Do You Think You’ll Want to Go Abroad?

Wesleyan considers study abroad to be an essential part of a liberal arts education for students majoring in any subject. And while we are uncertain as to all of the programs that may be available at the time you may wish to go abroad for academic study, you still have an opportunity to plan based on your current interests. It might seem really far off, but many of the non-English speaking programs require 2 or more years of language, so if you want to go abroad during junior year, you should consider taking the language for the country you want to study in your first year.

Note that many languages require that you begin a language during fall semesters. We encourage you to explore existing study abroad programs, and you may contact studyabroad@wesleyan.edu with any questions that come up.

Free Coursera Course for New International Students at Wes: Academia, Culture and Campus Life – Opens 7/1

International students can enroll in Academia, Culture and Campus Life: What to Expect at Wes starting on July 1st. This five-week course will be offered for free on Coursera. It introduces you to people that work with and resources for international students, shows you around campus, talks about academic life at Wesleyan, and gives you an opportunity to meet each other. You can find more information about the course on the OISA Facebook page. 
https://www.facebook.com/WesleyanOISA

Submit Your Academic Interest Questionnaire by 7/6

Please submit the Academic Interest Questionnaire (AIQ) by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 6.

WesPortal > New Student Checklist & Resources > Academic Interest Questionnaire

The information you provide will help us assign you to a faculty advisor, and will also provide valuable information about your academic interests to your class dean.

Based upon your responses, we will do our best to assign you to a faculty advisor who shares an academic interest with you, or who will be teaching one of your courses in the Fall. If you have any questions, please contact Dean Leathers.

Placement Tests at Wes

All new students who are interested in taking math or language courses should take the appropriate placement exams by July 6.  To access the exams, go to

WesPortal > New Student Checklist & Resources > Placement Tests

You will then be redirected to Moodle, where you can choose the exams you wish to take.

This video on placement tests from Rubye Peyser, former Academic Peer Advisor, offers some helpful advice on the placement exam process.

Language at Wes

Studying a language other than English at Wesleyan is nothing like what you experienced in high school! Wesleyan students begin speaking in their target language from their very first class and are guaranteed to pursue or continue their linguistic and cultural interests at a rigorous level. 

With 15 languages taught at Wesleyan, you can start learning a new language or continue a language you have already studied. To continue your language studies, you can use your AP or IB score or take an online Placement Test, which is available to you on WesPortal, to be placed at the right level. You can even start or continue languages not taught at Wesleyan through our alternative language study options, available through the Fries Center for Global Studies.

Want to study abroad? Make sure to plan ahead as Wesleyan has rigorous language prerequisites, with many of our non-English speaking programs requiring one to two years of language study prior to departure. Want to hear about students’ experiences? Check out these Wes students’ reflections about their motivations for learning a language on campus and studying abroad.

Many programs require students to begin language studies during Fall semesters so, even if you don’t know if you want to study abroad, our advice is to keep the door open. As you plan for July course registration, start thinking about how to include language study in your academic plan from your first semester at Wes!

Have questions about language study at Wes? Come join Professor Camilla Zamboni and Natalia Román Alicea for drop-in hours next month (see below). You are also welcome to email nromanalicea@wesleyan.edu with any questions about pursuing language study.

Language at Wes Drop-in Hours

Tuesday, July 13, at 9am EST

Wednesday, July 14, 7pm EST

Thursday July 15, 12pm EST

Join Zoom Meeting: https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/95582238875?pwd=NFBlaFZmWE4yT1NGTG5Md0V6MktNUT09

Meeting ID: 955 8223 8875

Passcode: 616158

Welcome from Accessibility Services!

Students with documented disabilities, as well as those who suspect that they may have a disability, are encouraged to reach out to Accessibility Services. Dean Laura Patey and Crystal Rose Hill-Farrell in Accessibility Services assist students individually and confidentially in understanding the process for requesting academic, housing, or dining accommodations.

If you would like to request accommodations, be sure to complete the “Disability Notification/Accommodations” form in the New Student Checklist on your WesPortal. We also encourage any student with questions to contact Accessibility Services to discuss their needs.

Image of Dean Laura Patey; a smiling woman in a blue shirt.
Dean Laura Patey

Image of Crystal Rose Hill-Farrell; a smiling woman in a black cardigan and a blue blouse.
Crystal Rose Hill-Farrell