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You may find that your needs are best met by individualized directed study. This can take the form of directed readings or, more often, a research project. In some cases, the entire overseas experience consists of a directed study project; in other cases, such a project supplements a study abroad program.
Directed study abroad can be a rich experience, but it is demanding. You should be aware that credit is not granted for travel alone. If your time abroad is limited and you want to do a good deal of traveling, carefully consider the trade-offs between your academic and personal goals. You may decide you would rather have more time for travel even if it means foregoing academic credit.
The University of Minnesota has a policy that strongly discourages students from participating on programs in countries under a State Department Travel Warning. Because of this, the University of Minnesota as a general rule reserves the right not to allow students to register for credit, nor will they be eligible for financial aid. There is a petition process available for students who want to study in a country with a travel warning.
Learning Abroad Center Services
The Directed Study Abroad
Adviser in the Learning Abroad Center can help:
- Ensure that you have realistic expectations about pursuing a directed study abroad and understand required procedures.
- Define costs for possible financial aid increase (increase depends on your financial aid package).
- Place a transcript memo to the term you did a directed study stating that the work was done abroad.
If you are participating in a University of Minnesota study abroad program and are supplementing your studies with directed study, there is no additional fee for the Learning Abroad Center services mentioned above. If your directed study is not part of a University of Minnesota program, there is an administrative fee of $50.
Note that in all cases, you must pay tuition at the University of Minnesota for any directed study credits.
Not Using Learning Abroad Center Services
You do not have to use the Directed Study Services if you do not need to define costs for financial aid. However you do still need to:
- Purchase CISI international health insurance using the CISI form and hand it in to the Learning Abroad Center.
- Fill out the Release & Waiver form and hand it in to the Learning Abroad Center.
You can review the policy requiring international health insurance coverage by going to the University of Minnesota policy page.
Directed Study Abroad Process Overview
The main advising office
for directed study projects in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
is the Career
and Community Learning Center (CCLC). CCLC's
handout, Your Guide to Directed Study, provides information
on how to set up directed study. If your project is done in
a college other than CLA, you need to ask that college about
their requirements for directed study.
Academic faculty is at the core of your academic planning. As soon as you have identified a potential topic, you should identify a faculty adviser willing to provide guidance to your project. This adviser is involved in the project from the beginning (including helping you refine your topic and methodology and locate relevant literature) to the end (including final grading of the project). Your chances of finding a willing faculty member is enhanced if you have put considerable thought into your project and have done relevant coursework in the faculty member's discipline.
For each directed study project you plan to pursue, you must complete a Student/Faculty Contract. You can obtain Student/Faculty Contracts from most departmental offices or from the Career and Community Learning Center (CCLC). See Get Started for detailed steps and the application process.
Last modified on May 14, 2009 |