Petition and Appeals Process
Participation in an alternative program for Washington University credit requires submission of a formal petition to the Study Abroad Advisory Board (SAAB). In the petition statement, a student must articulate the academic relevance of the requested program to their on-campus field of study, their academic, linguistic and cultural preparation for the program, and the absence of a program currently approved by WU that meets their academic needs. The petition must be strongly endorsed by the appropriate academic department. Students interested in submitting a petition for an alternative program must meet with the Associate Director of Overseas Programs at least 2 weeks before the application deadline.
The SAAB approves petitions on a case-by-case basis. If the program is approved by the SAAB, all WU study abroad policies regarding pricing, credit, etc. will apply to it for that specific student. If the SAAB does not approve the petition, the student will receive timely notification and a brief summary of their reasons for not doing so. If the student wishes to appeal the decision, s/he has the option of doing so in writing. An appeal must address the reasons provided by the SAAB for not approving the petition. The SAAB will review the appeal and either uphold or reverse their original decision.
For more information about petitions for alternative programs, please refer to Alternative Programs or to How To Apply for petition application instructions.