Academic Credit

General Liberal Arts Credit:

Study Away on a third-party program is considered an academic leave. Participation on the Williams-Mystic or Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford semester programs are considered Williams College courses.

All courses taken while studying away must be in the liberal arts.  We will not accept credit for any business or pre-professional courses or online coursework. To receive credit toward the Williams degree, students must enroll in a full course load and take a minimum of 15 U.S. credits (per semester). This is usually 5 courses per semester (equal to 4 courses at Williams). However, at some programs it is 3 or 4 courses or even as many as 6. Most departments will accept between l and 3 courses toward the major, with prior written approval (typically via email) from the department designate. Major credit is solely at the discretion of the department.

A student must obtain a “C-” or above for the general course credit to transfer toward the Williams degree. Courses taken on an approved program will not appear on a Williams transcript or factor into the Williams GPA. Courses taken on the Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford or Williams-Mystic will appear on the Williams transcript and factor into the Williams GPA.

*NOTE: Please email your courses to studyaway​@williams​.edu prior to enrollment for Williams general liberal arts credit approval.

Internships:

Some internships are approved for credit but not all internships qualify. These are the parameters:

• The internship must be offered as part of an approved study away program and transcripted for credit by an accredited institution. The experience must be graded and there must be ongoing on-site faculty oversight.
• The internship must be substantive with at least 120 hours per semester of placement. This must also accompany a reading list and research project/paper in order for credit to be awarded. Academic work must be done in tandem with the internship placement.
• The internship cannot be the only component of the study away experience. The student must also engage in an intellectually challenging classroom experience in addition to the internship.
• The internship and program approval is always at the discretion of the Dean of Global Education.

Difference, Power, & Equity (DPE) Credit:

Students must petition the Committee on Educational Affairs (CEA) upon their return providing a clear and detailed explanation of how the course fulfills the Williams DPE requirement.  The petition form can be found here.

Major Credit:

Students can earn major credit when they study away. Approval for major credit is determined by the Williams academic departments.

See the chart below to see more information about study away within the major. If your major/concentration is not listed, that means we have not found any information online about study away credit for that particular major, and you should contact the department/major advisor directly.