Middlebury Handbook

a) All Undergraduates

A student's workload must be approved by the Director/Principal of the School Abroad. The Director/Principal can deny a student's enrollment in particular courses based on the student's language ability and academic background.

All students are expected to take a "normal full load" of courses and are encouraged to take all of their courses in one faculty (i.e., school within the larger university, such as the "Faculty of Social Sciences"). No students are permitted to take lighter loads; single-semester students may not take heavier loads.  Students in their second semester abroad in the same country may petition the Director/Principal of the School Abroad if they wish to take one additional course. The petition should address how the student plans to balance the heavier load with the cultural opportunities available on-site.  The request for a heavier load must also be approved by the student's academic advisor (Middlebury students) or by the study abroad advisor (students from other colleges and universities).  Any student who enrolls in an extra course without adhering to these guidelines will have the course treated as an unofficial audit and neither the title nor the grade will appear on the student's Middlebury transcript.  Students should consult their advisor or department chair if they wish to count courses toward major, minor, distribution, or other requirements.

b) Middlebury Undergraduates

The number of courses a student enrolls in varies by School Abroad. Middlebury students carrying a "normal full load," as defined by their School Abroad, receive nine units of credit for the academic year, four units of credit for fall or spring semesters, and five units of credit for the fall/winter or winter/spring semesters.

Middlebury students who are enrolled in a fall/winter program whose fall semester exams all fall in December according to the official university exam period will receive four units of credit and will be permitted to return to Middlebury for J-term. Where J-term equivalency credit is awarded, reduced course loads result in the loss of this credit as well. If a student participates in two different programs during one academic year and neither covers J-term, provided the student carries a “normal full load” during each semester, they will receive a winter term equivalency credit, or WTEQ. Students who are off-campus for both fall and spring may not enroll for J-term on the Vermont campus.

Students who are receiving the WTEQ because their program overlaps with J-term may not be on the Vermont campus to earn a credit. Students whose fall program ends one or more days into J-term may not return to campus and enroll in a course for J-term. Similarly, students whose spring program begins the last week of J-term may not be enrolled in a J-term course on the Vermont campus and leave early to study abroad.

c) Students from other Colleges and Universities

Middlebury considers a semester and an academic year abroad equivalent to a semester and an academic year in the U.S. The academic year at the Middlebury Schools Abroad is divided into two semesters. Start and end dates vary significantly but are usually tied to the academic calendar of the local universities where students take their mainstream courses.

d) Graduate Students

Graduate students must enroll in at least 3 units of credit each term (summer, fall, and spring). Students who enroll in less will not be eligible for financial aid. Graduate students are not permitted to repeat a course for which they have received a passing grade and earned credit. Graduate students are normally not permitted to enroll in more than 5 units of credit in a single term.

e) Course Modality

The expectation is that students will take all courses in person, unless there is an emergency that warrants a pivot to online/remote course.

f) Courses Not in the Target Language

Students may elect to take one (and only one) of their courses in English or in another foreign language, per semester, when certain conditions are met. Students from colleges/universities other than Middlebury should consult their home institutions to confirm they will be allowed to earn credit if taking a course that is not taught in the target language.

1. Studying Another Language in the Target Language

Students are not permitted to start a new language while enrolled at a School Abroad, unless that language is relevant to the local cultural/historical context (e.g., a local or indigenous language). When academically justified (e.g., when the other language is part of the student’s undergraduate major/minor), a student may continue their study of another language by taking a single course in that language for credit.  In the case of continuing previous foreign language study, students should be prepared to be evaluated upon their return to their home institution to determine if they are eligible to advance to the next level. In cases with no academic rationale, credit will not be granted. In these cases, students may make private arrangements to continue the language at their own expense.

2. Major-related Courses in English (undergraduates only)

If courses needed for a student's major are only offered in English, the student may enroll in one course taught in English per semester abroad. Students may not enroll in courses in English to fulfill minor or distribution requirements abroad.

Any language taught at our Schools Abroad that are not taught at Middlebury (e.g. indigenous languages) carry the course designation “IGST”.