World Culture Credit for International Experience; Traditional Undergraduates

This application process is for U.S. citizens. Students on F-1 and J-1 visas automatically have the requirement waived by the Registrar upon successful completion of 12 semester hours.  Application for exception to the prior approval provision may be made for students with long-term expatriate experience or transfer students with international academic experience.  All others please contact the CBASE Dean’s office.

1. In order to receive credit for World Culture:
   1. a proposal of your international experience must be submitted to and approved by the Dean of the College prior to departure;
   2. academic preparation prior to travel as well as production of the paper upon return must be overseen by a full-time faculty member approved by the Dean of the College.
2. Your international experience should include:
   1. a minimum stay of two weeks (a longer time is preferable); and
   2. interaction with the people and social institutions in the target culture. This should include:
       
      • staying in homes, if possible;
      • visiting historical sites and political institutions; and
      • studying the target culture’s artistic, religious, philosophical, linguistic, literary, political, economic and geographical heritage.
   3. some experience with the target culture language.
3. Paper to be submitted:
   1. you should submit a copy for each member of the committee a seven-page to 10-page paper written in the most current version of APA style; and
   2. the student will meet with the Dean of the College to discuss the experience.
   3. the paper will be submitted before the end of the semester following the experience.

   Your paper should include:

   1. your complete name, address, telephone number and student I.D.;
   2. description and/or narration of the experience (Explore who, what, when, where, why, how long. Address the means by which you met the criteria in A-2 above.);
   3. reflection on the experience (What were your initial responses to the experience? Do you think differently about them now after some reflection?);
   4. analysis of the experience (What ideas and insights have you had as a result of the experience? What did you learn? How are you different because of your exposure to another culture?); and
   5. application of the experience (How would your knowledge be useful in other situations? Has the experience changed the way you approach certain situations?).
   6. reflection on the reading list books cited throughout the paper.
   7. Optional:  Relevant photos and other documents.
4. Credit Award
   Students who study abroad independently and who follow the requirements in the catalog will fulfill the World Culture requirement - credit will not be awarded but the requirement will be met.  Those wishing to have the study abroad credited may do so by using the Experiential Essay credit form and apply for 1 to 3 credit hours.  The per credit hour feel for Experiential Credit will be assessed.