You can travel with us AND earn College Credit to go toward further study
If you are someone who is looking for a constructive travel experience, perhaps to reflect on what you want to study or take some time to refresh after exams before launching into more education, a gap year is the perfect option.
As an Internationally Accredited Gap Year Provider through the Gap Year Association, we have met a number of stringent safety and travel standards to ensure our programs are safe, structured, educational and inspirational adventures for young people looking to gain confidence, learn more about global citizenship and explore our world. Our programs are a structured syllabus with clear learning outcomes that offer true personal growth and global awareness. As a reputable gap year provider since 2001, we have developed strong industry connections, including two educational institutions which we offer college credits through for our programs.
Academic credit is optional for our students, but for those who choose it, an integral component of their program.
Pacific Discovery partners with Seattle Central College (SCC) and the GYA, with the University of Montana as the school of record.
The University of Montana and SCC are recognized educational providers who offers exceptional study options for students. We have been running college credit options for students for a number of years now, and as long as requirements are completed, the system has been an excellent option for students in regards to continuation of study, deferment and easy transfer to other institutions.
To learn more about how to gain credits through the GYA (University of Montana), click here.
To learn more about how to gain credits through Seattle Central College, click here.
To discuss this further with the Pacific Discovery Admissions Director, click here.
YES YOU CAN! A major advantage of Gap Year Association's College Credit Program through the GYA (University of Montana) is that it allows students to access 529 Education Savings funds—not only for their college credit registration fee, but also for their program tuition! If a student has a 529 Education Savings Plan, enrolling in a single college credit course through GYA can help them fund a large portion of their gap year expenses. Click below to download the complete guide to using your 529 plan.
Download 529 Info
We highly recommend that if you are planning on gaining college credits with us, that where possible you proactively contact the institution or University you intend to then go on to study with and check that the credits will be recognized for your area of study. These credits are highly regarded throughout the US and generally well received. In an ideal world, students will take the GYA course credit title (eg. ANTH 103) and ask for “pre-approval equivalency” from their receiving institution. At many smaller institutions these equivalencies may not yet be in place, making it extra important for the student to drive the process themselves, a process that would typically happen through the registrar’s office. If students get a challenge, they can always encourage the receiving institution to call the University of Montana to learn more about the credit system available.
Even college credits from Institutions such as Harvard can be questioned by receiving institutions, as a variety of complexities affect their relevance – such as similar learning outcomes. Many institutions are creating online tools to search for course equivalencies based on what has been successfully equated and transferred in the past, keep an eye out for these useful tools!
Credits transferred towards General Education Requirements can be less helpful than those as counting towards a major, however, all courses that are transferred count towards a student’s diploma and may be listed as equivalent…everything from an equivalent first- or second-year college course, to an A/P equivalence, to an IB course, to a dual/joint-enrolled program, and more.
Most important to note, is that the responsibility on completing requirements to qualify lies with the student, not Pacific Discovery. So its super important to understand the steps you need to take to ensure you gain your credits.
If you are interested in pursuing Independent or Field Studies Credit through your own college or university, we do support this. The best course of action is to contact your own academic advisor or professor to discuss options available and take their lead on what would suit you best on our programs.
Want to learn more? Book a meeting with our Admissions team.
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