Off-Campus Study Guidelines
Pre-Departure
Choosing Courses Off-Campus
Due to the challenges of on-site enrollment at the study away program, students are encouraged to receive pre-authorization for more classes than they expect to be able to take so that they have options to choose from when they arrive at the program. Generally, students are encouraged to receive pre-authorization for five courses, with the understanding that they will only be allowed a total of two studios to be applied toward the departmental requirements. This eliminates the need to be communicating with their advisor across multiple time zones in the event of a change in plans.
Note: They may enroll in more studio classes than that, but they will not count toward the major/minor.
Meeting with Faculty
When meeting with their faculty advisor, students should be prepared to discuss which courses they are interested in taking and sharing the course descriptions for those classes.
To alleviate any confusion when reviewing degree progress in the future, students are encouraged to write a follow-up email to their advisor (and the department coordinator) summarizing their discussion. The correspondence will then become a part of the student’s file.
- The faculty are responsible only for approving course content, not the compatibility of credit hours. The Office of Off-Campus Study will address those issues.
- The correspondence with the advisor and department coordinator must occur IN ADDITION to the Study-Away Application and the Student Records Transfer of Credit forms.
During and After Off-Campus Study
The course(s) must be successfully completed with a grade of C- or better. When you return to Bowdoin and after the department receives your away transcript, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to see the visual arts professor who approved the away course to verify that you will receive visual arts requirement credit.
If you do not follow up with the professor on your return, the course(s) away will not be given visual arts requirement credit. In some cases this will mean that you will not meet your major/minor requirement.