Study Abroad Requirements, policies, and procedures

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 and program clearance from Scott Carpenter, associate dean of Global Education

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 Scott Carpenter, associate dean of Global Education, as early in their first year as possible.