Semester Study Abroad
Studying abroad for a semester or year is a possibility for all eligible degree-seeking Berry College students. Applying to study abroad is a two-part process: First, students complete the Berry application and are notified of approval by the International Programs Committee. The IP Committee reviews applications and recommendations, and determines the final approval status of students. Upon approval, the student then applies to the host institution program, which is the second part of the procedure.
Students on disciplinary probation may not study abroad the following semester.
Berry College cannot guarantee students will be accepted by the host institution. Berry's minimum GPA requirement to study abroad is 2.5; however, students are responsible for knowing and meeting the GPA requirement of their study abroad program.
Students interested in studying abroad should complete the following documents before meeting with the International Programs Director for an advising appointment:
Students applying through Berry study on approved programs. However, if a student finds another program they would like to participate in, they may do so in transient status. Students should be aware that transient credit is not considered "in residence" and be familiar with Berry's "Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees." Another option is to petition the International Programs Committee to have the program approved. Forms are available from the IP office, and must be submitted at least 9 months prior to the program start date.
Please note Berry does not support travel of faculty, staff and students to countries under a US Department of State travel warning. No institutional funds will be used to support travel to these countries.
For semester study, Berry students may choose from two types of approved programs:
- Direct/Traditional Programs
- International Student Exchange Program (ISEP)
Direct/Traditional Programs
These programs require students to pay Berry tuition and the program's room, board and insurance costs, among others. Depending on the number of applications, the students participating in these programs could be limited. All applicants should submit the following completed application packet to International Programs by the appropriate deadline. Students obtain these forms at their advising appointment:
- course substitution form with attached course descriptions
- waiver of liability
- power of attorney (click here for a list of campus notaries public)
- transcript downloaded from Viking Web
- recommendation form from academic adviser (this reference may also be used for the scholarship application)
The selection committee will base its decisions on the following criteria:
- completed application packet
- student's GPA
- year in school
- any extenuating circumstances, as outlined by academic adviser
Deadlines for direct/traditional programs:
September 15 to study abroad the following spring
February 15* to study abroad the following fall
International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP)
Students still wishing to study abroad after the deadline has passed may be eligible to apply for open ISEP sites.
Students accepted into ISEP exchange programs pay Berry College tuition, room and board costs. Click here for other ISEP fee information. ISEP has its own application process, and the completed packet must be submitted to the International Programs Director in time to meet ISEP's stated deadlines. In addition to the ISEP application, students must submit the following completed documents:
- course substitution form with attached course descriptions (this may wait until placement has been announced)
- waiver of liability
- power of attorney
ISEP begins reviewing applications by:
September 1 for the following spring
February 1 for the following fall
All approved students will pay a non-refundable $500 deposit toward their Berry College tuition for the study abroad semester. This is the Friday before spring break for fall and the Friday before fall break for spring semester study. If this is a hardship for students, they should talk with the IP Director to make other arrangements. This deposit should not prevent students from studying abroad.
All students must attend the two-part pre-departure orientation. Failure to attend these could result in the forfeiting of the $500 deposit, revoking of IP scholarships or withdrawal from study abroad.
For information on how to apply for summer programs, click here.
* Students who wish to apply for an International Programs scholarship for the following spring must also have applied to study abroad by this date.