Receiving Course Credit
The process for receiving credit for your study abroad program varies depending on your program type. Learn more about types of study abroad programs to determine which type of program best suits your study abroad goals.
Certain departments may have specific requirements for transferring credit from abroad, and it is very important to review those requirements. Students should also be aware of study abroad academic policies that apply to all students regardless of program type.
All students participating in third-party programs must apply/register with the Global Education Office PRIOR to studying abroad and complete the transfer credit process within one semester of returning to campus. The transfer credit process involves three processes: Reflection Essay, Official Third-Party Transcript, and Course Approval. Please click through the drop-down tabs below to learn more. Any questions can be directed to [[abroadtranscript]].
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Faculty Approvers Per DepartmentFor '24 - '25 academic year:
*Students taking history courses who only require elective credit (HIST299) please read the Departmental Requirement instructions Some courses taken abroad may not have an obvious academic department to contact for course approval. Below is a list that may be helpful:
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Course Approval ProcessStudents who attend W&M faculty-led programs (W&M Summer, W&M Winter, or W&M Embedded programs) do not need to receive course approval. This process is the same for pre- and post-approval. Step 1: Review the Departmental Requirements for each academic department. Some departments will not pre-approve, some will require specific materials, and some will want to speak with students prior to them choosing their courses (especially if students are hoping to receive major/minor credit). Gather all required documents or materials for each department. *Any course materials in a language other than English submitted for a non-language course must include a translated summary for faculty to review. Step 2: Identify the currently assigned faculty approver from the dropdown tab above and save their email. Step 3: Email faculty approver the required materials gathered in step 1. If you are hoping to receive a specific W&M equivalent or major/minor credit mention this in your email. Faculty may request additional information or may require you to submit coursework if you are seeking pre-approval before they can award the desired course. Step 4: Complete the DocuSign form for each course. Course titles will need to appear EXACTLY as they do on your official host transcript. **BE SURE TO CLICK "FINISH" AFTER DIGITALLY SIGNING THE DOCUMENT. THAT WILL SEND IT TO THE FACULTY APPROVER** Once we receive your official transcript, course approvals, AND reflection essay, your approved courses will be sent to the Registrar for posting. Please allow 3-4 weeks between approval submission and posting (for post-approval). Your course approval forms will be posted in the Document section of your online application/registration on the studyabroad.wm.edu website. Step 5: Reflection Essay As part of the transfer credit process, you will be prompted to submit a reflection essay about your study abroad academic experience. Credit and COLL300 cannot be transferred and applied until the reflection essay has been reviewed and accepted. Even if a student has already obtained COLL300, the essay must be completed and reviewed in order for credits to be transferred.
Transcripts and course approval forms are posted to applications/registrations on the studyabroad.wm.edu website. For questions, contact [[abroadtranscript]] |
Deadline to Complete Transfer Credit ProcessStudents are required to complete steps 1-5 of the transfer credit process for required courses within one semester of returning to W&M. Students must receive approval for at least 12 W&M credits for each semester abroad or all credits for a summer or winter program. The maximum number of credits that can be transferred is 18 credits per semester or 16 for a summer program. If this requirement is not met, a hold will be placed on the student's account. This will prohibit the student from registering for courses the next semester or conferring their degree if they are graduating. This means a student participating in a Spring, Academic Year, or Summer program will need to complete all transfer credits during the following Fall semester. A student participating in a Fall or Winter program will need to complete transfer credits during the following Spring semester. *Important note for seniors: you may need to complete your transfer credits sooner if your commencement date is before the transfer credit deadline. Speak with your advisor to determine your unique timeline. |
Eligibility: Student and Program RequirementsIn order for programs to be eligible for transfer credit and/or COLL300 and for student participation, the program and student must meet all the qualifications below. Additional information can be found in our Academic Policies.
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COLL300Students who successfully complete a global education experience and transfer credit, including receiving course approvals and grades of C or better as well as satisfactorily completing the reflection essay, will receive the COLL 300 attribute. All courses taken on a registered study abroad program through the Global Education Office are eligible for the COLL300 attribute. |
W&M Faculty-Led ProgramsW&M Faculty-Led Programs refer to W&M Summer, W&M Winter, and Embedded programs. These programs are led by at least one W&M faculty member. All courses are listed as W&M courses and you will receive a grade that appears on your W&M transcript and will be calculated into your GPA. Students are automatically registered for these courses after acceptance and course selection (where applicable). Some courses may be taught by host faculty at our partner institutions; however, these are still considered W&M courses. Students may not use study abroad courses to fulfill another attribute or COLL requirement beyond what is already listed in the course descriptions. There is no official study abroad transcript associated with these programs and all courses will appear on your W&M official transcript. |
Sponsored Semester Programs (Oxford, Sevilla, and La Plata)Sevilla and La Plata Oxford Students who study abroad on the Oxford program will need to seek faculty approval for their courses. Please select the Course Approval Dropdown Tab for more information. Courses receiving a C or higher and faculty approval will be transferred back and will receive a “T” and the course will not be calculated into their GPA. Students will have one semester back on campus to transfer back at least 12 W&M credits for each semester abroad. If the requirement is not met, a registration hold will be placed on the student’s account. Students may not use study abroad courses to fulfill any other attribute or COLL requirement (other than COLL300) such as ALV. |
Tuition Exchange and Third-Party ProgramsStudents studying abroad with tuition exchange programs and third-party provider (direct enroll or provider) programs will need to seek faculty approval to receive transfer credits. For more information on this process, please read through the Course Approval dropdown tab. All third-party or direct enroll programs must receive an official transcript that lists the final grade and number of credits received for each out. A certificate of completion will not be accepted. Students may not use study abroad courses to fulfill any other attribute or COLL requirement (other than COLL300) such as ALV. Students wishing to fulfill other attributes in addition to COLL300 must petition to do so with Committee on Degrees, and the request is not guarunteed. For these programs, it is possible that credits and grades may be issued on a scale that differs from the US scale. For example, many European schools use ECTS, where 3 W&M credits would be equal to 6 ECTS credits. Students should communicate with their host university or provider to determine the credit and grade scales and how they will be converted to the US grading and credit system. Students must earn the equivalent of a W&M “C” or higher for courses to be eligible for transfer. Once approved, courses will be added to their W&M record and will appear with a “T” for a grade. Study abroad course grades will not be calculated into student W&M GPAs. Students should be aware that most graduate schools still require a copy of their study abroad transcript, which will list all grades received and courses taken. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they are enrolled in the correct number of credits. Students who study abroad for an academic year or semester programs will need to transfer back between 12-18 W&M credits per semester abroad and will have one semester back on campus to complete this requirement before a hold is placed on their student account. Students participating in summer study abroad programs do not have a minimum, however, they must take at least 6 W&M credits to receive financial aid. Winter programs do not have a minimum. For both summer and winter programs, all courses taken abroad must be transferred back within one semester of returning to campus. A registration hold will be placed on the student account if the requirement is not met. The exception for this would be if a student does not receive a “C” or higher in one or more courses and would not have at least 12 W&M credits that would be eligible for transfer. In this case, the student would need to transfer all eligible courses to fulfill the requirement. For more information on course approvals, please click on the dropdown tab below. |
COLLs And AttributesAll courses taken abroad are eligible for COLL300, and the attribute will be checked off on a student's DegreeWorks upon successful completion of the study abroad program that is fulfilling the COLL300 requirement. Courses taken as part of a study abroad program cannot be used to fulfill any course requirements or COLL's such as ALV unless specifically listed in a W&M Faculty-Led Program course. Students wishing to fulfill other attributes in addition to COLL300 must petition to do so with Committee on Degrees, and the request is not guarunteed. |
Study Abroad TranscriptAll non-W&M faculty-led programs will receive an official transcript reflecting their courses and grades taken abroad. W&M Students will need to check with their host program or university to make sure they do not need to request to have an official transcript sent to the Global Education Office. Students can have transcripts sent either digitally (if encrypted or password protected) or hard copy. Digital transcripts should be sent to abroadtranscript@wm.edu . Hard copy transcripts should be mailed to:
If for some reason you receive your transcript, DO NOT open the envelope and bring the sealed envelope to the Global Education Office. Opened transcript envelopes are not considered official and will not be accepted to process transfer credits. Similarly, digital transcripts cannot be forwarded from the student. Transcripts are only considered official if they are received directly from the issuing institution. Please note, students must receive an official transcript that lists both the final grades and the number of credits or contact hours. A certificate of completion will not be accepted. If you need a copy of your transcript for course approvals or graduate school applications, please email wmabroad@wm.edu. |
Credit ConversionThe number of credits issued by foreign universities varies considerably from country to country. The Global Education Office will determine the number of credits upon completion of the program, receipt of the official transcript, and either pre or post-approval for each course. If a student is unclear about how credits will transfer, contact your study abroad advisor in the Global Education Office. W&M (and all US universities and providers) bases credits on the number of contact hours in each course. The charts below are subject to change, but a general rule of thumb is:
Universities who issue ECTS credits (mostly in Europe), the conversion is:
Many UK universities use a point system for credits, which usually converts as follows:
University of St. Andrews credits transfer as follows:
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Additional SupportBefore reaching out to faculty for course approvals, students should check the Departmental Requirements to determine what documents are required for approval. If you run into any problems or have any questions, please reach out to your study abroad advisor. You have access to our office and advisors through all stages of the study abroad process. |
Questions? Email [[abroadtranscript]].