1. Offices
  2. Study Abroad & International Programs
  3. Study Abroad Programs

Non-Approved Programs

Pitzer College has developed a curated list of international and domestic, off-campus program options that have been pre-approved for Pitzer students based on academic quality, intercultural engagement, and alignment with Pitzer educational objectives. Pitzer strongly encourages its students to participate in an approved program, since these programs have been evaluated by Pitzer faculty and staff, are endorsed by the Study Abroad and International Programs Committee, and count on relationships between Pitzer and the institutional hosts that have been developed over many years.

With over 50 offerings worldwide, the College is confident that students from all majors will find an approved program option that meets their academic goals. Nevertheless, Pitzer recognizes that some students may have a particular educational need that cannot be met through one of the approved opportunities. Therefore, a petition process is available to those who have found a program outside Pitzer’s offerings. Petitioners must follow the mandatory steps before submitting a petition. Attendance at a study abroad information session and meeting with a study abroad adviser is compulsory before access to a petition is given.

Some important considerations:

  • Petitions must address an educational need that cannot be met through one of Pitzer’s approved programs. Petitions may include supplementary information related to students’ personal or professional interests and goals, as long as this information adds to or reinforces the petitioner’s academic rationale for selecting a non-approved program. Petitions that focus on non-academic reasons, such as the desire to live in a particular location, to study abroad with a friend from another institution, or other personal reasons, will not be approved.
  • It is unlikely that petitions will be approved for programs offered in the same city or country as an approved program.
  • Pitzer College can offer a limited number of spaces for non-approved programs each academic year, so the petition process will be selective and competitive.

Petition Process

Every year, the petition deadline for students wanting to study abroad in the following fall or spring semesters is November 15. Late petitions are not permitted under any circumstances. 

Students considering a non-approved program are encouraged to attend the mandatory information session and meet with a study abroad adviser early in the fall semester to allow ample time to complete all the required components of the petition by the deadline. 

Petition Components

  • Non-approved program details
  • Essays. Essay prompts will solicit information about your academic goals, how your chosen study abroad program enhances your academic plan at Pitzer, and why the non-approved program you selected meets your academic goals and an approved program does not.
  • All other steps required of students applying to approved programs

Petitions will be completed through the study abroad application portal.

Selection / Approval Criteria

The Study Abroad and International Programs Committee (SAIPcom), comprised of faculty, students, and staff, reviews all petitions. Incomplete or late petitions are not considered under any circumstances. Not all students who petition will be approved, so applicants are highly encouraged to consider an alternative approved option. SAIPcom will evaluate petitions according to this Rubric.

Decision Timeline & Appeal Policy

SAIPcom will review all petitions after the November 15 deadline. SAIPcom’s decisions are typically sent out from the Office of Study Abroad and International Programs before winter recess. If a student’s petition is approved, they may proceed with an application to the program’s sponsor. Approval of a non-approved program petition by Pitzer does not guarantee a student’s admission to the program.

If a student’s petition is not approved, and the student wishes to appeal the decision, they will have until January 31 to submit an appeal. Only the petitioner can submit an appeal. The petitioner should email their appeal to the current chair(s) of the SAIPcom. The appeal needs to include the following: 

  1. Statement explaining in detail why the student believes the decision should be reconsidered, along with any extenuating circumstances or mitigating factors that were not addressed in the original petition materials.
  2. Optional additional materials or evidence to support the petitioner’s request. This could include a written statement from a student’s academic adviser endorsing their petition and academic rationale.

The decision made by SAIPcom on an appeal is final.