How to Apply
Prerequisites
Application Forms
Academic Matters
Notification
Prerequisites
Before applying to a program, CIPA strongly recommends that you
meet with a CIPA Advisor or consult
the online
resources for the program(s) of choice. Most programs have preconditions
for approval of applications, so you must meet or plan to meet the
specified prerequisites for the program they want to attend. In addition,
CIPA requires that all applicants to Emory programs:
(a) have and maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. B
(b) be in good academic standing
(c) enroll full-time at Emory the semester prior to their study abroad
program
(d) meet the minimum language requirement (if any) as specified in
the program description
(e) have completed at least 3 semesters (48 semester hours or equivalent)
of college level work
Waiver: If you do not meet the above criteria, you can petition for
a waiver by:
(a) o btaining two (additional) letters from faculty members supporting
your request for a waiver
(b) a ddressing your request for a waiver in your application essay
Application Forms
Your application must demonstrate academic reasons for studying abroad,
and it will be evaluated on 1) the appropriateness of your plan of study
to your overall academic plan, 2) the quality of the match between your
goals and the opportunities that the program offers, and 3) the strength
of your preparation at Emory. Deadlines and any additional prerequisites
for Emory programs are listed in the individual program descriptions.
Students should only apply to one study abroad program per semester,
unless specified by the CIPA Advisor. For
questions or assistance, please contact the CIPA Advisor to schedule
a meeting or to inquire about the process. A new CIPA online application and revised instructions will be available mid August 2008.
Some programs may require a mandatory meeting
with the CIPA Advisor and/or faculty member prior to applying to the program.
In general, students must complete the following two application
procedures:
A. CIPA Application
Form: Includes Academic Advisor Signature, Essay, $300 deposit,
and passport photocopy.
B. Host Institution / Secondary Application Form: Every student must
complete the host institution application form (secondary application)
for the program of choice. Students obtain the host institution/secondary
application form by either: meeting with the CIPA Advisor or downloading
the application from the website. In some cases, the host institution
application form requires an official or unofficial transcript and letters
of recommendation. A checklist is provided for each secondary application
on the program
description of semester programs. Students DO NOT
need to pay for any host institution application deposits; Emory will
pay the affiliated program directly for any related application fees.
For questions, please contact the CIPA Study Abroad Advisor to your
program.
Academic Matters
Course Approval Process
When you study on an Emory-approved program, you earn Emory credit AND grades for the courses you take. However, you do not automatically receive credit for any course that you take at an overseas institution. Emory academic departments evaluate courses to determine if they meet Emory's standards and are appropriate for Emory credit. It is imperative that you review the courses you wish to take while abroad and their Emory equivalents with your academic advisor before you go abroad.
It is CIPA policy that you obtain approval for ALL classes you take abroad. You cannot take classes for which approval is not granted. You must complete the Study Abroad Academic Course Plan* as part of the CIPA application process. *Some programs are exempt from this requirement—your CIPA advisor will notify you of this.
You should seek approval for courses prior to departure –the Academic Course Plan is due to CIPA by April 1 for Fall and Year programs and by November 1 for Spring programs. If you cannot obtain approvals by these deadlines, or if you enroll in courses that have not been approved, you should complete the approval process as soon as possible.
Credit approval can take place in two ways, and many students will use both methods of obtaining approval for the courses they take while abroad:
1) Blanket-approved courses (Table A on the Academic Course Plan): For some programs, “blanket approvals” from academic departments are on file in the CIPA Blanket Approval Database. If a course has been blanket-approved, it indicates that you do not have to go to a department and seek approval for that particular course overseas- the course approval is automatic.
2) Non Blanket-approved courses (Table B on the Academic Course Plan): On this form, list the courses you anticipate taking overseas that do NOT appear in the Blanket-Approved Database. You then take a copy of the course description or syllabus to the designated Faculty Study Abroad Representative in each relevant academic department. The departmental representative will review your choices and determine the Emory course equivalent and the type of credit to be earned (major, minor, GER, or elective). The FSAR can also email your CIPA advisor directly with course approvals rather than sign the Academic Course Plan sheet.
Contact your CIPA advisor if you have questions about these processes.
It is advised that you get approval for many different courses that you may be interested in taking, as this gives you maximum flexibility when constructing your course schedule while abroad. The more you do before you go, the less you have to stress about the course approvals once you are abroad. Be sure to take a copy of your Academic Course Plan with you.
If you enroll in courses that have not been approved, you must contact the appropriate Faculty Study Abroad Representatives via email during your program’s on-site add/drop period and request approval for the course. You are advised to take care of all outstanding approvals during this period – do not wait until you return to Emory. It is your responsibility to make sure your CIPA advisor has a copy of this approval in writing (or sent via email directly from the Faculty Study Abroad Representative). You should also keep a copy of all approvals.
You should keep copies of all syllabi, coursework, papers, and exams in case you need to verify your work with Emory faculty when you return. (Some academic departments only provide provisional approval for study abroad courses and request to see this work upon your return to finalize the course approvals.)
You have one semester following the study abroad experience to submit any outstanding approvals to the CIPA office. If, by the end of that semester, you have not submitted the approvals, a grade of "F" will be posted to your transcript for each class in question. If you have provisional approval for a study abroad course but do not obtain and submit final approval by fulfilling the requirements as specified by the Faculty Study Abroad Representative, a grade of "I" will be posted to your transcript for the course. You then have until the end of the deferred exam period of the next semester (approximately the third week of the semester) to resolve the "I" for “Incomplete” or it will become an "IF" grade.
Academic Regulations
While abroad, students must maintain a standard full course load of classes as defined by the host institution; this would typically be equivalent to 15-16 credits at Emory. You should check with both your overseas coordinator and your CIPA advisor to verify your registration.
Emory College academic regulations apply to students while studying abroad: http://www.college.emory.edu/current/standards/pdf/academic_regs.pdf.
In addition to Emory College academic regulations, students are also required to follow the academic policies of the host intuition overseas and/or the program provider of the study abroad program. In the case where the host institution overseas has a different policy than CIPA and/or Emory College, students must follow the academic policies as outlined below. Students should contact their CIPA Advisor regarding any questions about these policies.
S/U (Pass/Fail)
ALL courses overseas must be taken for a letter grade at the host institution. However, Emory College allows students to designate up to one course per semester as S/U (note: only 20 graduation hours may be taken S/U at Emory). Language classes and courses intended to satisfy a GER cannot be taken S/U. Most courses needed for major requirements cannot be taken S/U, so you should consult with your academic advisor before making the decision to take a class for your major as S/U. If you want to take a semester (or year-long course) S/U, you must notify CIPA in writing within 16 days of the first day of classes of the study abroad program. After this period, no S/U election or changes can be made. You must receive a confirmation email from your CIPA Advisor to finalize your S/U request. Please keep copies of all such emails. Your grade for the course will be changed to “S” or “U” upon receipt of the overseas transcript; you must earn a grade of “D” or better for the class to receive the “S” grade.
General Education Requirements (GER)
To fulfill a GER abroad, you must obtain approval from the relevant department on campus. For instance, if you want to fulfill Section IV B Humanities, Spanish 312, then you must meet with the Faculty Study Abroad Representative in the Spanish department. The Representative must assign the course with the Emory equivalent of SPAN 312 and check the box indicating that this fulfills a GER requirement on the Academic Course Plan.
Writing Requirements (WR)
Students may not fulfill WR overseas.
Partial Withdrawal Policy
CIPA requires that all students maintain a regular full-time load of academic courses while studying abroad (15-16 hours, depending on the specific program). If you drop below 15-16 hours without prior approval from CIPA, your participation in the CIPA program may be jeopardized, and you may be dropped from your study abroad registration at Emory.
As stated in the Emory College academic regulations, “students may withdraw from one or more courses until 4:00 pm the Friday of the sixth full week of class of the semester after the drop-add period” (Emory College Catalog 2007-2009 edition p.59). For students who are studying abroad, the following applies for partial withdrawal:
You must maintain a regular full-time load of academic courses while studying abroad (15-16 hours, depending on the program). You may drop a course based on this partial withdrawal policy as long as you still maintain a course load of 15-16 hours. In order to initiate a partial withdrawal in this case, the process is as follows:
You may withdraw from a course until 4:00 pm the Friday of the sixth full week of class of the semester based on the academic calendar of the host institution.
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You must notify your CIPA Advisor via email if you withdraw from a course.
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If you withdraw after the official drop/add period at the host institution, but before the sixth full week of class (as defined above), you will receive a “W” on the Emory transcript.
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If you withdraw after the sixth full week of class (as defined above), you may receive a “WF” on the Emory transcript, regardless of the specific withdrawal policy at the host institution.
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All partial withdrawal requests for CIPA students will be reviewed by the CIPA Advisor and CIPA Director and will be considered for final approval by a dean of the College in the Office of Undergraduate Education.
In some extenuating circumstances, you may request to drop below the regular full-time load of academic courses (15-16 hours) while studying abroad. Extenuating circumstances may be defined as medical need, family emergency, death in the immediate family, or other significant circumstances resulting in unforeseen hardship. In order to initiate a partial withdrawal in this case, the process is as follows: You must submit a formal letter of petition (via email to the CIPA Advisor or fax 404-727-6724) describing your extenuating circumstance and provide supporting documentation (such as a letter from a medical doctor).
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Petitions will be reviewed by the CIPA Advisor and CIPA Director.
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Petitions will be considered for final approval by a dean of the College in the Office of Undergraduate Education.
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If you do not request approval prior to withdrawing, and you drop below 15-16 hours while studying abroad, your participation in the CIPA program may be jeopardized, and you may be dropped from your study abroad registration at Emory (resulting in “WF” grades for the academic term).
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The above policy applies to the student’s registration in study abroad at Emory, regardless of the specific withdrawal policy at the host institution.
Transcripts
For Semester/Year programs, CIPA must receive an official transcript to evaluate the credit to be transferred and to register those hours and grades with the Registrar. Please note that it may take up to several months for CIPA to receive your transcripts. CIPA will not process your transcripts until ALL of your course approvals have been received and your study abroad evaluation form has been returned. If you have not taken care of this prior to departure or during your period abroad, you risk your enrollment ranking or graduation date.
Notification
CIPA will evaluate your application based on your academic record, the
strength of the plan that you articulate in your essay, and the appropriateness
of the match between your overall academic plan and the opportunities
offered by the study abroad program. The time frame for notification
is contingent upon review of application by the host institution which
typically takes several weeks.
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