Course Approval & Academic considerations

The way in which a course and corresponding credits are designed can vary by program. For example, it may be that the course that will have the international travel component built into it is a course that already exists (e.g., ENG 202), and a special section will be offered that includes the education abroad experience.  Or, it may be that the course in mind is a completely new course offering that the program leader will design and offer for the first time as an embedded course. In either case, it is essential that the program leader communicate with the leadership of their academic department, college, and campus concerning the process for course approval.  Please note that in addition to administrative leadership, each college and campus also has a designated representative for education abroad program support.  That representative may be able to provide support during the embedded course development process.

The embedded course must be approved by the sponsoring department and either the relevant Associate Dean of the college or the Director of Academic Affairs at the campus. In addition, the Financial Office within the college or campus must also approve the program proposal. An online approval from the Associate Dean or DAA and the Financial Officer is required as part of the embedded course proposal process. The academic unit holds the responsibility of assuring that the course meets the academic standards of Penn State and contains sufficient contact hours to warrant the number of credits assigned to the course. 

Programs abroad are an extension of the Penn State campus.  Students are expected to attend and participate in classes, academic excursions and/or site visits and to complete homework. Students must also be assessed on their learning through exams, final papers/projects, or other assessment methods. Grades must be assigned for work completed and students may not register for coursework abroad as Pass/Fail or as an Audit. 

Programs should make good use of their host environment, should support students in broadening their understanding of the host culture(s), and ideally will incorporate guest lectures from local experts familiar with the subject matter or its application.  EA reminds collaborators that Penn State is a leading member of the Forum on Education Abroad and, as such, is required to abide by the Standards of Good Practice for the field of education abroad.  We encourage all program leaders to carefully consider Forum’s piece on leading short-term programs and the Standards.

tuition surcharge policy

Beginning in fall 2023, undergraduate students will incur additional tuition charges when their class schedule exceeds 19 credits per semester. With this change, a full-time undergraduate student will still pay the regular tuition rate when enrolled in 12 to 19 credit hours per semester. The additional per-credit rate will apply to any credit hours beyond 19. 

Students cannot register for courses in excess of 19 credits until the beginning of the semester and are encouraged to meet with their academic adviser to review their plans prior to adding additional courses to their schedule. In addition, students are encouraged to meet with a financial aid adviser to review their aid packages and how their semester bill may change. Individual bills will vary, depending on the campus, type of course, and the number of courses added. The University's Tuition Calculator has been updated so students can anticipate actual charges, based on the courses they wish to add.

A tuition surcharge pop-up warning will appear in LionPATH for students enrolling in 19+ credits prior to enrollment that reads “Beginning Fall 2023, enrolling in more than 19 credits per term will result in a tuition surcharge. Please visit https://www.bursar.psu.edu/tuition for more information. To acknowledge the surcharge and proceed with your enrollment request, click Next”. Please note that students wishing to enroll in 19+ credits will not be able to do so until after the first day of classes.

embedded programs considerations

Program leaders should be explicit during the student recruitment process and on program promotional materials regarding the number of credits required for both the residential course and the embedded travel course. Students can determine if they will incur a tuition surcharge if the embedded program enrollment will exceed 19+ credits or if they need make adjustments to their course schedule in consultation with their academic adviser.

You can refer to the following resources for more information:

• Tuition surcharge Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.bursar.psu.edu/tuition-surcharge

• Tuition rates: https://tuition.psu.edu

• Tuition Calculator Tool: https://tuition.psu.edu/student-tuition-calculators