Dartmouth College - Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok Thailand)
Undergraduate Student Exchange Program
The Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College has initiated an undergraduate student
exchange program with the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University starting in the
2008/2009 academic year. This program will enable undergraduates from both institutions to take
advantage of the unique academic and cultural opportunities offered by Dartmouth College and
Chulalongkorn University. Initially the program will enroll two or three students from
Chulalongkorn to spend the fall term at Dartmouth and a like number of Dartmouth students to
spend spring semester at Chulalongkorn. The exchange program is aimed at third-year
undergraduate students (juniors) from both institutions.
Benefits
The Engineering Sciences Department is one of the few academic departments at Dartmouth
College without an off-campus study program for its majors. Although many of our Engineering
Sciences majors have participated in Language Study Abroad or Foreign Study Programs through
other departments at Dartmouth, we would like to encourage even more of our engineering
students to study abroad. In the global economy, ever-increasing numbers of engineers are dealing
regularly with engineers, factories, and institutions in or from other countries, particularly in Asia.
It is imperative that our engineering students be aware of the cultural differences and similarities
between countries of the world so that they are better prepared to deal with people of other cultures
in their careers, and they understand how technology is being developed in other countries. This
program will allow Dartmouth engineering students to benefit from an experience in an urban
university in an Asian country with social, economic, and political systems much different from
our own.
Chulalongkorn University
Our partner institution, Chulalongkorn University (or ‘Chula’) is the oldest and most highly
regarded university in Thailand. It is located on a 500-acre campus in the center of Bangkok, a
vibrant and modern city of over 6 million inhabitants. Chula is named in honor of King
Chulalongkorn (Rama V), one of the greatest kings of Siam, and the one who had the most
influence on the modernization of the country now known as Thailand. Chulalongkorn University
is now a large and comprehensive university with over 19,000 undergraduate students and nearly
10,000 graduate students. It consists of eighteen faculties, including the Faculty of Engineering,
which was founded in 1913 and is the oldest and arguably the most preeminent engineering school
in Thailand.
Although instruction at Chula and its Faculty of Engineering is predominantly in the Thai
language, in recent years several English-language programs have been established at the
university, aimed at both Thai and foreign nationals. The Faculty of Engineering established an
English-language subsidiary, the International School of Engineering (ISE), in 2004 and admitted
its first class in 2005. The ISE seeks to attract the top engineering students in Thailand, along with
some foreign students. There are currently 200 students in each undergraduate class at ISE.
Admissions requirements for the ISE are rather strict, including TOEFL scores of over 550, very
good performance on a competitive entrance exam, with emphasis on science and math, and an
outstanding high school record. There are four specializations (or majors) in the ISE:
- Nanoengineering: a multidisciplinary major with emphasis on either Nano- or Bio-NanoEngineering
- Information and Communication Engineering: a major that integrates Computer Engineering,
Electrical Engineering and Industrial Engineering
- Automotive Engineering: a major with emphases on automotive design and manufacturing
- Aerospace Engineering: a collaborative program with the Royal Thai Air Force
Chula’s ISE has recently established exchange programs with several prestigious universities in
the United States (University of Maryland, University of Washington) and in Europe (e.g.,
Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden), and seeks to make more foreign study opportunities
available to its students. There are a number of other international and exchange programs
operated by other faculties within Chula, and the university offers numerous services in support of
those programs. For example, there are many activities for foreign students at Chula and there is a
well-equipped dormitory, Suksit Nives International House, especially devoted to international
students.
Program
Initially, each institution will send two or three undergraduate students each year to the partner
institution, with an equal number of exchange students going in each direction. However, this
number may vary in any given year, provided a balance of exchanges is obtained over the threeyear term of the agreement. The number of students can be changed after the initial 3 years, with
approval of both institutions. Participating students will normally register at each partner
institution for one academic term and will be enrolled as full time students during that term.
The designated exchange students from Dartmouth College will be students in their third year who
are majoring in Engineering Sciences. Dartmouth College students at Chulalongkorn University
will enroll in at least four courses available to students of the Faculty of Engineering, subject to
usual University regulations and policies, but will concentrate on courses offered in the
International School of Engineering. Because Chula’s ISE is on a semester system, the courses
will extend beyond the length of a normal Dartmouth term. Generally, the Dartmouth students will
go to Thailand for two terms, winter and spring, with the winter term being considered an X
(Official Dartmouth Exchange Program) term and the spring term being an L (Leave) term. They
will finish their courses at Chula about the end of April. Every effort will be made to find
internship or project opportunities in Thailand for the participating students for the remainder of
Dartmouth’s spring term.
The candidates from Chulalongkorn University will be third-year students enrolled in a degree
course at the International School of Engineering. Chulalongkorn University students participating
in this exchange will enroll in a full load of three appropriate undergraduate courses at Dartmouth
College, primarily courses offered by the Engineering Sciences Department. At no time will the
exchange students from Chula be permitted to enroll in fewer than two courses while at
Dartmouth. The faculty will endeavor to reserve a certain number of spaces for exchange students
for any course with limited enrollment.
Language
All courses taken by exchange students at each institution will be taught in English. Dartmouth
students will be introduced to the Thai language before they go to Thailand, and will be given the
opportunity to study Thai while at Chula, but knowledge of Thai is not a requirement of the
program. Chula students wishing to study at Dartmouth will have to possess a sufficient level of
English language proficiency to enable them to succeed in their studies at Dartmouth.
Finances and Housing
The participating students shall pay normal tuition and fees to their home institution, in accordance
with that institution’s policies. Neither institution shall make charges upon the other or upon the
exchange students for tuition or application fees. In the event that a student withdraws from the
program prematurely, the withdrawal and refund policies of the student’s home institution shall
apply. Since this is an official Dartmouth College exchange program, any scholarship aid granted
to the Dartmouth students would continue while they are on the exchange.
The participating students shall provide for their own room, board, books, transportation, student
health insurance fees and medical care, passports, visas and related expenses, and all other
personal expenses. They may be required to demonstrate sufficient funds to cover those expenses
when applying for a visa. Travel arrangements will be the exclusive responsibility of each
exchange student. The host institution will assume responsibility for facilitating housing,
generally in an on-campus residential dormitory, but the student is responsible for the housing
costs.
The full range of services normally available to foreign students regularly enrolled at the host
institution shall be provided to exchange students under this agreement. These include, but are not
limited to, adequate orientation, an appointed qualified academic advisor, and access to library,
computer, and recreational facilities.
As is the case of all undergraduate students at Chulalongkorn University, Dartmouth students at
Chula on this exchange will be required to purchase and wear a university uniform in accordance
with the requirements described on the following web site:
http://www.inter.chula.ac.th/inter/internationalstudents/frame.htm
Administration
The exchange program shall be administered through the Off-Campus Programs Office at
Dartmouth College and the Exchange Coordinator of the International School of Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University. Professor Francis Kennedy will oversee the
program at Dartmouth during its first three years and will also be at Chula when Dartmouth
students are there to provide advice and assistance. Orientation sessions will be provided for the
exchange students both at their home institutions, prior to the exchange, and upon arrival at the
host institution. Topics discussed during orientation sessions will include academic expectations,
administrative and logistical details, health and safety issues, and cultural similarities and
differences between the U.S and Thailand.
Admission
For Dartmouth students wishing to participate in this exchange, the admission process will
coincide with that of other student exchange programs at Dartmouth; students will apply by
February 1st for the following academic year. It is expected that applications will be from secondyear students wishing to participate in the exchange in their junior year. Selected students must be
Engineering Sciences majors (or modified majors) by the time they enter the exchange program.
Students who wish to participate in their senior year may do so only with the approval of the
Registrar and the Engineering Sciences Department. Transfer students are not eligible. Students
will be required to submit a student exchange application (available at http://oraclewww.dartmouth.edu/ocp/prod/index.cfm), along with recommendations from two Dartmouth
faculty members, at least one of whom should be a Thayer School faculty member. All
applications will be submitted to the Office of Off-Campus Programs and will then be forwarded
to a selection committee consisting of three faculty or staff members at Thayer School and the
Executive Director of the Off-Campus Programs Office. That committee will evaluate the
candidates for the exchange and will interview finalists before selecting two or three participants.
Dartmouth College will forward to the International School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
at Chulalongkorn University each year by the established deadline a list of students nominated for
exchange, together with appropriate documents as required by Chulalongkorn University.
Chulalongkorn University will inform Dartmouth College of the final admission as soon as
possible.
Dartmouth students applying for the program will be required to have an overall grade point
average of at least 3.0. Chula students will be required to have an equivalent grade point average.
Exceptions may be made only with the written consent of the host institution.
The Exchange Coordinator of the International School of Engineering will coordinate the
admission process at Chula. Chulalongkorn University will forward to Dartmouth College each
year by the established deadline a list of students nominated for exchange, together with all
appropriate documents as required by Dartmouth College. Chulalongkorn University will insure
that the nominated students possess a sufficient level of English language proficiency to enable
them to succeed in their studies at Dartmouth. Dartmouth College will inform Chulalongkorn
University of final admission of the designated students as soon as possible.
Passport, Visa, Health Insurance
Each student participating in the program must hold a passport that will be valid for the period of
the exchange and at least three months thereafter. Each host institution will issue to the accepted
student the appropriate documents for visa purposes in accordance with current laws, although it is
the responsibility of the individual student(s) to submit the required documents and apply for a visa
in a timely manner.
All participating students will be required to carry adequate health insurance and provide proof to
the host institution that this insurance will cover the costs of health care for the full period of the
exchange. Such insurance may be purchased at home or through the host institution.
Chulalongkorn University students attending Dartmouth will be asked to either purchase the
Dartmouth Student Group Health Insurance Plan (DSGHP) or submit a completed waiver petition
providing evidence of comparable health insurance coverage.
Course Approval and Transfer Credits
Dartmouth requires students to obtain written prior approval for courses they wish to take at other
universities in order for them to receive transfer credit for these courses. This includes the
Dartmouth-Chulalongkorn exchange program. Students from Dartmouth participating in this
exchange must obtain approval for their desired course program before they enroll at
Chulalongkorn University. Chulalongkorn University will furnish course descriptions in advance
to Dartmouth to assist in course selection and approval. In accordance with Dartmouth policies
and those of the Thayer School, students will be allowed to transfer up to four course credits to
Dartmouth, and up to two of those may be used in satisfaction of Engineering Sciences major
requirements. Up to two other engineering courses taken at Chula for which transfer credit has
been received may be used in satisfaction of Bachelor of Engineering degree requirements. The
Dartmouth Registrar will handle credits and grades in the same manner it treats other
transfer/exchange credits. In order for transfer credit to be received for a course taken at
Chulalongkorn, the student must receive a grade of C or better in the course. Grades received at
Chulalongkorn will not be recorded on the Dartmouth transcript. Instead, Dartmouth only records
transferable credits as TR and not the letter grade earned. Any transfer credits the student receives
on this exchange program will count toward the maximum of four transfer credits allowed toward
Dartmouth’s A.B. degree.
Each of the courses taken by Chula students at Dartmouth will be considered as 4 credit hour
courses by Chulalongkorn University.
Timetable
Applications from Dartmouth students who wish to participate in this exchange program in the
academic year 2008/2009 are due at the Off-Campus Programs Office by February 1, 2008.
Contact Information
For any additional information about the program, please contact Professor Francis Kennedy
(Francis.Kennedy@Dartmouth.edu) in Cummings 217G. Note: Professor Kennedy will be at
Chulalongkorn University during the period January – May 2008.