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 (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 or 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 most 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 study at the Universidad Publica de Navarra in Pamplona Spain (all courses taught in Spanish). 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. The Umbra Institute in historic Perugia, Italy, provides Roanoke students a unique opportunity to study Italian while enrolling in English-taught courses (primarily art, history, politics and culture). 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.

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 Kyoto.

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 on 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.

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.