Faculty Advising FAQ

1. What types of questions should students be thinking about when considering study abroad?

• • • Why should I study abroad? How will this experience directly impact my chosen field of study or contribute to personal growth?

    • When is the best time for me to study abroad? 

    • Are there classes for my major that can be taken abroad and transferred back, or would it be better for me to stick to general education requirements?

    • Is there a program led by faculty in my department or one that many students in my major tend to participate in?

    • Should I look into an internship, service-learning experience, independent study, or research opportunity while abroad?

2. What program options are there for Bethel students?

• Faculty-Led Programs

Bethel offers faculty-led January and summer programs for undergraduate and graduate students each year.

Faculty-led interim courses are about 3 weeks in length and are announced at our Spring Study Abroad Fair for the following January.

🚨 For our January 2025 faculty-led course offerings, please visit Bethel's website.

• Third-Party Programs

Bethel partners with a wide array of both Christian and secular third-party providers to give students a great variety of semester, January, and summer program options located all over the U.S. and the globe.

🚨 A complete list of approved programs and partners can be found on Bethel's website or in our application portal.

3. When should students begin thinking about studying abroad?

Today! Selecting the study abroad program that best fits students' goals and needs may take some time. The sooner students begin exploring their options, the better. By starting early, they will also be able to easily stay on-track toward graduation.

📍 Deadlines:

For summer and fall third-party programs, the application deadline is March 31st. For January and spring third-party programs, the application deadline is October 15th. These deadlines are repeated annually.

January 2025 Bethel faculty-led programs opened for applications on February 21, 2024. The priority deadline was April 2nd, but students can still continue applying.

4. When is the latest a student can begin to pursue study abroad?

For third-party study abroad programs (semester, January, or summer term), deadlines will fall the semester prior to the term of departure. As long as students can meet application deadlines and eligibility requirements, they can study abroad. However, for the most comfortable application experience, we recommend students start heavy advising two semesters in advance, going into the semester prior to departure with a program chosen and the initial Bethel application submitted. It will never hurt to plan ahead!

For Bethel faculty-led programs, students must start thinking about programs and submitting applications two semesters in advance (ie. the spring prior to the January program).

5. What is the application process like?

In simplest form, a third-party program application process includes:

1. 1. 1. 1. Find a program

         2. Start & submit the Bethel Application

         3. Start & complete third-party application

         4. Complete remaining pre-departure forms and requirements

         5. Go abroad!

Similarly, the process for a Bethel faculty-led program includes:

1. 1. 1. 6. Find a program

         7. Start & submit the Bethel Application

         8. Complete remaining pre-departure forms and requirements

         9. Go abroad!

6. How do third-party courses transfer?

The courses students take abroad will transfer back to Bethel in various ways, depending on the program they choose. Students transferring in credits will want to submit a course petition form, noting the courses to be taken abroad and the course or requirement they would like it to meet at Bethel. Sometimes courses will be direct equivalents to courses in the Bethel catalog, and other times they will simply meet a Gen.Ed. requirement or major elective. We recommend students work with their advisor and/or department chair before they go to determine how their study abroad courses will transfer back. 

It is recommended that students petition more courses than they will actually take in case there is a conflict with a course not being offered after all (more information and link to petition form here). They can initiate this process either before being accepted into a program or after committing to one, though we strongly recommend petitioning before applying to their program.

📍Note: It is the responsibility of the chair of the appropriate department or program to determine transferability, and the responsibility of the student to submit the appropriate petitions in a timely manner and according to the Registrar's process.

7. How do advisors support students in pursuing study abroad?

• Academic & Professional Planning 

Academic fit is the second most selected reason why students studied abroad, after wanting to travel internationally. Advisors can play a significant role in showing students how study abroad courses fit into their graduation plans, by building a study abroad experience into a student’s individual plan.

📍To summarize: Students often meet with their advisor to ensure that their study abroad program/plan aligns with their academic goals, graduation plans, and overall career path. 

• Application Process & Program Review

As part of our application process, students will have to submit the name and email of their faculty advisor or a faculty member who knows the students’ academic background well.

In this recommendation, we ask the following:

• • • • • • • How do you know this student and/or how well?

            • Have you discussed the proposed program of study with this student applicant?

              • If yes, do you feel that participation in this program will be consistent with his/her academic and/or professional objectives?

            • Have you reviewed the courses the student intends to take on this program or have a general understanding of what courses the program offers?

              • If yes, do you determine that they fit with his/her program of study?

            • Would you recommend this applicant for this study abroad program?

As the recommender, how you choose to respond to this recommendation is entirely up to you. Some faculty may prefer to meet with the student before completing the form, while others may prefer to provide honest and upfront feedback, even if they have reservations or questions about the student's intended experience. Our team does not have a specific preference, but we do require a completed faculty recommendation form before we can move forward with the student's application.

🚨 Note: We do not require a strictly positive recommendation. In fact, we find honest recommendations that include any concerns or uncertainties to be quite helpful as we manage the student's application and make decisions regarding their participation.

• Personal investment

When asked if "anyone at the university encouraged them to study abroad, 28% said a professor or instructor and 25% said an academic advisor" (nacada.ksu.edu). Since students often have more regular contact over time with advisors and faculty members than study abroad staff, advisors can be the biggest advocates for programs. Advisors can ask about study abroad routinely in their appointments and follow up or review study abroad options.

8. What can an advisor do to support a student asking about study abroad during an advising meeting?

1. Recommend a semester, January, or summer term to "block off" on the students' four-year plan for study abroad. In that term, suggest a few general electives or major/minor courses that could be feasible for the student to take abroad. This will help the student plan ahead and navigate academic planning.

2. Suggest a few programs that students in your department tend to study abroad on. This might include a short-term faculty-led program or a semester-long program. Sharing the experiences of other students who have succeeded in these programs can be particularly helpful for prospective students.

3. Encourage the student to connect with our office. Our advising staff can refer students to specific program options based on their financial, academic, personal, and professional needs.

9. What if a course or two on a study abroad semester program won’t meet graduation requirements for the student?

We will strongly recommend, if not require, students to add the Intercultural Engagement Endorsement to their DegreeWorks for their semester off-campus. This ensures that the entirety of their semester will count toward graduation requirements. While we allow students to drop the endorsement upon their return if they can't complete it, having this endorsement on their record can help them meet CPoS eligibility without requiring each of their credits to transfer. The courses can still transfer for other requirements, like upper-level electives, but they wouldn't need a minimum of 12 credits to qualify for federal financial aid.

📍To summarize: If students have the flexibility in their academic plan to not transfer in each course towards graduation requirements, they can still study abroad for the semester.

For a more comprehensive FAQ, see the Frequently Asked Questions page on Bethel’s website.