Transfer of Credits & Grades
An important part of the study abroad planning process involves developing an understanding of how credits and grades earned abroad are handled by Augustana College.
Elective Credits
Pre-approval must be obtained from the Registrar in order for study abroad courses to be accepted for general credit. The course approval form will appear on your to-do list in your StudioAbroad portal after you have been accepted to your study abroad program. All credits pre-approved by the Registrar and earned during Augustana University approved study abroad programs count toward the total credits required for graduation and toward the residency requirements of the college. Study abroad credits that are not applied to your General Education plan or toward your major/minor will be counted as elective credit.
General Education Credits
Pre-approval must be obtained from the Registrar in order for study abroad courses to satisfy general education requirements. This form will appear on your to-do list in your StudioAbroad portal after you have been accepted to your study abroad program.
Pre-approvals have already been issued by the Registrar for UMAIE and Augustana Faculty-led courses as indicated in the individual course description. In these cases, general education credit will be granted automatically. No further action is required.
Major/Minor Credits
Pre-approval must be obtained from the appropriate Department Chair in order for study abroad courses to count towards a student's major or minor. To see a copy of the form you will use to seek pre-approval from the Department Chair, click here. This form will appear on your to-do list in your Studio Abroad portal after you have been accepted to your study abroad program.
Credit Load
In order to be eligible for Augustana gift assistance (if available), students who study abroad during the academic year are expected to be enrolled full-time by Augustana University and by the host institution/program. If you take less than 12 credits, you will only be eligible for federal aid based on FAFSA results.
In general, students will receive no more than 18 credits for a semester study abroad program. Credit systems vary greatly among institutions. It is the student's responsibility to make certain that they know how many credits are expected. Information on the credit system used by the host institution/program may be available on program sites, by emailing the program provider or by contacting the International Programs Office. A "full semester load" at a foreign university will typically be equivalent to fifteen (15) semester credits at Augustana University.
Grading Policies
All course credits earned abroad are transferred as letter grades on the student's transcript. All grades, including failing grades, will be figured into the Augustana University cumulative GPA. The name of the host institution and/or provider, program location, courses taken, credits awarded and letter grades appear on the Augustana transcript.
Official transcripts from the study abroad institution or provider are sent to Augustana University's Registrar's Office for credit and grade approval. In instances where the grading system abroad differs from the Augustana grading system, the Registrar, along with the International Programs Office staff, will determine the Augustana grade and credit equivalencies.
Students should be aware that transcripts from foreign institutions can take up to 3 months after the end of the program to arrive at Augustana.
Elective Credits
Pre-approval must be obtained from the Registrar in order for study abroad courses to be accepted for general credit. The course approval form will appear on your to-do list in your StudioAbroad portal after you have been accepted to your study abroad program. All credits pre-approved by the Registrar and earned during Augustana University approved study abroad programs count toward the total credits required for graduation and toward the residency requirements of the college. Study abroad credits that are not applied to your General Education plan or toward your major/minor will be counted as elective credit.
General Education Credits
Pre-approval must be obtained from the Registrar in order for study abroad courses to satisfy general education requirements. This form will appear on your to-do list in your StudioAbroad portal after you have been accepted to your study abroad program.
Pre-approvals have already been issued by the Registrar for UMAIE and Augustana Faculty-led courses as indicated in the individual course description. In these cases, general education credit will be granted automatically. No further action is required.
Major/Minor Credits
Pre-approval must be obtained from the appropriate Department Chair in order for study abroad courses to count towards a student's major or minor. To see a copy of the form you will use to seek pre-approval from the Department Chair, click here. This form will appear on your to-do list in your Studio Abroad portal after you have been accepted to your study abroad program.
Credit Load
In order to be eligible for Augustana gift assistance (if available), students who study abroad during the academic year are expected to be enrolled full-time by Augustana University and by the host institution/program. If you take less than 12 credits, you will only be eligible for federal aid based on FAFSA results.
In general, students will receive no more than 18 credits for a semester study abroad program. Credit systems vary greatly among institutions. It is the student's responsibility to make certain that they know how many credits are expected. Information on the credit system used by the host institution/program may be available on program sites, by emailing the program provider or by contacting the International Programs Office. A "full semester load" at a foreign university will typically be equivalent to fifteen (15) semester credits at Augustana University.
Grading Policies
All course credits earned abroad are transferred as letter grades on the student's transcript. All grades, including failing grades, will be figured into the Augustana University cumulative GPA. The name of the host institution and/or provider, program location, courses taken, credits awarded and letter grades appear on the Augustana transcript.
Official transcripts from the study abroad institution or provider are sent to Augustana University's Registrar's Office for credit and grade approval. In instances where the grading system abroad differs from the Augustana grading system, the Registrar, along with the International Programs Office staff, will determine the Augustana grade and credit equivalencies.
Students should be aware that transcripts from foreign institutions can take up to 3 months after the end of the program to arrive at Augustana.