Course/Grade/Credit Transfer Policies

Academic credit is an important part of your education abroad experience. Please read through these policies and procedures, and contact OIS if you have questions about them.

Predeparture

Before you went abroad on either a Goucher or non-Goucher sponsored program, you were required to have all the courses you intended to take pre-approved on a Course Approval Form (this was part of the application).

The Course Approval Form is used for all study abroad programs. This form indicates that your academic advisor has approved your course choices for your program. Once you complete the Course Approval Form, the grades you earn abroad for the courses listed will appear on your Goucher transcript along with the course numbers, titles and credit hours. ALL STUDENTS WHO STUDY ABROAD MUST BE FULL-TIME STUDENTS; THEREFORE, MUST TAKE A MINIMUM OF 12 CREDITS WHEN ABROAD. BE CERTAIN THAT THE COURSES YOU TAKE ABROAD ARE EQUIVALENT TO AT LEAST 12 CREDITS AT GOUCHER. These grades will be calculated into your GPA at Goucher and count as Goucher credit if you participate in a Goucher program. If you participate in a non-Goucher Program, the courses and grades will be considered transfer credit and will appear on your transcript; however, they will not count towards your GPA. You must have a minimum of a C in order for them to count. Please keep in mind that you are not permitted to take any classes Pass/Fail. If you do, you will NOT get credit for them. The only exception to this policy is the required Danish class on the DIS program.

While You Are Abroad

If you changed courses AFTER arriving abroad, you must contact your advisor immediately. You are required to obtain your advisor's approval for all course changes. You will need to send him/her the course title and number, and a brief description of the course.

Your advisor can then determine whether or not you can get credit. You must copy Carol Donhauser (cdonhaus@goucher.edu) on every message to your advisor so that we can file the documentation. Be sure to save all records (e-mails, faxes, etc.) of course changes.

Also, keep your syllabus and any work returned to you, and bring these documents back to Goucher in the event that there is any question about a course that was not pre-approved.

If you fail to follow the procedures outlined above, there is no guarantee that you will get credit for an unapproved course. Please remember that this is your responsibility and that we cannot do it for you.

For students participating in non-Goucher-administered programs, please request that your transcript be sent directly to the Office of International Studies (not to SAS).

After You Return

You should expect your transcript from abroad to arrive in the Office of International Studies no earlier than one month and no later than four months after the end of your program. If your transcript does not arrive before the start of the following semester, your class status will not change. This means that if you went abroad in the spring as a junior, you will still be considered a junior until your transcript arrives and is processed. OIS sends a list of students with outstanding transcripts to S.A.S., the Dean of Student’s Office, and the Academic Dean’s office several times during the summer, at the start of fall semester, and during the spring semester.

Keep in mind that you will have to complete a new Course Approval Form if you took classes that were not pre-approved. We do not recommend changing courses once you are abroad because you MAY NOT be able to get a course approved. We understand that sometimes a class is cancelled or changed when you arrive in your host country; however, only your advisor can approve a course. If you have any questions regarding course approval procedures, please contact us.

Grades will not be processed until your Course Approval Form is complete with all necessary signatures and your transcript has been received by the Office of International Studies.