Harvard Summer School 2012

Study Abroad Programs


Explore 2012 programs

See the main page menu to choose a program.

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Key dates

  • Monday, April 2: Conditions of Participation and Assumption of Risk and General Release Form due
  • Friday, April 13: Deposit due
  • Tuesday, May 1: Health clearance form due
  • Monday, May 21: Full payment due

Admitted Students

Congratulations on your acceptance into a Harvard Summer School Study Abroad program. We hope you are looking forward to a summer of focused study and invigorating exploration overseas. All the steps and tasks that need to be completed after being accepted into a study abroad program are listed on this page. Also, helpful resources for your upcoming trip are detailed, including information on staying safe and healthy while abroad.

On this page:

Once admitted, complete these steps as soon as possible

  1. Read, sign, and return to the Summer School Study Abroad Office the Conditions of Participation and Assumption of Risk and General Release Form no later than April 2. (This and all other forms referenced here will be sent to you by the Summer School by early March. If you do not have them by March, please contact summerabroad@dcemail.harvard.edu as soon as possible.) Failure to return a signed copy of this form will result in your removal from the program.
  2. Read and fill out the Health Clearance Form. Requires an appointment with your doctor or University Health Services (UHS). The Health Clearance forms are to be completed by you, by a primary care clinician, and, if applicable, your mental health clinician or other health care specialist(s). Harvard students, see the Harvard University Health Services resources section. In order to obtain your doctor’s clearance on the Health Clearance Form, you will first need to complete a Health History Form (attached to the Clearance Form) and bring this to your doctor’s appointment. You may also choose to give a copy of the Health History Form to your Program Director, but this is not required. Return the signed Clearance Form to the Summer School Study Abroad Office no later than May 1. Failure to return a signed copy of this form will result in your removal from the program.
  3. Complete any program-specific paperwork as requested by the program director.
  4. Complete a mandatory online orientation.
  5. Attend any program-specific meetings as organized by the program director.
  6. Register your itinerary in the Harvard Travel Registry (instructions will be sent in the spring).

Emergency numbers for students

International SOS (ISOS). +1 215-942-8478
24/7 medical, security, and travel advice or assistance
Harvard Operations Center (24/7). +1 617-495-5560
Harvard College Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm EDT). +1 617-495-9100
osapr@fas.harvard.edu

Student responsibilities

All students, including those in study abroad programs, are responsible for knowing and adhering to the rules of the Harvard Summer School. General study abroad policies are available here.

In May, students will receive a link to the electronic version of the Harvard Summer School Student Handbook. Please read this document carefully. While the resources and activities will vary at each locale, the rules and policies described in the sections “Academic Policies” and “Student Conduct” apply to all participants in a Summer School program.

Deposit and payment

Payment in full is due by May 21. Please see Funding and Payment for details.

International health and safety

Traveling abroad can be deeply rewarding for Harvard students, faculty and staff. It also requires careful planning, even for seasoned travelers. Each destination requires a different strategy and for responding to situations, from small inconveniences to serious emergencies.

Each traveler is ultimately responsible for his or her own safety. Please follow the steps below before traveling abroad:

  1. Register your trip.
    Your upcoming international travel will be entered in the Harvard Travel Registry by the Summer School study abroad office. After you receive confirmation of this via e-mail from the Summer School study abroad office, please do the following (This step is required for students; failure to register your trip may result in delays regarding your registration and participation):
    • Visit www.travelregistry.harvard.edu and log in to your profile to review this information and make any necessary changes.
    • If you have not previously created a profile in the Harvard Travel Registry, one has been created for you. To access it, click the "Forgot Password" link on the Registry homepage and enter your Harvard email address. Click on the "Reset and Mail Password" button and a new, temporary password will be sent to you. Log in to the Registry with your Harvard email account and temporary password and change your password.
    Be sure to update your record throughout your trip (for example, add a local cell phone number when you arrive, or change the itinerary if your schedule changes) so that Harvard can quickly locate and communicate with you in the event of an emergency. There are additional tips for staying safe and healthy while abroad at www.traveltools.harvard.edu. If you have any questions about the Harvard Travel Registry, please e-mail travelregistry@harvard.edu.
  2. Visit the International SOS website.
    International SOS provides emergency medical and security evacuation services to all Harvard students, and benefits-eligible faculty, and staff who are traveling abroad for University business or a University-related activity. Harvard travelers who become sick or injured while traveling abroad, or who find themselves traveling in a location that has become dangerous, can contact I-SOS for assistance. In addition to evacuation services, I-SOS also provides country-specific travel advice, medical repatriation, and other related services. While I-SOS is not health insurance, it provides valuable benefits for those traveling abroad with Harvard. For a full list of benefits and additional information, please see the FAQs and summary of benefits, or visit the I-SOS website directly. All Harvard travellers will receive a card with contact information for I-SOS. Harvard’s membership number is: 11BSGC000038.
  3. Register your trip with the embassy of your country of citizenship.
    Embassies can provide some assistance to their citizens in an emergency. US citizens can register at https://travelregistration.state.gov.
  4. Review your health insurance coverage.
    Make sure your health insurance covers you in your destination country or countries. All Summer School students are required to have health insurance. If you do not have health insurance, you will be required to purchase the Summer School’s insurance as part of your registration. (International SOS is not health insurance; it will expedite your access to healthcare overseas but you will need to cover any emergency expenses and reconcile those costs with your insurance provider upon your return to the United States.)
  5. Obtain a pre-travel health consultation.
    The purpose of the health clearance form is to confirm that you are healthy enough for extended travel and study overseas. It is important to discuss the details of your trip with your healthcare provider, and ask for recommendations based on your individual health and destination. If appropriate, your healthcare provider may administer vaccinations, perform baseline tests, and prescribe medications or other preventive measures. For Harvard students, University Health Services provides general advice on staying healthy while traveling abroad.
  6. Bring your medications.
    Make sure to bring a complete supply of any prescription medications with you, as well as general health care supplies such as over-the-counter medications for mild illnesses and painkillers. Do you need immunizations? The Center for Disease Control Travelers’ Health site has destination-specific recommendations and general information for international travel.
  7. Pay attention to the world around you.
    Be aware of current events at your destination as well as travel advisories issued from the US State Department. Harvard reserves the right to cancel a study abroad program at any time due to local adverse conditions.

Harvard University Health Services resources

Any Harvard student can chose to visit their own primary care clinician or utilize University Health Services (UHS) to complete the health clearance. Students seeing a specialist will need to make an appointment with that health care provider prior to visiting UHS for final sign off on the health clearance form.

UHS has set aside 3 designated days on which to conduct health clearance appointments for summer travel:

Specific health clearance appointments will be required. Unfortunately, UHS will not be able to accommodate walk-ins on these dates and appointments must be scheduled online. To schedule your health clearance appointment:

Prior to your appointment, you must complete the health history portion of the form and, if necessary, obtain clearance from your mental health clinician or other health care specialist(s). See the health clearance form for more information on the process and requirements.

Please note that the health clearance appointment does not include a travel consultation or travel immunizations for your destination. Travel consults can be scheduled on-line or by calling UHS at (617) 495-5182. UHS recommends that you schedule your travel consultation 6 to 8 weeks in advance of foreign travel.

Harvard Students who cannot schedule an appointment on one of the three days may find limited availability when they contact UHS for an appointment at another time, so we ask that you utilize these dedicated days. Make your appointment for the earliest date possible.

If you have any questions about the health clearance appointments, please contact Katy Kehoe at UHS at (617) 496-3249. Questions about the health clearance requirement or process should be directed to your program administrator or the contacts listed on the health clearance forms.

Visa and passport services

Depending on your nationality and the location of your program, you may need a visa for entry to that country. Your program director can provide guidance as to the general rules for your destination, and some programs may provide the required documentation from host institutions, but you are responsible for securing your own travel visa if necessary.

Harvard has identified 2 vendors that can assist you with visa and passport issues for international travel. These firms can answer questions about visa requirements free of charge either via their websites or by phone. For a fee they will assist travelers with the application process, which is especially beneficial for rush orders, by reviewing and submitting the traveler’s application, passport, and any other required information/documents.

If you place an order for services with either vendor, please do so via the Harvard portals so that you will receive the negotiated Harvard rates. Each vendor has also supplied a dedicated toll-free number for Harvard travelers.

Each vendor is solely responsible for the services that they provide. When you go the vendor’s portal, you will be outside the Harvard website and you will be subject to the vendor’s privacy policy and other procedures.

Harvard-approved vendors:

Travisa

Travisa is Harvard’s primary vendor for visa and passport services and has a dedicated customer service team for Harvard travelers. To access their services, visit the Travisa Portal for Harvard travelers. To speak with a member of the dedicated customer service team, e-mail Harvard@travisa.com.

A. Briggs

A. Briggs has a Boston office for walk-ins and is our recommended vendor for visas from Boston consulates, such as Brazil. An A. Briggs web portal and dedicated toll-free number for Harvard travelers will be available soon.

Students can get more information about the above vendors on Harvard’s Global Support Services website.

Grades and transcripts

Grades for study abroad programs are generally available 1 week after the program’s official end date. To view your grades, log in to online services. Grades for Harvard College students will roll automatically on to your College transcript.

Non-Harvard students may request a transcript from the Summer School by submitting the transcript request form to Academic Services according to the instructions outlined on Transcripts.

Information for families

Families should be assured that your student’s well-being is paramount in our program planning and execution. Our program directors are expert resources for their particular locales, as well as being integral members of the Harvard community during the academic year. Since his or her acceptance into the program, your student has been receiving a great deal of program information from faculty and program staff, in the form of mailings, individual and group meetings, and regularly-updated websites. Parents and guardians are encouraged to speak directly with your student about the study abroad program and to have him or her contact the Summer School study abroad office or program director with all program-related inquires.

While Summer School and program staff may be able to answer your general questions about our programs, we are unfortunately prohibited from releasing specific information as it pertains to a student’s participation in a Harvard Summer School study abroad program. Summer School policy and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”) provide students and former students certain protections and rights concerning the confidentiality of their educational records. You can read FERPA in its entirety to fully understand the privacies and restrictions regarding student records.

Program pre-departure meetings

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Full list