Frequently Asked Questions about Study Abroad

You can! All qualified Pitzer students in any major can normally participate on one of the Pitzer approved study abroad options. You will apply in the fall to study abroad in the following academic year, either fall, spring, or summer. The normal timeline is to start the process in the fall semester of the sophomore year to participate either semester during the junior year, or apply in the fall of the junior year to participate in the first semester of the senior year. New Resources students and transfer students have also successfully included a semester or summer of study abroad and are strongly encouraged to apply. You can be considered for participation as a sophomore on one of the Pitzer approved options if spaces are available. Participation as a second semester senior is not recommended but will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You may be able to study abroad for more than one semester if you choose an exchange program for one of the semesters or participate on a summer program.

Selection for a study abroad program is based on your academic record, your suitability for the chosen program and your commitment to the cultural immersion goals of the college. The review committee will give attention to the quality of your academic preparation for the particular program, evidence of a well-articulated explanation of how the program fits into your overall plan of study and the degree of responsibility you demonstrate during the application process. Successful adjustment to life in another culture demands flexibility, tolerance for ambiguity, a willingness to communicate across differences, and a sense of humor. The review committee looks for students who demonstrate these abilities.

Pitzer has twenty-eight countries on six continents represented in its forty approved program options. Destinations include Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India(Nepal), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and the US. The options for domestic exchanges include: Stillman College in Alabama, New College in Florida, Spelman College in Georgia, Colby College in Maine, Hampshire College in Massachusetts, Daemen College in New York, Joseph C. Smith College in North Carolina, Haverford College in Pennsylvania, Evergreen State College or Fairhaven College in Washington and Alverno College in Wisconsin. The college expects students to find an appropriate program from among the approved options. A limited number of students may apply for a small number of slots on other programs that the college retains for students with specific academic needs that cannot be met by one of the approved programs.

All students are required to list a first and alternate choice program on the application and must give serious consideration to both options. Some programs have limits on the number of students who can be accommodated each semester or each year. The fewer the number of available spaces, the more competitive the rate of acceptance will be. Spaces on programs administered by Pitzer in Brazil, Botswana, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India/Nepal and Italy are reserved for Pitzer students before visiting students from other schools are considered so students applying for one of these programs have the best chance of getting their first choice. The exchange programs involve approval by Pitzer as well as by the receiving host institutions, which may impose some limits on the number of students they are able to accept and thus will have varying degrees of competitiveness and GPA requirements. There are up to ten slots for students to apply for unapproved programs and the application for these programs may be highly competitive at Pitzer depending on the final number of applications. Students applying for these programs must also meet any GPA and other requirements of the program sponsor in addition to being approved by the External Studies Committee for one of the twenty spots. You may be asked to change your participation to a different semester if enrollments are out of balance. We recommend you work closely with your faculty and Study Abroad Advisor to choose a viable first and alternate choice program option.

Participation on a study abroad program should be part of your four-year plan for a liberal arts and sciences education. In your first year seminar, in a session labeled Study Abroad 101, you will be introduced to the distinctive goals Pitzer has for study abroad experiences. As part of the pre-registration advising with your faculty advisor in November, you should discuss your interest in studying abroad and plan to take the preparation classes needed, starting as early as the spring semester of your first year. All programs require academic preparation in an area studies course related to the region, or culture. For some destinations, three to five semesters of language study must be completed prior to participation.

Study abroad information sessions (Study Abroad 201) are offered weekly from mid-September to early November. You are required to attend one of these hour-long information sessions, typically in your sophomore year, to learn about the various program models as well as the application policies and procedures. Students are encouraged to attend a session as early in the fall semester as possible. After completing the information session requirement, you will make an appointment to meet individually with a Study Abroad Advisor to learn more about programs suited to your academic needs. Once you narrow down your choices, you are strongly recommended to talk to students who have returned from the program that interests you as part of your program research.

You are required to take the equivalent of a full load at Pitzer (four courses) while abroad on a semester program. The actual number of classes that you will take while overseas will vary depending on the location and the institution. You should consult carefully with a Study Abroad Advisor to ensure you take the correct number of classes to equal a full semester load at Pitzer. Grades on Pitzer administered programs are treated just like any other credit received on the Claremont campus. Grades on exchanges and all other programs are treated like transfer credit and the college policies for transfer credit apply.

To receive credit toward the Pitzer College degree for any coursework done in another country, off the campus of a US institution or on one of the approved domestic exchange programs, you must 1) be pre-approved by the External Studies Committee and 2) pay the Pitzer comprehensive fee (tuition, housing, meals and students fees) plus the $500 airfare contribution fee. No credit will be awarded for study abroad completed during a semester leave of absence from the college or during a deferral after being accepted to Pitzer College. Transfer students are eligible for study abroad participation since credit received for approved study abroad programs during the academic year does not count against the transfer credit limit of 16 courses of non-residential credit.
Grades and credit for Pitzer’s two summer programs in Costa Rica and Japan are also treated like all other coursework taken on the campus in Claremont. For any other summer study abroad programs, credit requires a transcript from an accredited US institution, approval of the course by a faculty member in the corresponding field of study and a grade of C or higher in order for credit to transfer. The transfer credit limit of 16 courses does apply to all other summer coursework, whether abroad or in the US.

You will pay the regular Pitzer College comprehensive semester fees inclusive of tuition, room, board, and student fees plus a $500 contribution towards the cost of airfare. New Resource students should note that room and board fees will be added to the normal semester costs since housing and meals will be provided abroad. You will be billed on the same schedule as any other semester and may continue to use the college approved payment plan. If you receive financial aid, all aid with the exception of work study can be applied towards the cost of participating on an approved Pitzer semester program or exchange and on the two Pitzer summer programs.

This comprehensive fee plus $500 will cover the program tuition, room, board, a round trip airfare allowance from Los Angeles, evacuation insurance provided through the international student identity card (ISIC), and the overall supervision and administration of the program. Students are responsible for their own personal expenses and should budget for other costs associated with international travel such as passport fees, visa fees, medical insurance, immunizations, etc. Consult a Study Abroad Advisor for additional expenses to be expected.