Registering and Course Approval for Study Abroad
1. Review the Approved Course List for Study Abroad Programs on the Registrar's website.
- Can be found under "POLICIES, INFORMATION, AND FORMS"
- Go to "APPROVED COURSES FOR AFFILIATED ABROAD PROGRAMS"
- Click on the excel spreadsheet for easier navigation
1. Complete the Affiliated Study Abroad Proposed Course List form with your advisor
IMPORTANT: All Hollins students are required to take a minimum of 14-credit hours (full-time Hollins course load) while they are abroad. Failure to enroll in the minimum amount of credit hours will have a variety of unpleasant consequences, most notably that you will lose all financial aid for the abroad semester and become liable for the full program cost.
How to fill out this form:
a. Enter the appropriate information in section A of the form. Include all requested information.
b. In Section B, list your tentative course choices- you can find course offerings for our partner programs here on our website.
c. In the fourth column—Major, Minor, Perspective, Free Elective—you must indicate how you want the course to count toward your graduation requirements. If you want it to fulfill a general education perspective, indicate which perspective you are seeking.
d. In the fifth and sixth columns, check either Pre-Approved or Pending Approval
e. Section C requires your signature as well as your academic advisor(s).
* This form does NOT indicate advisor/ IP Department approval of any particular course that you have listed. If you need a course approved, follow the steps listed above for Pending Approval Courses with your academic advisor.
3. If the courses you want to take are NOT listed on the Approved Course List for Study Abroad Programs for the type of credit you want...
1. Submit an Approval for Hollins-Affiliated Abroad Course, and 2) a syllabus/ course description from the program or institution directly to the department chair of the subject area for review and approval.
Depending on the type of class you are trying to get approval for, this could be the same department as your advisor, and your advisor may help you obtain the signature. However, it could be an entirely different department from your advisor's, meaning you would need to contact the department chair directly. It is up to you to obtain the approval before departing for your study abroad experience.
2. After getting the department chair's approval, submit the approval form + syllabus to the registrar’s office for processing.
They will process it and add it to the Approved Abroad Course spreadsheet. This process can be done in-person or via email. It is up to you to submit the approval before departing for your study abroad experience.
Depending on the type of class you are trying to get approval for, this could be the same department as your advisor, and your advisor may help you obtain the signature. However, it could be an entirely different department from your advisor's, meaning you would need to contact the department chair directly. It is up to you to obtain the approval before departing for your study abroad experience.
2. After getting the department chair's approval, submit the approval form + syllabus to the registrar’s office for processing.
They will process it and add it to the Approved Abroad Course spreadsheet. This process can be done in-person or via email. It is up to you to submit the approval before departing for your study abroad experience.
*There is no guarantee that new courses will be approved. Getting courses approved in advance and notifying us as soon as possible of any changes in your course selections will help avoid unpleasant surprises when you return to campus.
4. Upload your Affiliated Study Abroad Proposed Course List to your study abroad account
You can upload your Proposed Course List to the "Documents" portion of your application following your appointment with your advisor(s), but no later than one month before the end of the semester prior to your study abroad experience. Do NOT submit the Proposed Course List to the Registrar's Office.
Like at Hollins, whether or not a course will be offered through one of our partner programs depends on a variety of things, to include course enrollment, faculty availability, etc. It is possible that a course on your Proposed Course List will be unavailable for your term abroad. Because of this we also ask that students submit a Finalized Course List once you arrive to your abroad destination.
Like at Hollins, whether or not a course will be offered through one of our partner programs depends on a variety of things, to include course enrollment, faculty availability, etc. It is possible that a course on your Proposed Course List will be unavailable for your term abroad. Because of this we also ask that students submit a Finalized Course List once you arrive to your abroad destination.
5. Upload your Finalized Course List to your study abroad account
Once you have your final schedule in place after arriving to your destination, upload your course schedule (course names, numbers, titles, and number of credit hours) to the "Documents" section of your StudioAbroad account. A screenshot from your student portal, scans of your registration papers, etc are all acceptable forms of submission.
If you enroll in a new course or alter your schedule in any way from your Proposed Course List once you arrive on your host campus, it is your responsibility to request approval for any new course taken during your semester abroad, and to keep your advisor(s) informed of any changes made.
If you enroll in a new course or alter your schedule in any way from your Proposed Course List once you arrive on your host campus, it is your responsibility to request approval for any new course taken during your semester abroad, and to keep your advisor(s) informed of any changes made.
Important Reminders
- It is very important to bring copies of the syllabus and any written work you do for every course you take back to campus with you . If there is any question about credit, these documents will be invaluable.
- Every class you take will appear on your Hollins transcript. You cannot take a course “just for fun” and ask upon return not to have it included in your transcript. Likewise, you cannot request that a course that you took and did badly in be excluded from your transcript.
- Courses on abroad programs cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis. All of the courses and grades that appear on your abroad program transcript will appear on your Hollins transcript. All grades will be calculated into your Hollins GPA.
- You should complete the course approval process before leaving campus at the end of the term preceding your study abroad . When your study abroad transcript arrives at the registrar’s office, any courses that have not been approved will be entered with a grade of “I” (incomplete) on your Hollins record until you complete the approval process outlined here. If the course approval is not received by the end of the term following your term abroad, the “I” will automatically change to an “F” on your Hollins transcript.
Questions about the registration and course approval process should be directed to: to abroad@hollins.edu, and you will be contacted by a representative. |