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Off-Campus Study

Accreditation Procedures

  1. To receive Swarthmore credit for Spanish language courses taken during off-campus study, a student must have the preapproval of the Spanish section and have taken at least one language course at Swarthmore before going abroad. Students must receive a grade of C or higher to receive Spanish credit at Swarthmore.
    1. Intensive First Year Spanish (SPAN 001-002) is a one-year long course, meaning that no credit is given for the first semester until the second semester is successfully completed. The work of two semesters constitutes an integral, indivisible course. Students cannot start SPAN 001 and then pursue the second semester abroad.
    2. Students planning to spend a whole year abroad in Spanish-speaking countries should consult with the Spanish section about their overall academic plans.
  2. To receive Swarthmore credit for Spanish literature courses taken abroad, a student must have the pre-approval of the Spanish section and have taken either Spanish 012, 022 or 023 at Swarthmore before going abroad. Students who want to receive credit for a second literature course taken abroad must take an additional Spanish course at Swarthmore numbered 050 or above after they return to campus. Literature courses in translation taken abroad will not receive Spanish credit. Students must receive a grade of C or higher in courses taken abroad to receive Spanish credit at Swarthmore.
  3. Courses must be pre-approved by the Spanish section in order to be considered for Spanish credit. The Spanish section will not pre-estimate an off-campus study course without evidence (syllabus, course description, reading list, etc.) of the content of the course in advance. Pre-estimation does not guarantee a specific amount of credit for successful completion of a course. Accreditation will occur upon your return to Swarthmore, and a copy of your Pre-Estimation of Off-Campus Study Credit must be attached to your application.
  4. Normally, no student will be awarded more credit than would be granted for an equivalent amount of work at Swarthmore.
  5. The Spanish Program will not pre-approve off-campus study courses for students who have standing "Incompletes" or unfulfilled distribution requirements.
  6. To receive Spanish language credit, off-campus study courses must be pursued in Spanish, and be equivalent in quality and contents to a Spanish course at Swarthmore.
  7. Generally, neither study-abroad nor off-campus courses in Spanish fulfill the College's Language Requirement.
  8. Students are encouraged to take courses that do not duplicate those offered at Swarthmore. Neither vocational-technical courses nor orientation sessions can receive academic credit.
  9. Summer programs: students may study in a pre-approved summer program that is at least 6 weeks long. Students will not receive more than one unit of credit.