APU Study Away is housed within the Center for Career and Community-Engaged Learning (CCEL), which cultivates Christ-centered, transformative experiential learning opportunities that empower the community and enhance professional development for lifelong learning. 

APU Study Away programs take many forms and include: 

1. Semester Programs: LCC Lithuania, LLI Baltimore, LLI Ecuador, LLI Italy, SCIO Oxford, Semester in Spain 

2. Nursing Exchange Programs: Nursing Norway, Nursing China

3. GO Terms: Faculty-led study away programs, faculty/student research projects with travel, grant-funded academic projects/programs with travel, etc. (multiple and changing options each year)

4. And more! 

Study-away programs are available for graduate, professional, and undergraduate students and are offered in the fall, spring, and summer in a variety of destinations and courses of study (General Education and degree specific). 

An off-campus study experience should be thoughtfully integrated into a student’s total academic plan. Study-away program advising is available through CCEL. Email study-away staff at studyaway@apu.edu. All students should consult financial aid advising (ssc@apu.edu) and academic advising (advising@apu.edu) before committing to a study-away program.

For financial information, see our financial aid policies or contact a financial aid counselor in the Student Services Center.

Global Learning Objectives (GLOs)

APU study-away programs provide students with the opportunity to develop their global competency through APU’s Global Learning Objectives: 

1. Local and Global Awareness: Demonstrating a personal knowledge of location(s) engaging (history, geography, groups, faith traditions, languages, resources, etc.) and articulating the interconnections between systems globally (social, economic, political, and environmental).

2. Communication: Demonstrating the ability to communicate effectively with the host community (verbal, nonverbal, written, etiquette, etc.).

3. Vocational Development: Developing knowledge and/or practical skills that are applicable in an academic discipline and/or career.

4. Cultural Inquiry: Taking on a posture of listening and learning, recognizing implicit bias, and developing the ability to see things through the eyes of others.

5. Self-Limitation: Humbly setting aside personal habits/preferences and operating physically within the community as if a local member.

6. Interpersonal Engagement: Forming self-sustaining relationships with members of the host community across cultural, class, and religious differences through active dialogue and collaboration.

7. Self-Awareness: Mindfulness of one’s social location—i.e., the connection between multiple categories such as gender, sexual orientation (attraction), race, ethnicity, nationality, level of education, relationship status, socioeconomic status, religion, immigration status, etc.

8. Emotional Maturity: Developing a contextually appropriate range of affective qualities: emotional resilience, positivity, confidence, initiative, empathy, flexibility, perseverance, etc.

9. Spiritual Formation: Developing personal faith/beliefs and knowledge of Christian and other faith traditions.

10. Behavior Transformation: Consciously acting in a just, socially responsible, and concrete way in daily life. For example, actions/choices in relationships, purchasing, diet, media, technology, social involvement, environmental impact, consumption habits, transportation use, vocational choices, etc.

11. Perspective Transformation: Evaluating, developing, and expanding one’s mindset and worldview.

Study-Away Policies

1. Pre-Study Away: APU Discipline Clearances and Acceptance Process: In order to ensure all program requirements and compliance, study-away programs utilize an application process. As part of that process, CCEL requests a complete discipline clearance (i.e., clearance from academic probation) for each applicant in partnership with the Academic Success Center, Student Affairs, University Counseling Center, and any other relevant office or department (at the discretion of the CCEL). Applicants are not officially accepted into study-away programs without this clearance. APU reserves the right to deny a student based on their discipline history at APU. If a student discipline issue occurs after acceptance or during the program, the student may be withdrawn from the program and will lose any nonrefundable monies or prepayments made on the student’s behalf. Applicant status notifications are communicated through APU email. Non-APU program participation requires written and date-stamped acceptance notifications by the program and by APU Study Away to determine if participation is available.

2. Participation: Study-away students automatically waive the privilege of studying away if they do not complete all preprogram requirements (requirements vary by program) in a thorough and timely manner. Items include, but are not limited to, all forms, online and/or face-to-face meetings, readings, required submissions, trainings, and thorough knowledge of and response to all program-specific materials. Furthermore, participants must abide by all APU policies and all items noted in their program’s Commitment Agreement Form (or equivalent) and communications throughout the duration of their study-away program or risk a range of disciplinary actions, including removal from the program at their own expense.

3. Academics: Students are required to enroll in and fulfill all program-specific required coursework and abide by the following policies:

   1. Applicants for study away must be in good academic standing (e.g., not on academic probation, have a positive academic integrity profile, etc.​​).

   2. Regular course prerequisites for all study-away courses are mandatory for participation in a study-away program.

   3. Students must abide by university add/drop dates; students will receive a withdrawal (W) grade for any courses dropped after this period.

   4. Students are responsible for enrolling according to specific study-away registration procedures for the courses and units that accurately reflect their enrollment in their specific program and term. Failure to enroll in the same number of units in the program and one’s APU student account may incur additional costs and change financial aid, and could affect degree clearance and/or progress.

   5. Study-away students are not allowed to take APU online courses during their study-away term unless designated by the specific program course listings.

   6. Students must stay within any minimums and maximums set by each program regarding online courses.

   7. Students are required to enroll in and fulfill all program-specific required coursework. Any study-away participant not enrolled in the required courses and/or total units for their study-away program, as stated in the current program materials, by the term registration date will be automatically enrolled into the appropriate section(s) and held responsible for any applicable fees/charges. If needed, it is the responsibility of the student to transfer into a different course section by the add/drop date.

4. General APU Policies: Upholding all APU policies is required. All policies are valued, with awareness of the following items being of particular importance when participating in any study-away program:

   1. Regular fulfillment of the residence policy is required to be considered for degree completion.

   2. Regular fulfillment of commencement participation items (e.g., type of registration for final units, etc.) is required for anyone intending to participate in commencement.

5. Study-Away Refund Policy: The Center for Career and Community-Engaged Learning strives to be a good steward of university financial resources, including funds allocated and collected for study-away programs. The center makes every effort to support and serve students while upholding university refund policies. The following information applies to refunds for semester and GO Term study-away programs:

   1. Due to the nature of the study-away experience and the importance of planning early, some, most, or all funds may not be refunded if a student withdraws of their own accord from a program before or during the program dates. It is the student’s responsibility to consult with the Student Services Center before withdrawing from a program once they have signed a Commitment Agreement Form (or equivalent). In some cases, there may be implications that affect the student’s financial aid. It is the responsibility of the participant to communicate in writing the need or desire to officially withdraw from a program. Most programs have a necessary withdrawal form to complete (see the APU Study Away Withdrawal Form). It is the date of completing all such forms or submitting written notice that will be used as the official withdrawal date.

   2. In the event that a student is dismissed from a program due to a violation of policy, academic integrity, or student conduct, no refunds will be given.

   3. Should a student participating in any study-away program need to return home for a medical or immediate-family emergency, APU will assist with arrangements for transportation or other appropriate resources in alignment with the current APU insurance coverage the participant is eligible for. The participant is financially responsible for any expenses related to this. For severe medical emergencies, APU provides emergency evacuation insurance. It is the participant’s responsibility to purchase elective trip cancellation insurance coverage. APU will make every effort to return recoverable funds.

   4. No refund will be made if a student chooses not to participate in any activity provided or paid for by the program.

   5. Before the start of a study-away program and before signing a Commitment Agreement Form (or equivalent), full refunds are permissible in the event that APU has not paid any funds on the student’s behalf to prepay program expenses, contracts, or activities. If a partial refund is available, an itemization of charges/fees will be provided upon request and processed using approved APU methods.

   6. If a student is not accepted to a program, any deposit made will be returned. 

   7. In the event that APU cancels a study-away program, the student will be refunded program fees depending on availability. Students who purchase their own airfare or make other program-related purchases will not be refunded by APU and are encouraged to buy refundable tickets and/or trip cancellation insurance.

6. Financial Aid: The use of financial aid with study away programs varies by student and program type. Visit the Financial Aid Policy for Study Away Programs section of this catalog to be thoroughly aware of the details of this important information. 

7. Additional Study-Away Semester Policies: General

   1. Students cannot study away their final semester and are required to have one full semester at the Azusa campus after studying away.

   2. Students cannot study away two consecutive semesters (consecutive semesters are considered to be fall/spring and spring/fall). This policy does not apply to GO Term program participation.

   3. Students may not participate in the same study-away semester program more than once.

8. Additional Study-Away Semester Policies: Academics

   1. All undergraduate study-away students must maintain full-time enrollment during a semester study-away program (minimum 12 units).

   2. Students are not permitted to take courses unless designated by the specific program course listings. Any semester study-away student enrolled in a course that is not offered by their program will be automatically dropped from the course and notified by CCEL or the Student Services Center. An independent study course may be permitted for some programs. Email studyaway@apu.edu for more information.

   3. Post-Study-Away Curriculum: Semester study-away students are to be registered for and complete a 1-unit or equivalent post-study-away course curriculum upon completion of their semester program (GO Term participants are eligible and highly encouraged to enroll). Any study-away student not enrolled in the required post-study-away curriculum as designated by their study-away program by the term registration date will be automatically enrolled in any open class session. If needed, it is the responsibility of the student to switch to a different course section by the add/drop date.

Policy inquiries are available through the Student Services Center.

Study-Away Program Development Policies

This section applies to any area or employee of APU interested in planning a study-away program. 

1. APU Study-Away Program Definition: APU academic programs that include travel (domestic or international) and a learning component that is part of an APU degree requirement, including, but not limited to: courses (General Education and degree/program specific), fieldwork/internships/practicums/clinicals, research, and any discipline-specific accreditation requirements, etc. Study-away programs take many forms and include, but are not limited to, learning exchange programs, faculty/student research projects with travel, faculty-led GO Term programs, semester programs, grant-funded academic projects/programs with travel, etc.

2. Directions: Programs are coordinated through collaboration with APU department faculty/staff and the CCEL (studyaway@apu.edu). If you are interested in offering any form of study-away program within your degree area, an interest form must be submitted by the annual due date posted online for all types (one per program, per term), even if other agreements and/or forms are also used, even for terms/programs included in a multiyear contract/grant, and even if plans for the program are still tentative. 

3. Three Program Approvals:

   1. Academic Approval: (Provost through CCEL) Approximately 1-2 programs per APU school/college are being approved per year. We encourage departments to collaborate on interdisciplinary programs when possible and/or think about offering a program rotation every 2-3 years.

   2. Travel Approval: (Travel Activities Committee) This approval is submitted by CCEL Study Away for all programs approved through No. 1 above and abides by all current APU travel policies.

   3. Financial Approval: (Concur) After approval through No. 1, the CCEL Study Away office will meet with approved programs to determine the information faculty will submit in Concur for this approval, while also abiding by all current APU financial policies. 

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