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The following are frequently asked questions received from academic advisors and school administrators. If you have additional questions not answered by these or our full
FAQ, please do not hesitate to
contact our office.
Who is the Washington School of World Studies?
The Washington School of World Studies (WSWS) is a fully accredited travel study school and fully accredited distance-learning school recognized by the
Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS). NAAS is one of the six regional accrediting institutions.
The other five recognized associations are: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
NAAS has a reciprocity agreement with these five institutions. If your local school district is also recognized by one of these accrediting institutions, acceptance of our credit should be assured as part of that reciprocity agreement.
View Our Distance Learning Accreditation Credential
View Our Travel Study Accreditation Credential
What courses are provided to online students and high school travel-study Student Ambassadors?
Online students in both middle and high school are eligible to enroll in a wide variety of online courses which support the Washington School of World Studies mission of inspiring students to strive for world peace and understanding, and fostering independence and critical thinking regarding cultural interactions and global citizenship. Please visit the
Distance Learning portion of this website for details regarding online course offerings.
Student Ambassadors in grades 9-12 will be enrolled in the course
Ambassadorial Studies, which includes pre-travel, travel, and post-travel components equal to or exceeding 120 hours of instructional contact hours. Students will also receive 10 instructional contact hours in service-learning for successful completion of a service project.
- Please view our letters to Academic Advisors here:
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Ambassadorial Studies - Letter to Academic Advisors
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Distance Learning - Letter to Academic Advisors
What type of credit is awarded?
Depending on the online course in which they enroll, students in middle or high school will be granted one semester (0.5 credit), or two semester credits (1.0). Please visit the Distance Learning portion of this website for additional details regarding online courses.
Students in grades 9-12 who participate as a
People to People Ambassador and meet all learning objectives are awarded one elective semester (0.5 credit) in social studies, geography, or an equivalent course designated by your school district and 10 hours of service learning credit. For more information on the course, please view the course description.
Who ensures that travel-study Student Ambassadors meet the course requirements?
State-certified teachers who travel with students as
delegation leaders provide prescribed instruction. They also monitor the pre-travel, travel, and post-travel components of the program. Students are required to complete program assessments and all required assignments, including journaling, reading, and communication and participation requirements.
Delegation leaders ensure that students have met all requirements and assign a Pass (P) or No-Pass (NP) grade at the end of the program.
Who ensures that online middle and high school students meet the course requirements?
All online courses are taught by highly qualified, state-certified instructors who hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree and/or state teaching license relative to each instructor’s area of expertise. Quality educational experience is our priority.
Will students receive an official transcript?
Travel-Study Students
Following the travel portion of the program,
delegation leaders submit student credit completion forms to the program office. Transcripts are mailed to students from the Washington School of World Studies approximately eight weeks after those forms are received. Students must bring this transcript to your office so it may be included in their school district transcript. Students can also supply you with a copy of their program itinerary if needed to verify all educational components of the program.
Distance-Learning Students
High school transcripts and middle school certificates of completion will be mailed to the student’s home address within eight weeks of the successful completion of their online course(s), unless otherwise requested by the student and parent(s)/guardian(s).
All Students
We recommend that the transcript is held by the school district and the student for inclusion in their college application process. Travel-study programs are highly regarded by colleges and universities and may make a positive difference in the student’s future applications.
Why should my district accept these courses and service-learning credits?
We understand that school districts set their own guidelines when accepting credit hours from other schools. Many schools include instructional contact hours reflected on our transcripts as an additional elective credit on the student’s high school transcript. We recommend that students meet with you prior to their travel study program or the start of their online course, so they are assured that your school will be able to accept the WSWS credits.
Students are able to provide a copy of the course description prior to their travel experience or participation in an online course. It is very disappointing to students to have transfer of credit denied after program completion, so it is our recommendation that students and their families have this discussion prior to traveling on a program or beginning an online course.
What is a typical district policy on the acceptance of your academic credit?
Due to the reciprocity agreements with the regional accreditation organizations, we expect no challenges with the acceptance of our credit. If you have concerns, please contact our program office or the
Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS). Staff at NAAS is available to answer your questions regarding the agreements between the accrediting institutions.
What is a typical district policy on transfer of credit?
- A typical district policy looks very similar to this:
- Schools will accept high school credit for courses that include no less than 120 hours of instruction, or its equivalent, per year. Students must have an official transcript of courses taken to receive credit. All high school courses taken must appear on an official transcript to be considered for credit.
The registrar must establish course content, the days per week the class met, and the number of minutes per day to convert a travel-study school course or distance-learning course to a school district credit. Guidance services will answer questions related to accepting credits. A school district may not take away any credit which has been given by an accredited institution.
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