Policies

When you interview for OCS and submit your OCS application, you must present compelling arguments explaining how the proposed work will complement your academic program at Kenyon. OCS participation is limited to approved programs listed in Studio Abroad with rare exceptions. Consider what term you need to go abroad and note there may be a waitlist for the term you prefer. We cannot guarantee you a spot in the term you prefer. We will consider academic requirements and varsity athletics. If you are placed on a waitlist there is no guarantee you will be able to participate in OCS.

Who Can Apply

Only sophomores may apply, for travel during their junior year. Approved Programs Only: Participation is limited to programs listed in Studio Abroad (rare exceptions may apply). Minimum GPA: 2.75 cumulative GPA is required to apply. Some programs may require a higher GPA. Meeting the GPA threshold does not guarantee approval. Good Standing: You must not be under academic or disciplinary sanction, have pending proceedings, or engaged in conduct that would trigger such actions. Faculty Support: You must secure approval from your major advisor and department, showing you understand your major and distribution requirements.

Application Deadlines

It is your responsibility to note your program deadline by checking the program provider's website. We will not accept applications that are not completed by Kenyon deadlines, and we cannot accommodate students who do not plan ahead.

Regular Deadline: January 23, 2026 Early Deadline: December 11, 2025 (only if your program provider’s deadline is February 15, 2026 or earlier); Kenyon-Exeter and Kenyon-Rome are not considered early deadline programs.

Approval Process

Approval is competitive; space is limited and some terms may include a waitlist. Students applying for a full year or split-year abroad must present a particularly strong case. Some may be approved for one semester only. Disciplinary history may be considered in the final decision. If approval is rescinded for academic or disciplinary reasons, deposits and payments may not be refunded.

• Academic credit is earned on an OCS program only when you have carefully planned your course of study with a faculty advisor and the Center for Global Engagement, you have followed the correct application procedures, your application has been approved the Faculty Subcommittee on Global Engagement, and you participate in a CGE-approved program.

• You must submit the OCS Course Pre-Approval Form, approved by your academic advisor and major department chair, to the Registrar’s office prior to OCS departure.

• You must take the equivalent of 15-16 semester hours (= 1.87 - 2.00 Kenyon units) each semester. See the transfer credit key for credit conversions.

• You must take each course for a letter grade and receive a grade of C- or better in order for credit to transfer. Students will have letter grades for work done off campus whenever the course is taught and graded by a member of the Kenyon faculty, and the course is given credit in the department where the member is appointed. These grades will factor into the student’s GPA at Kenyon. All other OCS grades will be posted on the transcript as transfer credit but will not be calculated into the College GPA. Grades below a C- will be posted, but no credit will be awarded.

• Credit is not awarded for internships but is awarded for a course associated with the internship.

• Students who fail to follow College procedures regarding off-campus study, or who withdraw from Kenyon, and, thus, circumvent existing College regulations regarding off-campus study, are prohibited from receiving credit for coursework completed off-campus.

Students participating on OCS programs in a country where the official language is not English must take a language course while on OCS. This course must either be the primary language of the country or one that is prominently spoken in the locale of the OCS program. This policy applies to each semester of OCS participation. Failure to take this language course will result in no credit for any coursework from the OCS semester transferring back to Kenyon.Many programs require prior language instruction, and it is the student's responsibility to make sure they understand these requirements before applying. The CGE will assist students in understanding these requirements, but their intended program has the final say. Prior language instruction will be taken into account when making a decision on the student's Kenyon OCS application. It is imperative, therefore, that students articulate how their language background fits with their program choice and academic trajectory.

Kenyon students are not permitted to receive academic credit, or use funding provided by or channeled through Kenyon College for activities that are subject to a Travel Warning issued by the U.S. Department of State. Exempted from this policy are certain semester-long Kenyon-approved OCS programs.

For faculty wishing to take students for any activity where Kenyon is a sponsor, Kenyon credit is earned, transfer credit is earned, Kenyon funding is used, or Kenyon is the distributor of funds from an outside source, a waiver to the policy may be requested by submitting the following:

• The itinerary for all portions of the trip

• Plans for safety and security in response to the specific language of the Travel Warning

• Program and other support available to students while in the Travel Warning destination

• The specific academic justification for studying in the Travel Warning destination.

Petitions to waive the Travel Warning restriction will be read carefully by a committee comprised of: the CGE director and assistant director for OCS; manager of business services; provost or associate provost; dean of student development; and one faculty member from the Faculty Subcommittee on Global Engagement. Decisions will be based on careful evaluation of the petition’s response to the specific language of the Travel Warning.

Waivers apply to the specific program or project and not to the country as a whole. Waivers may be revisited or revoked at any time by the College, if circumstances change.

Petitions cannot be approved for countries under U.S. Trade & Economic Sanctions.

All students are required to be adequately covered by an insurance policy while participating in all off-campus study programs. 

Kenyon's medical insurance plan will cover students when they participate in off-campus study programs whether in a program in the U.S. or abroad. If students already have alternative medical coverage and elect not to take Kenyon College's insurance, the waiver must be completed and returned to the accounting office. The charge for insurance will not be removed from a student's bill unless the waiver is received. Each student must verify that any alternative coverage chosen will remain valid while off campus.

Students are not permitted to opt out of their OCS program housing to live in self-arranged (independent) housing. This prohibition does not include programs that assist students in finding apartments as a regular part of their housing process. The costs section of the website details included housing expenses.