Off-Campus Study
The importance of global competence in an increasingly interdependent world prompts students to consider studying and living in a foreign environment as an integral part of their Scripps education. Over sixty percent of Scripps students in all majors complete a semester of study off-campus, typically in their junior year. The College offers options in over 110 study programs in 45 countries throughout the world. Scripps students choose from opportunities that include traditional, university-based programs, experiential or thematic programs, specialized programs in the arts, internships in Washington, D.C., the Silicon Valley, or on certain programs abroad, and an exchange with Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. More information is available at the Office of Off-Campus Study in Balch Hall, Room 136, and at www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/off-campus/index.php.
Approved Programs
The Committee on Study Abroad (COSA), a faculty advisory committee, evaluates and approves Scripps Off-Campus Study programs. Approved programs are available in the following study sites:
Argentina: Buenos Aires
Australia: Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney
Austria: Vienna
Belgium: Brussels
Bolivia: Cochabamba
Brazil: Salvador da Bahia
Chile: Arica, Santiago, Valparaiso
China: Beijing, Shanghai
Costa Rica: Heredia, San Jose
Czech Republic: Prague
Denmark: Copenhagen
Dominican Republic: Santiago, Santo Domingo
Ecuador: Quito
England: Brighton, London, Norwich, Oxford, York
France: Aix-en-Provence, Marseilles, Nantes, Nice, Paris
Germany: Berlin
Ghana: Accra, Cape Coast, Legon
Greece: Athens
Hungary: Budapest
India: Delhi, Madurai
Ireland: Cork, Dublin, Galway
Israel: Haifa, Jerusalem
Italy: Ferrara, Florence, Milan, Parma, Rome, Siena
Japan: Osaka, Tokyo
Jordan: Amman
Kenya: Mombasa, Nairobi
Korea: Seoul
Lebanon: Beirut
Madagascar: Antananarivo, Fort Dauphin
Mexico: Mérida
Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar
Morocco: Rabat
Nepal: Kathmandu
Netherlands: Amsterdam
New Zealand: Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington
Russia: St. Petersburg
Scotland: Edinburgh, Glasgow, St. Andrews
Senegal: Dakar
Singapore
South Africa: Cape Town, Durban
Spain: Granada, Madrid, Seville
Sweden: Stockholm
Tanzania: Tarangire-Manyara
Turkey: Istanbul
U.S.: Atlanta,GA, Mountain View, CA, Washington, D.C.
Additional information on each approved program can be found on the Off-Campus Study website. With compelling academic justification, other study sites have been approved by petition on a case-by-case basis.
The Committee On Study Abroad (COSA)
COSA is the college committee composed of faculty, staff, and a student representative with oversight for academic policies related to off-campus study. Applications for off-campus study must be processed through the Office of Off-Campus Study. Students must meet or exceed the eligibility requirements; submit a written application; obtain letters of recommendation from faculty; and demonstrate that they have the academic preparation, motivation, and personal maturity to successfully study off campus.
Eligibility Requirements for Off-Campus Study
- Policies for which there are no exceptions; students must
- be enrolled at Scripps College during participation on the program;
- be in good academic standing (not on academic probation);
- be clear of probation for student misconduct or other disciplinary action;
- be current with their financial obligations to the College; and
- have completed Core I, II, III and Writing 50.
- Additional COSA policies;
- Students are expected to participate in Scripps-approved programs;
- Students will have a minimum 9.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) or meet the program/host institution GPA requirement whichever is higher at the time of application;
- Students will have a 9.0 GPA in the prerequisite foreign language for the study site, and
- Students will have completed the COSA prescribed pre-departure language requirement or the program requirement, if higher:
- 4 semesters of college-level French, German, Russian, or Spanish
- 2 semesters of college-level Arabic, Chinese, German (Vienna only), Italian, Japanese, or Korean.
Students are strongly advised to take language classes to fulfill the general education requirement in an uninterrupted sequence. All students must meet the Scripps prescribed language prerequisites in order to study off campus with the exception of classics majors studying in Italy, who will have studied two semesters of college-level Latin or Greek.
An exception may be made to the above policy for students who have already met the three-semester general education requirement for language. Students who wish to pursue proficiency in an additional language may petition to be exempted from the Scripps pre-departure minimum language requirement, but must meet the program’s language requirement.
In addition, any student who will not have completed the general education foreign language requirement prior to participation is expected to demonstrate a plan to complete this requirement before the final semester at Scripps College.
Foreign Language Requirement while Abroad
Students in non-English-speaking countries, and locations with multiple official languages such as South Africa, must enroll in at least one course taught in the host country language, either a language class or a content course, during each semester spent abroad.
Period of Study
Students study off campus for one semester. As part of the application process, students must meet with and obtain approval from their major and minor advisers to determine how requirements will be met for graduation. Students wishing to study off-campus for more than one semester must petition in a competitive process and provide compelling academic justification. Exceptions: Students applying to programs designated as yearlong only by COSA (e.g., London School of Economics, Oxford University, Hamilton College Paris Program).
Timing of Study
Normally, students participate in off-campus study during junior year. In exceptional cases, students may petition to study off-campus during the second semester of their sophomore year or during their senior year if their major allows this. All petitions require a compelling, academic rationale. Sophomores must declare their major prior to departure. COSA discourages petitions for off-campus study participation in the final semester of senior year.
Credits
Students participating in off-campus study programs are expected to enroll in 15-16 U.S. semester units per semester, the equivalent of a full-time program of study at Scripps College (four U.S. semester units equals one Scripps course). Grades and credits for courses taken while participating in off-campus study are posted on the student’s official Scripps transcript. All grades will be calculated in the Scripps grade point average. Faculty from each Scripps department determine whether courses fulfill major and/or minor department requirements for graduation.
Students who do not obtain prior approval from the Committee On Study Abroad to study off campus during the academic year will not receive academic credit. Students will not be allowed to transfer credit from a college or university abroad or one with which Scripps has a formal agreement unless enrolled through Scripps College and paying Scripps College comprehensive fees. Summer programs are not included in this policy and Scripps transfer credit policies will apply, at the discretion of the registrar.
Pass/Fail and Withdrawal Policies for Classes on Off-Campus Study
A maximum of one course per semester may be taken pass/fail if the course is not needed to meet any major, minor, or general education requirement for graduation. The grade must be C or better (not including C-) to receive a pass. Many off-campus study programs do not provide a procedure for a pass/fail option so students may register with the Office of Off-Campus Study to have the pass/fail grade recorded on the Scripps transcript. Students must submit a request in writing to both the academic adviser and the Office of Off-Campus Study for approval prior to the midpoint of the off-campus class term, not including the exam period. A pass/fail request for year-long courses must be submitted between the program’s fall and winter terms and will result in the pass/fail grade being recorded in both semesters on the Scripps transcript.
Similarly, students may apply for a withdraw (W) grade to be recorded on their Scripps transcript if a written request is made to both the faculty adviser and Off-Campus Study by the last day of program classes (not including reading days and exams) and if they continue to maintain full-time student status for student visa and financial aid purposes (12 semester units on most programs). Students will be required to sit for the exam and complete any class projects, even though they plan to withdraw. Withdrawing from a full-year course results in a W for both semesters.
Students who request either a pass/fail grade or a withdrawal through the Scripps College Off-Campus Study procedure should note that graduate schools and fellowship applications often require an original transcript from the study abroad program where the actual grade earned on the program will be recorded.
Internships
Students participating in program-sponsored internships on off-campus study semester programs may earn academic credit if the grade and credit are recorded on the program transcript. An internship is for the purpose of integrating relevant work experience into the student’s academic program. The internship must provide a full academic component including papers, readings, and research. Students will be able to receive a maximum of one course credit for an approved internship.
Independent Study
Scripps College faculty does not supervise independent study for credit during the period a student is enrolled in off-campus study.
Fee Policy
As fully matriculated Scripps students, off-campus study participants continue to pay the Scripps comprehensive fee for tuition, student fees, room and board, regardless of the cost of the program. The payment of the Scripps College comprehensive fee covers, tuition, room plus board while classes are in session, a contribution toward round-trip airfare between Los Angeles and the program site, the International Student Identity Card, a medical and accident insurance policy, and the cost of administering Off-Campus Study at Scripps College.
Optional study trips or “travel courses” of less than three credits will not be covered by Scripps College and are not eligible for credit. For pre-approved courses with supplemental fees for a required study trip, Scripps will cover the supplemental fee if the class fulfills a requirement in the student’s major or minor, for a maximum of two courses per student.
Students will need to budget for certain expenditures while on off-campus study including passport fees, visa charges, local transportation, immunizations and other personal expenses abroad. When participating in the Spelman exchange, students are responsible for their own transportation costs.
Financial Aid
Scripps students retain their financial aid eligibility with the exception of college work-study funds during their participation in off-campus study through the College.
Withdrawal from Off-Campus Study Participation
Students withdrawing from off-campus study must immediately notify the Office of Off-Campus Study in writing. Students who withdraw after officially confirming their participation with the program sponsor are charged a $350 cancellation fee by Scripps and will be responsible for all unrecoverable program costs incurred on their behalf (i.e., deposits, program fees and stipends provided by the College). Students who withdraw after submitting the Confirmation of Participation may lose their housing priority for the following semester. A student withdrawing after the start of the program may not be eligible for any refund. Any refund of fees is subject to the refund policy of the program provider. The granting of any credit from the semester after withdrawal is at the discretion of the program provider.
Petitions
Students may petition any exception to COSA policies not included in Eligibility Requirements (#1).
Appeal Process
A student may appeal any COSA decision, especially if new information is available which may alter the original decision. If unsatisfied with the outcome of the appeal, the student has the right to appeal to the Faculty Executive Committee.
European Union Center of California
The mission of the European Union Center of California is to advance public understanding of European integration and transatlantic relations through education, research, and outreach. Undergraduate education about the European Union is the European Union Center’s top priority.
Based at Scripps College, the European Union Center of California conducts its programs cooperatively with the other members of The Claremont Colleges. The European Union Center hosts scholarly conferences and lectures by distinguished visitors, including the semi-annual State of the European Union Address; provides numerous opportunities for students to study or to intern at various academic centers, international organizations, and think tanks based in Europe; participates in the West Coast Model European Union; and hosts the oldest and largest conference in the United States dedicated to undergraduate research on the EU and transatlantic relations. The EU Center also provides on-campus work opportunities for students to help them better prepare for future careers in the fields of international relations and diplomacy.
Money Wise Women: The Scripps College Financial Education Program
The Money Wise Women program promotes lifetime financial independence by providing students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to take control of their personal finances. The program includes professional presentations on financial and entrepreneurial issues; campus personal finance workshops; support for the Scripps College Economic Society, Student Investment Fund, The Motley, Scripps Store, and Scripps Academy; alumnae events off and on campus; and Economics 40, Personal Finance, a credit course without prerequisites. Money Wise Women promotes alumnae participation and alumnae-undergraduate interaction. A proposal for a Scripps College Entrepreneurship Competition is pending. For more information, contact Professor Sean Flynn.
Physical Education
Physical Education activities for which students register and receive a grade of Pass will receive .25 course credit. A total of one course of Physical Education credit may be counted toward graduation. A wide variety of activities are offered each semester, in cooperation with Claremont McKenna College and Harvey Mudd College. Check the Scripps portal for current offerings in Physical Education.
In addition to physical education classes, intercollegiate sports, club sports, and intramural sports are offered. See Athletics in the Student Life section of this catalog.
Military Science—ROTC
Air Force
Students interested in earning a commission in the United States Air Force concurrently with obtaining a degree may do so by enrolling in AFROTC. Harvey Mudd College (through an agreement with the University of Southern California) has been designated as the host college for the Air Force for The Claremont Colleges. Further information may be obtained by writing to the Professor of Aerospace Studies, AFROTC, Harvey Mudd College, 301 East Twelfth Street, Claremont, CA 91711-5990.
Army
Students interested in earning a commission in the United States Army concurrently with obtaining a degree may do so by enrolling in either the two- or four-year program offered through the Department of Military Science and Leadership, Bauer Center (South), 500 East Ninth Street, Claremont, CA 91711-6400 at Claremont McKenna College. Information may be obtained by contacting the ROTC Enrollment Officer at (909) 607-7752, Fax (909) 607-6735 or visiting the website at www.cmcarmyrotc.com.
Scholarships
High school students interested in four-year ROTC scholarships, which may cover tuition, books, and some personal expenses, must apply to Army ROTC by January 10 of their senior year. Details about the scholarship program may be obtained by contacting the ROTC unit directly or a high school counseling office.
College students should contact their local ROTC detachments for information on the one-, two-, and three-year scholarship programs.
Post-Baccalaureate Premedical ProgramThe Scripps College Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate Program provides individuals with the opportunity to change the direction of their professional lives in order to pursue a career in medicine. By offering an intensive 13-month or two year part-time curriculum of prerequisite science, the program enables returning students to prepare for admission to medical, dental, and veterinary school. The women and men in the Post-Baccalaureate Program comprise a diverse and interesting group of people who are characterized by their intelligence, motivation, maturity, and commitment to increasing their own knowledge and life possibilities. The program is not intended for students seeking to enhance an existing premedical record, nor is it designed for students who wish to retake the prerequisite science courses to strengthen their grade point average or MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) performance.
Curriculum and Schedule
Students may begin the program in May or September, and can choose from two sequences to complete their necessary course work: the 13-month program and the two-year part-time program. Instruction for the 13-month program, the most common track, begins in late May and terminates in late June of the following summer. A part-time program is available that begins in September and continues through two academic years with a break during the first summer and a final biochemistry class during the second summer. Students in the part-time sequence are required to work at least 20 hours per week or participate in 20 hours of volunteer work or research. For both the 13-month and two-year part-time programs, students must have completed their math requirements before entering the program. The program a student follows is determined on a case-by-case basis, and an applicant is encouraged to discuss the choice of sequence in the personal statement and/or at the time of his or her interview.
Timely completion of the core science courses is important to ensure proper preparation for the MCAT. Additional courses in calculus, statistics, upper division sciences, and humanities or social science electives will be chosen in consultation with the Faculty Director according to each student’s background and interests. All courses are taken with the undergraduate students of Scripps, Pitzer, and Claremont McKenna Colleges. Completion of the Post-Baccalaureate Program is recognized by a certificate.
Certificate Requirements
The Scripps Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate Program is earned by satisfactory completion of a minimum of eight courses to include eight of the nine following courses: two semesters of Basic Principles of Chemistry (CHEM 014L and CHEM 015L ), two semesters of Organic Chemistry (CHEM 116L and CHEM 117L ), one semester of Biochemistry (BIOL 177B ), one semester of Introductory Biology (BIOL 043L ), one semester of Vertebrate Physiology (BIOL 131L ), two semesters of General Physics (PHYS 030L , PHYS 031L ). Satisfactory completion for the certificate will be evidenced by passing grades in all required courses and at least a 9.0 (B) program grade point average. A student may transfer the equivalent of one or two of the above courses, as approved by the appropriate academic department, prior to matriculation in the certificate program, but the student must complete all remaining courses and at least seven total courses at Scripps College to receive the certificate.
Early Admission Agreements
Post-Baccalaureate students can enter the general applicant pool for medical school following completion of the program, or they may apply for early, provisional admission to one of the following schools: The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington D.C., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Drexel University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Hofstra Northshore LIJ School of Medicene in Long Island, NY, and Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pomona, California. The early decision programs allow currently enrolled Post-Baccalaureate students to directly enter medical school in the fall following the completion of their Post-Baccalaureate curriculum. The early decision programs are limited, and are only made available to students with superior qualifications. Selection is based upon a student’s qualifications before entering the program and a student’s academic and extracurricular record while enrolled in the Post- Baccalaureate Program. A linkage acceptance is contingent upon continued high academic achievement and performance on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
Advising and Support
The academic environment of the Keck Science Department, while rigorous and challenging is also positive and supportive. Communication and curricular cooperation among faculty members in biology, chemistry, and physics are facilitated by the interdisciplinary nature of the department. The small size of the Post-Baccalaureate Program allows for personalized guidance for students throughout the transition back to school and the selection and completion of course work. Faculty members in the Keck Science Department, as well as the program directors, work with Post-Baccalaureate students individually in advising and assessing performance and progress. Optional help sessions and tutoring are available and Post-Baccalaureate and undergraduate students are encouraged to work together in small study groups.
The Post-Baccalaureate Program Administrator’s Office provides personalized assistance to students for all administrative needs, such as registration, course changes, financial aid counseling, loan applications, and housing information. Visiting speakers and medical school admissions representatives provide additional opportunities for students. Post-Baccalaureate students receive assistance with medical school applications, including information about application procedures, advice concerning individual medical schools, and a composite faculty committee letter of recommendation. Because of the small size of the program, these letters are highly personalized and detailed. Additionally, the program offers an MCAT review course.
Eligibility and Application Process
The Scripps Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program is open to both women and men who have received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution in a field other than science. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 is required. Additional evidence of high achievement, such as appropriate standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, or GRE), is desirable. The ideal candidate will be strongly motivated and will have had sufficient experience in the medical field, either through volunteer work or previous employment, to serve as a basis for an informed, mature, and committed decision to enter the field of medicine.
Individuals interested in applying to this program should submit their applications, including supporting materials, with a postmark date no later than March 1 to be considered for admission to the program.. Further information about the program may be obtained by contacting the Scripps College Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program located at 1030 Columbia Ave Box 1226Claremont, CA 91711. The telephone number is (909) 607-1788, and the website is
www.scrippscollege.edu/postbac/index.php.
Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program Academic Dismissal Policy
The Committee on Academic Review will monitor the academic progress of all Scripps Post-Baccalaureate students. If in any semester a post-baccalaureate student receives a cumulative semester grade point average of below a 9.0 (B), the student will be dismissed from the program. For summer courses if a student receives a grade below a B they will be placed on probation and dismissed if in the subsequent term their grade(s) fall below a (B). This is regardless of whether the student has completed all courses required for the certificate.
For the purposes of the Scripps College Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program the grades that will be used to determine the students GPA will include only math and science courses that would traditionally be included in the Biology, Chemistry, Physical Science and Math GPA used for Medical school admissions purposes. Specific courses that are included in the calculation of the GPA include:
Introductory Biology BIOL 043L and BIOL 044L
Vertebrate Physiology, BIOL 131L
Upper Division Biology, Chemistry, and or Physics courses with course numbers above 100
General Physics PHYS 030L , PHYS 031L
Principles of Physics PHYS 033L and PHYS 034L
Basic Principles of Chemistry CHEM 014L and CHEM 015L
Organic Chemistry CHEM 116L and CHEM 117L
Biochemistry BIOL 177B
MATH 030 , Calculus I and any higher level math
Statistics courses
In addition, if the Committee on Academic Review (CAR) judges that the student is making slower than normal progress toward completion of the certificate courses, the student may be dismissed from the program. A student must complete the program in no more than two full calendar years and is able to take one leave of absence which is not counted toward the total time to certificate completion. It should be noted that a full-time load for a post-bac student is three to four courses and they would require permission from CAR to overload with five courses or more. Examples of situations that might trigger dismissal include, a full-time student dropping to a two-course load without taking on the required 20 hours per week of volunteer or paid work; or a part-time student dropping down to a one course load when two courses are the minimum that the program allows. During summer sessions, in the absence of CAR, the Scripps College registrar, the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Faculty Director and Administrative Director may jointly take similar action. Any request for an exception to the above policy will be handled by petition to the Committee on Academic Review. If a student is dismissed from the program a notation of the dismissal will be made to the transcript.
The Committee on Academic Review, under advisement from the Post-Baccalaureate Faculty Director, may establish specific probationary terms for any student, who in the judgment of the committee may be jeopardizing normal progress toward completion of a certificate.
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