Smith Approval
Students must meet the following Smith College study abroad eligibility requirements in order to receive approval for study abroad. Students must also meet admission requirements set by their chosen study abroad program and be accepted to the program. Smith approval does not guarantee admission into any study abroad program.
For Smith approval, students must:
- demonstrate evidence of maturity, responsibility and preparation for study abroad;
- have a 3.0 overall grade point average, be in good academic standing and good standing in student conduct matters at the time of application and when the program starts;
- declare a major (and/or discuss self-designed majors with a class dean);
- demonstrate language proficiency for languages taught at Smith and/or adequate preparation for study in Africa;
- have no credit shortage when the program starts;
- meet transfer credit limit requirements: no more than 32 transfer credits when starting a year-long program or no more than 48 transfer credits when starting a semester-long program. Students attending Smith JYA programs do not have transfer credit limits as students earn Smith credit on Smith JYA programs;
- students may study abroad only once, for either a semester or a full year.
Additional Rules
Approval for study abroad is also dependent on the following Smith rules:
- "Candidates for a degree must complete at least four semesters of academic work, a minimum of 64 credits, in academic residence in Northampton; two of these must be completed during the junior or senior year." (Smith College Bulletin)
- "Students may not be away from the college for more than one year." (Smith College Bulletin)
- Students who take a short-term or full-semester medical leave are not eligible to study abroad the following semester.
- All Smith bills must be paid in full.
In all instances, Smith College reserves the right to approve, retract or deny a student's participation in study abroad.
Ada Comstock Scholars and Transfer Students
The two most important issues for an Ada Comstock Scholar or transfer student considering studying abroad are how many credits she transferred to Smith College and how close she is to completing the 128 credits needed for graduation. These factors determine what kind of international study experience is available through the College.
Study Abroad for Ada Comstock Scholars and Transfer Students (PDF)
The PDF above outlines the various options available for international study. Students should also meet with the dean of Ada Comstock Scholars or their class dean for more guidance.
International Students
International students are required to meet with the associate dean for international students in order to verify their visa status for re-entry into the United States after a year or semester abroad.
Language Proficiency Requirements
Students must demonstrate proficiency in host country languages when that language is taught at Smith.
French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian
For programs where courses are taught in the host country language: two or more years of college study or equivalent proficiency demonstrated by two semester courses at the 200 level, or one semester course at an advanced 200 or 300 level.
For study in Paris: students normally take four 4-credit courses, including FRN250 (or higher) in the spring prior to study in Paris. Those who enter Smith at the FRN 230 level or above are required to take three semesters of French prior to study in Paris, including FRN250 (or higher) in the semester prior to study in Paris. Students beginning with FRN 101 and 102 must take three 4-credit French courses in their sophomore year. Students who do not meet these requirements are encouraged to consult with a member of the Department of French Studies.
For study in Geneva and Hamburg: students with one year of French or German may apply to the spring semester option in Geneva and Hamburg.
For programs with English-language curriculum: One year of college study of the language—or equivalent proficiency demonstrated by one semester course at an advanced 100 (intermediate) level or higher.
Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, or Portuguese
One year of college study or equivalent proficiency demonstrated by one semester course at an advanced 100 (intermediate) level or higher.
Students are encouraged, but not required, to learn host country languages available at other colleges before studying abroad. Languages taught through the Five College Center for the Study of World Languages include Czech, Hindi, Hungarian, Modern Greek, Swahili, Thai, Twi, Vietnamese, Wolof. Swahili and Hindi have mentored programs. In addition, Polish is taught at the University of Massachusetts.
Study in Africa
Students planning to study in Africa must take two courses related to the continent before their term abroad.
