Academic Policies

Depending on your program and enrollment model, you may or may not be able to add, drop, or change a course. For example, if you are participating on a faculty-led program it's generally not possible to make changes to your enrollment because program participation is contingent upon enrollment in the defined course(s). It is important to discuss any course enrollment changes that you are considering with your academic advisor and SAGE program coordinator. 

In situations where a drop can be permitted, it is important to note that KU add/drop policies will apply. If you drop a course during the designated first drop period, this course does not appear on your academic record. During the KU designated second drop period, a grade of W appears on the student’s transcript. During the third period, a student cannot withdraw from a course. The course grade is determined by the student’s overall academic performance. Retroactive withdrawal from a course is not allowed. Certain courses cannot be dropped, such as orientation or foreign language grammar courses that form an integral part of the program.  Be sure to carefully read the information about your program or consult your study abroad program coordinator to know which courses fall under this category.

Study abroad programs follow the same Credit/No Credit policies as courses at the University of Kansas. This option allows students to take at most one non-major course per semester without receiving final grades that factor into the KU GPA calculation. Credit (CR) is earned if you receive a grade of A through C- for undergraduate students and A through C for graduate students. No Credit (NC) is earned if you receive a D+ through F for undergraduate students and C- through F for graduate students. 

Always contact your academic advisor directly to see if you can elect the Credit/No Credit option. Many courses do not qualify. For example, courses required for your major are not eligible to be CR/NC and classes required for admission into a professional school, graduate level program, or licensure may not be eligible.

Once you have elected the Credit/No Credit option, you cannot alter your choice. Students must request CR/NC prior to 40% of the course being completed. For more information regarding the Credit/No Credit policy, visit the Office of the University Registrar’s website.

Warning: Certain undesirable consequences may result from exercising the Credit/No Credit option. Some schools, scholarship committees, and honorary societies do not accept this grading system and convert grades of No Credit to F when computing grade-point averages for their specific purposes.

Non-degree seeking students (including Non-KU students on KU study abroad programs) are not eligible to elect the Credit/No Credit option while studying abroad. Non-KU students should check with their home university about declaring the course CR/NC with them.

KU Courses: 

Special deadlines are established by the KU Registrar for each program in which students are enrolled in KU courses. Your faculty director can provide the deadline for requesting Credit/No Credit, or this can be found on the KU Registrar's website. After checking with your academic advisor that you can declare the course CR/NC, you should submit the Credit/No Credit Election Form (login required).

FRSP Placeholder Credits: 

Students enrolled in FRSP placeholder credits who would like to request one course Credit/No Credit during their term abroad should first check with their academic advisor to make sure the KU course equivalent is eligible for Credit/No Credit. Then, they should email their program coordinator with the advisor’s approval and a request for the course to be graded CR/NC before 40% of the course has been completed.

Be sure to follow host institution rules and deadlines for adding a course, dropping a course or changing your enrollment (for example change of course section).  ALL courses and grades that appear on your transcript for study abroad will be posted on your KU transcript. It is your responsibility to stay informed about the effect of enrollment changes on completion of your KU (or home institution) academic program and graduation requirements.  

Contact your KU academic advisor and SAGE program coordinator if you need academic assistance while overseas. KU students who wish to know the KU equivalent of a host institution course, which were not previously listed on their Academic Plan and Approval Form (APAF), should seek approval by submitting an additional APAF at studyabroad.ku.edu/credit.

Bring back all course information, including course description, syllabi, texts or reading lists, assignments, and your work. This is critical for establishing any KU course equivalent that was either conditionally approved or that was not listed on your APAF.

Note: All students must notify their study abroad program coordinator via email of any changes to their overseas enrollment.

For some programs, the host institution contact will send an official transcript directly to Study Abroad & Global Engagement (SAGE). However, many students will have to either request that the official transcript be sent to SAGE or collect and bring back official documentation of their work abroad. Check with your study abroad program coordinator if you are not sure whether you need to request the transcript yourself. Make certain that the official transcript from the foreign university is sent to SAGE (at osaclerical@ku.edu if sent electronically) and NOT to the KU Office of Admissions. Photocopies of transcripts are not acceptable unless stamped with the official seal or mark of the university. Consult your program information to find out approximately when you can expect your transcript to arrive. Foreign transcripts generally arrive one to four months following the end of the study abroad period. You may not eliminate classes and grades from the foreign university transcript to post. All courses and grades will be posted on the KU transcript. 

Once the transcript has arrived, the study abroad program coordinator will match courses on the transcript to the Academic Plan and Approval Forms (APAFs) that were submitted during the application process and/or while the student was overseas. If all of the courses taken abroad have pre-approved KU equivalences, then the courses, credit hours and grades will be posted to the student’s KU transcript. If the student took courses that weren’t pre-approved, Study Abroad & Global Engagement (SAGE) will email the student a credit worksheet to show the courses still requiring approval.  The student will then need to request any remaining approvals by submitting a new APAF.

Once all courses are approved, the study abroad program coordinator will send all completed paperwork and documentation to the University Registrar. Coursework and grades will be posted on the KU record within several weeks.

KU Faculty-led Programs: Students on KU faculty-led programs will be graded by their instructor within the standard KU grading system. The course grade is determined by the student’s overall academic performance.

Credit From Host Institutions: Students will receive grades within the host institution's grading system. After receiving your transcript, Study Abroad & Global Engagement will evaluate your grades and post the equivalent KU grade based on grade conversion standards. 

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 shortly after the program ends. In some cases, grades may be delayed pending receipt of a transcript from the host institution. If you view your grades and your KU record shows a course is listed as WG (waiting grade) or zero credit hours instead of a grade, please do not panic!  Grades will be posted as soon as possible. Your program director or study abroad program coordinator will be able to tell you whether he or she has 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 KU record and on your Advising Report and DPR through the MyKU portal or in KU Planner.