Cultural Immersion Requirement Petition

Form due:
Senior majors '13 – before Nov. 20
Junior majors '14 – before April 15
Sophomores '15 – before April 15
 

Department of Psychology

Expectations of Cultural Immersion Requirement

One required component of the Psychology major is the cultural immersion experience.  The purpose of this component is to provide you, the student, with an opportunity to see the world through a cultural lens different from your own and, in doing so, to have a better understanding of the diversity of human experience and mental life.  While we recognize that, for some of you, studying at Wesleyan is a cultural immersion in and of itself, this is still a great opportunity to expand your cultural horizons even further.  While the requirement was conceived as entailing academic study abroad, we do allow students to petition for exceptions as described below. Anything other than academic study abroad however, is an exception, and approval should not be presumed.   

Academic-Year Study Abroad

Academic-year study-abroad refers to spending a college semester (usually in the junior year) attending college in another country through a Wesleyan-approved study-abroad program.  This is the standard mechanism for satisfying the cultural immersion requirement.  One need not take psychology courses while abroad, though many students do. No departmental petition or preapproval is required to satisfy the cultural immersion requirement through an academic-year study abroad experience (though preapproval is needed to transfer specific courses taken abroad towards the major).  See the Office of International Studies (http://www.wesleyan.edu/ois/) for further information. 

Summer Abroad (by petition to Chair)

Summer abroad refers to spending a minimum of 6 full-time weeks in the summer in another country engaged in an organized, productive activity.  Vacationing would not satisfy the requirement but living and working abroad, enrolling in an educational program, or serving with a volunteer organization, would be appropriate.  It is up to the individual student to identify potential opportunities.  To satisfy the requirement in this way, the student must receive preapproval of the Chair (see Cultural Immersion Petition form, above link) and must submit minimal post-experience documentation of the duration and nature of the experience (e.g., a transcript, a brief letter from a supervisor).  The Office of International Studies (http://www.wesleyan.edu/ois/) offers information about known programs.          

Domestic Immersion (by petition to Chair)

In rare cases, students may fulfill the requirement by immersing themselves in a culture other than their own within the United States.  A different culture than one's own, as used here, refers to a context in which the beliefs and knowledge that inform fundamental aspects of behavior in a community are different from one's own.  Domestic immersion experiences that have been approved include intensive interactions with individuals of racial, ethnic, socioeconomic or religious identity different from one's own.  As with summer abroad experiences, domestic immersion experiences must be rooted in organized, productive activities.  Such experiences must be for a minimum of 6 weeks at 40 hours per week for a total of 240 hours.  To satisfy the cultural immersion requirement in this way, the student must receive preapproval of the Chair (see Cultural Immersion Petition form, above link) and must submit minimal post-experience documentation of the duration and nature of the experience (e.g., a brief letter from a supervisor).  The Center for Community Partnerships (http://www.wesleyan.edu/ccp/) offers information about work and volunteer opportunities in the Middletown community and beyond, some of which might be appropriate as part of a cultural immersion experience.     

 Frequently Asked Questions

May I use a volunteer experience during the semester in Middletown?

Students sometimes hope to fulfill the immersion experience by volunteering in Middletown during the academic year.  While this is sometimes appropriate in principle as a cultural experience, it is not possible for a student to engage in 240 hours of service during two school years of college, and thus to have an immersive experience.  Such proposals will not be considered unless presented by the fall of the junior year with a clear plan for how these hours will be met. 

Can a cultural immersion experience ever be counted retroactively?

In very rare cases a cultural immersion experience will be considered retroactively if it was completed after matriculating in college but before declaring Psychology as a major at Wesleyan.  A petition should be submitted for such retroactive requests, with documentation (e.g., a transcript, a brief letter from a supervisor).