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 (https://aisweb1.uvm.edu/pls/owa_prod/hwwkwags.P_Web_Artic_Guide). This is not a comprehensive list of all the courses that could transfer, just what our current students have recently had approved to transfer. Plan to choose 5-6 courses so you have one or two back ups.
If there is a course you are interested in taking that is not on this list, please send a course syllabus to transfer@uvm.edu to confirm if the course you are interested in taking is eligible for transfer credit. The course syllabus will be sent to the Department Chair or Program Director for review. You will receive a confirmation to your UVM email address once the faculty have made a decision on the syllabi you have submitted. Depending on how detailed the course syllabi are, they may not include enough information for the faculty to make a decision. Please save your course materials while you are abroad. If the faculty are not able to evaluate the course with a syllabus, they may need to see your 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.
Transfer Affairs works closely with the Catamount Core Curriculum Committee to review and approve courses that are applicable to meeting UVM’s Catamount Core General Education Requirements. If your transfer course is a direct equivalent to a UVM course, then the Catamount Core designation will follow the UVM approved course. If your transfer course is not a direct equivalent to a UVM course, you can submit a request to have it evaluated for a Catamount Core General Education Requirement through the following course fulfillment form.
It is then up to your academic advisor to determine how those transfer credits can be applied towards your UVM degree requirements. It is your responsibility to speak with your advisor to find out if and/or how those transfer credits can be applied to your specific 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. Please 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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, please 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, please email Transfer Affairs at transfer@uvm.edu with your request. Please 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.
Checking your transfer credit online
As soon as your transfer credit has been updated to your UVM record you will be able to view those credits online by clicking the transfer credit link under the Registrar tab in the myUVM portal. You will also be able to view these credits in your Degree Audit as well.