How to Apply

Whitman Off-Campus Study (OCS) Application

You must complete a Whitman Off-Campus Study (OCS) Application and a program-specific application for each program to which you are applying. If you are applying for the academic year, you should only complete one Whitman Off-Campus Study (OCS) Application, even if you are applying to different programs for the fall and spring semesters.

Whitman College Off-Campus Study Fee

Along with the Whitman Off-Campus Study (OCS) Application, students pay a non-refundable OCS fee of $500 (effective Spring 2012) for each semester they plan to participate on an off-campus study program. This fee will be refunded if your application is denied by the Off-Campus Studies Committee or by the off-campus study program to which you are applying.

Summer

If you intend to study abroad in the summer, you must complete the Whitman Summer Study Abroad Transfer Credit Application, plus the application for the specific program to which you are applying. Summer program application forms can either be downloaded from the program website or requested by calling the program directly.

Students must receive approval for summer foreign study from Whitman before studying abroad if they wish to apply the credit they earn toward their Whitman degree. Credit will not be granted retroactively if a student does not apply for study abroad in advance.

Eligibility

Basic Criteria for Approving OCS Applicants

The Whitman Off-Campus Study (OCS) Applications are reviewed by Whitman’s Off-Campus Studies (OCS) Committee. The OCS Committee is a faculty committee with representation from all three academic divisions, the Registrar, the Provost's Office, and the OCS Office.  You must obtain approval from Whitman College prior to your off-campus study if you wish to apply the credit toward your Whitman degree.  The complete list of requirements can be found on the first page of the Whitman Off-Campus Study (OCS) Application.  Please note that Whitman approval for off-campus study is not guaranteed and will be based on the criteria listed below.

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 at the time of application*
• Minimum major GPA of 2.8 at the time of application
• Completion of at least 4 semesters of college prior to beginning studies off campus
• Demonstration of how your off-campus studies plans will be integral to your major or minor at Whitman or your career goals
• Show how you will be able to complete your Whitman degree on time if you study abroad, including all major requirements, distribution requirements, and the 124 credits necessary to graduate

*Many off-campus studies programs require that students have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to gain admission. Some programs are quite competitive and may require a GPA higher than 3.0. (See program summaries under Programs for specific GPA requirements.)

Additional Requirements

1. Dean of Students Clearance.  Approval for off-campus study includes review of a student's disciplinary record at Whitman by the Dean of Student's Office.  Students who have a disciplinary record may, in some instances, not be granted approval for off-campus study.

2. Business Office Clearance.  Whitman expects that a student participating on an off-campus study program will be current with their student account. The college reserves the right to withdraw approval for off-campus study if a student has a significant outstanding balance on his/her account.

3. Petitioned Programs.  If you are petitioning to attend a program that is not one of our Partner Programs, your Whitman OCS application must be submitted 3 weeks prior to the Whitman deadline due to extra processing time.  We also suggest that you have a back-up program in mind, in the event that your Petitioned Program is not approved by the OCS Committee.  Along with your Whitman OCS Application, you must submit the following information:

a. A statement that addresses the reason why this program meets your academic needs better than the programs that are already approved for credit by Whitman.

b. Program information to include the following:

• contact information including web site, address, telephone, and e-mail
• sponsor name of this program, is it accredited and who issues the transcript?
• course descriptions and/or course syllabi of the courses you intend to take
• qualifications of the faculty and description of the on-site staff
• information about who attends this program (for example, undergraduates, graduates, anyone over 18, U.S. students only, students from many countries)
• basic information about the goals of the program and how it is structured, including the housing arrangements
• list of former participants and their contact information, if available

4. Senior Year Applicants.  Students applying for OCS during their senior year must write a brief essay explaining why you are studying off-campus in your last year, why you believe it is an appropriate time to study away, and how you plan to complete exam/thesis requirements in your major.  You must also attach a signed statement from your major adviser indicating his/her approval for your plans to study off campus in your senior year and indicating whether or not he/she believe you can complete the exam/thesis requirements in your major if you do so.

5. Two Program Applicants.  Students applying to attend two different programs (one fall and one spring) must be aware that permission to study in two different off-campus locations during one academic year will be granted by the OCS Committee only in exceptional cases as justified by extremely compelling academic goals.  You must explain your reasons for applying to two programs in an essay.