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Eligibility to Study Off Campus

 

student writing

 

Student Class Standing

Students are generally eligible to study off campus during their third or fourth year. Students in their 2nd year can participate in Grinnell-in-London in the spring. Students can appeal if they want to study off campus on other programs during 2nd semester of their 2nd year, if the programs permit 2nd year participation.
 
  • Students wishing to study off campus during their final semester must submit a Petition to the Committee on Academic Standing, which requires emails of support from their academic adviser and the OCS Director.
  • Students seeking to apply to an alternative program run by one of our current OCS partners must submit a request by November 22
  • Students seeking to spend the full year studying off campus on one or two programs must petition by November 22
  • Transfer students admitted as:
  • First or second year transfer students are eligible in their third or fourth years and ONLY one semester of Off-Campus Study is permitted
  • Third-year transfer students are eligible for OCS but ONLY for Grinnell-in-London

Good Academic Standing and Degree Progression

Per the Student Handbook, "Good Academic Standing is defined as 1) making Normal Scholarly Progress toward the degree and 2) having no academic sanctions more severe than probation. Strict Probation or Suspension removes a student from Good Academic Standing." OCS approval granted to students who subsequently are placed on academic Warning or Probation may be revoked. Students who are placed on Strict Probation or suspended or dismissed from the College are not eligible to study off campus. In either case, students remain liable for any and all program charges incurred up to that point.

Minimum GPA

Grinnell expects a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75. Some programs have higher GPA requirements. If your cumulative GPA is below 2.75 but above 2.50, your application may be considered depending on individual circumstances and program of interest.  Schedule an appointment with an OCS adviser to discuss your situation.

Good Conduct Standing

See "Conduct Records" in the Policies section.

Completion of Prerequisites

As required by Grinnell College and the program itself. Grinnell may set higher language prerequisites than the program requires.

Language Commitment

You are required to study the language of the host country or take a course taught in the language of the host country throughout the duration of the off-campus study term if it is offered by the program and not your native language. This standard applies whether or not language study is required by the program itself. 

Academic Planning as Part of the OCS Application:

  • Short-answer essay responses addressing academic and learning goals.
  • Approval by your academic adviser(s) after reviewing your proposed program/courses and 4-year plan.
  • A strong faculty recommendation.