While many students pursue experiential education through travel to another country or site, we also strongly recommend considering domestic on and off-campus programs in which students can pursue a combination of study and internships. Examples include the Washington Semester in the Washington DC area, the City Year in Seattle, and the Semester for Impact Program in Boston.
Members of the UVM hockey team sign a dividing wall-turned-mural between two neighborhoods in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 2016.
We consider an off-campus program, such as a study abroad program or a domestic program focused on a particular area of study, to be an especially crucial element of the major. Many students participate in an off-campus program, for a minimum of a semester, and in some cases, a whole year. We try to make it easy to fulfill the major requirements through such programs by accepting up to one-half of transfer credits towards completion of the degree.
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Seeing Coursework in Action
'16 grad Laura Felone reflects on her trip to Ghana: "My month in Ghana was one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of my life. It was such a humbling experience to visit a place that I had learned about from an academic standpoint, and I loved being able to interact with the people of the country to learn about Ghana and Africa from their perspectives. This actually inspired my senior year Honors College thesis. I'm still in touch with my host family from Ghana, and I look forward to the day I get to return to visit them."
Planning for Study Abroad: When to Go
As long as you have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, sophomore status, and good social standing at the university, UVM will grant you permission to study abroad. Most students go during their third year. A handful go during their sophomore year, and others their senior year, but remember that the university requires you to take 30 of your last 45 credit hours at UVM.
Keep in mind that some courses required for your major and/or minor might be offered only during certain semesters. Plan out your major and/or minor in advance, and consider how study abroad will help fulfill those requirements.
Seek Advising
In order to study abroad, you must attend an information session and meet with a study abroad advisor at the Office of International Education (OIE). You should also meet with your academic advisor as early in your planning as possible to discuss programs, the application process, and your plan for completing the major or minor.
Prerequisites
Different programs have different prerequisites, which may include language and certain specialized coursework. Be very clear about what you need for your desired program and prioritize those courses in semesters leading up to the time you want to be abroad. Some programs also have minimum GPA requirements.