Academics

• All students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher prior to departure.

• Students cannot have any academic deficiencies.

• All students must have a passport valid at least six months after their expected return from New Zealand.

• All students are required to remain in Dunedin until the end of the examination period. You are NOT allowed to submit special requests to sit exams early, for any reason.

All majors can study at Otago University. Use this link to research the range of disciplines they offer. Use this link for a listing of courses.

One of the classes you take must be New Zeland-focused in content (the field of study can vary: economics, history, trade policies, art, etc.) 

As you consider which classes to enroll in, keep in mind this important difference rooted in the structure of the New Zealand education system: Arcadia/Otago students frequently find themselves enrolled in second-year courses. This is likely the best course level for you. It does not mean that you, as an American junior, are being demoted to sophomore level. It means, rather, that the course which is appropriate for you is the one which is taught the year before graduation. In a three-year degree program, this means a second-year course in NZ.

As mentioned above, it is essential that you consult with both your academic advisor and the Study Abroad liaison in the department of your major(s)/minor to discuss what kinds of courses you may or may/not take abroad for credit. Being communicative, staying informed, and planning ahead are the best ways to avoid miscommunications that may negatively affect your academic trajectory when you return to Holy Cross. 

Arcadia makes available the Otago University of Wellington course guide, plus other helpful academic information. In addition, you can find the University's published course listing here. For registration purposes, you will initially use Arcadia's Academics Preferences Form (found in their student portal) to list the classes you are interested in taking.

Stay flexible! The online course form students submit to Arcadia prior to departure does not guarantee approval or enrollment in those courses. There is an add/drop period at the beginning of each semester that allows students to make changes to course enrollments. If you make any changes, it is eventually your responsibility to inform the HC Registrar (Jared Chapman) and any academic advisor(s).

The Holy Cross credit approval system works like this: 

1. After you arrive at Otago and the semester begins, you will receive an email from Jared Chapman in the Registrar’s office with instructions for submitting Course Approval Forms (CAFS). You'll submit one CAF per class you are taking. This process occurs no later than one week after the start of classes. 

2. Once the Registrar's Office receives your CAFs, they will send classes you'd like to count towards your major(s) and minor(s) to the official Study Abroad Course Evaluators in the relevant department(s) for approval. The Registrar's office will manage the approval of Common Area requirements themselves. 

3. Once the office hears back from the relevant parties about all of your classes, you will receive an email detailing which classes have/have not been approved. (Note: If you talk to your advisors before you leave and stay in touch during the course selection process, you should not receive any 'surprise' rejections!) 

Courses that are NOT accepted for Holy Cross Credit:

1. Online or hybrid (partially online) courses;

2. Pre-professional, business, law, and marketing courses;

3. Other non-liberal arts courses;

4. Courses of similar content to those you have already taken;

5. Any major courses required by your major department to be taken at Holy Cross;

6. Courses taken without a letter grade (e.g. auditing, pass/no pass, etc.)

This question has been answered in different places throughout this "Academics" section, but here's an outline! 

If you think a class might work for your major...

You need to talk to the official study abroad course evaluator in your department.  

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting the course evaluator. They appreciate as much context as possible!

If you think a class might work for your minor...

You need to talk to the official study abroad course evaluator in your department.  

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting the course evaluator. They appreciate as much context as possible!

If you think a class might work for a common area requirement...

You need to talk to the Registrar's Office! You can send an email to Jared Chapman (jchapman@holycross.edu to gain clarity on common areas requirements abroad. 

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting   Jared. He appreciates as much context as possible!

The Office of the Registrar will newly publish a document explaining the New Zealand grading system and its equivalencies for HC students.

All of the classes you take when you study abroad will be listed on your Holy Cross transcript, just as they are for any normal semester. Next to each class you take abroad, the letter grade you earned will appear, just as it does for any normal semester at Holy Cross. 

The difference is that the grades you receive abroad will not factor into your cumulative GPA. This means if you leave for study abroad with a 4.0, and you get all 'B's when you are in Melbourne, your GPA when you return to Holy Cross will still be a 4.0. The system is designed with you in mind! Opting to spend a semester or year studying in a completely different academic system is brave. We want to celebrate the work you do abroad by reflecting the letter grades you earn on your transcript. We also understand that it's normal to struggle in a new academic system or foreign cultural environment, therefore we don't factor your grades into your overall GPA. The goal behind this policy is to encourage more students to study abroad without fearing for what a semester or year away might do to their GPA.

NO. You cannot take any class abroad pass/fail. This is one of those "study abroad myths" that for unknown reasons seems to be passed down from study abroad generation to study abroad generation! No pass/fail. 

After your study abroad semester or year, your HC transcript will reflect the grades you earn abroad. What will NOT be affected is your GPA.

You can expect many differences and many opportunities at Otago University. The Arcadia site does an excellent job of outlining and explaining them, so spend some time informing yourself about what you can expect and what you can look forward to (Tip when navigating Arcadia's website: scroll all the way down!)

If you have any history of accommodations for learning disabilities or anything similar, please let the Office of Study Abroad know asap so we can work with Arcadia and you to make the appropriate arrangements. It is very important that you take personal ownership of your study abroad experience and think about the support you might need in advance.