Courses and Credit: FAQS

With careful planning, most students can study abroad for a semester and still graduate on time. Students should plan to take courses required for their degree. These may include classes for your major, your minor, your KU Core credits, and/or other classes required for graduation.

Faculty-led program courses can be on the in the "Academics" section of the the program page on the KU Study Abroad website.

For enrollment at foreign institutions, you can find lists of classes that are have already been pre-approved and these lists using the course equivalency database. 

You can also look for courses using our partner institutions' course catalogs (links to these are available under the "Academics" or "Further Reading" sections of the program page), or a peer advisor in the Study Abroad Info Center can help you find available courses.

All faculty-led program programs include KU classes. You will not need to obtain course approvals for these courses.

For programs at foreign institutions or approved non-KU programs, you will need to get your courses approved for KU equivalent courses. For detailed instructions, please see the Credit Approval for Study Abroad page.

As part of your online application, you will be asked to submit an Electronic Academic Plan & Approval Form. Work with your academic advisor and study abroad program coordinator to select appropriate classes. List the classes you plan to take on this form, choosing from the list of courses available at your study abroad institution.

Students should speak with their academic advisor and study abroad program coordinator to determine if any coursework should be completed prior to studying abroad. Students should meet all eligibility requirements for their program and complete any necessary pre-requisites for the courses they plan to take abroad.

Notes: Students may need to be admitted to their major to earn major credit abroad. 

Spanish: Students who wish to take 400+ level Spanish courses should complete Spanish 340 prior to studying abroad. Students may only fulfill Spanish 340 abroad during the spring semester in Salamanca, Spain.

You should talk to your academic advisor about course restrictions. Many majors and disciplines require that specific courses be taken at KU. Host universities may restrict access to some courses as well, so speak to your study abroad program coordinator about the courses you wish to take abroad.

You are able to fulfill some KU Core requirements abroad, and you may take elective classes with approval. For more information, please see KU Core guidelines below.

On semester & year programs, undergraduate students are expected to enroll at the foreign university in the equivalent of 12 to 15 KU credit hours per semester, or fewer in the summer. All students are expected to maintain full-time student status while abroad. Unless special arrangements have been made in advance, study abroad participants will be granted KU credit for no more than 18 hours per semester. Graduate students will usually earn no more than six to nine graduate credits for the semester, although exceptions are possible with prior approval of the student’s academic department.

On summer & short-term programs, the number of credit hours offered will vary. Generally all participants on a specified program will take the same total number of credit hours.

Upper-level undergraduates may be eligible to take graduate level courses at a foreign institution with prior approval from KU and the host institution. Students should review prerequisites. 

Graduate students may be able to study abroad and take graduate-level courses abroad. Please speak to your graduate advisor and Study Abroad & Global Engagement for more information on program options and courses available.

Courses and credits earned on programs approved by Study Abroad & Global Engagement prior to departure, including KU-sponsored study abroad programs and student-initiated programs, will appear as KU credit on your transcript, not transfer credit. 

KU Faculty-led Programs and Internships: Students on KU faculty-led programs and internships will be graded by their instructor within the standard KU grading system.

Credit from foreign universities or student-initiated programs: Grades will be assigned within the grading system of the host institution or program provider. Students on KU programs can find the grading scale in their program materials or by consulting their Program Coordinator. Students on student initiated programs should ask their program provider about the grading scale. After receiving your transcript, Study Abroad & Global Engagement will evaluate your grades and post the equivalent KU grade based on grade conversion standards. 

Grade Posting

• Summer grades are posted at the end of the summer term on the KU Lawrence campus (late July) or at the end of your program.
• Semester grades are posted after Study Abroad & Global Engagement has received an official transcript from your host university and your KU equivalent courses have been approved. We cannot post grades until all courses are approved. In some cases, grades may be delayed pending receipt of academic information from the host institution. If you view your grades, Advising Report, or DPR and a course is listed as "I" (incomplete) or zero credit hours instead of a grade, please do not panic! Grades may take up to two weeks to be processed after the transcript is received and will be posted as soon as possible. Your program director or Study Abroad Program Coordinator will be able to tell you whether they have submitted grades for your program.
• Winter Break and Spring Break program credits are recorded on the Spring semester academic record. Grades and credit will appear on your spring grade report at the end of the spring term.

Within a few weeks after grades have been submitted by Study Abroad & Global Engagement to the Registrar, they will appear on your Advising Report and DPR. You can obtain a copy of your Advising Report and DPR through the MyKU portal.

Yes. Coursework completed on study abroad programs is posted as KU credit upon return.  As a result, these grades are factored into your KU GPA.

All courses and corresponding grades which appear on your foreign transcript must be posted to your KU academic record upon completion of the program.  Because of this, it is really important to take your coursework seriously while abroad.  

If you choose to withdraw from your study abroad program, please contact your Study Abroad & Global Engagement Program Coordinator immediately for withdrawal instructions.

If you have submitted a signed Financial Contract for your program, you are responsible for the withdrawal fees outlined on the Financial Contract. Please contact your Study Abroad & Global Engagement Program Coordinator if you have any questions.