1. Meet with your academic advisor to discuss your study abroad plans using the Study Abroad Academic Planning Form for your School/College . Plan ahead – it is recommended that you meet with your academic advisor as soon as you decide you want to study abroad for a semester, and no later than 12 months prior to your desired study abroad term.
2. Search UVM approved study abroad programs in GoAbroad, keeping in mind the conversation you had with your academic advisor. View the ‘Researching Courses to Take Abroad’ section below for details.

1. After acceptance into your program, the semester before you go abroad, complete the Semester Study Abroad Course Planning Worksheet.
2. In GoAbroad, get instructions for meeting with your academic advisor to get study abroad approval.
3. In GoAbroad, request your Overseas Study Program (OSSP) registration.

• When you research programs, review the likely available courses at each host institution/program of interest to you.
  • At the point of application, confirm that the host institution/program to which you are applying offers enough courses that will fulfill your academic objectives.
  • Verify the course level (first year, second year, etc.) and the language of instruction.
  • Identify back-up course options in the event courses change.
  • Review the UVM Transfer Credit Guide  to see what courses have previously transferred back to UVM.
• If course listings for your desired term abroad are not yet available, review courses from the previous year for the same term you wish to pursue. For example, students planning to study abroad Spring 2021 should review Spring 2020 courses. Students will use this information to complete their Study Abroad Course Planning Worksheet, once they have been accepted into a program.

1. Confirm with your host institution/program that your transcript is being sent to UVM Transfer Affairs. Wait for your transcript to arrive from abroad. In some locations, this can take months.
2. Once your transcript has arrived, UVM Transfer Affairs will evaluate your courses.  You will then be able to view your transfer credit in your myUVM portal under the Registrar tab by clicking the transfer credit link.
3. Follow up with an academic advisor to find out if and/or how your transfer credits may be used towards your UVM degree requirements.

Classes, lectures and labs abroad may look very different from your experience at UVM.  Here are some points to keep in mind for your courses abroad:

• You may not have access to any form of detailed syllabus until you arrive in class, and in some cases, you may not have a syllabus similar to what you would find at UVM at all.
• There may be limited homework assigned while you are abroad.  It is not uncommon for a final exam to be worth the majority of your grade.  It is your responsibility to make sure you are up to date with assigned readings and guiding your own learning process.
• Class attendance may not be taken.  In many institutions abroad, it is considered your responsibility to ensure you are not missing any critical points for exams or papers.
• Access to professors and your experience with them in the classroom may be quite different.  They may be less accessible via office hours or email.  There also may not be time to ask questions during a lecture, though you may have a smaller breakout seminar with a teaching assistant where it would be a more appropriate setting to ask questions.
• Accommodations for learning differences may be less available than they are in the US.  Talk with your study abroad advisor if you have questions about a specific program.
• Your classmates may be international students like you, only local students, and any mix in between.  Talk with your study abroad advisor to find out more about a specific program.

During a semester abroad, UVM students must enroll in and maintain a minimum of 12 U.S. credits. If you fall below full-time enrollment, there may be financial aid implications regarding student financial aid. Some countries or programs may have additional full-time enrollment requirements; check with your program provider or host international office to ensure you comply with terms for your student visa if applicable.

Provided that you have been accepted to an approved UVM program and completed your GoAbroad account, you will be enrolled at UVM in a study abroad placeholder course (OSSP: Overseas Study Program) for the term that you are abroad.

Just like one U.S. dollar equals a higher or lower amount in other currencies, international credit and grading systems differ. At UVM, most courses are worth 3 or 4 U.S. credits, and grades are assigned ranging from “A” to “F”. In other countries, different credit systems and grading systems are used. For example: at most French universities, grades are between 0 to 20, but a 10 is still considered the equivalent of a C grade in the US. French universities also typically use the ECTS credit system (common across much of Europe), in which each ECTS credit is worth half of a UVM credit. So 6 ECTS in France would be worth 3 UVM credits.

You will need to understand how your host country’s credit system and grading works to ensure you meet UVM’s requirements for credit transfer and degree applicability. You will be required to confirm your understanding of credit and grade conversions for your host program/institution in the Post-Decision phase of GoAbroad, using the credit and grade conversion spreadsheet linked to this Transfer Affairs page (programs and conversions subject to change, credits verified once final transcript is received).

How do grades show up on my transcript?

The UVM Semester Program in Costa Rica and UVM short term Travel Study programs will appear on your UVM transcript as UVM credit, and the grades earned from these programs WILL be calculated into your UVM GPA.

The Buckham Program at the University of Kent will appear on your UVM transcript as transfer credit, however the grades you earn from this program WILL be calculated into your UVM GPA.

All other programs will appear on your UVM transcript as transfer credit, and the grades you earn from these programs will NOT be calculated into your UVM GPA.

Grade Disputes

The University of Vermont cannot change or modify grades that students earn abroad. UVM honors the grades submitted on the official transcript provided by the host institution. Students need to contact the professor/host institution directly with any grade disputes.

Credits may transfer, but they may or may not fulfill degree requirements. Contact your academic advisor to find out how transfer credit will apply toward UVM degree requirements. Save all coursework completed abroad, especially the course syllabi. These may need to be reviewed to allocate credit towards specific degree requirements.

Before you decide on a study abroad program, find out the minimum number of credits per course that your UVM school/college requires to satisfy a degree requirement. Before you register for your courses abroad, find out how many credits each planned course abroad is worth so you can ensure they meet your UVM School/College requirements.  If you have questions about whether the courses you plan to take may satisfy a specific requirement, please consult an academic advisor or the student services office of your home college/school.

You must complete 30 of your last 45 credits at UVM.
 

Upon completion of a program, you are responsible for requesting official transcripts to be sent directly to UVM Transfer Affairs. Paper transcripts are considered official only if they arrive to UVM Transfer Affairs in a sealed, unopened envelope. If transcripts are sent to you directly, do not open the envelope. Bring the unopened envelope to UVM Transfer Affairs. If official electronic transcripts are available at your host institution, have them sent to transfer@uvm.edu.

Some institutions/programs require a transcript release form; check if this is required before returning home. Additionally, transcripts are often held if students have an outstanding bill. It is your responsibility to attend to these issues before returning home.

The transcript received by UVM’s Office of Transfer Affairs must be from an accredited institution. This may be an accredited university abroad or in some cases from a U.S. transcribing institution. U.S. transcribing institutions serve as schools of record for programs that are not accredited (such as CIEE, IES, etc.). Make sure you know whether or not you need a school of record transcript.

UVM will not retain copies of your study abroad transcript after you graduate. For future planning you may want to request several extra copies of your official transcript be sent to you sealed, in case at a later date you apply to graduate school or for a position that requires college transcripts.  Keep them sealed so they remain official.

If you are studying abroad in Fall semester and planning to graduate the following May: you will want to ensure that your transcript will arrive in time for UVM Transfer Affairs to review and process your credit transfer with enough time for a standard May graduation. Students should proactively ask their host institution/program when their transcript is expected to arrive, and confirm with Transfer Affairs the deadline for them to receive that transcript prior to graduation. If you are studying abroad and planning to graduate from UVM after that same semester: your transcript likely will not arrive in time for that graduation date, and you may officially graduate at UVM's next official graduation date. Please contact Transfer Affairs for further information and questions.

Students participating in UVM-approved study abroad programs, as found in the GoAbroad system, will be eligible to receive transfer credit for coursework successfully completed overseas provided that they meet UVM transfer credit guidelines. UVM courses taught by UVM faculty receive direct UVM credit, and no transfer process is required.

In general, UVM transfer credit is granted for courses that are:

• Taken at regionally accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities, as demonstrated by an official transcript.
• Comparable in content, nature, and intensity to course offerings in the corresponding discipline at UVM, and
• Graded at a level of C or higher (on an A-F scale).

Please note: courses with a grade of C- or below will not transfer. Grades of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) will be accepted only with official documentation verifying that they represent successful completion of a specific course at the level of C or higher.

Courses from abroad that have previously transferred back to UVM within the past four years are listed in the UVM Transfer Credit Guide.  If you are interested in taking a course that is not listed on this Transfer Credit Guide, it does not mean that the course will not transfer; it just means the course has not been reviewed in the last four years. 

Courses in disciplines outside of those taught at UVM generally do not transfer (such as law, automotive, culinary, etc.). While you may take courses in foreign languages that are not offered at UVM, they are only eligible for generic language credit.

Save all coursework completed abroad, especially the course syllabi. These may need to be reviewed to allocate credit towards specific degree requirements.

The semester study abroad preparation process can be complex to navigate, as you must synthesize information from different sources. Academic advisors, study abroad advisors and the Office of Transfer Affairs have distinct roles; these individuals cannot advise you outside of their areas of expertise. Learn what questions to ask where.

What can study abroad advisors do? 

• Explain that the only study abroad programs UVM approves are those listed in GoAbroad
• Help you identify programs that offer courses in specific academic disciplines, for example, programs that offer biology courses.
• Show students how to locate the course listings within a specific program.
• Explain the application and orientation processes
• Answer questions regarding housing options, program fees, passports, and other questions related to study abroad programs, locations or travel.
• Sign study abroad program applications, either hard copy or online

What can't study abroad advisors do? 

• Determine how any course will fit into a student's degree program. "Can I use this course as an elective for my major?" or “Will this course satisfy this major requirement?” are not questions a Study Abroad advisor can answer.  These types of questions should be directed to your academic advisor.
• Advise on specific requirements for any major or minor; nor can they determine which courses a student needs to fulfill any major or minor requirement. These types of questions should be directed to your academic advisor.
• Determine whether a study abroad course will transfer back to UVM. Consult the Office of Transfer Affairs if you have questions about course transferability.

What can academic advisors do? 

• Identify the best semester(s) to study abroad for your major. Ask about this your first semester at UVM!
• Help you plan for your semester abroad by identifying unfulfilled course requirements, flexibility within your degree audit, and mapping out an academic plan. For example, if as a first-year student you decide to study abroad in your third year, your academic advisor can suggest which general education, elective, major or minor courses you should not take at UVM, and instead “save” to take abroad so that you maximize your flexibility.
• Explain rules or requirements specific to an academic department (major or minor) or School or College that might affect your choice of program or courses abroad.
• Help you understand how courses from the UVM Transfer Credit Guide can apply towards your UVM degree requirements. NOTE: If your academic advisor is not able to determine (based on the information in the UVM Transfer Credit Guide and the student’s degree audit) how a course might apply toward your degree requirements, your advisor will recommend that you take your syllabus and/or course materials for further review.

What can't academic abroad advisors do? 

• Provide specific information regarding the study abroad application process, housing options, program fees, billing, passport/visa information or any other travel information. For questions about program logistics, contact your study abroad advisor.
• Guarantee that a course will count within a student's major or minor if a course has not yet been approved through the UVM credit approval process (as demonstrated by the UVM Transfer Credit Guide).
• Some academic advisors may not be able to help you identify study abroad programs that are a good match for your academic goals; consult your study abroad advisor

Discussing which courses to take abroad with your academic advisor

See the Academic Planning Form for Study Abroad for your School/College for questions to discuss with your advisor when you begin to consider when and how to study abroad.

Transfer Affairs is the office that will update your UVM record with transfer credit after your study abroad as been completed.  In order to update your UVM record with transfer credit you are responsible for requesting an official transcript sent directly to the Office of Transfer Affairs.  This office will also help you facilitate the review of transfer credit as needed by collecting from you your course syllabi/materials and sending them to UVM faculty for review.

What can Transfer Affairs do? 

• Explain transfer credit policies and procedures.
• Add transfer credit to your UVM record.
• Collect from you (if needed) syllabi/course materials to send to faculty for review
• Verify types of credits eligible for transfer at UVM.

What can't Transfer Affairs do? 

• Guarantee a specific course will transfer to UVM.
• Provide academic advising.
• Verify how credits could count towards UVM degree requirements.
• Provide specific information regarding the study abroad application process, housing options, program fees, billing, passport/visa information or any other travel information. For questions about program logistics, contact your study abroad advisor.