Study Abroad through
Marymount Manhattan College
Contact:
Cynthia Sittler
Study Abroad Coordinator
Office of Academic Affairs
Marymount Manhattan College
221 East 71st Street
New York, NY 10021
E-mail: csittler@mmm.edu
Office phone: 212-774-0791
Fax: 212-774-0792
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
Studying abroad is a rewarding and life-changing experience.
Students who incorporate overseas study into their academic careers
deepen their knowledge and understanding of international, political,
and cultural affairs. You may return from your sojourn abroad with a
better perspective on world issues as well as a broader understanding
of the U.S. and its way of life. Most significantly, when you spend
time in another culture, you learn a great deal about yourself.
Regardless of what major you are pursuing, from Biology to Theater
Arts, you can benefit from study abroad.
ELIGIBILITY
To obtain permission to study abroad you must:
- have completed at least 30 credits at MMC at the time of
application to study abroad. (Transfer students must have completed 15
credits at MMC.)
- have earned a cumulative GPA of 2.8. Check this on MMC
Connect.
- have declared a major.
The credits and grades you earn abroad will appear on your MMC
transcript and be calculated into your GPA.
You may take a maximum of 30 credits on study abroad, 15 credits per
term.
You may not take study abroad courses on a Pass/Fail basis.
HOW TO CHOOSE A PROGRAM
Take some time to answer the following questions to assist you in
choosing a study abroad program.
- Why do you want to study abroad? You may want to learn
about another culture, to enhance your education, or to improve
language skills.
- Where do you want to go? Why?
- How much time do you want to spend abroad?
- How will study abroad fit into your academic program? Will
the courses you take fulfill your major requirements or count as
electives? Will going abroad alter your graduation plans?
- How will you finance your study abroad?
- Do you want to attend classes with students from the host
country or mainly with other Americans? Do you want classes to be on
the U.S. model or on another model that may involve more independent
work on your part?
- Do you want to live with a family, with students from the
host country, or with fellow American students?
WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?
You have a wide range of programs to choose from including summer and
January programs, programs for a semester abroad, and opportunities to
spend a full year abroad. MMC is affiliated with two consortia which
offer programs in over 50 countries. In addition, there are programs
sponsored by U.S. colleges and universities; others are sponsored by
private organizations focused exclusively on study abroad; finally, you
may enroll directly in a foreign college or university. For the most
part, academic credit from institutions and organizations offering
study abroad programs is accepted by MMC. However, in all cases, to
ensure the credit you earn will apply to your MMC degree, you must
receive appropriate permission for each of the courses you will take
abroad.
Many factors may influence your choice of program, such as
course content, location, your financial situation, your degree
requirements, language proficiency, and the amount of time you have
available. Keep these factors in mind as you evaluate the programs in
which you are interested. Listed below are some of the major types of
programs you may consider.
MMC affiliations
MMC is a member of two consortia, the Academic Consortium of the
Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and the College
Consortium for International Studies (CCIS). Together these consortia
offer programs in over 50 countries. Information is available on their
Web sites at www.ciee.org
and www.ccisabroad.org,
respectively.
In addition, MMC has bilateral exchange agreements for Dance
majors with de Theaterschool in Amsterdam, a premier dance
academy—http://detheaterschool.nl/EN/home.jsp and for students of any
major with the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) in Greece, a
small private liberal arts college—www.act.edu.
Programs sponsored by a U.S. college of
university
Many MMC students have participated in study abroad programs organized
by other U.S. colleges. Transferring academic credit is easily arranged
in these programs. Program sponsors usually make some or all of the
academic, housing, and travel arrangements for students. One example of
a U.S. university that has such programs is Syracuse University, which
has programs in several countries. There are many such colleges and
universities that make programs available.
Programs sponsored by an organization other than
a college or university
Nonprofit and proprietary (for profit) organizations, both U.S. and
foreign, sponsor study abroad programs. Some of these organizations
have agreements with colleges and universities that allow students to
be registered on their home campuses. An example of this type of an
organization is the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), a for
profit organization offering many and varied opportunities for study
abroad. Though AIFS programs are accredited and usually of high
quality, the cost is often higher than that for study through nonprofit
institutions and organizations.
Programs at foreign universities
Students may enroll directly at foreign universities and colleges. Some
programs sponsored by foreign universities are especially designed to
meet the needs of English-speaking students, with courses offered in
English as well as the language of the host country. Some foreign
universities admit undergraduates as special students, which is similar
to taking classes in the country as an auditor or part-time student. In
these cases transferring credit from foreign universities may be more
difficult.
FINANCING STUDY ABROAD
If you are currently receiving financial aid, you may be able to use it
to study abroad. Federal aid which can consist of loans, grants, or
scholarships may be used for study abroad. Some State aid may also be
used. MMC grants and scholarships may not be used for study abroad.
However, they may be used for participation in the exchange programs.
In addition there are many scholarship opportunities for
funding your study abroad, but you have to start early and be
persistent. Information on scholarships and awards for study abroad may
be found on the following two Web sites: www.StudyAbroadFunding.org
and www.nafsa.org/students.sec/u.s._study_abroad_scholarships.
THE PROCESS TO OBTAIN PERMISSION TO STUDY ABROAD
Begin planning as soon as possible—a year is not
too early! First, review this Study Abroad Guide and the MMC Study
Abroad Application, which includes the Student Assumption of Risk,
Waiver and Release (Attachment A) and the Emergency Contact Information
form (Attachment B) at the end of this page or from the links at the
left, and then start the process that is outlined below.
1. Speak with your faculty advisor about your
interest in studying abroad before you begin to make any arrangements
to study abroad.
- Make an appointment with the study abroad
coordinator in Main 106 by
calling 212-774-0791 or by e-mail at csittler@mmm.edu. You can review
any questions you have about study abroad during the meeting. If you
have selected a study abroad program already, bring all of the
information with you.
- Select a study abroad program.
The program you select must be affiliated with an accredited
educational institution. It is strongly advised that you select at
least one alternate program in case your faculty advisor does not
approve of your first choice. Print all of the course descriptions and
other relevant information from the program's Web site. If you have any
questions about a program or the institution that is sponsoring the
program, seek additional help from either the study abroad coordinator
or your faculty advisor. A number of publications about study abroad
programs, such as IIEPassport Study Abroad in Europe, IIEPassport Study
Abroad in the Americas, IIEPassport Study Abroad in Africa and the
Middle East, and IIEPassport Study Abroad in Asia and Oceania, are good
sources of information. The Web sites listed below are a good start.
They are not all alike so it is best to look through two or three of
them:
http://www.iiepassport.org/
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the established
leader in the exchange of people and ideas for over 50 years.
http://www.studyabroaddirectory.com/search.cfm
GoAbroad.com provides a good site on international education and
alternative travel.
http://www.studyabroad.com/
StudyAbroad.com is another good site that even offers a Parent's Guide
to Studying Abroad!
For students with physical disabilities, an additional
resource is MIUSA:
http://www.miusa.org/
- Begin to complete the MMC Study Abroad
Application. Review the application in its entirety
before completing any part of it. The application process involves
multiple steps and consultation with several faculty and staff members.
- Meet with the study abroad coordinator
who will confirm your eligibility to study abroad by completing and
signing page 3 of the application. (Step 1 under Advisement.)
- Meet with your faculty advisor to discuss and
review your plans. If your faculty advisor agrees with
your plans, please ask him/her to complete and sign Step 2 under
Advisement (top of page 4).
- Schedule an appointment with an advisor in
the Office of Academic Advisement for a review of your academic record
or an unofficial degree audit. What's a degree audit? It
is a review of the requirements you have already completed and those
that are still outstanding in your degree program. This information
will help you select study abroad courses that will apply to your
degree program and allow you to graduate on time. With this
information, your faculty advisor can better advise you as to what
courses you should take on your study abroad program.
Make an appointment for this unofficial review with an
academic advisor in the Office of Academic Advisement (on the lower
level of Nugent). Please ask the academic advisor who conducts the
preliminary audit to complete Step 3 under Advisement (page 4).
- If you have not done so already, apply to the
study abroad program of your choice. Be sure to keep a
copy of your program application and attach it to your completed MMC
Study Abroad Application when you give it to the study abroad
coordinator.
- Get permission from individual faculty
members for each of the courses you intend to take abroad.
Your course of study must be approved to ensure that your courses
abroad will be accepted and recorded on your MMC transcript. Your
faculty advisor will direct you to the appropriate faculty members. You
may need to consult the Chair of the Division offering the MMC
equivalent of the course for approval. The Division Chairs will either
approve your courses or tell you who can help you.
Dr. Vandana Rao (Accounting and Business Management)
Prof. David Mold (Fine & Performing Arts)
Dr. Peter Naccarato (Humanities)
Dr. Benedetta Sampoli Benitez (Sciences)
Dr. Rosemary Nossiff (Social Sciences)
In order to obtain all of the necessary approvals you may have
to talk with several people so please start early and do not attempt to
do this during vacation periods.
Complete Section IV: Course Selection Part A on the
application (page 5). Write in all of the courses you plan to take
abroad. Select several alternate courses just in case your first
choices are not available once you get abroad and write in these
courses on page 6. Bring all of the information you have about the
study abroad courses with you when you seek a professor's permission.
The professor will complete Part B on pages 5 and 6 and indicate which
MMC degree requirements your study abroad courses will fulfill.
- Schedule a follow up meeting with the
academic advisor who conducted your preliminary
degree audit for a final review of your course selection
and the faculty approvals. The academic advisor will sign under Step 1
on page 7.
- Complete Step 2 in Section V (page 7). If you
are currently receiving financial aid and would like to apply it to
your study abroad experience, you need to make an appointment with the
associate director of financial aid (Center for Student
Services, LL, Nugent, 212-517-0481) to discuss funding the cost of your
study abroad program. You will be given
the MMC Study Abroad Financial Aid Application to complete.
In order to use your Federal or State grants or
loans to pay for study abroad, please remember:
- You must take a full load of courses, which for a semester
program is at least 12 credits.
- You must take courses that you need to complete your degree
program. You cannot take courses that will not move you toward
graduation.
- If you fail a course while you are abroad, you many
jeopardize your financial aid depending on the type of aid you receive.
- Courses may not be taken as Pass/Fail.
- All coursework and grades earned through study abroad,
including "F" grades will be recorded on your MMC transcript and
included in your grade point average.
The associate director of financial aid will help you
determine what financial aid is available to finance your study abroad.
Please be advised that your entire financial aid package may not apply
to study abroad. MMC scholarships and grants are not applicable to
traditional study abroad programs, but Federal grants and loans may be
used. New York state financial aid is applicable to study abroad if you
apply through a New York state college or university.
- Complete Attachments A and B.
You must give these documents to the study abroad coordinator for your
file.
- You must schedule one last meeting with the
study abroad coordinator to give him/her your MMC Study
Abroad Application, a copy of your study abroad program application,
Attachments A and B, proof of health insurance and any vaccinations you
have received, and a copy of a medical report or health declaration.
The study abroad coordinator will sign your Study Abroad Application
and forward it to the Registrar's Office. You will be registered as a
study abroad student for the term(s) you are away from MMC.
PASSPORTS
You can obtain an application for a passport at any Post Office
including the one on 70th Street (between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue).
If you already have a passport, please check that it will not expire
for six months beyond your planned stay abroad. If you have to apply
for the first time for a passport, please apply early—it could take
four to six weeks—even longer during the peak travel season. Please
check with the State Department for instructions and an application: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
VISAS
A VISA IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT GRANTING PERMISSION BY A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT TO ENTER AND RESIDE IN THAT COUNTRY FOR A SPECIFIC LENGTH OF
TIME AND FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. Not all countries require student
visas, so check with the consulate or embassy of the country you are
planning to visit to determine whether or not you will need one. If you
plan to study in a country that requires a visa, you may obtain one
from the nearest embassy or consulate of the country concerned. Check
to be sure that your passport will not expire for six months beyond
your planned stay abroad. Applications for visas sometimes require a
letter from the home college. Some embassies and consulates process
visa requests quickly, but many do not. Some consulates accept visa
applications by appointment only. During peak travel seasons, it can
take two or more months to schedule an appointment. Please check with
the consulate of the country in which you are going to study for visa
requirements. The NYC Mayor's office maintains an online list of all of
the consulates in New York City: http://www.nyc.gov/html/unccp/html/consular/nyc_list.shtml
Note: Consulates usually have very useful information about
their country on their Web sites such as, political leaders, geography,
history, weather conditions, latest domestic news and trends, etc.
Please familiarize yourself with the conditions of the country you are
visiting.
INSURANCE FOR STUDENTS GOING ABROAD
Being insured while you are abroad is very important. Health insurance
will cover you in case of an illness or accident. Travel insurance will
cover your luggage and flight/trip cancellations. Sometimes these types
of insurance may be purchased together in a package.
All MMC students going abroad to study must be covered by a
health insurance policy that extends coverage overseas and includes
coverage for "evacuation and repatriation." The study abroad program
sponsoring your study may include the cost of health insurance in the
cost of the program. Or you may have to buy a separate, short-term
insurance policy for travelers or purchase a short-term extension
("rider") to yours or your parents' regular policy for health and/or
travel while you are out of the country.
If you have to purchase insurance, there are several things to
consider:
- Your age
- Length of time you will be abroad
- Country or countries to which you will be traveling
- Possibility of you going home for a visit during your study
abroad period
- Requirements for health coverage set by the country to
which you are traveling
Here is a list of six insurance companies that offer insurance
to students. There are many others. All of these companies have a wide
range of insurance products, so please be careful that you select the
policy suited to your needs. Be sure to purchase insurance covering
"Evacuation and Repatriation."
HTH Worldwide Insurance Services, www.hthworldwide.com
International SOS, www.internationalsos.com
Medex International, www.medexassist.com
Marsh/Gateway International, www.gatewayplans.com
Wallach & Company, Inc., www.wallach.com
Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI), www.culturalinsurance.com
U.S. EMBASSIES AND
CONSULATES ABROAD
If you are a U.S. citizen, you should register with the U.S. State
Department before you leave the U.S. This is very important. Should
there be an accident, attack, or natural disaster, the Embassy will be
able to contact you. This step is meant as a safeguard for you. The
study abroad program sponsoring your study may register you with the
U.S. State Department.
U.S. State Department travel registration: https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/
To find a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad:
http://www.usembassy.gov/
STAY CONNECTED TO MMC WHILE YOU ARE ABROAD
THROUGH MMC E-MAIL!
- You will have to register for classes for the semester
following your time abroad. To do so you will need to e-mail your
course selection for the next term to your faculty advisor for his/her
permission. Let your faculty advisor know where you are.
- Space in student housing is very tight so do not wait until
you return from abroad to apply for housing at MMC.
If you want to live in MMC housing in the spring and you are
away in the fall, contact the Residence Life Office by November 1 at residencelife@mmm.edu.
If you want to live in MMC housing in the fall and you are
away in the spring, contact the Residence Life Office by February 1 at residencelife@mmm.edu.
TRANSCRIPTS
The grades you receive abroad will be calculated in your cumulative MMC
grade point average. It is very important for you to arrange to have
the transcript of your grades from your study abroad program sent
directly to MMC. MMC cannot request your transcripts for you—only you
can do this. Please be advised:
- You must pay all of your bills before the school abroad
will release your transcripts.
- Without your transcripts MMC cannot process any further
financial aid for you.
- If you complete fewer than 12 credits while studying
abroad, you may forfeit some financial aid.
- Because courses taken for Pass/Fail will not transfer to
MMC transcripts, you may not take any course
abroad on a Pass/Fail basis.
MMC needs to receive letter grades from the school abroad. If
the school gives grades in some other form (some schools give number
grades), ask for an explanation of how to convert the grades to
letters. If the MMC registrar does not receive your study abroad
transcript within a month of the end of the MMC semester, you will
jeopardize your eligibility for financial aid for the following term;
your application for financial aid cannot be processed until your
grades for study abroad are received and recorded by MMC.
Have the study abroad institution send the official transcript
to:
Study Abroad Coordinator, Academic Affairs
Marymount Manhattan College
221 East 71st Street
New York, NY 10021.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT IDENTITY CARD (ISIC)
The ISIC offers savings on airfares, trains, buses, accommodations,
museums, cultural events, and entertainment for students ages 12 and
over who are currently enrolled at an accredited institution and
matriculating towards a diploma or degree. Continuing education and
language school students are not eligible. The card costs $22.
STATRAVEL: http://www.statravel.com/
(Click on ID Cards on the menu under Essentials)
INFORMATION ON YOUR DESTINATION
How much do you know about your destination? Are you familiar with the
current social and political issues of the country? What are the
important issues facing college students in that country? What do you
know of the history, literature, and artistic traditions of the
country? These Web sites can give you some basic information and link
you with more:
U.S. State
Department's Background Notes (country information), www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
--overviews complied by the U.S. diplomatic services.
Yahoo's Directory of Countries, http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/countries.
This Web site offers you numerous links organized by country, into
almost two dozen subcategories such as cities, regions, arts &
humanities, education, health, news& media, etc. Links to Web
sites in the language of the host country are available. There are also
links to ABC and BBC News Country Profiles, the CIA World
Factbook, and more.
Study Abroad Forms:
Study Abroad Application and Waiver and
Emergency Contact Information Forms
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