Study Abroad Opportunities
Roanoke College offers many study abroad programs that
allow students to earn academic credit while outside the U.S.
Students may select from summer, semester, or academic year
opportunities. International internships may also be accepted
for academic credit.Through membership in several exchange
programs, Roanoke College provides study options around
the world in all academic disciplines. The International
Student Exchange Program (ISEP; www.isep.org) offers study
sites in 38 countries where the language of instruction may
be in English or in a foreign language.The Conference of
Rectors and Principals at Universities in Quebec (CREPUQ;
www.crepuq.qc.ca) exchange provides study opportunities at
some of the most prestigious universities in Quebec , Canada .
Study in all disciplines is available with instruction being in
English or French.Two direct exchanges with premiere
English and Irish universities allow Roanoke College students
to earn credit while studying with British students. The
University of East Anglia (www.uea.ac.uk) offers courses in all
disciplines at its campus in historic Norwich , England , while
the University of Ulster (www.ulster.ac.uk) in picturesque
Northern Ireland has five different campuses. In addition,
Roanoke students may take courses in English at Oslo
University College (www.iu.hio.no/eng/international) in
Norway , studying primarily in Business, Literature and
History. Opportunities to study in Asia include a semester
program at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou , China , as well
as an exchange program with Kansai Gaidai University
(www.kansai-u.ac.jp) in Japan . Students are eligible to enroll
in programs other than those administered by Roanoke
College. However, institutional financial aid will not be
awarded for them. Prior approval of all programs by the
Associate Dean/Registrar is essential.
Regent's College in London (www.regents.ac.uk) is affiliated
with Roanoke College and offers an American liberal arts
setting in a lovely campus set in the heart of central London .
For non-exchange programs such as Regent's, Umbra and
Hangzhou , the use of institutional financial aid is limited.An
annual competition will be held in early December to
determine the awarding of financial support for enrollment in
these programs. Applicants must demonstrate appropriate
academic preparation and maintain full-time student status
prior to, and during, the term abroad.
New affiliate Umbra Institute in historic Perugia , Italy ,
provides Roanoke students a unique opportunity to study
Italian for four weeks prior to enrolling in English-taught
courses (primarily art, history, politics and culture). Special
programs unique to Roanoke College are the Virginia
Summer Program at Oxford , where students may spend six
weeks in residence at St. Anne's College of Oxford University,
studying literature and history with English tutors; and the
Intensive Learning Program, offering a menu of distinctive
and highly focused study abroad programs during the last
three weeks of May each year to cities like Madrid , Florence ,
Athens , Paris , Lima and Nairobi .
Students who wish to study abroad must obtain a minimum
cumulative grade point average of 2.5 at Roanoke College at
the time of their application for enrollment in a foreign
university or other academic program outside the U.S.
Students whose grade point average falls within the range of
2.3 to 2.5 may request a waiver of the grade point
requirement from the Director of International Education,
based in unusual circumstances that may have affected their
academic performance at Roanoke College .
Prior to traveling, all students must seek approval for their
planned coursework first from the department chair of their
major department and then from the Associate
Dean/Registrar. Before seeking this approval, students should
consult with their academic advisor for assistance in selecting
courses. Occasionally, students arrive at their study abroad
location only to find that the courses for which they have
secured prior permission are closed or not available. In those
cases, students should make every effort to contact their
department chair, as well as their advisor and the Associate
Dean/Registrar, by phone, fax, U.S. mail or e-mail, to secure
permission for alternate courses. Only by obtaining this
approval can students be sure of the transferability of their
courses. In instances where prior approval is not granted,
students must bring back to their department chairs textbooks,
syllabi, and all graded coursework for the purpose of
having the course(s) evaluated for transferability. Credit will
be granted if the courses are appropriate to the academic
curriculum of the College. In all cases, transfer credit will
only be granted for work in which a grade of "C-" or higher
(or the equivalent) has been earned. Transfer grades will
neither appear on the Roanoke College transcript nor be
used in calculation of the cumulative or major grade point
average. Credit may be granted in the major, minor,
concentration, general education or for elective credit.
Students studying abroad will be granted a waiver of the
residency requirement so that coursework can be transferred
as part of the last eight units of degree credit. Applicants must
demonstrate appropriate academic preparation and maintain
full-time student status.
Inquiries should be addressed to the Office of International
Education, 303 Administration Building , (540-375-2299).
Roanoke College is a member of NAFSA: Association of
International Educators and of the Institute of International
Education.