Study Abroad (Undergraduate)

Study Abroad is an integral part of many students’ Georgetown experience.  With early planning, students from all schools and majors can study abroad during their time at Georgetown. 
The Office of Global Education (OGE) offers credit-bearing study abroad opportunities for Georgetown University undergraduate students.  Georgetown administers or affiliates with more than 150 programs in 50 countries, offering a variety of program models, lengths, terms, and academic focuses to meet students’ diverse needs and goals.  These credit-bearing global education opportunities form a crucial part of the Georgetown global learning experience and, in doing so, help define the international character of the institution.  

Georgetown University policies and procedures apply to all students studying abroad on programs administered by Georgetown University, as well as to all Georgetown University students studying abroad on Georgetown-approved programs.  Both students and their families should be familiar with these policies.

Eligibility 

While acknowledging that all study abroad programs and overseas institutions have their own criteria for admissions, Georgetown University students are held to institutional standards before being allowed to study abroad for credit.  

To participate in Georgetown University study abroad programs, students must maintain good academic and disciplinary standing.

  • Major Declaration: Students applying to semester or full-year programs must officially declare a major before submitting an application.

  • Conditional Approval: All nominations to study abroad are conditional.  A drop in academic performance or a Conduct or Honor Council sanction before departure may rescind eligibility, regardless of prior approval or host program/institutional acceptance. Guidelines for how Honor Council and Student cases affect study abroad eligibility may be found on the Office of Global Education’s Eligibility website.

  • GPA Requirements: There is no minimum GPA required for Georgetown students wishing to study abroad, though minimum GPA thresholds are program-specific and may include a higher minimum GPA. Program-specific GPA requirements are listed on program brochure pages. 

  • Academic Probation: Students on any type of probation, including academic probation, are strictly ineligible to study abroad.  

Study Abroad and Leave of Absence

Participation in study abroad programs while on or immediately following a Leave of Absence (LOA) is governed by the university’s overarching policies outlined in the Taking a Leave of Absence section of the Bulletin, subject to the following strict provisions:

  • Eligibility Immediately Following a Leave of Absence: Students are strictly prohibited from studying abroad during the semester immediately following a medical leave of absence.  This restriction applies to all academic terms, including the Summer term.

  • Application Eligibility by Leave of Absence (LOA)  Type: A student’s ability to apply for a future study abroad program through the Office of Global Education (OGE) depends entirely on the designation of their leave:

    • Elective Leaves of Absence: Students currently on an approved Elective LOA are permitted to open and submit an OGE application for their intended return term.

    • Medical or Mandated (Non-Voluntary) Leaves of Absence: Students currently on a Medical or Mandated LOA are strictly prohibited from applying to study abroad for the term immediately following their leave. These students must first successfully complete the formal return process, re-enroll, and re-establish their active student status on the Main Campus before they are permitted to apply for any future study abroad opportunities.

  • Eligibility While on a Leave of Absence: Students may not study abroad while on a leave of absence. Additionally, coursework taken on an external study abroad program during a leave of absence may not be transferred to Georgetown.

Courses and Credit

Course Approvals

All courses taken abroad on Georgetown-approved programs (whether Georgetown-administered or affiliated) must be approved by the appropriate academic department at Georgetown. 

Minimum Passing Grade

Students participating in approved affiliated study abroad programs are subject to a minimum passing grade to earn credit toward the Georgetown degree. The minimum passing grade is outlined in the Courseload and Grading Policy for each study abroad program.

Online Coursework

Students may not enroll in online courses for credit while participating in a Georgetown-approved study abroad program. 

Grades and Transcripts

Pass/Fail Coursework

Courses may not be taken pass/fail while abroad; such courses are ineligible for transfer to Georgetown.

Courseload 

Minimum courseload: 

Students are required to enroll in a full course load in accordance with the Georgetown requirements.  For semester study abroad, courseload requirements can be found in the Courseload and Grading Policy for each program. Georgetown’s courseload requirements for study abroad may be higher than the host university’s requirements and are different from on-campus requirements. For short-term programs, course load and registration requirements are described in the program brochure.

Maximum courseload: 

A maximum of 17 credits per semester may be applied to the Georgetown degree from overseas programs.

A maximum of 12 credits per summer session may be applied to the Georgetown degree from overseas programs.

Credit & Transcripts: The way in which credits are earned and grades are posted at Georgetown varies and is determined by program type:

  • GU-Administered Programs (Georgetown in Florence: Villa Le Balze, Faculty-led programs, and Georgetown University in Qatar):

    • All courses taught on these programs are Georgetown courses, which appear in the schedule of classes.

    • Credits and grades earned on Georgetown-Administered programs are Georgetown Residential credits. Grades appear on the Georgetown transcript and factor into the Georgetown QPI/GPA.

  • Affiliated Programs:

    • Grades earned abroad on Georgetown programs (including failures) are listed on the Georgetown transcript but are not calculated into the Georgetown QPI/GPA.

    • Grades are recorded in the form in which they are awarded by the host institution. If a grading scale or system differs from Georgetown’s, Georgetown will not convert the grade to an A-F scale. 

    • Credit may only be posted if the student earns a grade at or above the program’s minimum passing grade as defined in the individual program’s Courseload & Grading policy. 

    • While grades from affiliated programs do not affect the Georgetown QPI/GPA, graduate schools (including medical, business, and law schools) generally instruct applicants to provide copies of their study abroad transcripts and often recalculate GPAs to include study abroad grades.

Policy Documents 

Participants must sign and comply with all academic, conduct, and other applicable policies and procedures provided by Georgetown University and its affiliate program partners.

Non-Georgetown  Summer School Study Abroad

Students who wish to participate in a non-Georgetown summer study abroad program must consult the appropriate academic department(s) regarding transfer credit eligibility and requirements before participating. To remain eligible for Georgetown University funding and/or academic credit, students must comply with the Georgetown University International Travel Policy and all related requirements.