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Academic Credit Issues

Plan Ahead
Course Approval Process

Plan Ahead

Study abroad allows you to explore a language in context, take courses relevant to the host country, and earn academic credit towards your Emory degree. There are several academic issues to consider as you plan to study abroad. Here are a few steps to guide you in this process:

Research your options

Attend the Study Abroad Fair (held in the Fall Semester every year). Consider a summer study abroad program after your freshman year. Be aware of prerequisites for studying abroad: you need to plan ahead!

Prepare yourself with academic coursework

Take General Education Requirements (GERs) during your first and second years at Emory. Study a foreign language. Explore area studies courses.

Stay in good academic standing

Maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.

Choose a major

Declare a major during your sophomore year (if not earlier). Meet with your faculty advisor about major requirements. Meet with a CIPA Advisor to explore program options.

Find a good program match

Consider study abroad programs that will allow you to incorporate your regional interests, language skills, and your major. Make sure you have the relevant prerequisites for the program of interest.

Apply

Students apply using CIPA’s new online application. They click on the ‘Apply Now’ button on the respective program page.

Select your course options

Decide which courses to take while abroad and which requirements they fulfill. Meet with faculty to get courses pre-approved.  

Go, study, learn, explore

Find yourself in another country, immersed in a new culture, and maybe even speaking another language!

Return to campus

Return to campus with your study abroad credits reflected on your Emory transcript.

Continue your international adventures!

Research ways to integrate your study abroad experience into your overall academic career at Emory.

Course Approval Process

When you study on an Emory-approved program, you earn Emory credit AND grades for the courses you take. However, you do not automatically receive credit for any course that you take at an overseas institution. Emory academic departments evaluate courses to determine if they meet Emory's standards and are appropriate for Emory credit. It is imperative that you review the courses you wish to take while abroad and their Emory equivalents with your academic advisor before you go abroad.

It is CIPA policy that you obtain approval for ALL classes you take abroad. You cannot take classes for which approval is not granted. You must complete the Study Abroad Academic Course Plan* as part of the CIPA application process. *Some programs are exempt from this requirement—your CIPA advisor will notify you of this.

You should seek approval for courses prior to departure –the Academic Course Plan is due to CIPA by April 1 for Fall and Year programs and by November 1 for Spring programs. If you cannot obtain approvals by these deadlines, or if you enroll in courses that have not been approved, you should complete the approval process as soon as possible.

Credit approval can take place in two ways, and many students will use both methods of obtaining approval for the courses they take while abroad:

1) Blanket-approved courses (Table A on the Academic Course Plan): For some programs, “blanket approvals” from academic departments are on file in the CIPA Blanket Approval Database. If a course has been blanket-approved, it indicates that you do not have to go to a department and seek approval for that particular course overseas- the course approval is automatic.

2) Non Blanket-approved courses (Table B on the Academic Course Plan): On this form, list the courses you anticipate taking overseas that do NOT appear in the Blanket-Approved Database. You then take a copy of the course description or syllabus to the designated Faculty Study Abroad Representative in each relevant academic department. The departmental representative will review your choices and determine the Emory course equivalent and the type of credit to be earned (major, minor, GER, or elective). The FSAR can also email your CIPA advisor directly with course approvals rather than sign the Academic Course Plan sheet.

In rare cases, students may find a PE course offered for academic credit on the program abroad. Students are only allowed to enroll in ONE PE credit while abroad, and they will only earn 1 credit hour for the course. The course must appear on the overseas transcript for academic credit in order to be transferred into Emory. Pre-approval is required by the PE Department. The PE Department does not grant any retroactive approval; therefore, all students must obtain pre-approval either before departing or upon arrival to the overseas program.

Contact your CIPA advisor if you have questions about these processes.

It is advised that you get approval for many different courses that you may be interested in taking, as this gives you maximum flexibility when constructing your course schedule while abroad. The more you do before you go, the less you have to stress about the course approvals once you are abroad. Be sure to take a copy of your Academic Course Plan with you.

If you enroll in courses that have not been approved, you must contact the appropriate Faculty Study Abroad Representatives via email during your program’s on-site add/drop period and request approval for the course. You are advised to take care of all outstanding approvals during this period – do not wait until you return to Emory. It is your responsibility to make sure your CIPA advisor has a copy of this approval in writing (or sent via email directly from the Faculty Study Abroad Representative). You should also keep a copy of all approvals.

You should keep copies of all syllabi, coursework, papers, and exams in case you need to verify your work with Emory faculty when you return. (Some academic departments only provide provisional approval for study abroad courses and request to see this work upon your return to finalize the course approvals.)

You have one semester following the study abroad experience to submit any outstanding approvals to the CIPA office. If, by the end of that semester, you have not submitted the approvals, a grade of "F" will be posted to your transcript for each class in question.  If you have provisional approval for a study abroad course but do not obtain and submit final approval by fulfilling the requirements as specified by the Faculty Study Abroad Representative, a grade of "I" will be posted to your transcript for the course. You then have until the end of the deferred exam period of the next semester (approximately the third week of the semester) to resolve the "I" for “Incomplete” or it will become an "IF" grade.

Please note: While abroad, students must maintain a standard full course load of classes as defined by the host institution; this would typically be equivalent to 16 credits at Emory. You should check with both your overseas coordinator and your CIPA advisor to verify your registration.