Academic and Professional Development Credit
Academic Credit
If you are joining us on a Travel/Study Expedition and are hoping to earn academic credit for this experience, you have several options. First, if you are already enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program in a college or university, start there. It is usually easier and less expensive for you to make these arrangements at your home institution. We will send the supporting materials you may need. Discuss your plans with your academic advisor and check on the possibility of receiving credit for your work through a directed or independent study.
For assistance in obtaining supporting documentation, you can email us at encounterexpeditions@fastmail.fm and explain what you need to have in order to receive academic credit. We will get back to you as soon as possible with the appropriate information. Generally, a program of 3 or 9 days duration will be deemed sufficient for granting 1-9 credit hours, typically you will focus on easily-definable topics, have specific readings, and a summary paper, online journal or photo journal. We will be happy to suggest topics based on your major field of study and your academic interests.
For graduate students, teachers, educational administrators or other professionals enrolled in a graduate education program, we will work with you prior to our Expedition to develop an independent study project which can be submitted for graduate credit.
Any credit which you expect to apply toward a degree at your home institution toward an undergraduate or graduate degree should be approved by faculty members at your home institution prior to enrollment.
In the unlikely event that you are not successful in obtaining approval of your study plan at your home institution, or you are not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program, several schools will grant academic credit for your study with us. Each institution has different fees, deadlines, and expectations, and you should contact each university for information and enrollment materials.
An important reminder: all academic credit arrangements must be completed before our Expedition.
Professional Development Credits for Educators and Other Professionals (PDU or CEU Units)
Educators of all subjects and other professions (health care workers, social workers, etc.) who participate in our Encounter Expeditions routinely apply for professional credit for the learning activities on our Expeditions. We can furnish a detailed letter of explanation of the various activities and the hours spent on each. We can work with teachers ahead of time to help each one make the most of your time on our Expeditions and to assist in preparing the report for each school district. As with all credit, approval should be requested prior to the Expedition.