Year or Term Abroad

With the approval of the Study Abroad Committee and the department of his or her major, a student in any major may study abroad and earn transfer credit toward the 36-course-credit requirement for graduation. Students are expected to have a 3.0 grade point average or higher; students with a GPA below a 3.0 are asked to submit an additional essay addressing their academic performance and outlining specific strategies for maintaining academic good standing abroad. Students are eligible to study abroad for one or two of the following terms: second semester of the sophomore year, first semester of the junior year, second semester of the junior year. Upon successful completion of the program abroad, the Study Abroad Committee grants 4.5 credits for a term or 9 credits for a full year toward the Yale College degree. 

Program options, which provide students the opportunity to approach academic study through different cultural perspectives and, oftentimes, in a foreign language, can be found on the Study Abroad website. Details on the Year or Term Abroad are given in the Academic Regulations in the YCPS.

The chief areas of concern for the DUS are:

  1. Giving academic advice for the Year or Term Abroad and approving the plans of prospective and declared majors. Applicants for a Year or Term Abroad will consult the DUS of their intended major(s) about the feasibility of their plans. As DUS, you are asked to discuss the student’s plans, review the student's transcript, and determine whether the proposed course of study will interfere with completing the major. If the student hopes to use coursework completed abroad toward meeting major requirements, explain your expectations (e.g., amount of class time, number and length of papers). The student should contact you if deviating significantly from the proposed course of study. The Study Abroad Committee has prepared an online form for the DUS to complete and submit as part of the student’s application (see Accessing the DUS Study Abroad Approval Form below). 
  2. Approving coursework completed abroad toward meeting major requirements for students who are taking part in the Year or Term Abroad program. The Study Abroad Committee will usually grant transfer credit on the strength of the student’s transcript. In some cases, the relevant DUS will be consulted. However, a student who wishes to use coursework toward meeting major requirements should supply a copy of the program transcript and any written work you require, as discussed above. See Fulfilling Requirements with Outside Credit on the Study Abroad website.
  3. Giving advice for the Year or Term Abroad to students who intend to major in other departments but who wish to take courses in your discipline abroad. 
  4. Approving the award of credit for students in any major who have completed international study while on a Leave of Absence from Yale. If a student chooses to take courses outside of the U.S. while on a leave of absence from Yale, he or she is not enrolled in the Year or Term Abroad program. He or she must seek approval from each relevant DUS, both for fulfillment of major requirements and for credit transfer toward the 36-course-credit requirement. See Request to add Coursework Completed Outside Yale under The Committee on Honors and Academic Standing in this handbook.

Questions about the Year or Term Abroad may be addressed to Kelly McLaughlin, Director of Study Abroad; Deputy Director of the Center for International and Professional Experience; and Assistant Dean of Assessment.

Accessing the DUS Study Abroad Approval Form

When students apply for Year or Term Abroad, they are instructed to meet with their DUS at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the application deadline to discuss their plans for study abroad. Students request the DUS approval form electronically from the MyCIPE application system. The DUS then receives an email with specific instructions about how to access the form, which is to be completed and submitted online. In addition to receiving email requests, the DUS can log into the MyCIPE application system anytime and view a list of all DUS study abroad approval requests. 

To access pending requests:

  1. Visit: http://cipe.yale.edu/travel-resources/mycipe-login
  2. Click on the Log In button below “Yale Faculty and Staff” to log in to MyCIPE with a Yale NetID.