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What's the Difference?
Randolph-Macon offers two main types of international education experiences administered by the Office of International Education:
- Semester abroad programs
- Study/travel courses
Semester abroad programs provide opportunities for students to pursue a significant part of their undergraduate education at colleges and universities overseas. Courses are offered by the foreign institutions and are taught by their faculty. The period of study abroad ranges from one semester to a full year. Some semester abroad programs have language requirements, although most do not. While our office seeks to add new semester abroad programs, existing ones generally remain the same from one year to the next.
Study/travel courses offered by the college are developed by individual R-MC faculty members and jointly administered by the faculty and the Office of International Education. Study/travel courses are usually taught during the four week January term (J-term). The specific group of study/travel courses offered each J-term varies annually; some are taught every year, some every other year, and some less frequently. Most J-term study/travel courses are three credit classes. In addition to those offered in the J-term, some spring term courses include a travel component during Randolph-Macon's spring break.
The table below describes some of the similarities and differences between semester abroad programs and study/travel courses.
| |
|
|
Program fee
(for accepted students only) |
$200 |
None |
| Application required? |
Yes |
No |
| Costs in addition to R-MC tuition, room, board, and fees |
airfare
books
ground transportation
institution-specific fees
meals (extra ones)
semester abroad fee
spending money
See the Semester Abroad Costs page for more details. |
Varies from $1,600 - $3,000
Costs generally cover airfare, lodging, some or most meals, ground transportation in the host country, admission fees, and course-related entertainment (e.g., theatre tickets for FINA 350).
See individual course descriptions for more information. |
| Courses taught by |
Faculty at foreign institutions |
R-MC faculty |
| Foreign language proficiency |
Not required for programs in Australia, England, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, and Northern Ireland.
Required for programs in France, Germany, Japan, and Spain. |
Generally required only for R-MC foreign language courses.
See individual course descriptions for more details. |
| Grade point average requirement |
At least 2.25 and up to 3.0, depending on the program |
None |
| Length of travel |
1-2 semesters (4-12 months) |
1-4 weeks |
| Organized and administered by |
Office of International Education |
Course instructors in conjunction with the Office of International Education |
| Orientation session provided by R-MC? |
Yes |
Yes |
| Participation in orientation session required? |
Yes |
Yes |
| Passport required? |
Yes |
Yes
(except for travel within the U.S.A.) |
| Semester hours successfully completed prior to participation |
At least 48
(usually achieved by the beginning of a student's Junior year) |
No minimum requirement
(open to Freshmen through Seniors) |
| Sign-up for courses through |
Office of International Education |
Registrar's Office |
| Visa required? |
Yes for programs in Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and Spain |
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