Prior to applying for a Summer Permit
Students should not begin the process with a non-AU program already in mind. Students who are uncertain whether or not a program at an AU Center Abroad can meet their academic needs are required to schedule an appointment with an AU Abroad advisor to discuss their options. If the student had a particular regional interest, he/she should meet with the AU Abroad advisor who covers that region. During this meeting, the AU Abroad advisor will review all available options at AU Centers Abroad with the student; if no option meets the students’ specific academic needs, the AU Abroad advisor will assist the student in identifying an appropriate program that is not offered at an AU Center Abroad. After this meeting, the advisor MAY open the Summer Permit portal and the student may make the application.
The application deadline is April 15th. If interested in a Permit, please meet with Ethan Merritt, Associate Director-AU Abroad, in-person or via Zoom.
Petition for a Summer Permit to Study Abroad on a Non-AU Program
In order to be approved, the petitioning student must document that the non-AU program:
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Meets the student’s academic needs in a way that no AU Abroad program can;
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Offers a sustained experience directly interacting in a single culture; and
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Meets AU’s academic quality standards and learning objectives.
Costs and Financial Aid
Students studying away on Permit status are not enrolled in AU courses and therefore cannot receive any AU institutional aid during that time. Students should consult with their financial aid advisor to find to if other funding options are available. AU will charge an administrative fee of $1000/summer to any student who participates on a program abroad via a Summer Permit to Study Abroad when the Permit has been granted and is processed by the Office of the Registrar.
Credit and Grades for Non-AU Programs
Students will receive transfer credit for work completed on their program. Students should note that AU academic regulations state that "grades for transfer are not recorded on the American University permanent record, and they are not computed in the student's grade point average, though approved courses will count in the total number of courses needed for graduation."
Please note the following restrictions for transfer credit from Permits to Study Abroad:
- Internships/Independent Studies: Students cannot receive transfer credit for internships or independent studies.
- Language Courses: Students will only receive elective credit for language courses until students take the WLC placement exam.
- GenEd and AU Core Courses: Transfer credits cannot be used to fulfill Foundational Area or AU Core requirements.
- Third Party Providers: Students can only receive transfer credit from third party providers if the provider can provide a School of Record transcript from a recognized or regionally accredited institution. Students may need to request School of Record transcripts via a special process and will have to bear all associated costs independently.
The student must request that a transcript be sent to the Office of the University Registrar for appropriate recognition of credit. The student is eligible for automatic readmission to American University according to the provisions on the Summer Permit to Study Abroad.
Applying for a Summer Permit
In making an application for a Permit, the student is required to submit the following documentation:
- Program name and weblink for detailed information, including course descriptions and if possible course syllabi
- Program location (city and country)
- Program start and end dates
- How the student identified this program
- A one-page essay outlining the student’s academic program and needs while studying abroad
- A detailed statement demonstrating that the student has thoroughly investigated all relevant AU Abroad program options at AU Centers Abroad and additionally demonstrating why none of these programs offer courses that meet the student’s academic needs.
- A detailed statement demonstrating that the chosen non-AU program can meet the student’s academic needs; this statement must include a complete analysis of the program’s course offerings and an explanation as to how those courses will correlate with the student’s AU curriculum.
- A letter of support from a full-time, permanent AU faculty member* in the academic field of interest. This letter must confirm the following:
- that the student has demonstrated a serious interest in the proposed program of study;
- that the faculty member has personally reviewed ALL relevant AU Abroad programs at the AU Centers Abroad in the academic area(s) concerned and confirmed none of them meet the student’s academic needs in any way;
- that the faculty member has reviewed the proposed non-AU program and confirmed this program meets the student’s academic needs
- This letter must be co-signed by the Dean or Dean designate for the student's primary school or college.
- Authorization from the student’s academic advisor in which they confirm that the student will stay on track for on-time graduation while participating in the proposed program and that they understand that the student will receive transfer credit for the proposed program,
- Disciplinary Review from the Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services.
Complete applications must be submitted by the deadline listed above.
No retroactive permits will be allowed. Only complete applications with all required documentation will be reviewed by the Director of AU Abroad. Summer Permit applications will only be approved if ALL the requirements are clearly met.
*Please note: the summer programs listed below are offered by AU Abroad partner universities or organizations. For these programs, the faculty letter is not required.
