Eligibility to Study Abroad

Requirements for Permission for Semester or Year Study Abroad

Hamilton College considers the opportunity to transfer credit from study abroad a privilege, not a right. You must meet certain requirements to be eligible to receive credit for study abroad.

To obtain permission to study abroad, you must: a) earn a GPA of at least 2.7 calculated in the two consecutive semesters at Hamilton immediately preceding the last semester at Hamilton before leaving to study abroad; b) receive no final grades of F or FF in the semester immediately preceding your proposed period of study abroad.
Prior to study abroad you must complete the physical education, quantitative literacy, and writing requirements. (You or your advisor may check your status on these requirements by looking at "Evaluate Program" in Self Service.)
To study abroad in a non-English speaking country, you must pass a course or otherwise show proficiency in the country's language at:
- The fourth-semester (140) level for French, German, Russian, and Spanish;
- The second semester (120) level for Italian, Chinese, and Japanese;
- The second-semester (120) level for any language offered by the Hamilton Critical Languages program on a regular basis.
You must remain in good academic and social standing (not on academic or social probation) until the start date of your leave of absence from Hamilton.
Your leave to study abroad must normally occur in the first or second semester (or both) of your third (junior) year. However, you may apply to the Committee on Academic Standing to study abroad before that or in the first semester of your fourth (senior) year.

Requirements for Transfer Credit from Summer Study Abroad

PLEASE NOTE that if you wish to attend a summer study abroad program in another country, you MUST STILL MEET CONDITIONS 1-3 in order to transfer credit.

Study Abroad Program Requirements

You must fulfill the requirements above to be eligible to transfer credit to Hamilton College from study abroad. Study abroad programs to which you may apply may have higher GPA or language requirements for admission.

Your Academic Concentration and Study Abroad

With some planning, most students can make study abroad mesh with their larger academic plans. Find out how you should prepare to fill your concentration requirements before and during study abroad.