Getting started
Check College website for exploring your options to study abroad and for College policies governing eligibility and rules for study abroad
HSOC majors interested in studying abroad should carefully plan how and when to fulfill their core major requirements and department electives at Penn before and after going abroad.
As many core courses as possible should be completed before going abroad.
What programs are good for HSOC?
- Decide if you are interested in going to a particular place or are looking for a particular program
- Study abroad doesn't have to focus on HSOC, but some programs are better than others in terms of HSOC-relevant programs; consult with Penn Abroad to learn more
How many courses from study abroad can count toward the HSOC major?
- Study abroad courses may be counted only toward the concentration requirement (unless they are IHP courses - see below).
- Up to two courses relevant to the topic of the concentration may be accepted for credit in the major (unless they are IHP courses - see below).
- Courses from study abroad cannot count as department electives.
How do courses from abroad get on the transcript?
- Courses taken abroad must be submitted to XCAT for approval by the department
- They will appear on the transcript after submission to XCAT, approval by the department, approval by the College, and receipt of the courses and grades from the study abroad site
The International Honors Program “Health and Community” Program (IHP) is particularly good for HSOC majors.
Here is what one HSOC major said about her IHP experience:
"My junior year at Penn, I had the opportunity to study abroad through the International Honors Program’s (IHP’s) Health and Community program. Health and Community brought me together with 33 other college students who were interested in studying approaches to health and health care around the world. Students in the group were majoring in everything from public health to comparative literature to bioengineering—so although we had similar interests, everyone contributed different ideas and perspectives. IHP is unique in its comparative approach. We spent two weeks in Washington, D.C. and approximately a month in South Africa, Vietnam, and Brazil; (other Health and Community trips go to different locations). Two professors traveled with us for the entire semester, each teaching two courses related to public health. Classes were supplemented by guest speakers and site visits. In addition, home-stays in South Africa, Vietnam, and Brazil enabled us to immerse ourselves into local culture and get to know our hosts on a much deeper level than we otherwise would.
For me, IHP’s Health and Community program was the ideal supplement to the Health and Societies curriculum. I saw firsthand many of the concepts I had studied in the classroom and was introduced to new topics that largely steered the remainder of my undergraduate career as a Health and Societies major. For more information about studying abroad with IHP, go to www.ihp.edu."
– Masha Jones '11, Health and Societies (Public Health Concentration)
How many courses from IHP can count toward the HSOC Major?
- Because IHP has proved to be "HSOC abroad" we may accept up to three (3) courses from this program into the major.
- IHP courses cannot be used as department electives, but, if approved, you may substitute one (1) course for a core requirement in the major (i.e. Quantitative Methods, or Medical Anthropology, etc.).
- If there is not space for three (3) courses from IHP in the core or concentration, then approved courses will count as free electives for the General Requirement.
Submitting to XCAT
If you would like help determining whether or not a specific course will be a good fit for transferring into HSOC, please reach out to HSOC Undergraduate Chair Dr. Ramah McKay. Generally, we in HSOC take the same approach to granting study abroad credit as we do when it comes to accepting your petitions for courses from outside our program: if you can make a rational argument for why the course ought to count towards your major and the course meets basic expectations for academic rigor and analytic perspective, then it is likely we will accept the course for credit into your concentration. Many students like to discuss these plans with us in advance, and we welcome these conversations because it helps us to know what your plans are for your study abroad experience, and it helps put you at ease regarding your credit transfer once your study abroad program is completed.
All transfer credit, study abroad, or credit away requests must be submitted through the XCAT system.
(1) Credit for courses taken away from Penn is not automatic. We will only consider credit requests AFTER the course has been completed, we will not pre-approve courses in XCAT (*with the exception of courses from the pre-approved International International Honors "Health & Community" program).
All courses are reviewed by the department on a case-by-case basis through the XCAT system. It is each student’s responsibility to enroll only in courses that are as demanding as those taught at Penn. It is the responsibility of HSOC majors/minors to meet with the HSOC Undergraduate Chair prior to enrolling in a Study Abroad program or in courses at other domestic institutions to discuss planning.
(2) For a course to be considered for credit, the following standards must be met:
• Instructors should hold an advanced degree
• The course must meet regularly (at least 30 to 40 hours over the term)
• The course must include a substantial reading component
• The course MUST require a significant written component and students must be able to demonstrate completion of that work
(3) All XCAT applications must include the course syllabus, details on how you would like us to count the course (i.e. As a free-elective? As an equivalent to one of our numbered courses?), and why you think the course is a good fit for HSOC. A writing sample from your work in the class may be requested on a case-by-case basis.
Your syllabus must enumerate the course in full, including the lecture schedule, list of readings, exams, and all written assignments. In cases where additional documentation is necessary, students will be asked to provide copies of graded work by uploading to the XCAT request. Students should save all work completed for these courses.
(4) Courses that do not meet the standards listed above will not be approved; these typically include:
- Purely or predominantly laboratory-based science courses
- Courses exclusively on business methods or management practices
- "Science appreciation" courses or other courses that remove science, technology, or medicine from its historical, political, and cultural context
Courses that do not require substantial written work and substantial reading
(5) For HSOC majors, a limit of two study abroad/transfer credit courses, approved by the department, can count towards the major—these must fit within the concentration. For STSC or BIOE minors, a limit of two study abroad/transfer credit courses, approved by the department, can count towards the minor.
(6) Classes will only be approved as a general requirements course if the content, scope, approach, and work-load is judged to be equivalent of a general requirement course (like STSC 0600, for example).
(7) Please check with your Advisor in your School regarding the amount of credit you will ultimately receive on your transcript. Most often, if you have fulfilled our requirements, we are pleased to grant you 1 CU as an STSC elective. However, credit values can vary from School to School.