Jan Plan Selection: Instructions for Students

Select one of these Jan Plan options:

1. January Course
2. Independent Study (including Honors Project)
3. Internship
4. Transfer Course *
5. No Jan Plan *

* Options 4 and 5 are not available to first-years. Please note also:

• Your designated day and time to register for a Jan Plan course can be located on the Registration Status page located in your myColby Academic portal.
• To be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics, campus organizations, or other co-curricular campus events during January, you must be enrolled in a Jan Plan course, independent study, or internship.
• Remember that to be eligible for graduation, you must complete three Jan Plans if you are in residence for seven or more semesters, or two if in residence for six or fewer semesters. The class of 2025 is required to complete two Jan Plans per a previous exception due to the pandemic.
• Students planning to be on campus during January should be registered for an approved activity (course, independent study, or local internship) by November 22.  Otherwise, you risk the inconvenience of not having access to the residence halls or dining services until you have registered.
• Some Off-Campus Study programs qualify for a Jan Plan exemption. For more information see the “Jan Plan Credit” section of Key Academic Policies on Off-Campus Study.

When it is your designated time to register:

1. Query for a course via the Jan Plan 2025 Course Registration link located on your myColby Academic tab.
2. Enter criteria to search for a course. 
3. The results of your search will be displayed.  From here, you can view the course prerequisites and priorities by clicking Rules, or the course description by clicking on the course title. Looking at the Rules and the numbers in Reg (the number of students who have selected that section of the course so far) and Max (the capacity of the section) may help you determine if there are enough seats in the class. 
4. To add a course to your Schedule, click the Add Course button. If the course cannot be added, you will see a message explaining why not.
5. To drop a course, click Selections to see the courses you have selected so far. Click Remove Course for that course.
6. Any successful adds or drops will be reflected in your schedule, which you can view via the Schedule link. 

If you have been admitted into one of the ‘trip’ Jan Plans or one of the other Jan Plans that requires special permission/application, the Registrar’s office will register you directly. You do not need to register for the course yourself. 

1. Use the Independent Study or Honors Application (required) to apply for the independent study or, if you are a qualified senior, honors project.  Applications must be submitted and approved by November 22, to secure access to campus housing and dining services.

Note: As noted in the Catalogue, “projects ordinarily involve the preparation of an extensive paper or other suitable indication of the student’s independent research or artistic efforts,” regardless of the number of academic credits. Proposals that involve studying for, preparing for, or otherwise completing work for a standardized exam (e.g., MCAT, GRE, LSAT) will not be accepted.

1. Use the Internship Application located on your myColby Academic tab (required) to apply for an internship. Applications should be submitted and approved by your faculty sponsor by November 22 if you need to secure access to campus housing and dining services. 

Notes:

• Credit for an internship appears as a notation on your academic transcript.
• In addition, you can apply to receive one academic credit hour by completing additional work.
• An internship can earn Jan Plan credit, whether it is paid or unpaid, and whether or not it earns an academic credit hour.
• Internships require a minimum of 100 hours on site and the following submissions to the project sponsor:
  • a daily journal
  • a final project (if pursuing optional credit hour)
  • a letter from the site supervisor, evaluating performance and confirming hours worked

1. File the Application for Transfer of Credit form (required) with the Registrar’s Office before taking the course.

Note: This is not an option for first-years.