Thinking about a summer study abroad program?  This guide will help you decide if a summer program is the best option for you, as well as provide you with information about how to choose and get credit for the program.

HOW IS SUMMER STUDY DIFFERENT THAN A SEMESTER OR YEAR ABROAD?

Did you know that the vast majority of our students who study abroad do so for a semester or academic year?  This is why:

• Studying abroad for a semester or academic year is considered an integral part of your academic program at Gettysburg. All majors and disciplines can participate; Gettysburg wants you to study as part of your degree (in the academic year) and not in addition to it (in the summer).
• Students who do Affiliated semester or academic year programs (95% of students who study off campus) pay the same cost as they would to remain on campus. Students with financial aid are able to use it. Most students get a credit for estimated airfare expenses as well – so a semester abroad should cost roughly the same as a semester at Gettysburg. Not only do summer programs cost between $3,000-$16,000, there is also a loss of summer income to factor in since many students will not be able to work during the summer they are abroad.
• All course work done abroad on an Affiliated semester or academic year program transfers back to Gettysburg with grades.
• Students who do a semester or academic year abroad can have a more integrated experience and have more opportunities for in-depth and meaningful interactions with host country cultures and communities.
• ALL MAJORS can study abroad with some advanced planning and communication with major advisors and the OCS.
• Many students see a summer abroad program as a compliment to a semester abroad (they are not mutually exclusive).

HOW DO I CHOOSE A PROGRAM?

There are two types of summer study abroad programs Affiliated and Recommended.

Affiliated Programs: Students transfer credit and grades back to Gettysburg College.  These credits DO NOT count toward the overall limitation of credits able to be transferred into Gettysburg College once a student has matriculated (check with the Registrar for specifics on this policy as some caveats apply). In some cases, Financial Aid may be used for summer study on Affiliated Programs.

Recommended Programs: This is not an exhaustive list of summer study abroad programs, but ones OCS feels comfortable recommending.  To look for more programs please visit StudyAbroad.com or IIEPassport.org.All course work needs to be pre-approved by the appropriate Gettysburg faculty.)

Students transfer credit back to Gettysburg as transfer credit (no grades). Credits count toward the overall limitation of credits able to be transferred into Gettysburg College once a student has matriculated (check with the Registrar for specifics on this policy).

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A PROGRAM:

Aside from course offerings and location, these are other important points to consider:

Duration - Programs range in length from about 3 weeks to 15 weeks.  They may start as early as the middle of May or as late as the beginning of August.

Cost - Program costs vary dramatically.  They can be as little as $3,000 and as much as $16,000.  There are scholarships opportunities for summer study abroad.  Read the fine print when looking at program costs to see what is included in the fees and how much additional money will be needed out of pocket (are meals, travel, insurance, etc. included or extra?).

HOW DO I GET CREDIT FOR A SUMMER STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM?

The Registrar’s Office handles the transfer of credit for summer study abroad programs.  If you are doing an Affiliated Program, you need to pick up and fill out the yellow form from the Registrar. If you are doing a Recommended (or other) Program, you need to pick up and fill out the green form from the Registrar.

If you have read through this information and feel that you need additional guidance, please make an appointment with an OCS advisor.