SPECIAL ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to its regular academic programs, Lafayette College offers a variety of optional programs ranging from student/ faculty research projects and intensive short-term courses during the January or May interim to foreign study and work-study internships.

Interim Session Programs:
The Lafayette academic calendar leaves a period of about three weeks open during January. Some students use this period to enroll in optional special academic courses sponsored by Lafayette, either on campus or in foreign locations. Interim Session may include intensive courses, laboratory exercises, field trips, or study abroad. For students in Bachelor of Science programs, whose heavy schedule of prescribed courses may make off-campus semesters difficult to arrange, the Interim Session provides an especially useful opportunity to participate in a period of foreign study.

Special courses offered only during Interim Sessions are described in the listings. Additional information about the study-abroad programs may be obtained from the Director of Study Abroad. Students applying to participate in the interim abroad program must be in good standing academically and with respect to College regulations at the time of application AND when they depart for the program. For information about on-campus interim programs, contact the Office of the Dean of Studies.

Regular financial aid does not cover the Interim Session, but some funding is available on a competitive basis, and the Office of Financial Aid can advise students about loans and other possible forms of assistance.

Study Abroad:
Lafayette students have a number of opportunities to study abroad. For some programs, students are accompanied by a Lafayette faculty member; for others, students are enrolled in affiliated universities in a variety of foreign countries, where they may study for a semester or a year. Faculty-led programs are designed to connect academic work with the rich cultural history and resources of the host country and surrounding countries. Several programs are especially appropriate for engineering students. Typically, more than half of the students in any given graduating class have studied abroad in a year-long, semester-long, interim, or summer program. Students from this past year’s class, for example, studied in France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Greece, England, Ireland, Russia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Australia, and several other countries, all of which afford students the opportunity to integrate themselves into the new culture and to travel on their own.

The cost for a semester or year abroad is the same as that for a semester or year on campus. Students pay Lafayette’s Comprehensive Fee (tuition). Those who select a faculty-led program also pay Lafayette’s room and (depending on the program) board; the College arranges and pays for the airfare. Students who select an approved affiliated program pay Lafayette’s Comprehensive Fee (tuition) plus the host institution room and board charges. (Host costs are detailed in the Host Program Estimate Cost Profile available in the Study Abroad Office.) For most affiliated programs, students make their own travel arrangements; if the program costs do not include airfare, Lafayette deducts a travel allowance of $1,000 from the tuition payment to help cover that expense. Normally, Lafayette bills the student for the applicable tuition and other fees and pays the host institution directly. Students are responsible for incidental costs such as books, passports, visas, immunizations, optional travel, and personal expenses.

Students enrolled in faculty-led or approved affiliated programs have access to the same financial aid they have on campus at Lafayette. Financial aid is capped, however, at Lafayette’s cost: a few of our approved programs are more expensive than study at Lafayette; students selecting such programs are responsible for the amount above Lafayette’s cost.

Deadlines for application are February 15 for the fall semester and September 15 for spring. At the time of application AND departure for the study-abroad program, students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.80, be in good standing academically and with respect to College regulations and be making satisfactory progress toward the degree.

Students accepted by off-campus programs must seek approval in advance from the Academic Progress Committee for course they wish to present for a grade and for credit towards the Lafayette degree. A student may transfer no more than a normal semester program or not more than eight courses for a full academic year of foreign study. Normally, students are not permitted to study abroad on a nonaffiliated program. Should the Academic Progress Committee make an exception--as with a program in a country in which Lafayette has no program--the student must obtain prior approval; without it, any course taken cannot be credited toward the Lafayette degree.

Summer Session-Language and Culture Abroad:
As a member of the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC), Lafayette College is involved in six-week summer programs in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Spain. Each program offers a total cultural experience, and, therefore, no credit is granted for partial completion of the program. The course credit earned is automatically transferred to the participating LVAIC institution and counted as part of the student's cumulative grade point average. A language proficiency examination determines the level (I, II, or III) at which a student is permitted to enroll. Students interested in the LVAIC programs should consult with the head of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

• French 050: French Language and Culture Abroad I
• German 050: German Language and Culture Abroad I
• Spanish 050: Spanish Language and Culture Abroad I
• Italian 050: Italian Language and Culture Abroad I

Intensive study of the fundamentals of French, German, Italian, or Spanish with emphasis on speaking, listening, and reading comprehension, as well as basic writing skills, supplemented by an introduction to major aspects of contemporary French, German, Italian, or Spanish civilization. Two course credits.

• French 150: French Language and Culture Abroad II
• German 150: German Language and Culture Abroad II
• Spanish 150: Spanish Language and Culture Abroad II
• Italian 150: Italian Language and Culture Abroad II

Intensive practice of conversational French, German, Italian, or Spanish; rapid review of basic grammar; reading and analysis of moderately difficult texts, as well as the development of rudimentary writing skills, supplemented by the study of selected aspects of contemporary French, German, Italian, or Spanish civilization. Two course credits.

• French 250: French Language and Culture Abroad III
• German 250: German Language and Culture Abroad III
• Spanish 250: Spanish Language and Culture Abroad III
• Italian 250: Italian Language and Culture Abroad III

Intensive practice in spoken and written French, German, Italian, or Spanish aimed at providing the student with extensive proficiency of expression and the ability to discriminate linguistic usage; emphasis on idiomatic expressions with an introduction to stylistics, reading, and analysis of difficult texts, supplemented by an in-depth study of selected aspects of contemporary French, German, Italian, or Spanish civilization. Two course credits.

Interim Abroad Program:
Each year, Lafayette faculty offer six to nine three-week courses abroad during the January term and in May. Each course counts for one course credit. Individual courses are listed under "Interim Session/Study Abroad".

Internships:
All students are eligible to register for one internship course. Students earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or above may petition to take a second internship for credit. Normally, first-year students and sophomores are not eligible for participation in an internship program, and no credit may be given ex post facto for internships.

Internships are offered by several academic departments and involve practical, hands-on experience at jobs generally outside the College community. Academic departments and programs that offer internship courses for credit include A.B. engineering, art, economics and business, English, government and law, history, music, and psychology.

Students participating in internships will be graded on a credit/no credit basis. The student's course work must be approved in advance and be supervised by a member of the department, as well as by personnel at the workplace. Internships may, by departmental approval, be offered under project or independent courses in engineering. At the conclusion of the internship, the student typically prepares a paper on the experience.

Summer internships are available through selected academic departments or the College wide internship program (INT 200). INT 200 credit is recorded on the transcript, but may not be used to fulfill the minimum course requirement for graduation.

INT 200 – Internship
This course emphasizes learning through the interplay between academic work and fieldwork in a various entities during the summer months. Each internship will be supervised by a faculty member, who will provide a formal evaluation of its outcome in consultation with the relevant personnel in the workplace. Under the supervisor’s guidance, each intern will produce a tangible academic project during the internship experience, such as a paper, journal, or portfolio.

Independent Study:
Students who wish to pursue special academic topics or individual research programs endorsed by a faculty member may register in most departments for a credit-bearing course of independent study. Normally, no more than one independent study course may be taken in a semester.

Lafayette EXCEL Scholars Program:
The Lafayette EXCEL Scholars Program enables students to participate in academically meaningful experiences outside the classroom. Students selected for this program engage in collaborative research projects with Lafayette faculty, enhancing their academic skills as well as developing other skills which will be useful in post-graduate education and careers.

EXCEL Scholars have the opportunity to work full-time for ten weeks during the summer; full-time for three weeks during the Interim Session; and 8 to 10 hours per week during the academic year.

Students selected to the EXCEL Scholars Program receive a stipend of $8 to $10 per hour and residence hall housing during the interim and summer.

Information concerning the EXCEL program may be obtained from the Director of Research Services.

College Writing Program:
The College Writing Program provides student Writing Associates the opportunity to work closely with faculty in courses across the curriculum. Each Writing Associate is assigned to a course affiliated with the program and meets individually with the students to help them revise their written work. The Writing Associate works under the guidance of the professor and the College Writing Program's professional staff. The Writing Associates also provide a drop-in service for the campus at large.

Students selected as Writing Associates are themselves skilled writers and insightful readers with strong listening and coaching skills. They are paid a stipend for their services. For information, see the coordinator of the College Writing Program, 319 Pardee Hall.

McKelvy Scholars:
Each year 20 students of high ability and promise are invited to reside together at McKelvy House, a residence four blocks from the campus. The program was established to recognize and encourage academic excellence and to facilitate exchange of ideas and information among students with different interests and in different disciplines. Admission is competitive and requires nomination by a faculty member. Information about the program may be obtained from the Dean of Studies.

Military Science:
Military Science centers on the theory and application of leadership and management fundamentals and also includes professional knowledge subjects, physical training, small unit tactics, and basic military skills. The program sponsors the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), leading to duty as a commissioned officer in the active Army, Reserves, or National Guard.

The program is a part of the United States Army Cadet Command. Classes and activities are conducted on the Lafayette campus under the auspices of Lehigh University's ROTC program, which acts as the local headquarters for ROTC and Military Science instruction.

Any student may take ROTC classes any semester. To be eligible for commissioning as an officer, however, a student must have at least two years until graduation upon entry into ROTC. Non-scholarship students incur no military obligation until their junior year. Students continuing in ROTC beyond their sophomore year may sign a contractual agreement leading to a commission as a Second Lieutenant in one of more than 20 branches of the Army upon graduation. All juniors and seniors receive tax-free monthly stipends of $450 and $500 respectively during the school year.

Four-year ROTC scholarships cover full tuition and fees and also offer a stipend and $900 per year for books. Scholarships are available to students who will be entering Lafayette College as first-year students. Two- and three-year ROTC scholarships are available once enrolled at Lafayette College (current participation in Army ROTC is not required).

All Army ROTC scholarships are awarded solely on merit, and recipients incur a military obligation.

For more information, see "Military Science" section, under "majors/departments".