Study Abroad Opportunities
Qualified students are encouraged to consider opportunities to study in other countries. Such experiences offer invaluable educational enhancement and foster intercultural development.
Several examples of available study-abroad programs are outlined below. Interested students may consult the Office of International Programs staff for more information. Individual eligibility requirements vary by program and can include a minimum GPA, certain course prerequisites, or other qualifications. Faculty recommendations, an academically-focused statement of purpose, and other items are required as part of the application process. Students currently on academic probation or with pending judicial sanctions are not permitted to study abroad. The Office of International Programs may rescind admission to an off-campus study program if a student becomes ineligible prior to departure.
International Programs
Wofford’s affiliation with Arcadia University's College of Global Studies, the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia (DIS), the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES), the School for Field Studies (SFS), the School for International Training (SIT), Spanish Studies Abroad (SSA), and other partner organizations make available a number of opportunities for year-long, semester-long, January and summer programs worldwide. In addition, Wofford-sponsored faculty-led opportunities are available during Interim.
These programs offer a wide variety of courses and specialized curricula; several do not require preparation in a foreign language but do require on-site language study. For participating Wofford students, credits in these programs are awarded by Wofford and thus are included in the computation of the cumulative grade-point averages of those students. Financial aid may be applied toward program costs and other educational expenses for approved semester study abroad programs.
When a student undertakes an approved off-campus study program whose calendar precludes his or her participation in the Wofford Interim in that year as ordinarily required, satisfactory completion of the off-campus program will stand in lieu of completion of an Interim project for that year but no Interim credit hours are awarded. Satisfactory completion is defined as earning a minimum of 12 credit hours with a term GPA of 2.0.
Further information about these programs is available in the Office of International Programs.
The Presidential International Scholar
Through the generosity of a friend of the college, each year one rising junior or senior is given financial support for study and travel in the Global South. Selected by the president of the college, the recipient, known as the Presidential International Scholar, is expected to plan a program of research and experience in the developing world. This special opportunity is intended to expose students to diverse world cultures and contemporary global issues. Upon their return to campus, the Scholar is expected to share their research with the campus community through a presentation and accompanying deliverable.