Which year?

The majority of students study off campus in their junior year, and most programs assume that applicants will be at this stage of their college careers. But it is often possible to go as a senior, usually in the fall, and sometimes as a sophomore, usually in the spring.

About a dozen students a year study away in the fall of their senior year. This does of course make it impossible to work on an honors project (and other departmental requirements may be affected); returning seniors also have little time to incorporate what they have learned into their final semester at Bowdoin. For similar reasons, off-campus study in the final semester is discouraged. If you are still considering the latter possibility, bear in mind that transcripts from spring programs would not arrive early enough for credit to be transferred in time for graduation in May.

If you wish to study away as a sophomore you will encounter some complications: you need to start planning almost as soon as you arrive at Bowdoin, and demonstrate to a program, as well as to Bowdoin, that you have the necessary experience and maturity, and a clear sense of how off-campus study will fit into your education; most students cannot be expected to be able to do this until they have completed at least a year at the College. If large numbers of applicants are competing for permission to study off campus in the junior year, you will also have to present a particularly convincing academic rationale in your application to Bowdoin.

How long?

Permission is given for a maximum of two semesters of off-campus study in the course of your time at Bowdoin. Bowdoin's requirements for the degree also stipulate that of four semesters in residence at least two be during the junior and senior years.

Consider very carefully how the length of time you spend away will affect your Bowdoin career. Take account of which Bowdoin courses you will be unable to take if you study off campus. The program options list indicates by each program whether it is possible to study for the equivalent of Bowdoin's fall semester, spring semester, or full academic year.

Please note that because of the difficulty for Bowdoin of maintaining a reasonably constant number of students on campus, it is rarely possible, after you have been approved to study away for a particular period, to extend your time away, or to switch semesters. If you are at all unsure whether you want a semester or a full year away, you are advised to apply for a full-year program from which you could return to Bowdoin at the start of the spring semester.

Full year. A full year away is encouraged only where it is academically advisable or necessary. A year abroad certainly offers students in areas such as foreign languages a much better chance to acquire a profound understanding of a language and culture. Some good programs are also offered only as full-year options, or their single-term dates may not be fully compatible with Bowdoin's. Your academic requirements at Bowdoin, however, may make a full year impractical; and after a year away many students find it difficult to reenter the life of the Bowdoin campus, to organize senior-year honors projects, or to make the necessary early start on applications for jobs, grants, or further study. There are many excellent alternative single-semester options, and after a single semester it is easy to extend a stay in a country through the winter or summer vacation.

Single semester. If you decide to apply for a single semester of off-campus study, weigh the academic advantages of both fall and spring semesters. Make sure that the courses that interest you are open for part-year study. Look carefully at the dates of terms and examinations, which may be significantly different from Bowdoin's. It is often advantageous to study off campus in the fall because it is easier to prepare for the work of the senior year, including honors projects, when the preceding spring semester is spent at Bowdoin. (Note also that interviews for banking internships usually take place in the spring.) On the other hand, in certain European countries the academic calendar makes it hard or impossible to enrol in university classes in the fall; and in the southern hemisphere our "fall" semester (their spring, or semester II) typically starts in early July, taking a large bite out of your summer vacation and putting you on an earlier billing cycle.

Single-semester applicants are asked on the application to justify on academic grounds their preference for the fall or spring semester. It may not be possible for permission to be given for the semester of your first choice. Since not all programs offer suitable options in both semesters, you may need to identify a different program for your second-choice semester. You are strongly advised to choose the fall semester if there are not compelling academic reasons for choosing the spring, as there is usually much less pressure on approval for that semester.

Two separate semesters. Only in truly exceptional circumstances does the Off-Campus Study Committee give permission for study on two separate semester programs over the course of a year. The exceptions have generally been for students majoring in two modern languages. Students who have tried this may have felt initially that they were making the most of their junior year, but they have often come back reporting that they experienced considerable disruption and cultural disorientation, and were unable to absorb and process the lessons of the first program before plunging into a new environment. Without enough energy to commit to the second program, they often withdraw before it starts. If you think you can make a strong case for the viability and academic value of two separate programs, you should make quite sure that your advisors understand and approve of your plans for both semesters. You are also strongly advised to discuss your plans in detail and well in advance with the OCS Office. You will need to make a separate application to Bowdoin for each program. Remember that Bowdoin's $1,000 off-campus study fee is charged for each program attended.

Other overseas opportunities

Although OCS does not handle summer or graduate programs, internships, or jobs overseas, our library does contain some resources on these subjects. Some of the institutions on the approved list also run summer programs; the publication Vacation Study Abroad, in the office, is a useful reference, though you should be careful to find out as much as you can about the quality and credentials of any program you find listed. If you intend to apply for Bowdoin credit for a summer program, you will need to obtain a transfer-of-credit form from the Office of Student Records; all work must be preapproved by a faculty member in the appropriate department.

The magazine Transitions Abroad, also in the OCS Office, contains listings and advertisements for a wide range of international activities, mostly non-credit-earning; and for longer-term salaried or volunteer work opportunities overseas you should consult BUNAC and Council for International Educational Exchange. Bowdoin's Career Planning Center also has some information on overseas graduate work, organizations such as the Peace Corps, and a limited number of job opportunities.