Session Overview: This session will share advice on how to plan for your study abroad experience.  We will review how to select a study abroad program that’s right for you.  We’ll also discuss academic planning, which requirements may be fulfilled abroad or at Cornell, and which courses to prioritize taking now vs. later. We will discuss the role of your Brooks School study abroad advisor compared to your global learning advisor.  

Check your Brooks Student Bulletin to see when the next study abroad information session will be scheduled. 

Note: These sessions will not be recorded. If you have a scheduling conflict and are not able to attend, please schedule a study abroad advising appointment with your Brooks School study abroad advisor instead. 

Students receiving Cornell financial aid may apply their financial aid package to the cost of any approved study abroad program during the academic year. Please consult with Cornell Abroad for all details of your specific program and financial aid package. 

Cornell grant aid is not available for Summer Session or Winter Session programs. Students interested in such program may use other funding sources. Students receiving Cornell financial aid should also meet with their financial aid officer to discuss funding options. 

Brooks School Student Opportunity Grant  

This donor-sponsored funding is designed to give Brooks School students additional access to unpaid opportunities in public policy and public affairs. Students can apply for the opportunity grant, provided the opportunity aligns with one of the award areas.

Brooks School Student Opportunity Grant details

You can apply here

Additional Funding Resources Available at Cornell  

Cornell provides many opportunities for undergraduate students to earn funding to finance transformative experiences. Some funding opportunities within this resource are specific to a certain program and/or college, while others are open to any student. This list of opportunities is meant to serve as a beginning to your search process.  

Study abroad involves applying to your specific program and obtaining formal college approval for your planned course of study. All college approvals are conditional, dependent on successful completion of the courses and global learning application outcome. 

• All students must complete a course approval form which requires: 
• Staff advisor approval of your course of study plan 
• A faculty recommendation 
•  Your Brooks study abroad advisor signature and  
• A faculty recommendation 
• Any changes to approved courses must be approved by your study abroad advisor prior to enrollment. 
• Important: The advisor’s signature on the course approval form verifies that you met to discuss the course options. To request that an abroad course meets a specific degree requirement you must complete a Curriculum Substitution petition.

If you are studying in a country where English is not one of the official languages, you must take a language class or a class taught in the language while abroad. If your Brooks School curriculum sheet includes a language requirement, this would be a great opportunity to fulfill that requirement. 

• A language course is not required before departure; you can take it while abroad. As you map out your academic plan, consider whether your experience abroad would be most enhanced by taking a language course here at Cornell before your departure, or by taking it as one of your courses while abroad. 
• If English is the official language for the country, no language class is required for your global learning application.  
• If you are fluent in the host country’s language, you may get approval to waive the language requirement for your application abroad. However, you must be able to take a course taught in the host country’s language. 

Note: If your Brooks School curriculum sheet includes a language requirement, you will still need to complete a language course, even if it is waived for your abroad application. Please refer to your curriculum sheet.  

• All students must enroll in a full-time credit load as defined by the host institution, equivalent to at least 12 to 15 credits at Cornell. 
• All coursework must be eligible for Brooks School credit. Typically, students plan to complete general elective credits abroad. However, if you plan to complete a major requirement abroad, you will need to submit a curriculum waiver/substitution petition form to the Brooks School registrar. 

• Note: Submitting this form does not guarantee course approval, you must wait for the registrar’s decision. 

• No credit is awarded for a failing grade. 
• To review abroad courses that have been approved by the registrar to fulfill curriculum requirements and how to interpret Brooks study abroad equivalences click here.

• Good academic standing and full-time status must be maintained, until departure. 
• Students may be approved for a maximum of two semesters of study abroad. 
• We recommend having a GPA of 2.75 or higher. Some programs may require a higher GPA. You can review these requirements on the Study Abroad webpage. 
• Any grades of “Incomplete” must be resolved before studying abroad. 
• All University Record holds must be resolved before studying abroad  
• Your study abroad program must fit into your eight-semesters or graduation plan. If studying abroad causes a delay in graduation you will not be eligible to participate.  
• Good standing with the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards must be maintained (NOTE: Students in “restricted good standing” will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis) 
• Students cannot enroll in online coursework through the host institution/program, Cornell, or elsewhere while abroad. This includes independent study. 
• If planning to take a winter or summer course prior to departure to a program that may overlap slightly with a Fall or spring program, students must get prior approval for the course. 
• It is the student’s responsibility to know if a course taken contains most of its content abroad or at Cornell. Multiple courses that cover the same content cannot be applied to your degree more than once. If unsure, please contact the Registrar’s office at Brooks-studentservices@cornell.edu  

• Grades earned abroad are not calculated into the Cornell GPA, unless you are participating in a faculty led study abroad program. 
• Study abroad courses may fulfill college distribution or major requirements (with college approval) 
• Study abroad courses may not fulfill the FWS requirement, Mathematics, Natural Science I & II, or the PE requirement. 
• Internships do not count for credit. 
• At the conclusion of your study abroad experience, and after final grades have been posted, request an official transcript from your host institution/program. Learn more about specific transcript instructions. 
• Your study abroad transcript must be sent to the Office of Global Learning—not directly to your college. Our office will forward your transcript to your college or school after review. You’ll receive confirmation from your college when it is being processed. 
• Be sure to save all syllabi, reading lists, and completed work for all courses taken abroad. These materials are often required to confirm if a course can fulfill college distribution and/or major requirements. 
• All courses taken abroad, and grades received will appear on your Cornell transcript exactly as they appear on your study abroad transcript. 

Summer study abroad is not subject to the Brooks School study abroad policy. 

If you wish to study abroad during the summer, you may apply independently to the program of your choice and do not need the permission of the college to do so. 

Summer study abroad opportunities administered by Cornell earn Cornell credit that appears directly on your transcripts and is factored into your GPA. Enrollment in Cornell programs is offered through the Office of Global Learning, you can review summer program deadlines here.