Academic Program

Credit

Credit is defined in terms of units. One unit equals three semester hours. A full six-week graduate program is comprised of three graduate courses for a total of three units (nine semester hours) of credit.

All credits expire after ten years. The validity of a degree, which certifies a level of achievement, does not expire.

Transfer Credit

Download Transfer of Credit Form and Instructions

After formal admission to a graduate degree program, candidates for the MA or DML degree (first language) may request permission from the coordinator of their school to transfer from another institution a maximum of the equivalent of one full-time summer of study at Middlebury (three units). Final approval will come from the Registrar’s Office. Only courses taken after successful completion of the initial summer and formal admission to degree candidacy may be transferred (i.e., courses taken at other institutions before the first summer of study may not be transferred toward a Middlebury graduate degree).

To obtain approval for transfer of credit, students must submit evidence that the courses they wish to transfer earn graduate credit towards an advanced degree at an accredited college or university.  The courses must have been taught in Spanish in the areas of language analysis and linguistics, culture and civilization, literature, or professional preparation and must not duplicate courses already taken for degree credit.

All units counted toward a degree must have been taken on a graded, not a pass/fail basis. Only grades of B- and above may be applied toward a Middlebury MA degree. Only grades of B+ and above may be applied toward a Middlebury DML degree.

All transfer credit courses must be completed by the 31st of May of the year of graduation for August degree candidates and by the 10th of January for March degree candidates. All credits and units expire after ten years, whether earned at Middlebury College or transferred from another institution.

Enrollment

Upon acceptance, all students must pay a $400 non-refundable enrollment deposit to be applied to the tuition charges.

All students, during the summer and abroad, must pay full tuition even if they carry less than the full load of courses. Permission to register for a fourth unit of credit during the summer session must be requested, in writing, from the Coordinator of the Spanish School before the beginning of the session. Only students who need a fourth course in order to graduate at the end of the session will be granted permission. There is an extra course fee.

Financial Aid

Middlebury College offers financial assistance to a substantial percentage of students attending the summer session and the graduate programs abroad. Information about the financial aid application process for the summer accompanies admissions materials published by the Language Schools each year.

The Betty Jones (MA '86) Language Schools Financial Aid Fund was established in 1999 as part of the Bicentennial Campaign. Income from the fund provides financial aid to graduate students attending the Language Schools.