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F&M Eligibility

Prepare for a competitive & rigorous process: It is important to note that off-campus study at F&M during the academic year is increasingly competitive due to high demand for the number of spaces available for off-campus study each semester. Students should be prepared for a rigorous process that requires time, thought, preparation, strict deadlines, and regular contact with the student's academic adviser and OCS Advisor.

In order to study off campus during the fall or spring semester of the academic year, Franklin & Marshall requires that all students:

• Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at time of starting F&M Off-Campus Study application and advising cycle (cumulative GPA will be a key factor in the competitive application process)^
• Have a plan to declare a major area of study
• Be making satisfactory academic progress for an on-time graduation
• Demonstrate seriousness of academic purpose
• Not be on any academic or disciplinary probation
• Be classified as juniors or seniors (as defined by transcripted work completed at F&M) during their off-campus study term*

^Transfer students must have completed F&M graded coursework before beginning an application. 

*Students who apply to study off campus during the final semester of the senior year must petition the Committee on Academic Status for approval to do so. 

For semester programs, all students鈥� materials will first be reviewed by the F&M International & Off-Campus Study (IOCS) Faculty Committee. Students are not guaranteed approval.

F&M Approval Criteria

When determining a student鈥檚 approval to apply to a program and term, the International & Off-Campus Study (IOCS) Faculty Committee will consider the following criteria (in no particular order) as part of a holistic evaluation.

• Academic fit of primary program with the major/minor
• Cumulative GPA
• Knowledge and suitability of selected program & term
• Engagement in the off-campus application process reflected in general organization, preparation, and timeliness
• Recommendation
• Essay responses
• Student conduct and disciplinary record

Please note that F&M students are eligible for one OCS semester.

F&M Eligibility

To study during the summer term, F&M requires that all students:

• Complete one year of study at F&M. Students may study off campus during any summer after their first year and before graduation
• Not be on any academic or disciplinary probation 

NOTE: Each summer program will have its own set of eligibility and criteria, including GPA, that students must meet for their program application to be reviewed for admission consideration.

Note that each semester and summer program has its own eligibility criteria, including, but not limited to GPA, language prerequisites, and course prerequisites.

All F&M students must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA when applying for a semester off-campus study program. 

As your student explores programs, take note of eligibility requirements like GPA and language or course prerequisites. Your student's off-campus study adviser will also help them think through these requirements as they narrow down program choices.鈥�

鈥�For most programs, students will not be able to finalize course registration until after arrival on the program. However, it is important that your student has thought carefully about the courses they plan to take off campus and how those integrate into their academic work here at F&M. We've outlined a set of questions below that your student may want to ask their OCS advisor and academic adviser as they explore programs and begin their off-campus study application. In advance of meeting with their advisers, your student should explore their intended program's website to see the most up-to-date list of courses available for the term they will be off campus, and begin to make a tentative list of courses they're interested in taking.

Questions for your student's OCS advisor:

• How many courses do I need to take on my program?
• Where do I find courses that might be available on my program?
• My program requires an orientation course 鈥� is this appropriate for credit at F&M?
• I'm interested in a course in a department that we don't have at F&M (communication, criminal justice, education or engineering, for example). How do I know if I can receive credit for this here?
• What is the process for getting courses pre-evaluated for credit?

Questions for your student's academic adviser:  

• What degree requirements do I have left to complete? What major/minor requirements do I have left to complete? Which ones am I required to take at F&M? (see Degree Planning Worksheet below).
• How many major/minor courses can I fulfill abroad? Are there any department-specific policies or restrictions regarding off-campus study of which I should be aware?
• Are there particular requirements you recommend that I should or should not try to complete abroad?
• If I find courses I'm interested in taking off campus, who should I speak to in the relevant department about whether or not they would be appropriate for my major or minor requirements?

Once your student has been approved by F&M to apply to an off-campus study program, they will be directed to the course evaluation process. This process is very important in ensuring that the courses your student takes off campus are appropriate for credit at F&M and ensure they stay on track for graduation.鈥�

Courses on off-campus study programs must be taken for a letter grade, not on a pass/no pass basis.

All courses taken abroad that are transferable back to F&M will be posted on the F&M transcript. Students cannot request that courses be left off the F&M transcript.

For all programs except the Advanced Studies in England program and the Summer Travel Courses, letter grades from off-campus study program courses will appear on the Franklin & Marshall transcript, but they will not be calculated into the cumulative GPA.
This means that off-campus grades will not affect scholarship eligibility or rank in class. However, many graduate and professional schools will consider these grades as part of the GPA and will recompute all grades when considering applications. Again, the Advanced Studies in England program and Summer Travel Courses are the only exceptions to this policy; for these programs, grades will appear on the F&M transcript and be calculated into a student's GPA.

Students must earn a D- or better to gain credit for a course.

During the application process, students should provide an address to which the program will send a transcript. That address is:

Sarah Esh
Associate Registrar
Registrar's Office
Franklin & Marshall College
P.O. Box 3003
Lancaster, PA  17604-3003
sesh@fandm.edu

Program transcripts are typically sent within two to three months of completion of a program. When the transcript arrives, students will see a note in Degree Works.

Housing options during an off-campus study program will vary by program. 

Some programs may allow students to choose their housing option; other programs require all students to live in a certain type of housing. Typical housing arrangements may include apartments, homestays, or on-campus housing at a local university. Some housing options (especially homestays) include meals, and other housing options (like university apartments) do not, so it's important to pay attention to this detail when students are exploring programs.

In order to maximize cultural immersion and integration, F&M students may not live with other F&M students on the same semester program. The only exception to this policy is if two F&M students both choose to live in a homestay. During summer & winter programs, including  Summer Travel Courses led by F&M faculty, F&M students can live together. 

F&M does not allow students to choose independent housing (outside of the regular housing options provided by the program) unless there is a significant academic or cultural reason (such as wanting to live in a homestay when only apartment housing is provided). Independent housing carries many risks, and F&M and the program provider cannot provide any support to students who pursue independent housing. Students who are interested in pursuing independent housing will need to contact their OCS Advisor to petition for approval to pursue this option.

Whether you live in on-campus F&M housing or approved off-campus F&M housing, it is important that you communicate your off-campus study plans early on to your housing management, especially if you have a signed lease. Many students have made their own arrangements with friends who will be studying off campus in the opposite semester so that they share the same room throughout an academic year. Others post their housing inquiries and needs to the F&M student housing bulletin.

NOTE: Students must vacate F&M-owned housing when their room assignment ends the semester prior to their study off campus. 

• This includes winter and summer breaks.

• Students may not store personal possessions, including bicycles, in F&M-owned property while studying off campus. 

• Students are responsible for their own housing after the semester ends and prior to departure for their off-campus study program. 

If you have any questions about your F&M housing before or after your off-campus study term, please contact F&M Housing at housing@fandm.edu.

If your student will be applying federal financial aid to an off-campus study program, they will be required to complete a "Consortium Agreement" as part of a federal requirement to have your funds released.

Your student will receive information from the F&M Office of Financial Aid when it is time for them to complete this process. Your student will also receive guidance from F&M Off-Campus Study to help them navigate the steps. It is very important that your student pays attention to any emails that mention this requirement so that their federal aid can be applied to their off-campus study term.

There are often scholarships available through your student's selected program, which may require a separate application and have an earlier deadline.Your student can ask their program directly or their F&M OCS advisor.

Franklin & Marshall offers a number of summer travel awards for students participating in study abroad programs, volunteer programs, or conducting independent research. The International & Off-Campus Study (IOCS) Faculty Committee administers the awards. The amount for an award is $500-$2,000. The application opens each fall. 

Students are encouraged to outreach to their academic departments about any available summer funding. Their department can share more about each award, including application procedures and due dates.

Below are some external funding sources that students may apply to if they meet the organization's application criteria. Students should refer to each website for additional information. 









 

F&M provides all students with safety tips and guidelines that they should heed when they鈥檙e abroad. We also work with affiliated third-party programs who have been chosen in part because of their safety guidelines. These organizations develop and maintain emergency preparedness processes and crisis response plans. Our partners also provide health and safety information so that students and their families can make informed decisions concerning preparation, participation, and behavior while on the program. Throughout their time abroad, students will be supported by local program directors and staff. In addition to the resources provided by the partner program, we would like to recommend the following sites for more information about health, safety, and security abroad.

Health and safety are understandably a concern for parents of study abroad students, and as your student prepares to leave, you may wonder whether recent world events may preclude participation in off-campus study experiences. While we can never guarantee students' safety even under the best and most peaceful circumstances, we believe that studying off-campus is a good choice for students; more than 350,000 students from U.S. colleges and universities take part in study abroad programs each year.