Bates College
Off-Campus Study Program


Lisa D'Oyen '08's Psychology Class at Spelman College (Photo by Phyllis Grabar Jensen)

Off-Campus study in the United States generally entails taking an academic leave of absence from Bates and studying elsewhere as a visiting student.  The procedures for taking a leave and transferring credit are described in the Catalog. Mr. Das and Dean Sawyer can also describe leave procedures. In addition, Bates is affiliated with several other institutions.  These exchanges and programs are listed below.  You may access program and university web sites by clicking on the Sponsor/University name.  Study in Canada is available through the JSA and JYA program as indicated below.

The "number of participants" entry in the Comments column is per semester. Numbers often fluctuate from semester to semester, and we provide them to give a general sense of program size.

Hard copies of the brochures and evaluations for most programs are available in the Off-Campus Study Office Library.

Approval of participation, including completion of a Bates application, is required to receive credit for study on any of these programs or universities.  Please see Dean Sawyer or Mr. Das, in the Off-Campus Study Office in Lane Hall, for further information and discussion.

Location  Duration  Sponsor/Univ'ty Lang. Req. Housing Options  Comments  Faculty and Returning Juniors & Seniors;  Prior = past Bates participants

Canada - Many universities in Canada accept visiting students.  The universities tend to be large and impersonal so study as a junior semester or year abroad student requires considerable independence and resourcefulness.  Bates limits study to the most selective of these institutions, several of which are listed below.
Halifax Semester or year Dalhousie University -- Dorms or apts Nova Scotia. Total enr: 13,000
Montreal Semester  or year McGill University -- Dorms or apts Large university; excellent academics and great city, Courses in English, city is French speaking. Total enr: 22,000 Gina Mitchell '11
Quebec City Semester or year Université Laval 4 sems French Dorms or apts French speaking university. Total enr: 36,000
Toronto Semester or year University of Toronto -- Dorms or apts Large city and university. Total enr: 44,000 Prior
Vancouver Semester or year University of British Columbia -- Dorms or apts Pacific Northwest, adjacent to Vancouver. Total enr: 35,000

United States
Atlanta Semester  or year Morehouse College --- Dorms One of the premier historic black colleges for men, adjacent to Spelman, in dynamic large city. Fall Orientation enriches experience. Early app required. Total enr: 3,000 Prior
Atlanta Semester or year Spelman College --- Dorms One of the premier historic black colleges for women, adjacent to Morehouse, in dynamic large city. Fall Orientation enriches experience. Limited to Juniors; Early app required. Total enr: 2,000 Prior
Bar Harbor Fall semester Jackson Laboratory --- Apts., houses Hands on research internships in a remote, rural setting. World class institution. Prior
Mystic, CT Semester Williams-Mystic --- Group house Maritime studies program with bio, lit, history, policy; excellent academics & peer group, sailing and West Coast field seminar, early application deadline. Fall semester weather preferable for outdoor activities and labs. Number of participants: 24 Kaitlin Webber '11
New York Summer and Fall semester Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center --- --- Summer research work, followed by a fall internship with lectures and seminars, students arrange own housing. See Prof. Baker in Biology Dept. Victor Babatunde '11
Washington Semester Washington Sem Program --- Dorms Sponsored by American University; 10 specific programs; internships. Transforming Communities program esp. strong. Some programs not approved by Bates. Number of participants: 400 Hadley Gray '11

Additional Programs in the United States:  The following are programs that students can attend on an academic leave of absence basis.  Bates financial aid is not provided and, in some cases, courses need to be individually approved for transfer credit.
Gettysburg, PA Fall The Gettysburg Semester --- Group dorm Exploration of the Civil War era; topics include: war and film, role of women, literature, slave narratives Professor Creighton
Honolulu Semester University of Hawai'i --- Dorms Asian and Pacific regional studies; marine and geo sciences. Total enr: 20,000 Prior
New York City Semester Urban Education Semester --- Dorms Intro to urban education with courses at Bank Street College of Education and classroom placement with mentor. Prior
Woods Hole, MA Semester SEA Semester --- Dorms Two programs: Intro to oceanography and maritime studies; Climate and Oceans. 6 wks in Woods Hole, 6 wks offshore sailing  Prior
Woods Hole, MA Fall Sem. in Env'l Science, Marine Biological Lab --- Apts Field based intro to terrestrial and aquatic ecology; exposure to advanced research, scientists, and facilities at MBL. Prior

Link to other programs:

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