Prospective Students - Transfer Credit - Credits, Courseload, and Grades

The differences between academic systems internationally and those in the US help complicate the credit transfer process. For that matter, the differences just between many US universities can be a source of confusion. Most US universities adhere to the semester credit system, while many others use the quarter system. A handful of universities have their own systems, sometimes requiring as few as 32 credits for graduation.

Throughout this website, we refer to recommended credits according to the semester credit system. In the semester system, 15 contact hours abroad generally will earn you 1 credit. In the quarter system, 10 contact hours are generally worth 1 credit. Therefore, a course with 60 contact hours is usually with 4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits. Whether your home institution uses one of these two systems, or another, you will want to have your advisor approve your courses and credits before you leave.

Credits Toward Graduation

While the transfer credits you receive may count towards either your general requirements or major requirements, they will all likely count towards your graduation requirement. For instance, if you receive 16 semester credits while abroad, those should count towards the number of credits you need to graduate (i.e. 120).

Credits Toward Your Major

When your credits transfer and count towards your graduation, you will want to thank your study abroad advisor. However, if you want your courses to count toward your major requirement, you will also need to pay a visit to your academic advisor. This is often the case among foreign language majors, who enjoy taking care of a significant portion of their major requirements while abroad.

Your major’s academic department may have its own rules concerning how credit applies toward your major requirements. Understand these rules and discuss them with your advisor when planning your study abroad experience. Just as when you visit your study abroad advisor, bring a copy of course descriptions and syllabi of the courses you with to have approved.

Stay in contact with your advisor via email while you are abroad, and keep copies of all correspondence to help document your process. This will help make the final approval as smooth as possible. It is also crucial that you keep your advisor informed of any class changes while you are away.

When you return to your home campus, you may also be required to submit a petition to your major department to have the credit approved toward your major. This paperwork will be signed by your advisor and will then be credited toward your major. As always, keep all copies of your work from abroad to help demonstrate the work you completed.

Choosing Your Courseload

Determining the amount of credits you expect to receive will help you determine your courseload while abroad. Many schools expect a full time student to complete 12-18 semester credits per term, and you will probably want to follow a similar courseload while abroad. If you take fewer credits abroad than you normally would at home, you may find yourself behind schedule when you return.

While abroad, if you change your class schedule, send an email to your advisor to confirm the change and request approval.

Grades

Most universities, when transferring credit, also transfer grades directly onto your home transcript. When this happens the grades you are assigned will count toward your overall GPA. Other universities may award credit but not assign a grade, often giving you “Pass” on your transcript. In this case, the courses will not count toward your GPA.

If your home university does not transfer grades to your transcript, be sure to retain a copy of your study abroad transcript for future reference. If you later apply to graduate school, or for a job with an international firm or the US government, they may request grades from all institutions you attended, including your time abroad.