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Academic Credit Transfer

All courses taken while studying abroad convert to transfer credit. The transfer credit is awarded upon completion of the program based on a transcript issued from an accredited academic institution (either a foreign university or a school of record in the United States). Please see the ISU Transfer Guidelines to learn more about this process.

Students who are participating in a study abroad program will be enrolled in an ISU placeholder course for the study abroad term. The enrolled hours in the placeholder course is based on the total study abroad enrolled credits at the university abroad. Enrollment in this placeholder course indicates to ISU that you are participating in a study abroad program as an ISU student and will receive the indicated credit hours upon completion of the program. In order to ensure that transfer credit from study abroad program counts toward specific degree requirements, students must receive approval from the appropriate major/minor college(s) through the course approval process. Please read the “Academic Credit Transfer” and “Completing the APF” sections below. 

When the Education Abroad Office receives your study abroad transcript, it is sent to the Office of Registration and Records (Registrar’s Office), along with your Academic Planning Form (APF). The Registrar’s Office uses the APF to properly record your study abroad credit. Therefore, it is essential that this form be completed before your study abroad experience in order to avoid delays with credit transfer.

How To Approve Courses

All students participating in study abroad programs are required to complete an Academic Planning Form (APF).  Please work with your major/minor college(s) to seek course approvals in a timely manner. It is strongly suggested that you meet with your ISU academic advisor to see what courses at ISU you still have left to complete and/or courses that would be a good option to take while abroad.

 

Complete the APF by listing what courses you would like to take while you are abroad. You will then turn that form into the Education Abroad Office. The Education Abroad Office will forward the APF to the College Transfer Specialist in the appropriate college for approval. If a course you have chosen is not approved, an exception MAY be granted for your specific academic situation. This is strictly dependent on the content of the transfer course aligning with the desired course content.

 

All courses submitted on the APF will be reviewed for current approvals. However, it is strongly advised that you look at the course offerings found on the host university's website because it will have the most up-to-date listing of offerings for your specific study abroad semester. Visit the "Programs" tab on the main Study Abroad page to find links to their websites.

 

When your courses have been approved on the APF, the APF will be routed through the appropriate departments and colleges and the ISU equivalent credit for each of the courses you listed will be added to the APF.

 

Completing the Academic Planning Form

The APF facilitates course approvals and assists with the academic transfer of credits once the official international transcript is received from the host university.

  • Research all possible host university courses that you would like to take abroad that will transfer back to ISU and their course equivalencies.

    • Search the host university website for course information.
    • Search the ISU Course Catalog for host university course equivalencies identified in the above step that align with ISU, based on course descriptions.
  • Use the transfer tool (insert hyperlink: https://advisorscheduler.indstate.edu/equivalence/index.php  to compile information obtained in your research for all possible host university courses (if applicable). 
  • Select “Transfer Institution” in the “Search By” section, then type in the host university to search for course equivalencies.
    • Host University Examples - Type in:

      • “Veritas” for the Universidad Veritas, Costa Rica
      • “Florence” for Florence University of the Arts, Italy
      • “Stirling” for the University of Stirling, Scotland
      • “Edge Hill” for Edge Hill University, England
      • “American College” for American College of Thessaloniki
  • Select “ISU Course” to see what a specific course at ISU has been previously articulated for at a host university (if applicable).
  • Select “Foundational Studies” to see previously approved courses taken abroad that can fulfill a Foundational Studies requirement.
    • “Select a foundational study area” and click the dropdown arrow inside the box to choose your study area
  • Compile information obtained in your research for all possible host university courses.  This will include course descriptions, syllabi, number of contact hours, etc.
    • For a Fall/Spring semester abroad program it is recommended that you choose at least 6 courses, keeping in mind you must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours to maintain ISU full-time student status. A backup plan for additional courses is always a good idea!
    • For a Summer term abroad, it is recommended that you choose at least 4 courses.
    • For a Full Academic Year abroad, complete a separate APF for each semester (ex. one for Fall, and one for Spring). Also as stated above, identifying at least 6 courses for each semester. 
    • If the host university course catalog is not currently available for the semester you are wanting to go abroad, select from past semester courses that have been previously offered via their website.
  • Meet with your College Transfer Specialist to discuss the courses you have selected to ensure that they are a good fit for your degree plan to keep you on track for graduation. Do your homework and have the host university course descriptions and syllabi available for this meeting.
  • ​Complete the necessary documents supporting your course choices i.e., course descriptions and syllabi from the host university. This is part of your Study Abroad Application required documents.