We hope that your semester or year abroad was both rewarding and challenging. Please see these reentry resources to help you readjust to life on campus, to ensure credit transfer and to make the most of your time abroad now that you are back on campus.
Required Steps to Timely Credit Transfer
Career Development
Going Abroad Again
Independent Study Project (ISP) Approval
Keeping Up Your Language
Photo Contest
Reentry challenges and reverse culture shock
Submit Your OCS Program Evaluation
All students are required to complete program evaluations. Colby and Non-Colby program evaluations are completed online. Transcripts for non-Colby programs and grades for Colby programs will not be released to the registrar until student log-ins to the evaluation site have been documented. Evaluations will be available for online submission at the end of the semester through the Off-Campus Study Web-site.
In order for your credits from off-campus study to transfer to your Colby record you need to make sure you have:
• Completed your program evaluation
• Notified your off-campus study program to send your transcript to Colby’s Off Campus Study office, 4500 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901.
General credit:
On all non-Colby programs, the Off-Campus Study Office grants approval of courses completed for general Colby credit. If you change courses after arrival at your off-campus study destination you must inform OCS by email for confirmation of approval. Please note that not all of the courses on an approved program will automatically be approved individually. All transcripts from abroad are examined by the Off-Campus Study Office before they are sent to the Registrar. Unless specified, courses will be applied as general credit.
If you have not taken the courses you listed on your application, and have not obtained permission to change your courses, you may not receive complete credit for your semester or year abroad. You should advise the Off-Campus Study Office of changes at the beginning of your off-campus program in order to resolve any issues that may prevent transfer of credit. If there are discrepancies, your off-campus credits may not appear on your transcript when you return, delaying your ability to use them in applications for graduate school or other purposes.
Please be aware that Colby may not approve full credit for certain courses taken abroad that do not meet Colby’s standards of academic rigor, even when these courses are marketed to you during your program orientation. For example, Sports & Learning in Australian Culture at the University of Sydney may only receive 2 credits. When in doubt, please consult with OCS by email and include a full course syllabus to allow us to determine the course content.
Major, Minor, Distribution or Diversity credit:
Approval of courses toward the major/minor/ACL is decided by academic departments and not by the Off-Campus Study Office. For course credit to count toward your major or minor or a college requirement, these courses must be approved in writing by the appropriate academic department and OCS must be notified.
Course approvals should generally be requested upon return by completing the Off-Campus Study Major/Minor/All College Requirement Approval Form. You must also submit a full course syllabus to the Faculty Advisor signing off on your coursework.
If you would like advance approval, you may also use this form or email the relevant department Faculty member to seek course approval accompanied by a course description or syllabus and copy or forward their response to OCS at offcamp@colby.edu.
You will be given more information on credit transfers prior to your departure.
