Study Abroad
Want to learn more about the world and expand your horizons? Interested in studying abroad? All International Relations majors are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. There are an enormous number of options available to you.
The Global Education Office (GEO) at the Reves Center manages all aspects of study abroad programs for William & Mary. GEO Advisors will guide you from pre- to post-program with research, advising, financial aid opportunities, procedures, academic credit, and more. Learn more about studying abroad at GEO.
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Generally, students will follow a three-step process when seeking to apply study abroad course credit to the International Relations major.
Step One: Determine what study abroad courses to take.
Courses that discuss interstate relations or a country’s or region’s history, politics, culture, and economics will likely apply toward the major. If you are unsure whether a particular course will count toward the major, please contact the Director of Advising for the International Relations program.
Step Two: Get pre- or post-approval of courses from relevant academic departments.T
The International Relations program is a multidisciplinary major that involves students taking classes in several contributing academic departments. Students, therefore, must seek study abroad transfer credit approval from the relevant contributing department—Economics, Government, History, and Sociology. For example, the Department of History should approve history courses taken abroad and the Department of Government should approve political science courses. If you are unsure which contributing department should approve a course, please contact the Director of Advising for the International Relations Program.
The IR program may grant INRL 390 or 480 credit in the rare event that a student does not receive transfer credit approval from an academic department. This situation usually occurs with multidisciplinary courses that do not clearly fit within the purview of one of the contributing departments.
Study Abroad Transfer Credit Pre-approval
- Collect as much information as possible about the courses you are interested in taking while abroad, such as syllabi or detailed course descriptions. Send the Global Education Office’s Study Abroad Transfer Credit Approval Form and gathered course information to the professor responsible for approving transfer credit in the relevant contributing department.
Study Abroad Transfer Credit Post-approval
- If you are unable to secure pre-approval for a course, or if you change your course plans while abroad, you will need to seek post-approval for courses taken when you return to William & Mary. Save all your study abroad course materials—such as syllabi, reading lists, handouts, and graded assignments. Send the Global Education Office’s Study Abroad Transfer Credit Approval Form and supporting course documents, to the relevant contributing departments for post-approval of transfer credit when your return from abroad.
- Degree Works may not automatically apply approved study abroad transfer credit toward the IR major requirement. If you notice that Degree Works has not applied completed and approved study abroad courses on an international relations topic toward the major, please contact the Director of Advising for the International Relations program.
