Lafayette offers both winter and summer interim faculty-led off-campus programs to Lafayette students.

  • Winter: Programs are offered during the winter term running for 3 to 4 weeks in January (or between December and January; consult individual program info pages for exact dates).
  • Summer: Programs are typically offered starting in late May, June, or later in the summer running anywhere from 3 – 8 weeks (consult individual program pages for exact dates).

All interim courses are credit-bearing and offer 1 to 2 Lafayette credits (depending on program length and course focus). Most interim courses fulfill one or more Common Course of Study requirements. This information can be found on the program brochure pages (linked below in the Programs section). Should there be any discrepancy between the official Banner Catalog and the program brochure page, please contact the Registrar’s Office and/or the Office of International & Off-Campus Education for further information.

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Important Dates

Program Info Updates

  • Mid-July: Program info pages for the upcoming academic year are updated. Please see the Programs section below for current offerings.
  • End of August: Program costs for most programs are finalized and posted to the program pages. Some programs may continue to show estimates or the previous iterations’ costs as details are finalized.

Registration Timeline: 2024-25 Academic Year

  • Online registration opens in Banner: 11 September 2024 at 7:30 AM (see detailed instructions below)
  • Online registration closes: 13 September 2024 at 12 PM
  • Registration confirmation and further instructions sent from IOCE: 13 September 2024 by 4 PM
  • Financial aid notifications: 20 September 2024 by 4 PM
  • NONREFUNDABLE winter program deposit: due two weeks after registration or by 22 September 2024 (whichever is sooner).
  • NONREFUNDABLE summer program deposits: due within two weeks of registration unless otherwise indicated. Instructions will be found in your study abroad portal once your registration is confirmed.

Registration

Registration occurs through the Banner Self-Service system (like registration for any other course) and begins at 7:30 AM for all students. If you have any holds on your account, you will not be able to register. Please resolve any holds well in advance of registration day. Read the step-by-step instructions prior to registering. You can also find further information at the bottom of the page in the FAQ section.

Program registration occurs on a first-come, first-served basis. Programs close quickly. If you aren’t able to get into your course, consider a course with open seats or complete a waitlist application.

NOTE: You will not be considered for the waitlist for one program if you are registered for another. If you would like us to be aware of any special considerations, please express those in your waitlist application rather than contacting IOCE.

Students who do not get into a program are invited to research External Summer and Winter Interim Programs.


Programs

*Open, may have limited seats. Contact Rochelle Keesler at keeslerr@lafayette.edu to register.

Winter 2025

  • GEOL 140: A Geologic Exploration of New Zealand’s Dynamic Landscape*
  • GEOL 170: Geological and Paleobiological Evolution of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
  • INDS 208: Exploring Peru’s Indigenous Populations in the Modern Day
  • INDS 214: Journey to Rome: Approaching and Exploring the Eternal City*
  • INDS 218: The World Runs on Processes (Brazil)
  • INDS 279: Conflict in Eastern Europe: Past and Present
  • INDS 281: London and Dublin Theater*

Summer 2025

  • GERM & INDS 256: Green Europe: Cultures of Sustainability*
  • INDS 105: Florence: Language, Art, and Culture*
  • INDS 122: Lumiere Noire: Tracing the African Diaspora in Paris*
  • INDS 224: Greek Stories/Stories About Greece

*Open, may have limited seats. Contact Rochelle Keesler at keeslerr@lafayette.edu to register.

Please note that programs may be subject to cancellation at any time for force majeure reasons (including but not limited to under-enrollment, natural or political crises in the host country, COVID-19 concerns, etc.).


Financial Aid

2024-25 Interim Financial Aid Info

Eligible students will be automatically considered for the Bergh Family Fellows Program by the Office of Financial Aid.


FAQs about Off-Campus Interim Programs

How do I register?

Please also review the step-by-step registration instructions in the Registration section.

Off-campus interim program registration occurs on the Banner Self-Service system (like registration for any other course). It is a first-come, first-served system and opens at 7:30 am for all students. Students should resolve any account holds prior to registration day. Please see the Important Dates section for this year’s interim registration date.

Students can only register for one program per interim time period (i.e. one winter interim program and one May/summer interim program). Students may not register for one program and join the waitlist for another program occurring during the same time period. This means once a student has enrolled in a specific off-campus interim program, they will not have the opportunity to switch to another program.

Students who successfully register in Banner for an interim program must complete their study abroad portal application (instructions will be sent within two business days of registration), which includes a nonrefundable deposit of $500. The deadline for submitting these items is listed above in the Important Dates section.

Successful online registration holds a space for a student in a program, but it is not a confirmation of enrollment. To finalize enrollment, students must have a clear disciplinary record (see eligibility page for further information) and complete their study abroad portal application, which includes a $500 nonrefundable deposit. No exceptions can be made to this policy and a spot will not be guaranteed unless these requirements are met by the stated deadline.

If a student successfully registers for an off-campus interim program and is no longer able to or interested in participating, they must notify the office in writing by emailing studyabroad@lafayette.edu. Withdrawing after confirming participation in the program by submitting the program deposit will cause the student to incur any non-recoverable costs that the program places in the student’s name.

What if the program is closed or full?

If all of the off-campus interim programs that interest a student are closed or full, students should complete a waitlist application. It is important that students fill out all of the information requested to the best of their ability, or else they may not be eligible for waitlist selection.

Students will be moved from the waitlist into programs as space becomes available. Students who indicate an interest in more than one program will be moved into the first program with space. The selected student will be contacted by IOCE about completing their study abroad portal requirements, which includes a $500 nonrefundable deposit. Failure to complete these steps will cause the student to forfeit the space in the program.

Students, parents, etc. should not contact the Office of International & Off-Campus Education to ask where the student is on the waitlist. IOCE will contact the student if or when a space is available to them.

Is it too late to withdraw?

Students who would like to withdraw from an off-campus interim program must withdraw in writing by emailing studyabroad@lafayette.edu. Any student who withdraws from a program, regardless of the reason, after submitting the deposit will forfeit the $500 nonrefundable deposit and will be responsible for any other unrecoverable costs for the program (i.e. airfare, hotel, individual shares of group expenses, etc.), which will be applied to the student’s billing account.

Optional trip cancellation insurance is available. Students will receive further information on CFAR (cancel for any reason) insurance in their study abroad portals after registering.

Note that students whose participation in an off-campus interim program is terminated by Lafayette College for reasons of misconduct will receive neither credit nor refund, will be required to return to the United States immediately, and will bear all expenses related to the changes in the itinerary.

What will it cost?

Lafayette College is committed to trying to maintain the cost of off-campus interim programs to make them as affordable as possible. On average, one-credit programs cost around $6800. That amount typically covers tuition, airfare, accommodations, on-site program-related transportation, admission fees to program-sponsored activities, and Lafayette’s overseas health and safety insurance plan. Please see the individual program info pages (linked above in the Programs section) for individual program costs.

Is financial aid available?

For Lafayette-led winter and summer off-campus programs, every student who has successfully registered for a winter or summer program will be considered for interim grant eligibility. There is no separate application. A limited amount of financial support is available. Interim grants may range from a minimum of $1,000 up to a maximum of the specific program costs. Interim grant amounts offered will be determined based on the specific program’s costs, level of need, remaining loan eligibility, and the number of eligible registrants. Due to limited funds, students will only be considered if they meet all of the following criteria:

  • Currently receive institutional need-based aid in the form of Lafayette College grant assistance.
  • Register during the online registration window in Banner for a winter/summer abroad program. Students who register outside the window will be considered for aid if funding is still available.

The Office of Financial Aid will only send email notifications to students who are awarded an interim grant, indicating their specific grant amount, prior to the interim nonrefundable deposit deadline.

Funding notifications are made by the Office of Financial Aid (please see the Important Dates section above for further details on timing). There is one limited pool of aid for winter and summer interim. Students interested in summer programs should register on the registration date in September in order to ensure consideration for the funding pool. Only students who are awarded funding will be notified.

Eligible students are also encouraged to apply for the Fund for Education Abroad and the Gilman Scholarship.

Insurance

Students enrolled in a Lafayette College off-campus interim program occurring outside the United States are automatically enrolled in the College’s overseas health and safety insurance plan. Students enrolled in a Lafayette College off-campus interim program occurring within the United States should continue to use the health insurance program in which they are already enrolled.

Optional trip cancellation insurance is available. Students will receive further information on CFAR (cancel for any reason) insurance in their study abroad portals after registering.