Study Abroad

List College Study Abroad Guide

In today’s global society, studying abroad is an immensely valuable cultural and educational experience. We strongly encourage you to consider spending some time studying in another country. List College students considering study abroad should meet early and often with their advisers to discuss their ideas, options, and plans. This guide will help you to know what to do as you plan your semester or year abroad.

• Where Do List College Students Study Abroad?
• First Steps
• When You Know Where You Are Going
• Ways to Maximize the Number of Transferable Credits From Abroad
• Columbia and Barnard Information

Where Do List College Students Study Abroad?

List College students have studied at the following Israeli universities:

• Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s Overseas Program
• The Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem
• Discover Jerusalem Semester
• Hebrew University’s Rothberg School of International Studies
• Tel Aviv University’s Lowy School for Overseas Students
• University of Haifa Overseas Department

Beyond Israel, List College students have studied all over the world, in places such as:

• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Cairo, Egypt
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Dublin, Ireland
• Leeds, United Kingdom
• London, United Kingdom
• Melbourne, Australia
• Paris, France
• Sydney, Australia
• Bologna, Italy
• Kingston, Jamaica
• Tokyo, Japan

Don’t forget: Credit for any individual course is not guaranteed until (1) the course is approved for credit by your adviser and (2) an official transcript is received that indicates the course was taken for a grade and passed with a C- or better.

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First Steps—Plan Ahead

0. Meet with your List College adviser as early as possible—at least one semester prior to going away—so s/he can review your academic progress and plan a tentative program of study abroad. If you have already chosen a major, meet with your departmental adviser as well.
0. Meet with your dean/adviser and departmental adviser at Columbia University (CU) or Barnard College (BC).
0. Contact the schools at which you would like to study. Most of the Israeli universities have offices in New York.
0. Make sure that JTS/Columbia/Barnard will accept credit earned at the institution and program you want—check with your advisers if you are not sure.
0. Should you require a written recommendation from our office, please provide us with all of the following: a current résumé or CV, a copy of your application essay, a clear timetable with deadlines, information about how the recommendation should be sent to the university (and an addressed, stamped envelope if necessary), and several weeks' lead time.
0. Check with the registrar about how your time abroad might affect your current financial aid package. A semester or year of study abroad may not be covered by your current financial aid resources.

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When You Know Where You Are Going—Keep Planning Ahead

0. Even though you won’t be on campus, you must still register and pay a small fee to maintain your matriculation during your semester abroad. If you are planning to study at a university in Israel, you must officially register for "Semester in Israel" and pay the necessary fees in advance for the time you will be away. If you will be attending another university, you must register for "Leave of Absence" and pay the appropriate fees.
0. Should you wish to extend your stay beyond the initially approved semester or year, you must submit a written request for an extension to Dean Schwartz. Don’t forget that you will have to pay the “Leave of Absence” or “Semester in Israel” fee for this additional semester or semesters as well.
0. Meet with your advisers at both JTS and Columbia/Barnard to plan a tentative academic schedule prior to your departure. To maximize the usefulness of this meeting, prepare by looking over your study-abroad school’s website for courses that interest you, and bring printouts of descriptions of any courses that you are considering taking. At JTS, Dean Schwartz or Rebecca can advise you on core requirements. Your departmental adviser can advise you on requirements for your major. Similarly, your Columbia/Barnard dean and major advisers can advise you on their areas of expertise. Be sure to get all approvals of planned courses in writing.

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Columbia and Barnard Information

As you are also a student at Columbia or Barnard, check your school’s website and be in touch with your Barnard or Columbia adviser to ensure your time abroad is maximized.

Please keep in mind that Columbia and Barnard will automatically transfer only those courses actually taken at JTS. They will not necessarily accept all transfer credits that we accept, even though they appear on your transcript here and may be used to fulfill requirements here. This will be most significant if you are only slightly above the minimum residency requirements here.

Columbia University’s School of General Studies Study-Abroad Information

General Studies requires you to complete 64 credits in residence at Columbia. While courses you take abroad on “Columbia-approved programs” may fulfill General Studies core or major requirements, nothing taken elsewhere can reduce this number. The only exception to this is if you study abroad on a “Columbia-sponsored program." Columbia University sponsors several one-semester and summer programs. Credit received from these programs does not count as outside credit, and courses will be listed on your Columbia transcript.

Information about study abroad for General Studies students.

Be sure to pay attention to which programs are Columbia-sponsored (credits count toward the 64 credit in-residence requirement) or Columbia-approved (courses can fulfill Columbia requirements, but you will still need to take 64 credits in residence at CU).

Barnard College Study-Abroad Information

Barnard requires students to take 62 credits in residence at Barnard College. Barnard does not sponsor any of its own study abroad programs. While courses you take abroad on “Barnard-approved programs” may fulfill Barnard core or major requirements, nothing taken elsewhere can reduce this number. The only exception to this is if you study abroad on a “Columbia-sponsored program. Columbia University sponsors several one-semester and summer programs. Credit received at these programs does not count as outside credit, and courses will be listed on your Barnard transcript just as classes taken at Columbia University’s Morningside campus are.

Information for studying abroad for Barnard students.

Be sure to pay attention to which programs are Columbia-sponsored (credits can count toward Barnard’s 62-credit, in-residence requirement) or Barnard-approved (courses can fulfill Barnard requirements, but you will still need to take 62 credits at BC).

See the JTS Academic Bulletin online for the most up-to-date information on such issues as policies on transfer credit, residency requirements, and more.