Study Abroad

The History Department encourages study abroad. Most programs offer history courses and most students receive concentration credit of some kind, but you must take certain steps to have the courses approved. Until you actually complete a course, it is not possible for the Department to give final approval.

Choosing a program
We expect courses taken elsewhere to be comparable to our own courses at the same number level in terms of work load, reading and writing requirements, and class demands.

The University of Michigan Office of International Programs (OIP) is a good place to start looking for programs as these are considered in-residence credit. Students who enroll directly in a foreign institution assume more risk and responsibility for having courses transferred to U of M and approved for concentration.

How to get courses approved:

Before leaving
1. Meet with a faculty history advisor (schedule here).

2. Bring as much information about the program and courses as possible. If all you have is a short description, the advisor cannot tell you much. If you can get a syllabus, it is more likely you will get preliminary conditional approval. You can email the syllabus to the staff advisor once you are abroad.

3. It is your responsibility to keep all the paperwork from the course (syllabus, reading list, papers, exams, etc.) and bring it back to Ann Arbor for evaluation.

When you return
1. Wait for the credits to appear on your U of M transcript.

2. Meet with a faculty history advisor.

3. Bring in the syllabus, reading list, papers you wrote, exams and any other paperwork to show what the course actually required. The advisor can then determine how each course fits in with the requirements of your concentration or minor.

What advisors are looking for
• Was the course offered through a History department? Does the content show it to be a history course?

• Did it cover new material from those you have taken?

• What is the number level on your transcript and does the workload match up with courses at that level on our campus? Details will vary, but upper-level courses should require some form of written work (research paper, out of class essays or something similar), exams, and a reading list beyond a textbook or a few handouts. Some courses that require only lectures and in-class exams are likely to be considered 200-level or lower. Courses that have no specified assignments or tests can only be considered 100-level and thus not applicable to concentration.

• How does the number level fit with your concentration program needs?

• Does the course satisfy the geographic or pre-1800 requirements? Is it a suitable cognate course?

• Concentrators can take up to 4 of the 8 concentration courses off-campus as well as cognates. History minors can take 2 of the 6 courses off-campus; the limit does not apply to relevant in-residence courses taken through the Office of International Programs

Credit transfer:
• Transfers are done either by the OIP (http://www.lsa.umich.edu/oip/) or the Undergraduate Admissions Office, 1220 Student Activities Building (telephone: 734-764-7433). The Office of International Programs handles its own credit transfer and these are considered in-residence credit. If your transfer seems to be taking too long, contact them.

• The Admissions Office lists many pre-evaluated courses on the LSA "Transfer Credit Equivalencies" page: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/students/transfer/equivalencies.
If courses you are interested in are not on the list, use the on-line pre-evaluation request form handled through the Admissions Office.

• No matter how the credits appear on your U of M transcript, history advisors evaluate each history course on behalf of the History Department.

Resources for Study Abroad

University of Michigan's Office of International Programs (OIP) : LS&A overseas academic programs: www.lsa.umich.edu/oip

Study Abroad Information for History Students from the OIP (pdf)

Fall Study Abroad Fair - Thursday, October 2, 2008 3-6 p.m. Michigan Union Ballroom more

Summer Study Abroad Fair - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 3-5 p.m. Michigan Union Pendleton Room more

University of Michigan Undergraduate Admissions Office: Out-of-Residency credit information and on-line pre-evalution requests.
http://www.admissions.umich.edu/oor/

University of Michigan International Institute: The Institute supports research, education, and service in international and area studies across the UM campus.
www.umich.edu/~iinet

University of Michigan International Center: Excellent resource for international academic and non-academic activities -work, study, travel.
Study Abroad
Selected Study Abroad Websites

Institute of International Education (IIE): A global higher education and professional exchange agency and administrator of the Fulbright Program.
www.iie.org
Comprehensive search engine of study abroad programs: www.iiepassport.org

Scholarships for Study Abroad

ROTARY AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS http://www.rotary.org/en/Pages/ridefault.aspx

GILMAN SCHOLARSHIPS, for undergraduates to study abroad. Applicants must be Pell Grant recipients. Grants are for up to $5,000. Apply online at http://www.iie.org/gilman

National Security Education Program (NSEP) David L. Boren Scholarships offer a unique opportunity for U.S. undergraduates to study abroad. NSEP awards scholarships to American students for study of world regions critical to U.S. national security interests (including Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin American & the Caribbean, and the Middle East). It draws on a broad definition of national security, recognizing that the scope of national security has expanded to include not only the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, including: sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness. Acceptance of an NSEP scholarship incurs a post-program service obligation--typically an internship in a national security-related government office equal in duration to the NSEP-supported period abroad--to be fulfilled within eight years of graduation.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS ONLINE is a financial aid and scholarship resource for international students wishing to study abroad. At this site, you will find a comprehensive listing of grants, scholarships, loan programs, and other information to assist college and university students in their pursuit to study abroad. http://www.internationalscholarships.com/

RESOURCES FOR STUDY ABROAD (USC) links you to a variety of websites with information about programs abroad, travel and tourist information, health and safety tips, and financial tools to help you to study abroad. Information and Financial Aid sites: http://www.globaled.us/