Identifying your academic goals and course plan is a part of the planning process when studying away. It is important you start this step when selecting which program to apply to so you can be sure you are selecting a program that meets your academic needs.
The first step is to know which classes you need to take and what graduation requirements you still need to meet. Be sure to review the SSU campus catalog, and your Academic Requirements Report that you can access via your MySSU account to become familiar with what you need to graduate. If you don’t know what you need to graduate, If you are confused about your requirements, talk to us or your academic advisor.
From there, you can start to plan which classes you need to aim on taking while studying away. You can view classes on study away programs that have already been approved to meet SSU requirements on the TES website. Otherwise, to identify new class matches, use your best judgment to match classes at the host location with what you need to graduate, and then take that information to your advisor. We even recommend creating a spreadsheet of the courses you need, and what classes you can take while studying away are similar to those courses. From there, you can meet with your advisor to get official approval for those classes and which graduation requirements they will meet.
Faculty are not familiar with all of the classes available on study away programs, so it is your responsibility to do your research ahead of time. Faculty can get frustrated when students ask them to do this work for them. Be sure to bring class descriptions and as much information on the courses as you can with you to your advising appointments. Keep in mind that faculty are VERY busy during the last two weeks of classes, the first two weeks of classes, and around registration. They are also generally unavailable during winter and summer break. You should not expect faculty to help you during these times, so be sure to plan accordingly. Once your advisor has approved your plan we recommend asking them to complete the ARR Update Form right away to make the approved class matches official, after you are accepted to a study away program you will be required to complete and submit an Academic Advising Agreement, which requires your advisor's signature. This is a separate, required form.
Navigating GE classes on study away programs can be difficult since there is no designated GE advisor. Use your best judgment by matching the study away class with an SSU GE class title and course description. The more similar the study away class is to an SSU course, the easier it will be. You can also use the following GE area descriptions to help guide you in matching GE classes. You can also meet with the study away advisor to review potential GE classes. Once you feel confident about your GE class selection, we recommend completing the GE Substitution Petition right away to obtain official approval.
Below is a list of classes you should plan on taking at SSU either before you study abroad or when you return to SSU. (A benefit of NSE is that pretty much ALL classes are available!)
- Critical Race Studies/Ethnic Studies/GE Area F
- CA Government/US Constitution graduation requirement (POLS 200)
- GE Area E (Lifelong Learning)
- US History
- GE Area B1, B2, and upper-division B for non-science majors
- You can only take upper-division GE on study away programs that count as in-residence, which are CSU IP, NSE, and SSU Exchange. If you are participating in a different program, you should plan on taking your upper-division GE classes at SSU.