Transferring Credit Back to the University of Rochester
The College evaluates all transfer credit, study abroad or domestic, with the same policy. If you go abroad on a program sponsored by an accredited American college, or if you enroll at an overseas university which issues an American-style transcript, credit is transferred as from any American college. The institution simply sends a transcript to the Center for Study Abroad, and a study abroad adviser evaluates the transcript and applies the credits toward your University of Rochester record, as appropriate. This process usually takes two to four months after you finish your studies overseas, so do not expect your credits to appear instantly on your transcript.
Credits may be transferred for elective and for concentration credit. Course Approval Forms for this purpose are available at the Center for Study Abroad and at the Center for Academic Support. It is possible to transfer courses toward Clusters if you go on a UR-sponsored study abroad program.
Credit for Language Courses
The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures will NOT grant credit to students who enroll in a class (in particular a language/grammar class) that is at the same or a lower level as a class they have taken before their semester abroad. For example, if a student has taken an intermediate language course at the U of R, they may not receive credit for taking a basic or beginning language or the same intermediate class abroad. In addition, courses that duplicate the literature or film or culture content of MLC courses taken before study abroad will not be granted credit.
In order to avoid credit transfer confusion or problems it is imperative that each student consult with the appropriate adviser in MLC before departure and registration.
Elective credit
Bring or send an official catalogue description of each course to the Center for Study Abroad, preferably before you leave for your semester abroad. Courses that are comparable to those offered at the University of Rochester will be approved for elective credit. An example of an approved course is "REL 300.2 Religious Freedom and Religious Conflict in Contemporary Europe" (from Syracuse University's program in Strasbourg, France). An example of a course not approved is "2497 Wine Technology IIAG" (from the IES program at the University of Adelaide, Australia). In some cases, you may be asked to submit the description to a faculty member for approval. All foreign language courses need approval from the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures or the Department of Religion and Classics.
Major and minor credit
Bring a Course Approval Form, along with the description(s) of the course(s) in question, to the authorized faculty member. The names of the faculty members in charge of approving transfer credit are available at www.rochester.edu/College/CCAS/AdviserHandbook.htm. If you have not officially declared a major, you can do this at the same time. Bring a Major Declaration form with you when you meet with the faculty adviser.
Clusters
The College's Curriculum Committee will allow students to transfer a course from a UR-sponsored study abroad programs into a cluster. This may be done by proposing an exception to an existing, departmental Cluster, or by proposing an individualized interdepartmental Cluster. Please note that approval is not automatic. Consult with a study abroad adviser for details.
How you'll get credit
Transcripts
On completion of the program, it is your responsibility to see that the college that sponsored your program sends an official transcript to the Center for Study Abroad. Credit will be granted for all approved courses in which you have earned a C or better. Be aware that grades and transcripts are often issued by study abroad programs several months after you complete your studies overseas. Transcripts from spring semester programs may arrive in our office anytime from July until October. Fall program transcripts normally arrive between February and May. If you go abroad as a first-semester senior, it is essential to request your transcript from the program as early as possible in order to avoid delays that could affect your graduation date.
Credits
Many American colleges and universities are based on a 120-credit system, in contrast to UR, which requires 128 credits to complete the undergraduate degree. Transfer credit is awarded on a proportional basis. If you take five three-credit courses on another school's program, credit will be evaluated according to this formula: 15/120 = x/128; x = 16 credits. For programs that employ the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), the University of Rochester awards credit at a rate of 0.5 UR credits for each ECTS credit. In most cases, a full semester (or year) of study completed elsewhere is worth a full semester (or year) at UR. In any event, study abroad students must complete the equivalent of 16 Rochester credits per semester. Underloads are not permitted during study abroad. Even if the program allows for an underload, Rochester students are required to carry a full load.
Internships and Independent Study
With the exception of the University's Internships in Europe program, independent studies or internships taken on study abroad programs cannot receive pre-approval for transfer credit. While completing the independent study or internship, be sure to keep documentation of all academic work. Upon return, you will need to submit this documentation to an authorized faculty member in order for transfer credit to be granted. It is in your best interest to discuss your plans with faculty before going overseas because some departments do not grant approval for independent studies or internships, even for elective credit.
Grading
Grades for courses graded by University of Rochester faculty appear on the transcript and are calculated into the grade point average (GPA). In most cases, study abroad courses are not graded by Rochester faculty. The two most notable exceptions are the "Rochester in Arezzo" program, and the internship portion of the "Internships in Europe" programs.
Grades earned on University of Rochester-sponsored programs appear on your UR transcript but do not count in your GPA.
Grades earned on programs sponsored by other colleges do not appear on your University of Rochester transcript and do not count in your GPA.