Planning Ahead
The key to a successful study abroad transfer credit experience is to plan ahead. Start by checking the online transfer guide to see which courses have already been approved for transfer credit at UVM. This is not a comprehensive list of all the courses that could transfer, just what current UVM students have recently had approved to transfer. Plan to choose 5-6 courses for one or two back up options. If there is a course not on this list, send a course syllabus to transfer@uvm.edu to confirm if the course is eligible for transfer credit. The course syllabus should be sent to the Department Chair or Program Director for review. Students will receive confirmation via UVM email once the faculty have decided on the submitted syllabi. Depending on how detailed the course syllabi are, they may not include enough information for the faculty to make a decision prior to travel. Save all course materials while studying abroad. If the faculty are not able to evaluate the course with a syllabus, they may need to see course materials to review the course for transfer equivalency.
To be eligible for transfer credit, courses must be taken in disciplines that are offered at UVM, and comparable in content, nature, and intensity to the UVM course offerings. Courses must also be passed with a grade of C or higher. Anything with a grade of C- or below is not eligible for transfer credit, including anything taken for pass/fail or audit. Regardless of the grade that you do receive, it is the credit only that transfers, the grade does not. The only grades that will be used to calculate your UVM GPA will be the grades you earn here at UVM.
It is then up to your academic advisor to determine how those transfer credits can be applied towards a student’s UVM degree requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to speak with their advisor to find out if and/or how those transfer credits can be applied to specific degree requirements.
Credit Conversion
UVM uses a semester system for the academic calendar. UVM courses are awarded semester credits so all transfer courses will be converted to semester credits. Use the chart for common conversion methods and contact Transfer Affairs at transfer@uvm.edu for questions about other conversion methods:
Conversion Method Ratio Examples
Conversion Method | Ratio | Examples |
---|
European ECTS Credits | 2:1 | 2 ECTS credits = 1 UVM credit 5 ECTS credits = 3 UVM credits 10 ECTS credits = 5 UVM credits |
Contact Hours | 15:1 | 15 Contact Hours = 1 UVM credit 45 Contact Hours = 3 UVM credits 60 Contact Hours = 4 UVM credits |
Semester Credits | 1:1 | 1 Semester Credit = 1 UVM credit 3 Semester credits = 3 UVM credits 4 Semester credits = 4 UVM credits |
For students who participated in study abroad prior to Fall 2024, you can request to opt in to the new credit conversion above. First, meet with an academic advisor to confirm this will not adversely affect your degree applicability. For example, some programs have limits to the number of credits you can transfer in a specific discipline, some students have financial implications by going over a certain credit amount, some programs have a limit to the number of credits that can be transferred in, etc. It is important that you speak to an academic advisor about this before opting in because once you opt in, you cannot opt back out.
After discussing with an academic advisor, if you decide to opt in to this new equivalency conversion, email Transfer Affairs at transfer@uvm.edu with your request. Allow approximately 3-5 business days for processing. You will receive an email notification once this change has been made so you can view updated credits online. This change will be final. There will be no changes permitted to request the credits back to the old conversion method.