Off-Campus Study Program Opportunities

The OCS Office, in consultation with the faculty's Off-Campus Study Advisory Committee, maintains a list of programs, which is designed to meet the great majority of academic needs. The list represents a wide range of programs, in many countries, that have been used successfully by Colby students in the past and continue to be recommended by academic departments.

Knowledge of these programs is kept current through student evaluations and faculty visits. Programs may be added to or removed from the list as more appropriate opportunities emerge. Please do not assume, because you know that a Colby student participated in a particular program in the past, that the program is on the approved list.

Note: Colby's process for placing a program on the approved list entails that at least 3 Colby students (or 2 students and a faculty member) have participated in the program and evaluated it with favorable results. It is then eligible to be voted on by the OCS Advisory Committee. 

All Colby-approved study programs abroad must meet the following standards:

• They must provide an educational experience which is consistent in quality with the educational experience at Colby, and which can reinforce, complement, and broaden a student's educational program at Colby.
• They must contain a substantial academic component of high quality.
• Study abroad programs must provide a cultural experience and, when appropriate, a linguistic experience that are consistent with the goals stated above. To promote cultural integration, at least a full semester must normally be spent in a single host country.

You will find certain programs, identified with "Petition Required" in the Handbook and on the list below, for which petitions would be encouraged. These programs are not currently on the approved list as they have not yet had sufficient attendance by Colby students to warrant formal approval by the Advisory Committee. However, they have been recommended by faculty and/or OCS as appropriate for Colby students and thus a well-presented petition prepared in conjunction with the major department would have a high chance of success. These are not the only programs for which students may petition, of course, but they already meet the criteria for petitions and have been reviewed for quality. See the petition guidelines for the different types of petitions and procedures.

• All programs must meet certain criteria to be petitioned.
• All petitions require a meeting with an OCS staff member before the deadline
  
• All petitions must be submitted to OCS by the March 1 deadline.

• The program must have a duration of at least fourteen weeks of class time (including exam time but not including vacations and excursions), to match the length of a semester at Colby.
• The program must be situated in one host country (with the exception of certain specific approved programs). Touring or shipboard programs are not acceptable.
• The program or university must provide an academic program which is consistent in quality and quantity of work required at Colby. You must provide Off Campus Study with a description of each course you plan to take, including the language course.
• With the exception of a foreign accredited university, the program must be sponsored by an accredited US college or university whose academic standards are high.
• For all programs in non-English speaking countries, students must study the language of the host country for the duration of their program.
• The program or university must provide a cultural experience substantially different from that of a typical U.S. campus experience.

For many approved programs in England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, students may choose to apply directly to the University in that country or through IFSA Butler. Not all Butler programs, however, are approved by Colby so check Colby's list of programs before proceeding with your application.

IFSA Butler is a third party provider which facilitates the application and integration of US College students into foreign universities. ButlerÍs comprehensive program fee usually includes a variety of services including: application, pre-departure, medical insurance, orientation, excursions and other on-site support services, post study abroad services and more. If you decide to apply through IFSA Butler you should follow Butler 's eligibility guidelines, requirements, application materials, and deadlines for the specific program in which you are interested (in many cases, they vary from the university's).