Reed College
Reed College

Application Instructions and Documents

Reed-Approved Study Abroad Programs

Every Reed student who wants to study abroad must complete these components as a supplement to the program-specific application:

*Students must complete this form after completing the program-specific application and receiving the acceptance letter, but before the program begins. 

Choosing Your Study Abroad Courses

  1. Explore your host institution's website to identify courses you can take during your off-campus study (OCS). You can review the course catalogs of Reed-approved programs on the international programs website.
  2. Submit the OCS Course Approval Form for each course you would like evaluated for transfer to Reed. You must provide a course description and syllabus with each request. The registrar’s office will evaluate courses for application toward group and division requirements. If you want the course to apply toward major or minor requirements, you must indicate that on the form and the registrar’s office will seek evaluation/approval from the appropriate department/committee on your behalf.
  3. To transfer OCS courses back to Reed, you must submit the OCS Course Approval Form—ideally before your program begins. Failure to submit a form for each OCS course may prevent the course from transferring or counting toward requirements. If you need to change your course selections once on-site, you must submit the OCS Course Approval Form for the new course(s).

Contact the registrar’s office at transfercredit@reed.edu or 503-777-7793 with questions.

Note: The OCS Course Approval Form is NOT for the transfer of courses taken at another institution via non-off-campus study. Instead, use the general Request for Transfer Credit Form.

For Reed registration, students will select the “course” under the subject “Study Abroad/Away” for the semester(s) they will be abroad.

Non-Approved Programs

Since transfer credit is not guaranteed for courses that students take while separated from the college (leave of absence, withdrawal, etc.) to study abroad in a Reed non-approved program, a special petition process is available to students who can document a strong academic rationale for wanting to study abroad in a non-approved program.

The petitioning process includes the following:

  1. A first meeting with the international programs office director to discuss the process of requesting a special petition.
  2. An application and a personal statement explaining a compelling academic rationale, demonstrating that the learning objectives cannot be met by any program offered abroad by Reed, and providing a selection of the courses that the student wants to take in the non-approved program.
  3. The registrar's office reviews the host institution/provider accreditation and the selection of courses. The international programs office reviews the proposed study abroad program and provider.
  4. Final approval by the Off-Campus Study Programs Committee (OCSC) chair.

If the petition is approved

Students pay Reed tuition and receive Reed financial aid (if eligible and with a signed academic consortium in place). Students will need to complete and submit:

  1. The international programs office online application 
  2. The program-specific application
  3. The Off-Campus Study (OCS) Course Approval Form for each course you would like evaluated for transfer to Reed. You must provide a course description and syllabus with each request. The registrar’s office will evaluate courses for application toward group and division requirements. If you wish the course to apply toward major or minor requirements, you must indicate that on the form and the registrar’s office will seek evaluation/approval from the appropriate department/committee on your behalf. 
  4. To transfer OCS courses back to Reed, you must submit the OCS Course Approval Form—ideally before your program begins. Failure to submit a form for each OCS course may prevent the course from transferring or counting toward requirements. If you need to change your course selections once on-site, you must submit the OCS Course Approval Form for the new course(s).

If the petition is not approved

Students will need to take a leave of absence. Per the college’s policy, courses taken while participating independently in a study abroad or off-campus study program while on leave, withdrawn, suspended, or denied registration from Reed College are NOT eligible for transfer to Reed.

Important Information for All Reed Students

  • Removal from good academic or disciplinary standing, even after acceptance, may prohibit the student from participating in off-campus study. Consult with the international programs office immediately if your academic or disciplinary status changes.
  • You are encouraged to call the health and counseling center at (503) 777-7281 or use the self-scheduling tool in the Student Health Portal to set up a one-hour physical appointment with a nurse practitioner. If you have any health-related documents from your study abroad program, please take that to the appointment with you.