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OFFICE OF INTERCULTURAL LEARNING
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CREDIT TRANSFER AND STUDY ABROAD
- You’d like to study abroad, but you don’t know if you can stay “on track” to graduate if you go overseas for a semester.
- You’re interested in getting international experience, but you’re worried about spoiling your great GPA by taking courses in another language
- You aren’t sure whether study abroad classes will even count at Southwestern, let alone toward your major.
Sound familiar? If you’re worried about study abroad and credit transfer,
read on for the answers to commonly asked questions.
1. Will study abroad put me “behind” in graduating on
time? It certainly doesn’t have to. Depending on your major,
you’ll need to select a program which offers a curriculum that can contribute
to your overall degree plan. Granted, science majors will have to look
more carefully at courses than will those students from other majors in the
humanities and social sciences, but you don’t need to categorically exclude
an experience abroad just by virtue of your major. In fact, many graduate
and professional programs look for participation in opportunities such as
study abroad when making selection decisions.
2. What if I have a hard time with classes taught in a
foreign language? I don’t want to ruin my GPA by studying abroad.
First, unless you participate in a “direct enrollment” program where you are
attending regular classes at a foreign university, you will be taking courses
in the foreign language which are designed for a non-native speaker.
Yes, it will be more challenging to take courses in another language, but
hundreds of SU students before you have participated and done incredibly well,
while dramatically increasing their language fluency. Second, all courses
from “outside” study abroad programs (those not offered directly by SU) yield
transfer credit which does not contribute to your Southwestern GPA.
You do need to achieve at least a C- in any course in order to receive credit.
3. Will courses from a study abroad program count at Southwestern?
If the program is run through an accredited educational institution, you can
receive credit. Be aware that some study abroad programs, even those
of good quality, are not accredited. While these programs may provide
an interesting cultural experience, they WILL NOT yield credit toward your
degree at SU. Make sure that you speak with Sue Mennicke in the Office
of Intercultural Learning when you are planning a study abroad experience.
By gaining approval through IL, you can be assured that the credit will be
accepted at Southwestern.
4. Will the courses contribute to my major requirements?
You’ll need to get a copy of your degree plan in order to see which courses
you’re still lacking for your degree. When choosing your study abroad
courses, look at filling elective slots both within your major and your overall
degree. You’ll have a much better selection if you don’t try to force
your study abroad coursework into the courses offered at SU. If you
do need to accomplish specific courses while abroad, make sure to speak with
your advisor and the department chair about the content required for a course
abroad to match up with a particular course at SU.
To view a spreasheet with examples of how credit earned abroad has been transferred to SU, click below
· Transfer credit spreadsheet
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