Debunking a Transfer Myth: Transfers Don’t Have Time to Study Abroad

One of the biggest misconceptions that I heard before I transferred was that it was impossible to study abroad – there were too many credit hours and general education requirements to catch up on. Hearing this actually almost swayed my decision to transfer to W&M, because I have wanted to study abroad since as long as I can remember. But this is completely false – it’s absolutely possible to study abroad as a transfer as long as you plan carefully! Once you declare a major and meet with your major advisor, go over what classes you need to take and plan out the next two to three years at W&M.

An important number to keep in mind is the 60 credits that must be taken in residence, which roughly equates to four 15 credit semesters. William & Mary offers a few semester and year long programs and you can also use a third party to study abroad like I did. All of these programs will give you transfer credit, which is why it is important to plan out how many credits you need take on campus. The one exception to this is doing a W&M six week summer program. With these programs, you will receive William & Mary credit since you are going to be taught by W&M professors at a university abroad. These programs are great, because it allows you to have a study abroad experience while not missing a semester on campus, and you still get W&M credit hours for the classes you take.

With careful planning and consultation with your major advisor, it’s definitely possible to study abroad! If you have any questions, send me an email or check out the website for our Reves Center for International Studies!

-Rachel Kamvar ’17