Off-Campus Studies can help Art students …

  • Expand cross-cultural communication and problem-solving skills
  • Develop an awareness of the major discipline from a different scholarly tradition
  • Direct experience of art in different cultures and its social context
  • Develop a global perspective
  • Prepare for an increasingly diverse and international workplace
  • Improve or acquire foreign language skills

How does a semester or year of OCS help students in Art prepare for graduate school or various career opportunities? 

  • Exposure to art forms in different societies, including the developing world
  • Programs that offer relevant studio art programs

As a general rule of thumb, the Art Department recommends the following for students who wish to study off campus.

  • We strongly recommend that art majors should take ARTH 229 Art Since 1945 on campus before their senior year. Students need to have fulfilled the prerequisites for the ARTS 480 Senior Studio Seminar and ARTS 490 Thesis in Art Studio before their senior year.
  • We prefer that art majors study abroad in the fall instead of the spring semester, as being at Whitman spring semester helps prepare students for their Senior Thesis Seminar courses.
  • We do not recommend two semesters of off-campus study as it limits students’ interaction with faculty in the department and sets the student back in terms of preparation for their senior year.

Which requirements can Art majors fulfill while off campus?

  • Elective major credit
  • General Studies distribution credit
  • General degree credit

Major Credit Limitations

  • The maximum number of credits that can be applied to the Art major from off campus studies (including AP credit, IB credit and credits from other U.S. institutions) is 11 credits with the approval of your major adviser.
  • Business courses typically cannot be transferred to Whitman because they are vocational in nature and not considered liberal arts.

Minor Credit Limitations

  • A minimum of three-fifths of the specific course and credit requirements for the minor must be completed in the on-campus program of the college.

What are the types of OCS programs recommended by the Art department?

  • Direct enrollment in a foreign university with local students with a studio art focus
  • Programs that offer relevant studio art programs

Which Partner Programs are recommended by the Art department?

The art department recommends the following programs for studio art majors.  Please note that admission to some programs is quite competitive and requires a portfolio.

  • IFSA-Butler: Glasgow School of Art (Scotland)
  • IES: Slade School of Fine Arts (London, England)
  • IES: Berlin Metropolitan Studies (Germany)
  • IFSA-Butler: Mendoza Universities Program (Argentina)
  • DIS Copenhagen (Denmark)
  • Syracuse University Florence (Italy)

Students interested in Off-Campus Studies should attend an OCS First Step meeting in the fall of their second year, discuss their interests with their major adviser, and schedule an appointment with an OCS adviser.