Info for Academic Advisors

Important Info for Advisors

• Identify the best term(s) for your advisee to go abroad.
• Students typically apply in sophomore year for a Junior semester away after they have completed 60 credits of study.
• Specific majors and programs have recommended semesters: Architecture (4th year Fall or Spring), Animation and Graphic Design (3rd Year Spring), Pre-PA and Pre OT (3rd Year Fall). Academic program approval is required for a semester away during Fall of Senior year.
• We have options for graduate students and transfer students. Many transfer students can study away for a semester after completing a semester at Jeffferson. Transfer students should be mindful of degree and residency requirements when building their plan.
• Sophomore study away: A very small number of majors (engineering) are approved for sophomore spring semester programs and need to apply at end of the freshmen year. This is limited to majors where Study Away is not possible later in the course of study. Encourage freshmen to come see us as soon as possible so we can make sure that they know their options!

• Help them design a semester of courses (with alternate) for abroad. 
• Review their curriculum checksheet and identify courses and electives that they are allowed to take overseas (or any courses that they cannot take abroad & must be taken at Jefferson - East Falls).
• For Hallmarks, most programs have options for Global Diversity, Global Citizenship, Integrated Seminars and Ethics. However, Contemporary Global Issues (Formerly Debating Global Issues) MUST be taken at Jefferson - East Falls. It CANNOT be taken anywhere except at Jefferson - East Falls. There is not a Contemporary World Issues Course (Debating Global Issues) course in Rome.
• Language courses are encouraged prior or during semester abroad and satisfy either Global Diversity or Global Citizenship requirements in Hallmarks.
• DEC core courses are also limited to East Falls Campus.
• Minors and Transfer student: Students must take at least 50% of their minor courses in residence so they should plan to take no more than 2 minor courses on Study Away.
• Advise them that each major has a list of programs that work for their major.
• Tell your advisee about his/her study abroad program options (if your department has specific programs that a student must choose from) or direct your advisee to the Study Away Website, info session or office to learn about their options. Programs that have not been pre-approved (listed on our website) require an additional proposal and review by the Study Abroad Committee and approval from the students' college. If a student has a location in mind that is not supported by their major for semester study, students can take electives and Hallmarks during summer term at most locations. Students should be advised not to apply directly to an external program without meeting with the Study Away office.
• Custom Jefferson Programs and Partnerships: Jefferson Rome Semester at UARC , Costa Rica Experience for Health Sciences, ULIP Paris Partnership
• List of all Partner Programs
• National Student Exchange
• If none of these work for your student or they have other interests? Students can propose a program for Special Approval. They should attend a Study Away info session and meet with the director of Study Away before beginning an application
• Advise students there are other Global Experiences besides a full semester abroad
• There are options to participate in a Jefferson Short Course (vary each year, announced in summer, deadline in Fall), Summer Program (most partners offer a select number of course), or National Student Exchange.
• Direct Student to Study Away Office if they have additional questions
• Tell your advisee to check the Study Away Office website event page for information sessions, application deadlines and other information
• Review and Approve their application's course plan on their Course Authorization Form
• Pre-approved course lists are available at the Study Away Office and on many of our program pages. The students should bring one to their meeting with you!  We have copies in the Study Away Office for them to pick up. Here's the list for our custom programs.
• Jefferson Rome Semester (UARC) Rome Semester Course List Nov 20.pdf
• Costa Rica Experience Costa Rica Experience CEA_Course Equivalencies_7.20.pdf
• University of London Institute in Paris  ULIP Course List May 20.pdf
  • Students MAY take courses that are not listed on the course sheet. If your student needs or is interested in other courses in their program catalog, they MUST request approval (signature on form) from the academic program director or designated faculty who oversee transfer equivalency by providing a course description and/or syllabus including those supporting materials with their form.
  • Use the sample below to review and sign their course authorization form and initial program's course sheet. Instructions are provided on the back. Incomplete or incorrect forms will be returned to the student to resubmit! Please indicate concerns or special instructions on space provided on the back.

• Sample for Rome Semster:CAF Rome Sample.pdf
• Sample for a pre-approved program:CAF External Program SAMPLE.pdf
• Blank form with instructions on p 2: JEFF-EF STUDY AWAY CAF 21-22.pdf
• Blank Returning Course Authorization Form: returning course authorization form 2020.pdf

• They may make changes to their schedule after arriving in the host country and may need your advice on the course changes.  Remember to also refer your advisees to the East Falls Study Away Office, which can work with the students to establish an official course equivalency. Students should be notifying the Study Away office of their arrival and course schedule through their Study Away account. Please note that students' transcript will list "Study Abroad" for these courses until their transcripts are processed after they complete the program. This process can take up to 18 weeks depending on the program.

• They may contact you asking when their study abroad credits or grades will be posted to their Jefferson transcript.  You can tell your advisee (as the Study Abroad Office already has) that it could take 6 to 18 weeks for the Study Abroad Office to receive the foreign transcript.  When received, the Study Away Office will process the transcript and send the paperwork to the Registrar's Office for their Jefferson transcript to be updated. Students should be able to view any received transcripts and transfer reports on their Study Away account while they wait. If you need to review their degree progress, please ask them to pull up the documents in their Study Away portal if the credits are in process.