SFS Degree and Core Curriculum Requirements for 2018-2019 Transfer Students

I. Degree Requirements
II. Core Curriculum  Requirements
III. Language Proficiency Requirement
IV. Advising
V. Academic Policies and Procedures

I.DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Entering Fall 2018 Transfer students who are candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) Degree must complete the following requirements:

  1. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 40 courses (each with at least 3 credits) and 120 credits. Students who complete one year of intensive language course work are eligible for one free elective course waiver; students who complete two years of intensive language course work are eligible for two free elective course waivers.  No more than two free elective course waivers are granted.  Students with intensive language waivers are eligible to graduate with a minimum 38 or 39 courses.
  2. Students must fulfill the requirements of the SFS Core Curriculum and a major.
  3. Students who transfer must complete at least half of the degree program (20 courses, 60 credits) in residence.  Students must complete one half of the courses required in the major in residence.  The full-time residency requirement, as outlined in the Matriculation section of Academic Regulations, must be fulfilled as a BSFS student.
  4. Students must satisfactorily complete the foreign language proficiency requirement as outlined herein.
  5. Students must attain a final cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better.
THE BSFS CURRICULUM

The curriculum is governed by the BSFS Curriculum Committee, and is delivered and administered by the faculty and the BSFS Curricular Deans.  Each major is governed by its respective field committee.

The curriculum consists of the SFS Core Curriculum, Foreign Language Proficiency, major fields of study, optional language minors, optional certificate programs and Fellows Programs.

BSFS LEARNING GOALS

The Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) program educates the next generation of world leaders.  The BSFS program grounds the study of international affairs in the liberal arts, with students examining a range of problems in the world today from many perspectives, including economics, history, and political science.

The BSFS curriculum teaches students to appreciate the influence of culture on international affairs.  Required language proficiency enables cultural literacy and communication, helping students identify opportunities and anticipate problems in other countries and among other peoples.

Students develop critical reasoning skills and express that reasoning in their writing and oral presentations.  They also acquire quantitative skills and learn how to reason scientifically.  Finally, students are taught to conduct independent research.  This knowledge and these skills are vital for international service and are part of Georgetown’s commitment to educating the whole person.

Consistent with Georgetown’s Jesuit identity, students approach international affairs with a concern for ethics and morality.  They are encouraged to become engaged citizens, and upon graduation, students will have the knowledge and ingenuity necessary to serve their communities and the world.

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II.THE CORE CURRICULUM

To understand difficult global problems, BSFS students need knowledge from many academic disciplines.  A complex issue like war, for example, requires students to understand politics, economics, history, religion, and culture, among other areas of study.

The Core Curriculum (“the Core”) offers students a deep foundation on which their major and elective courses are built while instilling values of citizenship and service.  SFS students take the SFS Core (Proseminar, Government, History, Economics, Science and Map of the Modern World) in addition to the University Core requirements (Theology and Religious Studies, Philosophy, Writing, HALC and Engaging Diversity).  Together these courses give students the knowledge they need to understand and solve problems while maintaining the broad nature of a liberal arts education.

Effective for Transfer students entering in fall 2018, the Core consists of the following 19 requirements:

  • 1 Freshman Proseminar
    • INAF-100 Freshman Proseminar
  • 2 Humanities and Writing courses
    • WRIT-015 or WRIT 025, Writing and Culture Seminar
    • Humanities: Arts, Literature, and Cultures (HALC) course
  • 2 Theology and Religious Studies courses
    • THEO-1000 Problem of God or THEO-1100 Biblical Literature
    • 2nd THEO course (THEO 2000-3999)
  • 2 Philosophy courses
    • PHIL-099 Political & Social Thought
    • 2nd PHIL course (PHIL 001-199)
  • 2 Engaging Diversity courses
    • One Global Diversity course
    • One Domestic Diversity course
  • 2 Government courses
    • GOVT-060 International Relations
    • GOVT-040 Comparative Political Systems
  • 3 History courses
    • HIST-007 or  008 or 106 or 107 Introductory History:  World, Europe, Atlantic or Pacific
    • Non-Western Regional History I
    • Non-Western Regional History II (or regional seminar course, with permission)
  • 4 Economics courses
    • ECON-001 Microeconomic Principles
    • ECON-002 Macroeconomic Principles
    • ECON-243 International Trade
    • ECON-244 International Finance
  • 1 Political and Physical Geography course
    • INAF-008 Map of the Modern World

Every first year student in the SFS takes a proseminar, INAF 100, during the fall semester.  Proseminars are small interdisciplinary courses designed to train students in the academic reading and writing skills necessary for success in the SFS program.  Each proseminar is limited to 15 students in order to promote intensive interaction and camaraderie among students and professors.  The structure and format of the course encourage students to explore new ideas and to develop critical approaches to the study of global issues. The proseminars offer some of Georgetown’s finest professors the opportunity to teach and serve as mentors to first-year students.

Students acquire foundational knowledge in international politics through GOVT-060 International Relations and GOVT-040 Comparative Political Systems.

Knowledge of International Trade and Finance are vital in international affairs.  ECON-242 International Economics, ECON-243 International Trade, ECON-244 International Finance, and their foundational courses, ECON-001 Microeconomic Principles and ECON-002 Macroeconomic Principles, expose every SFS student to quantitative analyses in the social sciences.

To fulfill the history requirement, students study global history distributed over three courses, a general introductory survey and two regional survey courses.  At least one of these courses must examine early history and one late history.  Students are encouraged, but not required, to take both regional survey courses in the same region.  International students without exposure to U.S. history may request permission to take US History (HIST 180 or 181) to complete one of the regional history requirements. Students may also petition their dean to replace the second regional survey with an upper-level history seminar that continues regional studies from the first survey course.

The University core requirements are completed as follows:

  • BSFS students take two semesters of theology and religious studies.  They begin with either THEO-1000, The Problem of God, or THEO-1100 Introduction to Biblical Literature, in the first year.  The second theology requirement may be fulfilled with any intermediate-level theology course from THEO 2000-3999.
  • BSFS students must fulfill the first philosophy requirement through an SFS-specific political philosophy course, PHIL-099 Political & Social Thought.  The second philosophy requirement may be fulfilled by any course from PHIL 001-199.
  • Students may fulfill the writing requirement through Writing 015, Writing 025, or AP/IB credit.  There is also a course designed  specifically for non-native English speaker students, ENFL-114 Critical Writing for International Affairs.  Students studying at the SFS campus in Doha, Qatar, must refer to the Qatar-specific policies regarding the writing requirement.
  • Students may fulfill the Humanities:  Arts, Literature and Cultures (HALC) requirement from a list of pre-selected courses.
  • Students are required to take two Engaging Diversity courses, one domestic and one global.  This requirement prepares students to be responsible, reflective, self-aware and respectful global citizens. Courses fulfilling the Engaging Diversity Requirement may double count towards the fulfillment of other curricular requirements.  Students studying at the SFS campus in Doha, Qatar, must refer to the Qatar-specific academic policies regarding the Engaging Diversity Requirement.

To acquire basic knowledge of the political and physical geography of the world, students must complete a 1-credit requirement, INAF-008 Map of the Modern World.

Students complete many of the SFS Core courses during their freshman and sophomore years. Students have the flexibility to start their major studies early, to take extra foreign language credits, or to take free electives by having advanced credits, taking summer courses, or deferring some of the SFS Core courses until junior and senior years.

The SFS Core requirements build on one another and form the foundation for all of the majors. INAF-100 Freshman Proseminar and PHIL-099 Political & Social Thought introduce students to academic reading, writing and discussion, through intense assignments, small group interactions, and close instructor attention.

Knowledge builds across courses and disciplines.  For example, game theory is introduced in ECON-001 Microeconomic Principles. This theory is then applied as an explanation of nuclear proliferation in GOVT-060 International Relations.  The intergovernmental game is developed further to understand trade treaty negotiations in ECON-243 International Trade.  Theories of international trade and international relations explain some of the regional interactions that have shaped history and are covered in the Regional History courses.

The SFS Core Curriculum lays the academic foundation for entry into one of eight interdisciplinary majors that will be outlined below.  Unlike traditional discipline-based majors, SFS majors have two characteristics:

  1. The majors are built upon the SFS Core requirements (i.e. they presume mastery of subjects covered by the SFS Core requirement courses); and
  2. The majors are interdisciplinary (i.e. they allow students the opportunity to draw upon courses from departments across the University).

The two characteristics highlighted above are apparent within each of the majors.  Taking one of the majors, International Political Economy, as an example, seven of the SFS Core requirements (ECON-001 Microeconomic Principles, ECON-002 Macroeconomic Principles, ECON-243 International Trade, ECON-244 International Finance, GOVT-060 International Relations, GOVT-040 Comparative Political Systems and PHIL-099 Political & Social Thought) serve as foundational courses for the major.  However, none of these courses counts toward the major itself.  Because basic competencies have already been established through the SFS Core, the major courses may be at the specialized level and may span across academic disciplines without compromising disciplinary expertise.

Thus within each of the BSFS majors, students are able to take full advantage of course offerings and faculty expertise across several departments, utilizing the full range of disciplinary theories and methods, and integrating them to attain a complex understanding of the problems and challenges faced by the global community.  This combination of advanced coursework and the interdisciplinary approach prepares students to be effective problem-solvers in a wide range of career fields.

Students studying at the SFS campus in Doha, Qatar, must refer to the Qatar-specific academic policies regarding core curriculum classes and timelines for completing these requirements.

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III.MODERN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT

The School of Foreign Service modern language requirement forms part of Georgetown University’s mission to prepare students to be reflective, engaged and informed global citizens.  The goal is to prepare students for professional discussions in a modern language other than English that occur in public, private and non-profit sectors of international affairs.  Thorough language study builds both linguistic competency and develops cultural literacy—a goal of the SFS curriculum.  To satisfy this proficiency requirement, a student must demonstrate the ability to exchange ideas in conversation on contemporary issues involving international affairs in a modern language other than English.  Students who complete this requirement early in their matriculation are strongly encouraged to continue to study, practice, and use the language to maintain and enhance competency.

All undergraduate students in the School of Foreign Service are expected to enroll in a modern language class each semester, for a letter grade, until they have met the proficiency requirement.  Students cannot take a language course pass/fail.  Language classes occupy elective slots in the academic schedule.

There are four ways a student can fulfill the language requirement.  These options are listed below.

Option 1

A student who has graduated from a secondary school in which the language of instruction was a modern language other than English may have already fulfilled the language proficiency requirement.  Students must provide relevant documentation to their dean during their first semester at Georgetown.  At the dean’s discretion, students may still be required to take a language placement test or language proficiency exam during the first semester to verify whether further coursework is needed to obtain language proficiency.

Option 2

A student may take the proficiency exam offered by the language departments at Georgetown.  A student may only request this examination when he/she has taken the appropriate preparatory coursework determined by the relevant language department.  Students must register for the language examination and are expected to present themselves for the examination at the appointed time and location.

The proficiency exam is separate from the final course exam and is evaluated on a pass or fail basis.  Students who pass the proficiency exam are able to sustain a discussion dealing with current events and demonstrate familiarity with relevant historical, cultural, political, and economic information.  Students are also able to satisfy routine social needs and to discuss themselves, their studies, and their plans for the future.

A “pass” on the proficiency exam is comparable to achieving, depending on the language, an Intermediate high to Advanced mid on the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines (ACTFL) rating, or a B1/low B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference.

Students should check with individual departments for language specific examination formats and criteria.  A two-member board conducts the exam.  Most examinations entail:  a) a reading comprehension component in which the student is given time alone to read an article on a topic in international affairs;  b) a 20 minute oral conversation in which the student is asked to summarize the article, to answer questions relating to it, and to respond to questions on the culture and civilization of the language area.

Students who fail the exam should consult with a member of the appropriate language department about the additional coursework necessary to prepare for reexamination. Seniors who do not pass the examination in April may be able to retake the exam in May.

The first examination, scheduled within the departmental deadline, will be administered without charge. Tardiness in scheduling an examination or rescheduling may result in a charge of $25.00.

Option 3

A student may take the proficiency exam on-site at the end of a Georgetown-Approved, summer intensive language program that offers the exam.  A list of relevant programs is available online on the BSFS website.

Option 4

A student who successfully completes a one semester Georgetown-Approved direct matriculation study abroad program meets the language proficiency requirement.  Successful completion means that a student has taken a full-time course load and passed each course as outlined in the academic policy for each program developed by the Office of Global Education.  Direct matriculation means that a student was directly enrolled in courses offered by a partner university on a Georgetown-Approved program.  These courses were conducted in a language other than English and were the same courses offered to degree candidates at that university.  A list of approved programs is available online on the BSFS website.  Only programs on this list are eligible to fulfill the language proficiency requirement.

Additional Language Policies

All students are expected to complete the language proficiency requirement prior to study abroad if they are nominated to an English language site or to another site in a language other than the one the student is pursuing to fulfill the requirement.

Students who wish to be examined in a modern language for which no instruction is offered at Georgetown University should contact the SFS Dean’s Office for additional information.

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IV.ADVISING

With an enrollment of about 350 students per class, the undergraduate program of the School of Foreign Service offers an intimate setting within Georgetown University.  This scale makes it possible for students, faculty members, and deans to interact with one another on a personal basis. Ideally, each student will build up a network of professors who are knowledgeable about different aspects of his or her studies, as well as a rapport with one or more members of the Dean’s Office staff.  This pattern begins during the first year and continues to develop.  For example, the professors who teach freshmen proseminars typically take an interest in their students and are prepared to offer general advice and support.

Counseling about course choices takes place in the Dean’s Office. Each entering first-year or transfer student is assigned to one of the Associate and Assistant Deans, who hold office hours on virtually every day of the academic year.  One of their primary responsibilities is to help students work out an academic program that will enable them to complete their studies on schedule while also pursuing interests in elective subjects.  The deans continue to provide support to students during junior and senior years on a wide variety of subjects, including study abroad.  They also direct students to members of the faculty who share their interests in one or more areas, and these introductions are among the most fruitful ways of identifying professors to serve as mentors in the major during junior and senior years.

DESCRIPTIONS OF COURSES SPONSORED BY THE SCHOOL

As noted above, the coursework for the Core and for SFS majors draws on the offerings of several different Departments as well as courses sponsored directly by the School of Foreign Service.  Courses sponsored by a Department are described under the heading of that Department.  Courses sponsored by the School appear under International Affairs (prefix “INAF”), each of the majors, and several of the SFS centers and programs.

HONORS IN THE SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE

Every semester academic honors are noted on full-time students’ transcripts based on their grade point average for that semester.  “First Honors” is awarded to students who earn a 3.900 GPA or higher;  “Second Honors” is awarded to those who earn at least a 3.700 GPA, and students who earn at least a 3.500 achieve the “Dean’s List,” provided that there are no failing grades that semester.  Semester honors are recognized by a permanent notation on official transcripts.

Note:  “full-time” status for the purpose of computing honors requires that a student be enrolled in at least twelve credits of coursework for which quality points are awarded.  Pass/fail grades are not awarded quality points.

Upon graduation, final academic honors are determined by the cumulative GPA.  For information on Latin Honors please see the Undergraduate Bulletin section on Studying, Grades and Credit.

Honors in the Majors

Students who meet the criteria to graduate with honors in the major receive an honors citation on their final transcript.  They are also recognized at the annual Tropaia ceremony during graduation weekend.

The Peter F. Krogh Honors Seminar

Named for the Dean Emeritus of the School of Foreign Service, this seminar offers 15 highly qualified students the opportunity to work closely with a senior member of the faculty.  The Krogh seminar always addresses a theme of central importance in international affairs.  Participation in the Krogh seminar is by application.  Students who successfully complete the seminar receive the Peter F. Krogh medal at the annual Tropaia ceremony during graduation weekend.

National Honor Societies

Students in the School of Foreign Service are eligible for election to Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit National Honor Society), Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics National Honor Society), Pi Sigma Alpha (National Honor Society in Political Science), Phi Alpha Theta (International Honor Society in History), Pi Delta Phi (National French Honor Society), Sigma Delta Pi (National Spanish Honor Society), Phi Lambda Beta (Portuguese National Honor Society), and Dobro Slovo (National Slavic Honor Society).

For detailed information on each of the honor societies open to School of Foreign Service students, please see the section Honors and Awards in this bulletin.  The foreign language honor societies are listed under “Awards of the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics.”

FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND PRIZES

Students from the School of Foreign Service are very successful competitors for a variety of post-graduate fellowships and scholarships, including the DAAD, Fulbright, Luce, Marshall, Mellon, Rhodes, and Truman.  For more information, please refer to the Georgetown Office of Fellowships, Awards, and Research.

The School of Foreign Service offers undergraduates a wide range of fellowships and programs for research and study.  Undergraduates may pursue scholarships toward internships, travel for academic research, study abroad opportunities, economic conferences, and more.  For additional information please see the BSFS website.

TUTORIALS

Tutorials offer students special opportunities to study subjects that are not part of the regular curriculum. Usually, tutorials involve one student and one faculty member, although occasionally a group of two or three students will band together to pursue a subject of common interest.  Normally, tutorials are given by full-time faculty members to full-time students in good academic standing.  Tutorials represent a teaching overload for professors, so students cannot expect that faculty members will necessarily agree to offer tutorials at their convenience.  Tutorials should represent an intellectual commitment and workload similar to that required of a normal three-credit course.  As a rule, students take no more than two tutorials in the course of their undergraduate careers, although special arrangements in place of honors in some SFS majors might fall outside this guideline.

Students in the School of Foreign Service interested in setting up a tutorial must meet five conditions: 1) the subject of the tutorial is not available as a regular University course;  2) there is an intellectually compelling reason for studying this subject as part of the undergraduate degree;  3) a faculty member with the appropriate expertise is available and willing to offer the tutorial;  4) the Department Chair and the director of the undergraduate program, approve the request;  5) the appropriate paperwork is submitted to the Dean’s Office in a timely fashion (note:  forms to request approval for tutorials are available in the Dean’s Office).  Any tutorial that is approved as a substitute for a Core or major requirement must be taken for a quality grade (A through D).  Tutorials that are taken for elective credit may be taken for a quality grade or on a pass/fail basis.  Credits for tutorials cost the same as regular course credits. All the academic regulations governing the regular curriculum are applicable to tutorials.  Tutorials come in two varieties, reading courses and research tutorials:

  • Reading courses usually focus on mastering the scholarly literature on a particular subject.  For example, a reading course on the origins of the French Revolution might focus on the major historiographical interpretations of the Revolution as well as on critiques of this literature.  The backbone of any reading tutorial is a substantial reading list put together with the help of the supervising professor.  The tutorial would meet weekly or biweekly and stress discussion of the readings for that period.  A variety of written assignments could be an appropriate means of assessment, including, for example, bibliographical essays, critical reviews, or analyses of one or more problems raised by the literature.
  • Research tutorials focus on the collection and analysis of primary materials in the form of a major research paper.  In framing a project, guidance should be sought from the professor.  The most typical flaw in undergraduate research projects is overestimating the amount of material that one can reasonably digest in a single semester or choosing a subject on which necessary data is unavailable.  Research tutorials meet weekly or as the pace of the project demands.  The final papers vary in length according to the subject, but a 25-page minimum would be typical for the social sciences.

Please note:  the material addressed in both reading courses and research tutorials should be defined in a way that allows you to finish all work for the tutorial by the end of the semester.  Incompletes are not routinely granted for tutorials.

STUDY ABROAD

The School of Foreign Service strongly believes that a period of study in another country can contribute an invaluable intercultural dimension and language-learning opportunity to the educational preparation of all who aspire to international careers.  Students are, therefore, encouraged to develop appropriate plans for international study in conjunction with their educational program at the School. In most cases during semester or academic year study abroad students must be fully enrolled in a recognized university and study in the native language with students of the host country.  Such direct matriculation puts a premium on post-advanced knowledge of the appropriate language and is most feasible in countries in which French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (or English) are the languages of instruction.  Modified options are available in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian-speaking parts of the world.  These programs combine a heavy emphasis on language acquisition with a limited selection of coursework in English, often with a regional focus.  The Office of Global Education has developed a range of study abroad programs that meet other needs, including intensive language study and directed field research.

One of the most important issues to address in terms of study abroad is how the course work taken abroad will or will not contribute to one’s progress towards the BSFS degree, especially the requirements for the major.  This is a subject for careful planning and consultation with the curricular dean responsible for coordination of the major.  The deans bear final responsibility for crediting course work taken abroad towards degree requirements.

  • Participants must be full-time students while overseas, unless their dean has given preapproval for a reduced course load.  A full course load is considered to be the same as that of a regular full-time degree candidate at the host university, as defined in the courseload and grading policy developed for each program by the Office of Global Education.  Recreational travel must not interfere with regularly scheduled classes.  Students may not request early or alternative examinations to facilitate departure before the end of the program. All course assignments and examinations must be completed by the time of departure from the country at the end of the semester.
  • The student code of conduct applies to students while overseas.
  • Participants are expected to comply with the laws of the country where they are studying and those of the countries in which they travel.  Students are also subject to all academic and disciplinary regulations of the host university.  While overseas, students should conduct themselves as guests, keeping in mind that they are subject to all the laws of the country while not necessarily enjoying the same privileges as nationals.  Georgetown University students are expected to remain observers of political activities rather than participants.  Becoming a political activist may endanger one’s safety or that of one’s colleagues in the program, and will almost certainly jeopardize the program itself.
  • Students are expected to complete their language proficiency requirement before being approved for study abroad at an English language site, unless a student has received explicit approval from the SFS Standards Committee.  Any exceptions must be requested well in advance of any study abroad deadlines.  Students should work with their deans to initiate the process of seeking an exception.

For more detailed information on overseas study for undergraduate students in the School of Foreign Service, see the BSFS website.

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V.ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The School of Foreign Service operates within the parameters of the general academic policies shared by all undergraduate schools of the University which are outlined in the Bulletin under “Academic Regulations.”

All students are required to comply with the University academic regulations. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with these regulations, and no student can claim that unfamiliarity with these regulations warrant an exception to them.

Regulations particular to the School of Foreign Service include, but are not limited to:

  1. Students must complete a minimum of six semesters of university study, four of which must be full-time and in residence in the School of Foreign Service.  A minimum of 60 credits must be completed in residence.  Semesters are defined as fall and spring semesters (not summer).  Study abroad at SFS-Qatar and Villa le Balze count toward the residency requirement.
  2. Students are required to complete at least half of the coursework for an SFS major at Georgetown.  Transfer credit for courses (including study abroad courses and non-GU summer courses) in excess of half of a major will be counted as free electives toward the degree.
  3. Undergraduate students are expected to be full-time.  Seniors who have met all residency requirements may be part-time in the final semester.  Students with compelling academic reasons, prior to the final semester, may petition the Academic Standards Committee for part-time status.
  4. Courses that fulfill requirements for core curriculum, major, language minor, certificate or fellows programs must be taken for a letter grade.  Courses that are part of the sequence of language courses taken to prepare students to attain the foreign language oral proficiency requirement (or additional language proficiency certifications) must also be taken for a letter grade.
  5. Audited courses do not count toward the undergraduate degree.
  6. With the exception of summer school courses listed in the usual departments of the four undergraduate schools on campus (College, SFS, MSB and NHS), SFS students may not enroll in courses offered through the School of Continuing Studies for its various degrees, certificates, and special programs.
  7. All students are required to maintain continuous enrollment in a foreign language course each semester until or unless they have fulfilled the foreign language oral proficiency requirement.
  8. Students who meet the foreign language oral proficiency requirement with their native language must have this requirement confirmed by the appropriate language department in their first academic year.
  9. All students are expected to complete the Foreign Language Oral Proficiency requirement prior to overseas study if they plan to study at an English language site or a site in a language other than the one they are pursuing to fulfill the oral proficiency requirement.
  10. No more than four courses may be taken in summer school away from Georgetown in the course of completing the undergraduate degree.  Prior approval for such courses must be obtained from the SFS Dean’s Office.
  11. Students on elective leave of absence may not transfer credit for courses taken elsewhere during their leave.  In rare circumstances, and with written approval of the Dean’s Office prior to the leave, students may be allowed to transfer a limited number of courses.
  12. Students with more than one incomplete course in a given term who are unable to complete their work by the start of the next term must review that term’s total course load with their Dean.  Depending on the circumstance, the student may be directed to take a leave of absence or be directed to enroll in a partial schedule.
  13. Students must declare their intended major via the undergraduate major declaration process in the stipulated time frame or be subject to academic sanctions.
  14. All seniors are required to complete a Senior Review during the penultimate semester to obtain confirmation of final degree requirements and to apply for the degree. Failure to apply for the degree by the designated deadline may necessitate the postponement of graduation.
  15. SFS students studying at the Doha, Qatar campus must refer to the SFS-Qatar-specific academic policies.  Any SFS-Qatar policy that differs from the SFS policies supercedes the SFS policies on the Qatar campus.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND REVIEW

At the conclusion of each semester, the Committee on Academic Standards (Standards Committee) convenes to review the academic records of all undergraduates in the School of Foreign Service.  The Standards Committee is comprised of the BSFS Associate and Assistant Deans.  The Standards Committee meets in closed session and the Committee’s decisions are communicated to students in writing.

Academic infractions that require action by the Standards Committee include:

  • Low cumulative and/or semester grade point averages
  • Unsatisfactory grades (D+ and below)
  • Failures (including a grade of U in Map of the Modern World)
  • Failure to enroll in required classes or make progress toward the degree**
  • Failure to enroll in a foreign language if the proficiency requirement is not completed
  • Patterns of course withdrawals
  • Unauthorized Incomplete Courses (which are treated as failing grades)

** SFS-Qatar students must refer to the SFS-Qatar policies regarding good academic progress.

Academic Sanctions

The Standards Committee has the authority to impose sanctions on students whose academic performance is deemed deficient.  Sanctions reflect the nature of the academic deficiencies they aim to address.

Probation

Students who fail a course or who earn a semester or cumulative GPA below 2.00 are automatically placed on probation.  While on probation, students are expected to maintain a semester GPA of 2.00 as a full time student in twelve credit hours.  No notation of academic probation is made on the transcript.

Suspension

Students may be suspended for one or more semesters because of unsatisfactory academic performance.  The length of the suspension is determined by the Standards Committee.  The committee may also impose requirements for readmission to SFS.  Students who are suspended may not transfer credits to Georgetown earned elsewhere during the suspension period.  Academic suspensions are noted on the transcript.

Dismissal

Students may be dismissed from the university because of unsatisfactory academic performance.  In cases of dismissal, students are permanently separated from Georgetown.  Dismissed students may not register for or attend classes, attempt to complete a Georgetown degree, live in a residence hall, or participate in any activities reserved for students in good standing at Georgetown.  Academic dismissal is noted on the transcript.

The Standards Committe reserves the right to impose other sanctions as necessary.

Appeals

Students who are suspended or dismissed may appeal the decision of the Standards Committee by petitioning the School of Foreign Service Appeals Board.

The SFS Appeals Board consists of two members of the Faculty and the Director of the BSFS Program, or his/her designate, who serves as Chair.  No member of the Faculty may sit on the Appeals Board if he/she has at any time failed the student who is appealing.

It should be emphasized that the Appeals Board is an educational hearing board and not a court of law.  Its purpose is twofold:

  1. It considers the student’s record in light of the decision of the Standards Committee and accepts any evidence of extenuating circumstances which would warrant the Board to recommend a change in the Standards Committee decision.
  2. It assures the student an opportunity to appear before an impartial board composed of members who are unrelated to the student’s academic background.

The student must submit a written request for an appeal of the initial decision to the Chair of Academic Standards within the timeline specified by the Standards Committee.  The student is expected to present evidence to the Appeals Board that demonstrates cause for amending the initial decision.  Students may appear in person to support their case.

The Appeals Board deliberates in closed session. The Board may recommend upholding the Standards Committee’s initial decision or it may recommend a mitigation of the decision, e.g., instead of dismissal, a suspension;  instead of suspension, probation.  The Appeals Board may not recommend a more severe judgment.  The Board’s decision is considered final and is not subject to further appeal.  The final decision of the Appeals Board is communicated to the student in writing.

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