Columbia College students may study abroad for a semester or a year on Columbia programs or on Columbia-approved programs administered by other universities. Almost all students who study abroad do so during the junior year.  In order to be approved for study abroad, students must:

• be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
• have no outstanding incompletes.
• have successfully completed a substantial number of Core requirements by the time of their departure.
• possess intermediate or advanced knowledge of the language of their program, usually a minimum of four semesters’ study, or equivalent.
• take a course in the host language during the semester before studying abroad.
• take a course about the region or country where they intend to study.
• receive academic clearance from the Study Abroad Dean in Academic Affairs and approval of their program from the Office of Global Programs.

They are also expected to obtain major credit pre-approval from their department and to seek academic guidance from their major adviser on structuring their program of study in a meaningful way.

Application deadlines run from January to April for the following fall, and from September to December for the following spring, so you should expect that a number of second-semester sophomores and first-semester juniors may be seeking your guidance regarding study abroad.

Science majors and premedical students who wish to study abroad should speak with their advising deans as well as the Study Abroad Dean in Academic Affairs as early in their first year as possible.