science majors in non-English speaking countries.

I am an ME major. Can I study abroad?
Management-Engineering majors can study abroad but must plan on finishing their mathematics, physics and economics requirements before leaving. Meeting with the ME faculty adviser and the study abroad director during the first year is advised. ME majors normally study abroad during the spring of their junior year, their last semester before leaving CMC.

I am a pre-medical student. Can I study abroad?

Yes, it is not only possible but highly recommended to study abroad. In fact, your semester abroad may be very important during medical school interviews. Early planning is crucial and, depending on what science courses you still need to complete, your options will vary greatly. How can it be done?

Option 1: Ideally, students would enroll in two required year-long pre-medical courses during both freshman and sophomore years. It means that the four required year-long courses for the MCAT (one year of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Organic Chemistry) are completed early and students are free to enroll in any CMC approved program.
Option 2: If you do not take two year-long science courses during your first year, it is still possible to study abroad. One option is to complete one of the required pre-medical courses during first year, two courses during sophomore year and another year-long pre-medical courses during the summer. Our Joint Science Department (JSD) offers both a full year of chemistry and physics during the summer.
Option 3: Another option for students who have not completed two year-long science courses during their first year, is to complete part of their pre-medical required courses abroad and part in summer school. Listed below are two examples.

Fall Semester: For study abroad during fall semester of the junior year, students need to enroll in the first semester of Organic Chemistry or Physics in the summer after sophomore year. Having done so, students are free to explore a different culture and learn about a different part of the world during the fall semester. Students return to CMC and complete the second semester of Organic Chemistry or Physics during the spring semester

Spring Semester: Students going abroad during the spring semester of the junior year take the first semester courses at CMC. During the spring semester they can take the second semester of Organic Chemistry or Physics at either the University of Sussex in England. Some students have chosen to sit for MCAT in September instead, which gives them the summer to prepare.

For further information, contact Professor Copp or the Director of Off-Campus Study at CMC.

I am a psychology major. Can I study abroad?

Option 1: In order to study abroad during the entire junior year, a psychology major should plan to complete Statistics (Psych 109 or Econ 120) in the fall of one's sophomore year. Then he/she can enroll in the Research Methods course (Psych 100--111) during the spring of the sophomore year.
Option 2: Under special circumstances, students with a strong academic record may petition the chair of the department and the instructor for permission to enroll in Statistics and Research Methods in the same semester. Since we often teach them concurrently to discourage this option, they may have to take Econ Stats or an off-campus statistics course instead.
Option 3: If students have not taken Statistics yet, and are interested in writing a one-semester senior thesis instead of a one-year research thesis, students could, with the permission of the department chair, enroll in statistics in the fall of junior year, study abroad in the spring semester and complete the research methods course during the fall of the senior year.
Option 4: Students contemplating a semester abroad are encouraged to take statistics in summer school between their sophomore and junior years. Then they can take Research Methods in the fall and study abroad in the spring.
Option 5: With the permission of the chair of the department, students may take an Introductory Statistics course while studying abroad.

Can I attend a non-approved program?
The Off-Campus Study Committee (OCSC), in accordance with the College's academic standards and guidelines, has approved over 90 programs for CMC students. A special effort has been made to approve programs in various parts of the world with a variety of alternatives in terms of curricular emphasis, language requirements, location, and calendars. Students who wish to study abroad are strongly advised to give serious consideration to approved programs.

Consequently, student petitions to attend a non-approved program will only be considered for the spring semester if existing programs do not meet their academic needs. The OCSC will review the merits of the student's application, the academic quality of the proposed program, the student's academic preparation and the appropriateness of the proposed curriculum to a student's academic program at CMC. Approval by the OCSC does not guarantee approval by the program sponsor.

Petitions to attend non-approved programs are available from the Office of Off-Campus Study. Link to the deadlines