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91社区.CA / Arts OASIS / Study Away / Application Process

Independent Study Away

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ISA applicants: Effective S25, Arts OASIS will no longer be offering 鈥� nor authorizing transfer credits for - the Independent Study Away (ISA) option for students in the BA, BSW or BTh degrees. This includes letters of permission to enroll in courses at institutions abroad or elsewhere in Canada, whether or not those institutions are in regions which are 鈥渉ome鈥� to students.

Studies completed at another university MUST be pre-approved in order to be considered for transfer credit.

After-the-fact requests for transfer credit will be refused.

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Interested in doing an Independent Study Away in Winter 2025? The Minerva application module opens on September 15.听

Register here: 听

All Arts students applying for a 91社区 Independent Study Away are required to attend an Information Session.

The sessions will cover: the application process, eligibility requirements, the degree planning form, course assessments and the Minerva transfer credit assessment form.

What is Independent Study Away (ISA)?

Simply put, it's permission from Arts OASIS to apply, register, and take courses (and pay tuition) at an authorized accredited degree granting institution. Consult our listing of approved host universities (Step 2 of the Transferring Credit section on our website). During this pre-approved term away, your status at 91社区 will be "non-resident" and your status at the host university will be "visiting".

  • Important notes:
    • Requests will be refused - and hence credits will not be recognized -听if they pertain to the following:
      • Study away opportunities via organizations or companies which act as intermediaries.
      • Courses offered as part of 鈥渋ntensive鈥� or otherwise condensed university/college programs (eg Summer intensive programs, International Summer School initiatives, etc)
      • Courses at听institutions currently listed as exchange partners (except during the Summer term).
      • Any and all requests for after-the-fact transfer credits.
    • Health and safety vary widely across the world, from country to country; accordingly,听study abroad terms may be cancelled by 91社区 and/or its partners at any time.
      • Review all cancellation policies (e.g., travel, accommodation, insurance, etc.).
    • To contact the Study Away Team,听submit a request via the听.

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Application periods

TERM

 DATES
Summer Term ONLY March 15 to July 15
Fall Term ONLY

March 15 to July 15
Fall & Winter Term March 15 to July 15
Winter Term ONLY September 15听to November 15

Eligibility

At the time of application:

Summer Term Application Have a minimum CGPA in the 91社区 BA, BSW or B.Th. degree of 2.0 and maintain this CGPA for study away eligibility.
Fall/Winter Term Application Have a minimum CGPA of 2.7 in the 91社区 BA, BSW or B.Th. degree and maintain this CGPA for study away eligibility.

  1. Students completing an Independent Study Away听must comply with the following university Safety听Requirements before leaving. IMPORTANT: Failure to comply will result in refusal of your request for transfer credits.

    • Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation (only students travelling within Canada or to their home country are exempt from this requirement).听Complete Pre-Departure Orientation on MyCourses:
    • Create an account for the 91社区 Student Travel Registry听(required for all students travelling outside of the greater Montreal area). Follow the steps to ensure that the registration of your travel is complete.
  2. Make sure that your Minerva record is up-to-date:
    • Any transfer credit earned during an approved study away in a previous term of study must be articulated on your Minerva record.
  3. Be currently registered as a full-time resident student in the 91社区 Faculty of Arts - BA, BSW or B.Th. degree. This means :
    • You are currently enrolled in 12 or more credits;
    • You must have completed at least 24 91社区 credits by the start of your term abroad.
    • If you have missing grades on your record (eg. due to deferred exams, K extensions, or other), Arts OASIS reserves the right to await resolution of those grades before approving your Independent Study Away.

听 听 听 听 听 听 听Important notes:

  1. Course withdrawals (eg. W grades) are not considered completed credits, and are hence excluded from the above.

  2. Courses taken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory option count as completed credits.

  3. If you are approved by 91社区 to participate on an Independent Study Away, should the host institution cancel or refuse your application due to failure to meet their听conditions, your term away听will also be considered cancelled and will not be reopened. It is your responsibility to adhere to the following:

    • You must resolve any and all delayed/missing grades on your 91社区 record (eg. Ls for deferred exams, Ks for course extensions, etc).
    • You must meet the requirements of the host institution. Individual partner schools may have different posted requirements than 91社区鈥檚, including such things as the following: language competency; different CGPA requirements; differing consideration of full-time status or graded credits; or a particular year/level standing.
  4. Make sure that the Faculty of Arts minimum credit and program and degree residency requirements are met. Students will not be permitted to exceed their BA credit limit to study away.
  5. Students returning to their 91社区 studies immediately after a Faculty approved Leave of Absence, must submit a request via the to have their Independent Study Away eligibility assessed well in advance of the Independent Study Away application deadline and to complete any required additional steps.
  6. OASIS reserves the right to rescind or refuse requests, over and above the cited eligibility requirements.

NOTE 1: Social Work and Theology students: You must first discuss your plans to take courses at another university with your program advisor (see Social Work program advisor or Theology program advisor). Your program advisor must contact us, confirming that you have departmental approval. Please have them submit a ticket via the 听BEFORE the Independent Study Away application deadline. They can select "Other", then in the "Summary"听indicate: SWRK/Theology approval for LAST NAME/FIRST NAME; STUDENT NUMBER and INDEPENDENT STUDY AWAY TERM.听

NOTE 2- Graduation: Students who are taking one or more courses at another university during their term of graduation WILL NOT be eligible to graduate at the end of that final term. These students MUST select the NEXT available term of graduation.

NOTE 3 - Inter-Faculty Transfers: Students who transfer from another 91社区 Faculty to the Bachelor of Arts are not eligible to apply for a 91社区 Independent Study Away until they have successfully completed a minimum of 12 91社区 credits in the 91社区 BA degree with 91社区 CGPA of 2.70 or greater.

NOT meeting the eligibility requirements or not submitting the information requested will result in an application REFUSAL.

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Application procedure

Step 1: Degree Planning

Review the Plan & Prepare section of this website. A well researched degree plan is an important part of the study abroad process. Carefully read the Arts OASIS Degree Planning website for important information about planning your degree.

You are advised to complete an Arts OASIS Degree Planning Worksheet following the instructions in the Degree Planning Guide before submitting an application to study away to ensure that your plan meets your academic requirements. If you need help with this process, book a Degree Planning appointment with an Arts OASIS Advisor and make sure you meet with each of your departmental program advisor to carefully plan the courses needed for each program of study.

Keep in mind the degree requirements for the B.A degree when planning your study away:

  1. You must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 60 credits at 91社区.
  2. A minimum of two-thirds of all program requirements (Multi-Track, Honours, Faculty Program) must be satisfactorily completed at 91社区.

Step 2: Select a University

  1. Consult our PDF icon Host University Checklist
  2. Read Step 2 of听 鈥�Plan and Prepare鈥� to ensure that you meet the application criteria.
  3. Ensure that the host university you wish to attend is from our listings of approved host universities:
    • PDF icon听Africa
    • PDF icon听America
    • PDF icon听Asia and Middle East
    • PDF icon听Europe
    • PDF icon听Oceania
    • PDF icon听Online
    • Requests will be cancelled if they fall under the following categories:
      • Pertaining to schools that do not appear on our listing of approved host universities.
      • Involving study abroad organizations or companies which act as intermediaries.
      • Involving institutions currently listed as exchange partners (except during the Summer term).
  4. Ensure that the host university:
    • Is currently accepting students to study on campus as non-degree, fee-paying visiting students
    • 听That you meet the host university's eligibility requirements.
  5. Consult听the 91社区 Abroad Office and website.
    • Requests to study at institutions in countries with "Avoid Travel" advisories will be cancelled.
  6. Check the before applying to study away to see if the course(s) you wish to register for have previously been approved for transfer credit.

Step 3: Submit one application

    Important notes:

    • Submit ONE application for Independent Study Away per application period. The application periods are Fall only, Fall and Winter (full-year), Winter only and Summer only.
    • Your 91社区 email account and the Minerva Study Away module听are听our official means of communication during the application process and during your term away.
    • If you have a "HOLD" on your Minerva record, please consult this website for information on the impact this will have on your study away application.
      • If the hold is not cleared by the deadline you have been given in the "SAO comments" in your Minerva study away application, your application will be FACULTY REFUSED.

    Minerva Application:

    • Minerva: Student Menu > Student Records Menu > Exchange/Study Away Menu > Request for Study Away.
    • The application institution drop-down listing has hundreds of universities听but you must select only those on the 鈥淎pproved鈥� listings听(see step 2).
    • Submit a brief that explains your reasons for applying to study away.
    • Additionally for SUMMER ONLY:
      • Complete the linked to the Minerva Study Away application.
      • Course(s) listed on the Minerva Transfer Credit Assessment form:
      • Will be Faculty Approved as "elective only".
      • If you wish to use a听course听to meet a 91社区 program requirement,听consult the departmental program adviser.
      • The maximum number of credits you may take during one Summer session is 12 credits. This credit total includes 91社区 Summer Studies courses and courses taken at another host university during the Summer term.
      • Do not register for concurrent courses (including online classes) that are scheduled at the same time or in the same term.

    Degree Planning Worksheet (optional):

    Tips & Tools for your Application:

    • Don鈥檛 rush through your application!
    • Click on the Question Marks or Help tabs in the Minerva Application for explanations.
    • The application will time-out after 90 minutes of inactivity.
      • Have your text/course lists ready to paste into the application so as not to lose your work or miss the deadline.
    • Once you submit your application it cannot be modified. You will not be able to change your choices of partner universities. If you want to make change, you will have to cancel your application and complete a new one before the deadline.

    Step 4: Apply to the Host Institution

    • Ensure听that your registration at the host university will be as a 鈥渘on-degree visiting student鈥�.
      • Confirm that the host university has an undergraduate 鈥渧isiting, non-degree, or free-mover鈥� student status.
    • Ensure听the courses for which you register are part of the host university鈥檚 undergraduate curriculum.
    • You are responsible to meet the host university鈥檚 application procedures and deadlines.
    • You will be billed tuition and related fees directly by the host university.
    • You must comply with the host country鈥檚 visa/immigration requirements.
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    WARNING 鈥� Affiliated partners and 3rd party organizations:听

    • You may not enroll in courses at an affiliated partner university of the host institution, and are not eligible to receive transfer credit for studies arranged by or offered through study abroad organizations, third parties or intermediaries.
    • You are not permitted to be concurrently registered as an undergraduate degree student at two different universities in the Fall and Winter terms.

    Step 5 - Approval

    Once your application is 鈥淔aculty Approved鈥�, download your 鈥淟etter of Permission" (LOP) from the application. The LOP:

    • Is your official letter granting you 91社区 authorization to take courses at the specified host university during the specified term as a visiting student for the purpose of transferring course equivalences and credits toward your 91社区 degree.
    • May be required by the Host University鈥檚 Registrar's Office, Enrollment Services or International Study Abroad Office.
    • Is provided in place of any forms that must be provided to the host school confirming your permission to study away.

    Your Minerva record will be updated to non-resident 鈥淭erm Away鈥� status for the same 91社区 term(s) you will be away. If you are registered for 91社区 courses in the Fall and/or Winter terms and you are approved to study away:

    • These 91社区 courses will be dropped.
    • You will not be able to register for 91社区 courses in that term(s).
    • Your 91社区 courses WILL NOT be re-instated if your plans change.

    NOTE: If you are studying away in the Summer term:

    • Your Minerva record will be updated to non-resident 鈥淭erm Away鈥� in mid-July, to permit you to access summer course registration at 91社区.
    • You will not have access to the 91社区 Travel Registry until your Minerva record shows 鈥淭erm Away 鈥� Arts鈥�.
    • Once your Minerva record indicates "Term Away - Arts", you will not be able to register for 91社区 summer courses on Minerva.

    ONLINE COURSES: If you plan to take an online education course, please read the information under Transferring Credit, "Online Education Policy".

    Step 6 - Next steps

    Pre-departure Orientation

    • You听are required to register for a Pre-departure Orientation via the webform available on the 91社区 Abroad website in order to be granted access/enrolled into the course.
    • To register or acquire more information about registering for Pre-departure Orientation, consult 91社区 Abroad.

    Travel registry

    • You听are required to register your听Independent Study Away activity using the 91社区 Student Travel Registry app, as soon as possible and at least 4 weeks prior to departure.
    • Information about how to download and register using the app can be found on the 91社区 Student Travel Registry website.
    • If you are studying away in the Summer term:
      • Your Minerva record will be updated to non-resident 鈥淭erm Away鈥� in mid-July, to permit you to access summer course registration at 91社区.
      • You will not have access to the 91社区 Travel Registry until your Minerva record shows 鈥淭erm Away 鈥� Arts鈥�.
      • Once your Minerva record indicates "Term Away - Arts", you will not be able to register for 91社区 summer courses on Minerva.
    • Failure to register your trip in the 91社区 Student Travel Registry and听not completing the Pre-Departure Orientation will result in:
      • Your ISA being cancelled; and
      • No听credits will be earned during your activity will be recognized or transferred.
    • Questions regarding the Travel Registry and Pre-Departure Orientation should be sent听to听/safetyabroad [at] mcgill.ca.听
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