Database Instructions

Information in the Database

The information in the database is to help facilitate the course approval process for your study abroad program. Not all courses are located in the database and students should inquire about available courses, internships, and volunteer work with an advisor in the Center for Global Education.

Each database includes several fields of information. More descriptions about each field is provided below:

Name of Program
The name of the program refers to the name of the Wheaton study abroad program.

Location
The location refers to the city where a particular program takes place. In some cases their may be different locations listed. For example, the COPA Argentine Universities Programs will have program locations in various cities.

Country
Refers to the country where the Wheaton study abroad program is located.

Program Course Number
The program course number refers to the number of the course at the host university or program. Students should include this information on the Wheaton study abroad application.

Name of the Course
The name of the course is the title of the course used at the host university or program. Some course names may change slightly over time. Students should check with an advisor if they are unsure of the approval status of a particular course based on the course title.

Host Credit
The host credit field refers to the number of credits awarded at the host institution. Students must be enrolled in a full course load of study as defined by the host institution or program. This is necessary to ensure that upon successful completion of a study abroad experience, students will be awarded transfer credit equivalent to a full course of study here at Wheaton College.

Wheaton Designation
The Wheaton designation reflects the approval of a course in a particular department at Wheaton. A specific course may have multiple approvals in various departments. Students should make sure that the Wheaton designation for a course meets their particular major, minor, or Wheaton foundation requirements that assist in fulfilling graduation requirements. Students should also make sure that they are not duplicating a particular course during study abroad.

If you are unsure if a course fulfills a specific requirement you should speak with your major advisor and an advisor at the Center for Global Education.

Wheaton Credit
The Wheaton credit field explains how many Wheaton credits will be awarded for a particular course. Some courses will receive 1.0 credit and other may receive .8 credits. Both will fulfill a course requirement, but students will be reminded that a total of 32 credits are required in order to graduate.

University
This describes the overseas university or program where the courses are offered. Some programs will offer courses at a variety of local universities. Students should make sure to check with their Center for Global Education advisor to see if they are eligible for taking courses directly at an overseas university.

How to use the Database

Students can use the database in a variety of ways:

• View approved courses for a specific program
• View approved courses in a particular area of study
• View approved courses when completing the Study Abroad Application
• Check for a course equivalent necessary for fulfilling a particular major, minor, or foundation requirement.

Steps for Completing the Wheaton Study Abroad Application

In order to complete the Wheaton application using the curriculum database, students should follow the steps outlined below:

• View courses approved for a particular study abroad program by going to the specific program database.
• List the number of courses equivalent to a full course of study at the host institution or program and list them in order of preference in the Course Selection Section of the Wheaton Study Abroad Application.
• Students should fill in the Course Number, Course Title, Host Credits, Wheaton Designation using the database (what the course is equivelent to at Wheaton 100-level, 200-level, etc..), Wheaton Credit, and write in either "database" or obtain a faculty signature.
• Signatures are required in two cases; 1. The course has not been previously approved; 2. The course is approved in a department or towards a particular requirement that is different than what you need to fulfill a particular major, minor, or foundation requirement necessary for your specific graduation requirements.
• Students are encouraged to ascertain that none of the courses selected are courses they have previously taken as college students. Different course titles and numbers may easily lead to confusion in this regard.
• Students should also list 3-4 Alternate Courses in the Alternate Course Section of the application. Repeat bullet point #3 to complete the Alternate Course Section.
• Students are required to have their major advisor(s) sign the bottom of the Course Selection page in order to receive approval for your overall plan of study.

Questions