A learning abroad program is "embedded" when some of the required class meetings take place here on campus at the UMN, and some of the required class meetings take place abroad. This document is intended to guide the development of embedded programs which extend beyond the standard term.
Embedded study abroad courses must adhere to the University’s standard semester structure for fall, spring, and summer terms in order to be compliant with federal regulations and financial aid eligibility rules. Course offerings (including the portion abroad) can extend within two weeks on either side of the beginning or end date of the standard term. For this purpose, the end date of a standard term is considered the last day of finals. Orientation can occur before the actual start of the course or study abroad experience but is itself not eligible for financial aid and should not count towards the required credit hours.
If the abroad component of an embedded course needs to extend beyond the academic term + 2 weeks (as bolded above), options are available.
Best Practices
- Spring semester
- Preferred: Class meets on-campus in standard session and goes abroad during spring break.
- Class meets on-campus in standard session and goes abroad two weeks directly following finals week.
- May/Summer term
- If a class is traveling abroad May, June, July, or August, the class will be scheduled in summer term and should utilize the academic session that most closely matches the dates of the class.
- Note that May session is a subset of summer term and classes going abroad during May session should always be scheduled as summer term.
- If a class is traveling abroad May, June, July, or August, the class will be scheduled in summer term and should utilize the academic session that most closely matches the dates of the class.
- Fall semester
- Class meets on-campus in the standard fall semester session and goes abroad two weeks directly following finals week.
Alternative Suggested Paths
- Departments may develop a 1-credit supplemental embedded academic course that would be offered as an international study abroad. It would supplement the on-campus course, and the courses would have content and activities that supplement the original academic course content with detailed objectives and learning outcomes explicitly relating the courses to one another.
- Registration could then be split between two terms with different courses set up for the different terms, for example:
Fall on-campus course (2 credits) + January 2-week abroad course with spring enrollment (1 credit)- Each registration could be independently graded by term
- Alternatively, an X grade could be awarded for the ‘first’ term and a final grade would encompass both terms of registration.
- Registration could then be split between two terms with different courses set up for the different terms, for example:
- A standard Fall or Spring term course on campus could earn a grade and be accompanied by a non-credit (non-financial aid eligible) study abroad experience in January or May with the study abroad component documented on the Experience Record.
Exceptions
In rare cases when exceptions to these practices are warranted, requests should be submitted to The Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) ([email protected]) for consideration by OUE and the Office of Student Finance.