Credit Approval For Study Abroad

Your academic advisor (undergraduate students) or Director of Graduate Studies (graduate students) is the best person to ask about which classes you should take abroad to ensure that you do not fall behind in your degree when you study abroad. Many students take classes abroad that fulfill major or minor requirements, the KU Core, language classes, or earn internship credit. Your academic advisor or Director of Graduate Studies is also the best person to determine when you should study abroad and whether there is any flexibility in your course sequencing.

Knowing the recommended timing for study abroad for your major and which classes you need to take or what type of credits you would like to earn will help you find a program. Visit the Study Abroad Info Center in 105 Lippincott to meet with a peer advisor to explore program options. The Info Center is open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm when classes are in session.

• Please note: it can be more difficult to find classes during the summer than during a fall or spring semester.
• Not all classes are offered in both the fall and spring semester.
• Use the Course Equivalency Database to find specific classes you need abroad. (Not all available classes are listed.)
• Use host institution course catalogs. 

Once you have found a program that interests you, schedule an appointment with a KU Study Abroad program coordinator, especially if you have any specific questions or concerns about the application process. Click the "Dates & Deadlines" button on the KU Study Abroad program page and then check the "Fact Sheet" section to learn who the program coordinator is.

After confirming the program is a good fit, begin the application process!

Work with your academic advisor or Director of Graduate Studies and KU Study Abroad program coordinator to select appropriate classes.

• If you are studying abroad for a semester, you will need to be sure to take the equivalent of 12-18 credit hours (undergraduates) or 9-12 credit hours (graduates).
• It is a good idea to list more classes on this form than you plan to take because class schedules can change or there might be limited class availability at your host institution.

Once you have identified the classes you are interested in taking, complete the Electronic Academic Plan and Approval Form. This form will guide you through the process of entering the foreign course information for each class and requesting approvals for those not yet showing in the course database as an "APPROVED Equivalency."

• For courses with a status of "APPROVED Equivalency," you will be prompted to enter the details of the KU course that it is approved to transfer back as.
• Courses that are either not found in the database or are found in the database with a status of "Expired - Approval Required," require approval.  For these, you will be prompted to upload or link to the course syllabus (or course description if the syllabus is not available) and enter the Departmental Approver for each course requiring approval.
• After clicking the "Submit" button, the form will be routed to Departmental Approvers (for courses requiring approval), then to your academic advisor or Director of Graduate Studies for review, and lastly to KU Study Abroad where it will be uploaded to your application in JayhawksAbroad.
• Please note that once you start the form, you cannot save it or leave it in progress and return to it later, so it is important that you have all necessary information and documents (including syllabi for courses requiring approval) before starting the form.
• Students participating in Academic Year programs should complete a separate form for each semester
• If you need assistance completing the form, meet with a peer advisor in the KU Study Abroad Info Center in 105 Lippincott (open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm when classes are in session) or schedule an appointment with your program coordinator. 

• If your plans change and you end up taking a course that you did not get approved prior to departure, you will need to get the course approved while abroad (preferred) or when you return to campus. Ideally, when you enroll in the new course and have the syllabus, you should contact the departmental study abroad approver by email to start the approval process. Copy your program coordinator on all emails related to the approval of study abroad coursework.
• If you are interested in dropping a class or if you have any academic concerns while abroad, please contact us immediately. Dropping courses can have a negative impact on your visa eligibility in your host country, academic progress at KU, financial aid eligibility, etc. 
• For information on taking a class for credit/no credit or pass/fail, please see the KU Study Abroad Academic Policies.
• Keep copies of all of your syllabi, academic work, reading lists, and other course materials to show your academic progress abroad.
• Complete all necessary steps and check with your host institution to ensure your transcript will be sent to Study Abroad & Global Engagement upon completion of your study abroad program.

• After we have received your official transcript, we will generate a credit worksheet comparing your Academic Plan and Approval Form with the courses/credits you actually earned abroad. If the two match, your grades will be posted to your official KU record within two weeks.
• If there are any discrepancies (you changed courses, earned more/fewer credits than you expected, the course changed name, etc), you will receive an email notifying you to pick up your credit worksheet from our office. You will need to meet with departmental approvers to determine appropriate KU equivalent courses for each course on your credit worksheet where there is a discrepancy. 
• Once all discrepancies have been resolved and you return your completed worksheet to Study Abroad & Global Engagement, your grades will post to your official KU record within two weeks. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact our office.