Academics

• You can review the list of courses offered at SFS on your program's SFS webpage. OTS courses are listed on the OTS website.

• Several SFS programs begin the semester with a short introductory course on the language and culture of the country, and then three courses are commonly taught related to ecology, natural resource management, and environmental policy. Your final class of the semester is Directed Research, a communal project related to one of the three subjects listed above. The OTS curriculum is similar to the SFS program, with Directed Research included. However, unlike SFS, the OTS program incorporates a South African history class. 

The Holy Cross credit approval system works like this: 

1. After you arrive in your study abroad destination (or right before, depending on the program), you will receive an email from Jared Chapman in the Registrar’s Office with instructions for submitting Course Approval Forms (CAFs). Students must submit one CAF per class.

2. Once the Registrar's Office receives your CAFs, they will work with Study Abroad Faculty Advisors in the relevant department(s) to evaluate each course for approval. 

3. Shortly after you submit your CAFs, you'll receive an email from the Registrar's Office detailing which classes have/have not been approved. 

Note: If you talk to your advisors before leaving and stay in touch during the course selection process, you should not receive any 'surprise' course rejections. 

Courses 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.)

One of the most common questions the Office of Study Abroad receives is whether or not a certain class abroad will count towards a student's major, minor, concentration, etc. The answer is...maybe! 

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

You need to talk to the Study Abroad Faculty Advisor (SAFA) in your major department. 

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

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

You need to talk to the Study Abroad Faculty Advisor (SAFA) in your minor department. 

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting the SAFA. 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 Area requirements abroad. 

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

After you complete your study abroad term, the grades you earn are reported to Holy Cross. All classes taken abroad are listed by their course names on your Holy Cross transcript along with the letter grades you earned, just as they would after any semester on 'the hill'. The difference is that grades earned abroad do not factor into your cumulative GPA. 

Here’s an example: a student who leaves Holy Cross with a 4.0 GPA but earns all 'B's abroad will still have a cumulative 4.0 GPA upon return. This system is designed with students in mind. The College recognizes that opting to spend a semester or year studying in a new academic environment can pose novel challenges. The goal of this generous policy is to encourage students to study abroad without fearing for what a semester or year away might do to their GPA.

NO. You cannot and will not take any classes pass/fail abroad. This is one of those "study abroad myths" that for some unknown reason seems to be passed down from study abroad generation to study abroad generation!

Your HC transcript, after your study abroad semester or year, will reflect the grades that you earn abroad. What will NOT be affected is your gpa.

The grades you earn 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 away, your cumulative 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, therefore we don't factor your grades into your overall gpa. The goal with this policy is to encourage more students to study abroad without fearing for what a semester or year away might do to their gpa! 

Review the SFS model of teaching here: https://fieldstudies.org/why-sfs/the-sfs-model/ 

Review the OTS South Africa Curriculum here: https://tropicalstudies.org/course/african-ecology-and-conservation/ 

If you utilize accessibility services at Holy Cross, please inform Emma Meade (Assistant Director of Study Abroad), and she will help you research your options at your study abroad location. 

Any accommodation you wish to use abroad should already be on file with the Office of Student Accessibility Services in order for us to assist.