International Education
Semester Program in Chiang Mai, Thailand

St. Mary's in Thailand

St. Mary's has partnered with Payap University to offer St. Mary's students the opportunity to participate in Payap's Thai and Southeast Asian Studies Certificate Program (Thai Studies) with customizations for St. Mary's students. Thai Studies is a one- or two-semester program offering students an in-depth exposure to Thai language and culture. Each term, the program offers:

• Thai language (six credits) (required)
• Cultural Foundations of Thai Society (three credits) (required)
• Intercultural Understanding (one credit) (required)
• St. Mary's elective course on rotating topic (required when offered)
• Elective course options on rotating topics (three credits)
  These course offerings are announced a few months prior to the start of each term.

In addition to the academic courses, the Thai Studies program offers a variety of experiential learning activities, field trips, and excursions designed to complement the classroom learning and promote language practice. Most activities are linked with the academic content of the program and are a required element of participation.

Source: Thai and Southeast Asian Studies web site

Academic Credit for Coursework Abroad

Credits earned abroad will count toward your degree at St. Mary's, often fulfilling Core Curriculum, major requirements, or elective credit. Coursework at Payap University may be a combination of St. Mary's course credit and transfer credit.  Each course for transfer credit is evaluated for its equivalency at St. Mary's.

To transfer credits to St. Mary's from Payap courses, SMCM students complete the Pre-Approval of Transfer Credit Form and return it to the Office of International Education. The IE Office will work with the Registrar and department chairs to determine equivalencies for individual courses taught abroad.  As stated in the catalog, the College may refuse to grant credit for study-abroad courses taken by the student that have not been pre-approved. 

More information about how to ensure credits earned abroad transfer successfully to St. Mary's is available in the College catalog under Academic Policies and on the Pre-departure Blackboard course.

For SMCM courses at Payap taught by an SMCM professor, students would earn SMCM credits for the course.  These courses are required each semester they are offered.