While You’re Away
While you are off-campus, it can be easy to forget about your responsibilities back at Bucknell. You are so busy learning new and exciting things, returning to Bucknell might be the last thing on your mind. However, it is important to remember that while you are off-campus, you should be making preparations for your return to campus.
These are the most important things to consider while you are off-campus.
Off-Campus Study Registration and Address Form
This mandatory form verifies that you are enrolled full-time with your off-campus study program and provides the Office of Global & Off-campus Education with updated contact information. It is also your opportunity to inform the Registrar's Office if you have made any changes to your course selection.
If you have made a change to your course list, please mail or fax this form to the Registrar's Office.
If you have not made a change, mail or fax this form to the Office of Global and Off-Campus Education by the given deadline.
The form is typically due in August/October for students who are off-campus in the fall and due in February/March for students who are off-campus in the spring. Please note that the deadline is different for students studying in the southern hemisphere. Check the form for the deadline which applies to you.
Housing
You should have completed all of the necessary forms for the housing lottery prior to the start of your program. If you have any questions as to your housing assignment, contact Housing Services at 570-577-1195, or housing@bucknell.edu.
Course Registration
Students studying off-campus are able to register online for their classes for the following semester. If you have not received a PIN number, please contact your academic adviser or the Registrar’s Office.
Honors and Senior Theses
While you are off-campus you will encounter a number of topics and ideas that may be interesting to you and would provide a fascinating topic for a senior or honors thesis. If you plan on writing an honors thesis, you should know that this process begins early in your senior year. You should begin planning to embark on this process while you are abroad or during the summer before your senior year. Consult your academic adviser for more information about this process.
Graduate School Entrance Exams
If you are planning to go to graduate school, law school or medical school, you should begin thinking about, studying for and taking the LSATs, GREs and MCATs during your junior year and the first semester of your senior year. Studying abroad can narrow the time frame you have to take these exams, so begin planning for these exams before and during your time off-campus. Consult the Career Development Center for more information on these exams, as well as other preparations for law school, medical school or graduate school.
Graduate Fellowships
Many applications for many graduate fellowships — including the Fulbright, Rhodes and Marshall scholarships — are due in mid-September of your senior year. These applications are often extensive, requiring detailed proposals, multiple letters of recommendation and several essays. Please consult the Graduate Fellowships website and direct questions toward the adviser for each fellowship.
Institutional Honors
To be eligible to receive full institutional honors upon graduation (magna cum laude or summa cum laude), you must successfully complete 24 courses at Bucknell University. According to Bucknell policy, if you have completed fewer than 24 courses, you are only eligible to receive cum laude standing, regardless of your GPA. This may be a concern for students who spend a full year abroad.