Academics

KU offers a wide-range of courses, and as an exchange student, you will have access to courses within your major as well as other areas of interest.   To search for program offerings by school and area of study, check out the KU Academics Website. 

Course Requests

You will be asked for your course requests once admitted to KU so that Study Abroad & Global Engagement can request permission from academic departments prior to your arrival. You will meet with an advisor in Study Abroad & Global Engagement to enroll in your classes after completing orientation. 

You can search for courses on the Schedule of Classes.  Courses tend to be similar from fall to fall and spring to spring so if the term you will be attending is not listed, you can get an idea of the types of courses that will be offered by viewing those from the previous corresponding term.  Fall classes typically post for the upcoming year in mid‐March and Spring classes typically post in mid‐October. If syllabi are required in order to determine whether courses will be approved for transcript credit, send a list of courses you are considering to osaexchange@ku.edu.  We will request them from the faculty and forward them on as quickly as possible. 

Credit Requirements

Undergraduate students will enroll in 12-15 credits (4-5 courses) per semester and typically take courses numbered 699 and below.  Graduate students will enroll in 9-12 credits (3-4 courses) ranging from 500-999.  It is, however, possible for graduate students to take lower-level courses if interested (GDX students are required to take 9 credits of graduate level coursework).  Please note that you will be asked to submit the number of course requests that you are planning to take plus two alternative options. 

Understanding the Schedule of Classes

  • Class days will be indicated by M (Monday), T (Tuesday), W (Wednesday), R

(Thursday), and F (Friday) and each will have a 5 digit Class # that you will be asked to enter when submitting your requests.

  • Most classes will be offered at the Lawrence campus, however, KU does have other campus locations (KU Med, Edwards, and Regents campuses) so you’ll want to be sure to select courses with "Lawrence" listed after them.  Students do occasionally take courses at the Edwards Campus, however, this involves a commute and additional costs as Edwards campus tuition is not covered by the exchange agreement. 
  • Some classes consist of a large lecture and an accompanying lab or discussion section (indicated by LAB OR DIS) on the schedule. When selecting a class in this format, you must select the lecture as well as a lab or discussion section.
  • Some departments offer independent study and/or research credit. These courses are typically reserved for degree‐seeking students who have a particular area of research interest or who have arranged internships for themselves.

Dropping Courses

It is possible to make changes to enrollment once classes begin, however, it is important to do so as quickly as possible.  More information about the add/drop process will be provided during orientation. 

Courses through the Applied English Center

The Applied English Center (AEC) at the University of Kansas has 35 years of experience in providing intensive English instruction, preparing students for study in American universities, and helping students participate in American society. The AEC offers five levels of instruction, from beginning to advanced, with all courses taught by experienced professionals.

As an exchange student through Study Abroad & Global Engagement, you will be required to check-in with the AEC during orientation. Native speakers of English will receive a waiver from the English proficiency exam during your check-in with the AEC.  Non-native speakers will take the exam unless you have submitted IELTS or TOEFL scores not more than two years old that meet the minimum requirements below.  Your scores on the English proficiency exam will determine if you will enroll in AEC courses, regular courses, or a combination of the two.

  • Paper-Based TOEFL - Section scores of 57 or higher and 4.5 or higher on the Test of Written English (TWE)
  • Computer-Based TOEFL - Section scores of 23 or higher and 4.5 or higher on the TWE
  • Internet Based TOEFL - Section scores of 23 or higher
  • IELTS - Section scores of 6 or higher overall and an overall band score of 6.5 of higher

Please note that institutional TOEFL scores are not accepted for the waiver.

Applied English Center
The American Classroom
KU Academic Calendar