There are many factors to consider when choosing an off-campus study program. This page explains some of the major program types and features available and suggests important factors to consider.

Important Factors to Consider

Length of Program and Timing

Off-campus study programs may vary from 2 weeks during the summer to 10 months on a year-long program. Your major, graduation year, summer job, personal preferences, and financial constraints may all influence your decision about when and how long you study abroad.

Careful planning with your academic adviser and the Off-Campus Studies Adviser will ensure that you will find the right term and length of time to study abroad. Distribution requirements, sports, employment, extra-curricular activities, sequential courses or courses taught in alternate years may all influence your decision about when to study off-campus and how long you will be gone. If time on campus is particularly short, consider off-campus studies during the summer, or talk to the Off-Campus Studies Adviser about the possibilities of a leave of absence during your Carleton career to study abroad on an international program as a non-credit or a fifth-year student.

Program Costs

Comprehensive fee for a one-term Carleton seminar covers tuition, room and board, and program-related expenses. Travel to the seminar site, books, and personal expenses are your own financial responsibility, as they are when you are studying on campus.

Non-Carleton programs may cost more or less than Carleton's comprehensive fee, depending on the program length, the country's cost of living, and program fees. Talk to the program directors for a detailed accounting of all costs. Estimate your costs using the budget worksheet.

If you receive financial aid from Carleton and/or other sources, you may apply your aid to ONE NON-CARLETON off-campus study program approved by the College. Your aid will not apply to additional non-Carleton programs.

Health and Safety Risks

No site is without risks to health and safety. You should inform yourself about the risks of any off-campus study program and discuss with your family your tolerance for acceptable risk. While programs Carleton and other institutions offer are selected and monitored to minimize the possibility of health or safety risks, no program can be guaranteed to be absolutely risk-free.

Carleton Seminar, University Study, or Study Center

Carleton Seminar

• Carleton professors from various departments lead seminars of 15-25 Carleton students to 10-12 destinations each year.
• Register for courses on-campus
• Study a topic in-depth
• Some courses taught by Carleton faculty, others by instructors from the host country
• Excursions and field-trips built into program
• Carleton comprehensive fee includes lodging and meal allowance during the program

University Study

• Some study abroad programs allow students to enroll at a host university.
• Choose from a variety of courses
• Program dates may be different than US semester or Carleton term dates
• Study in a different, often more independent, educational system
• You will be expected to perform at the same level as local students
• Host-university study is a great way to immerse yourself into a local classroom and the language of your host country.

Study Center

• Some programs are located in study centers or institutes. These are rented facilities within the country. The building generally has a computer room, classrooms, staff offices, and other amenities.
• Courses are often similar to courses in the US
• You will have a more focused selection of courses to choose from, or will be required to take a set group of courses that are required
• You will be in class with other US students
• Other activities are arranged for you like homestays, internships, language partners, social activities, and so on
• Study center programs are good for students who want support or may not know the language of the host country.

Combined Option

• Some programs allow students to take one or two courses at a study center and one or two at a host university.

Program Features

Study abroad programs may offer one or a combination of the following types of opportunities:

Field or Classroom

Learn in a classroom at a university or in the field collecting data or seeing art first hand.

Research

Gather information for your senior comps paper.

Field Study & Excursions

Some programs include many structured activities that take you to local sites or other countries.

Volunteer

Connect with a local organization to offer support and gain experience.

On-Site Staff, Support, & Services

Some programs offer high levels of support while others are very independent. Be sure to choose a program that will meet your needs.

Internships for Credit

Internships abroad can allow you to observe or gain hands-on experience in your field. Benefits of doing an internship as part of your study abroad program include:

Your activities in the internship depend on many things:

Keep these things in mind when researching study and internship programs. If you are interested in doing an internship independently that does not, on its own, carry credit, visit the Career Center.

Service Learning

Service-learning provides direct experience applying content, ideas, and issues discussed in a class through volunteering at a community organization. Students support the organization and its goals, and the organization gives students the opportunity to serve the community and develop professional skills and contacts. Structured reflection on the experience is an essential component of a service learning program.

Housing and Meals

Most study abroad programs offer one or more of the following options.

Homestay

Living with a family in another country is one of the highlights of an international experience. It is an opportunity to experience the daily life of the host country from a firsthand perspective and to develop lifelong ties to the host family. It is also a good way to learn another language.

One or two meals a day are generally taken with the family.

Apartment

Living in an apartment allows more independence for students. The key to a successful stay in an apartment is to be mindful and respectful of the landlord’s guidelines and expectations.

Students cook for themselves using the kitchen facilities provided.

Dorm

Dorms tend to be on or near campus and have facilities nearby such as cafeterias and laundry. Dorm living also allows students to meet host country and other international students.

Some dorms have shared kitchen facilities and others offer a meal plan or require students to purchase food locally.