Academic Policies

With proper planning, you may be able to fulfill major, minor or general educations requirements while abroad.


Rollins Plan

Students participating in the Rollins Plan only have the flexibility to study abroad for one semester; therefore, these students should start the planning process for study abroad with the Office of International Programs and an academic advisor in their first year.  Students on the Rollins Plan can also participate in short-term and Field Study programs.


Transfer of Credits

  • Rollins Approved Semester and Summer Programs: The courses you take abroad will appear on your Rollins transcript as either Rollins courses or as transfer credits, depending on the exact course and program—view the specific program’s academic details for exact information about how the credits will appear for each program.  The grades you earn abroad will display on your transcript as letter grades and will be factored into your GPA. Courses must be taken for a grade (with the exception of the London internship).
  • Rollins Field Study Programs: The courses are taught by Rollins faculty and are considered Rollins courses.  They will appear on your Rollins transcript as letter grades and be factored into your Rollins GPA (unless it is a credit/no credit course).
  • Non-Rollins Programs: Courses will need to be approved as transfer credits and will not factor into your Rollins GPA. 
  • PLEASE NOTE: For all programs, transfer credit is not awarded for coursework not typically offered in a liberal arts college.

A&S Students

All A&S students must complete a Request for Permission to Study Outside the College of Arts and Sciences before departure in order to receive credit for courses taken on any program.  You will need to have courses approved by the appropriate department in order to count them towards major or minor requirements.  The same form is used for approvals for General Education Requirements.  You can download the form at the Student Records website.


Holt Students

Holt students should seek approval for courses and participation from their academic advisor. Please note that Holt School students are not eligible for participation in international travel experiences until they have successfully completed the two-term admission and matriculation review process.  Holt students will be eligible for participation once they have satisfied the matriculation expectations: two terms in the Holt School with a grade point average of 2.0 or better, fulfillment of ENG 140 Freshman Writing (or an approved equivalent), and fulfillment of INT 200 Introduction to the Liberal Arts (or an approved equivalent).


Transfer Students

Transfer students may find it challenging to work study abroad into their shorter time at Rollins—rest assured that many transfer students do study abroad, even for a full semester. You will need to plan carefully and work with your academic advisor to be certain that your study abroad experience fits into your course plan and that you are still working towards your anticipated graduation date. In order to assist with the timing, International Programs can review the GPA from the prior institution if the transfer student does not yet have a Rollins GPA. We may also be able to accept references from faculty at the prior institution—transfer students must seek permission from our office to do this. Transfer students must also give particular consideration to the residency requirements--students must complete at least sixty-four (64) semester hours in the College. However, Rollins approved off-campus programs do count towards this Residency Requirement. Consider coming to meet with our staff during your first semester at Rollins so that we can help you get started right away on your planning for study abroad.


Residency Requirements for A&S Students

A&S undergraduate students are required to be enrolled full-time in the College of Arts and Sciences (excluding Hamilton Holt School courses) during the last two (2) consecutive semesters (excluding summer terms).  Students may choose to participate in a Rollins Approved Program during their second-to-last semester at Rollins since they remain enrolled full-time while participating in one of these programs.  However, if they wish to participate in a non-Rollins program during the second-to-last semester, they must appeal the residency requirement. 


Participating in a Program During Your Final Semester

International Programs strongly recommends that students do NOT study abroad on any semester program during their final semester at Rollins—grades from abroad can be quite delayed which can cause difficulties with graduation; semester programs do not necessarily follow the Rollins College academic calendar and students must plan extremely carefully to be certain all requirements will be met.  However, students may seek special permission to study abroad during the final semester.


Participating in a Short-Term Program After Your Final Semester

You may only participate in a short-term program if you are still a full-time student.  Students may seek permission to delay their official graduation in order to participate in a short-term program after the final semester.  Students should be aware that doing so can create potential delays associated with final requirements and graduation.