Application Procedures, Approval Criteria, and Credit Transfer

Students who participate in the ad hoc study abroad programs are generally not eligible to receive financial assistance. For details, please consult with the Financial Aid Office. Students who wish to study abroad for a semester on an ad hoc basis must submit an application and supporting documentation to the Office of Transnational Programs (OTP) via OTP’s online application system.

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Note: If you have already created an account for another semester abroad program, you do not need to do so again. Instead, use your email and existing password to login and start a new application.

Application Deadline: March 1, 2024

Selection Criteria

Primary Criteria: Previously Demonstrated Interest. Students must show through their application that their proposed ad hoc program of study will substantially advance a previously demonstrated academic or professional interest in a manner that would not be possible by enrolling in a Georgetown-sponsored study abroad program. (This is a higher standard than that applied to other study abroad applications.)

Additional Requirement: Ad Hoc Addendum. As part of the online application, students must complete an “Ad Hoc Addendum.” This form requires the student to undertake substantial research into the foreign law program with regard to contact information, academic calendar, standard course load, grading methods, examination policies, and other issues.

Based on the information in the student’s application, the Law Center will evaluate the specific overseas law program in which the student proposes to participate. Such evaluation will consider topics that include the faculty and curriculum available to the Georgetown Law student and the administrative infrastructure available to support their studies. Please note that the Law Center’s past approval of a particular ad hoc program does not guarantee that similar requests in the future will be approved.

Transferring Credits from an Ad Hoc Study Abroad Program

The Office of Transnational Programs will review a proposed ad hoc study abroad program to determine how many credits may be transferred back. As a general matter, credit is calculated in accordance with the ABA’s standard class formula (12.5 hours of class time, plus 30 hours out of class preparation and studying, per one credit hour.) Students may be asked to verify the number of minutes each course meets in order to confirm the number of Georgetown credits that the student will receive upon completion of their program. The Law Center will transfer back a maximum 12 credits for work judged to be a standard course load at the foreign law school.

The Law Center will not, under any circumstances, accept more than 12 credits from any non-Georgetown overseas program or combination of programs. This limit applies to students who enroll in both a non-Georgetown summer study abroad program and an ad hoc study abroad program. Thus, for example, a student who has earned 4 credits at a non-Georgetown summer study abroad program may transfer only 8 more credits from an ad hoc semester abroad program.

A student who is accepted into and participates in an ad hoc program will be expected upon their return to submit a report of five pages or more that includes, among other items: a discussion of whether the student’s goals for participating were achieved; a description and evaluation of each course taken; a description and evaluation of other important academic, cultural, and social experiences; experiences in obtaining housing; and a discussion of any other matters the student thinks important.

Additional Information/Requirements

• Students participating in an ad hoc semester abroad program do not pay Georgetown tuition for the semester they study abroad. Students are charged an administrative fee of $500.00 to their student account.
• Students are ineligible to receive any Georgetown institutional grants or scholarships and are generally ineligible for federal financial aid during the semester they are participating in an ad hoc semester abroad program. Students should consult with the Office of Financial Aid with questions.
• Students must have a clear account balance prior to departure.
• No credit will be awarded for overseas clinical work, externships, language or other non-law classes.
• Upper-class writing assignment must be completed at the Law Center.
• All students visiting away, whether in the US or abroad, must carry medical insurance that covers them within the United States. In addition, all students receiving credit from study abroad are required to enroll in Georgetown’s Study Abroad Insurance Plan. Plan rates can be found here.