EMSC 302
Orientation to Energy and Sustainability Policy

Waive application

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Waive application

You may have prior learning experience that could fulfill the internship/study abroad requirement. However, just having the experience isn't enough to have the requirement waived, you will have to submit a waive application proving that the learning you experienced is comparable to what you would have encountered had you completed a study abroad or internship program in conjunction with the associated course (EGEE 495 or EGEE 299). Once you submit an application, it will be evaluated by the ESP faculty board.

For this week's assignment, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire that will provide us with information regarding your eligibility to have the requirement waived. If you are approved to apply for a waive, you will be provided with directions on how to complete the waive application process. 

Keep in mind, you cannot apply to have the requirement waived without first communicating with me and your adviser about your intentions.

Specific waive application directions will be provided to each individual that qualifies, however, a general overview of the process looks like this:

General overview of the process for completion of the waive application
Click here to see a text description.
  1. Student completes the questionnaire
  2. Questionnaire responses are evaluated by ESP faculty
  3. If experience warrants, the student is invited to submit an application to have the internship/study abroad requirement waived. (Specific directions on waive application contents are provided at this point.) \Student communicates with their adviser to ensure the 3 credits are not needed to reach the 120 cr degree requirement.
  4. Student communicates with their adviser to ensure the 3 credits are not needed to reach the 120 cr degree requirement.
  5. Student works with Maria Scalzo Wherley, our in house writing tutor, to create a strong application. 
  6. Student completes all portions of the application
  7. Student submits a completed waive application through Canvas. Applications must be submitted before the end of the semester, the semester before graduation (e.g. if graduation is intended for FA20, completed applications must be submitted by the end of SU20 semester.)
  8. The application packet is reviewed by a board of ESP faculty for approval.
Credit: © Penn State University is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Students are only permitted to submit one application; if it is denied, you will need to find an alternative way to fulfill the EGEE 299/495 requirement for the ESP degree.
  • The deadline is to protect you; do not miss it. If you can, submit it earlier to ensure this degree requirement is fulfilled far in advance of your anticipated graduation year.
  • Maria is not included in the waive application approval process; she has offered to assist you in writing a convincing argument demonstrating why your waive request is legitimate. You can submit the application without her review and implementing her suggestions, however, waive applications that utilize Maria’s input are more likely to get approved.
  • Your submission must prove that the learning that occurred during the experiences you listed in the questionnaire serves as a suitable substitution for completing an internship/study abroad experience in conjunction with the corresponding course.
  • The waive application will only be approved if all reviewers agree unanimously that the learning experienced was sufficient and meets the spirit of a traditional study abroad/internship experience and the related coursework.
  • Your essays must be well written (minimal grammatical, spelling, punctuation errors) and thorough, adequately addressing the prompts provided.