Frequently Asked Questions

Babson Electives Abroad and Away are short-term courses that combine classroom instruction on the Babson campus with company site visits, cultural excursions, and hands-on experiences abroad or away. Led by Babson faculty, these courses also include on-site lectures given by partner school faculty and distinguished guest speakers. The academic content for these courses is diverse and specialized, ranging from corporate social responsibility in Thailand/Malaysia to consulting with startup businesses in Spain. These elective courses are offered to students during academic breaks in January, March, and May.

After you have identified the courses of interest, you can check if there are any prerequisites by visiting the individual course brochures pages.

Courses are designed by faculty. The topics covered and places visited are based on the faculty area of interest and expertise, student demand, and student feedback from past courses. The course offerings are reviewed each year to offer the best and most interesting courses possible. The Glavin Office is responsible for the marketing and delivery of the courses offered.

These courses are open to all Babson students who meet the course prerequisites and selection criteria outlined on the course brochures pages. Student must be, and remain, in good academic standing with the college for duration of the course. Student must be in good standing with the Office of Community Standards by time of travel.

Yes, athletes can participate in Babson Electives Abroad and Electives Away. Visiting our Athletes Abroad page to see possible opportunities by sport.

Since each student’s situation is unique, it recommended that you meet with your Student Success Advisor about your eligibility prior to applying.

No. All classes and site visits are conducted in English, however it is advised that you learn some basic phrases before the travel portion of the course. Visit our Resources page to access the Mango Languages resource offered free through the Babson Horn Library.

Application and admission for all Elective Abroad/Elective Away courses is done in two phases: initial application and rolling application. NOTE: Courses must meet a minimum enrollment to proceed. At a point during the rolling application phase, if the course has not met the minimum number of participants, it may be determined that the course needs to be canceled. The program manager will alert all students who are confirmed in the course in advance of the decision and will work with students to find alternative placement options. However, alternative placement is not guaranteed.

Yes, you can apply to more than one course, however we do ask that you only apply to courses for which you are ready and able to commit, as your lack of commitment may take the opportunity away for another student.

All applications submitted during the initial application phase will be reviewed by the faculty following the initial application deadline. Students who apply before the initial application deadline have the highest chance of being selected for the course. All applications submitted during the rolling application phase are reviewed monthly. The earlier a student submits their application during the rolling application phase, the more likely they are to be selected for the course.

The Glavin Office will register you for the Elective Abroad / Elective Away once all required acceptance materials have been completed and final payments have been made to the Glavin Office.

Registration for all Electives Abroad/Electives Away is done by the Glavin Office.

• Courses that travel in December/January are registered in the spring semester term.
• Courses that travel during March Break are registered in the spring semester term.
• Courses with travel in May/June are registered in the summer first session.
• Courses with travel in July/August are registered in summer second session.

It is the responsibility of each student to secure their own passport as visa, as well as any transit visas (if applicable) for an Elective Abroad. It is expected that the student will familiarize themselves with all passport and visa requirements before registering for any Elective Abroad. No refunds will be given due to passport- or visa-related issues. The Glavin Office will provide travel-specific information to assist students in completing their visa application upon student request. The most updated information should be obtained through the destination country’s consulate office. Given the number of course participants, the Glavin Office is unable to process student visa applications. NOTE: Passports must be valid six months post travel.

Students need a travel document that is valid for plane travel in the United States. For a list of valid identification visit the TSA website. 

Once you are accepted to an Elective Abroad, you will be required to submit a copy of your passport. At that time you will need to let your Elective Abroad program manager know when you expect to receive your renewed passport. You cannot travel with the course if this information is not received by the Glavin Office, so once you receive your renewed passport it is your responsibility to return to your Education Abroad application and complete the questionnaire.

Students who are at Babson on an F1 or J1 visa can still apply for our Elective Abroad or Away programs. Check in with your International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) advisor to let them know you are interested in an Elective Abroad or Away before you apply. They will let you know if you need to meet any credit minimum or if you need to update your I-20 signature before travel. 

No. The Electives Abroad & Away are academic courses and due to the complexities in managing the group abroad all students must stay in the course accommodations.

No. The Electives Abroad & Away are intensive academic programs and cannot accommodate additional, noncourse participants.

Costs vary for each course. The amount charged to students is based on the total costs incurred by Babson for running the course. Note that the program fee is fixed, and it is not possible to offer a la carte pricing for different components of the course.

The program fee for all courses includes: local accommodations, internal travel, local transfers, program meals, and excursions. Not all meals and personal expenses are covered. Due to the complexities of managing group travel, the Glavin Office uses group bookings whenever possible. Students do not have the option of making their internal transportation (flight, train, bus) arrangements. Some courses may have a charge for use of local facilities or guest lecturers. For all local charges, the Glavin Office negotiates the best deal possible, including reciprocal agreements with host schools, if possible. The faculty flight, accommodation, and daily expenses are included in the program fee charged to students. In some instances, these costs may be subsidized by grants, academic division budgets, or outside gifts. For more information on grants, scholarships, and financial aid to assist with these expenses, see note below.

Fees do not cover tuition, international flights (to/from U.S.—unless there is a required group flight), student meals (unless specified in the itinerary), entrance fees on cultural visits not included on the itinerary, charges for phone calls/internet use, or any other services not specifically included in the itinerary. For more information on grants, scholarships, and financial aid to assist with these expenses, see note below.

You should contact your SFS advisor to learn more about their grants, scholarships, and financial aid packages and how they can reduce expenses.