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The International Educational Experience requirement is designed to provide students with an experience beyond the traditional campus-based classroom setting that will complement and enhance their program of study.

To satisfy this requirement, a student must complete an activity bearing at least three hours of academic credit (passing with a grade of C or higher) in one of the following settings:

1. A study abroad program led by a member or members of the ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ faculty (including semester-long courses based on campus that contain a study abroad component), or\
2. an exchange program coordinated through the ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ International Center. 

Alternatively, with prior approval by the director, the three credit hours may be earned through one of the following: 

1. A study abroad program offered through another institution or a third party, 
2. direct enrollment at a non-US institution abroad in the context of an in-person (not online) course, or 
3. ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ internship course INS4941, corresponding to an approved internship with an international focus conducted in the US or abroad involving at least 150 hours. 

These three credits will generally be validated as elective credit major, though in some cases they may correspond to other areas of the program of study, such as the foreign language requirement. Students must meet with their advisor and/or the director of International Studies when planning this experience, in order to discuss how the credits earned will fit into their program of study, and to complete any needed paperwork. This is particularly true for students who will be transferring to ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ credits earned through another institution.

INS3950 International Educational Experience is 0-credit course used to record fulfillment of this requirement in the advising system and on the student’s transcript. Students must register for this course during the semester in which they will be undertaking the relevant activity, upon successful completion of which this course is marked as passed. See the programs and courses page for details.

Coursework that meets the criteria established above may be retroactively applied to the completion of this requirement if credit was awarded within five years prior to declaring the major in International Studies, and at the discretion of the program director. 

US military personnel (whether ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ ROTC, active duty or veteran), as well as any other student, may formally petition to have prior experiences abroad count toward this requirement, with decisions made on a case-by-case basis by the program director and/or a faculty committee. Students whose petitions are approved will be exempted from this requirement, but will not receive three credit hours.

International students (those holding F-1 and J-1 visas) are encouraged to participate in study abroad programs and/or US-based internships, but this requirement is waived for such students, as their coursework at ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ is deemed to meet or exceed the expectation this requirement places on US-based students. These students likewise will be exempted, but will not receive three credit hours.

Students for whom this requirement may raise financial concerns should consult with the International Center for assistance in identifying funding sources, or with the director of International Studies to discuss opportunities for relevant internships in the North Florida area.

This requirement cannot be met with a directed independent study, except under exceptional circumstances and by permission of the program director. 

Students are expected to develop a plan for completing this requirement by the end of their first semester after declaring the major, in consultation with their advisor or the director of International Studies, along with the faculty leaders of ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ study abroad programs and the staff of the International Center.

The language on this page was approved by the ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ Faculty Association on January 26, 2017. Minor updates have been made since that date.