Semester Abroad Programs

All full-time Piedmont University undergraduate students in good academic standing are eligible to participate in semester abroad programs. Other criteria include minimum age of 18 at time of travel, minimum 3.25 GPA, and successful completion of 45 – 75 credit hours prior to semester abroad. Students must also complete an institutional nominating packet before applying to the study abroad destination. The nominating packet is available from the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, who serves as the University's travel study coordinator.

Piedmont University currently participates in two Study Abroad Agreements: one with the University of Nottingham, UK (Nottingham); and one with Universitat Paderborn, Federal Republic of Germany (Paderborn). These agreements are renewable by the written consent of both parties. The initial term for the Paderborn agreement is three years and the initial term for the Nottingham agreement is five years.

Tuition is paid to Piedmont University at the Demorest undergraduate rate tuition, room and board, including the “19 meals” plan. Payment is due before students travel abroad. Students must have financial aid in order by the end of the semester preceding travel.

Students register for a “placeholder” course at Piedmont University: IDIS 4000 for 12 hours. Students are considered full-time students at Piedmont University for purposes of enrollment verification. When official transcripts are received, course descriptions are reviewed by the Registrar with input from Department Chairs and/or Dean of the appropriate college to ensure the course work and learning outcomes are at the collegiate level and comparable to the institution’s degree programs. Piedmont courses are then created with the correct prefix for either Nottingham (NOTT) or Paderborn (PADB). 20 Nottingham module hours = 4 credit hours at Piedmont University; 10 Nottingham module hours = 3 credit hours at Piedmont University.

Students must be registered for at least 50 Nottingham module hours to stay in the country and these hours must be equivalent to a minimum of 12 Piedmont University credit hours. Level 1 and 2 courses are General Education courses or electives; Level 2 or 3 courses equal major courses for second semester juniors or seniors. Level 3 courses are comparable to Piedmont University 400 level courses.

The Nottingham grading scale translates to Piedmont University grades as follows:

70 and above=A;

60-69=B;

40-59=C;

Below 40=F (No credit hours).

All courses taken at these institutions will be posted on Piedmont University transcripts and included in overall GPA. Also, note that Piedmont University scholarships may be affected for future semesters at Piedmont University if grade status drops below the required minimum overall GPA for any scholarships previously awarded to student.