Departmental and Program Requirements for Credit Approval

Africana Studies

The Program in Africana Studies requires, in addition to the DocuSign course approval form, course syllabi for each, the number of contact hours per week and the number of weeks the class meets. For foreign language courses, students are required to submit either a writing sample in the foreign language or a letter from the course instructor elaborating on the level of proficiency required in the course.

American Studies

AMST majors and minors intending to count a course toward their major or minor must submit a course syllabus for pre- (or post-) approval. Non-majors seeking elective credit only should submit course descriptions to the Program Director of Undergraduate Studies for pre-approval.  

Art & Art History

The Art & Art History Department will only issue post-approval of credit for courses taken abroad. However, students will need to meet with the department designee(s) to discuss proposed courses before going abroad. Students are also required to bring back all courses materials, including syllabi, lecture notes, papers, exams, and, if applicable, all studio work, etc. and submit along with DocuSign form.

Note: Photography and Graphic Design: Photography courses are rarely granted W&M transfer credit; photography courses taken abroad must emphasize aesthetics, rather than the technical side of photography. No credit will be awarded for courses in graphic design.

Before You Go

Prepare a tentative list of courses you intend to take, along with some alternate choices in case last-minute changes occur in the course offerings. Email the appropriate Art & Art History department designee to discuss your course choices. No pre-approval is issued for courses in this department.

Soon After Return

Email the appropriate Art & Art History Department designee to discuss the courses you took abroad. Complete a DocuSign course approval form and email all relevant materials from your course to the listed faculty approver. 

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

To receive transfer credit in AMES, courses should feature content that specifically focuses on the study of the cultures, politics, and societies of Asia and/or the Middle East. All students, whether they have received pre-approval or not, are expected to keep course materials (syllabi, reading lists, sample handouts, tests) since these must be submitted upon their return. Credit will be assigned on the basis of these materials. Pre and post-approval forms and materials should be submitted to the director of AMES. Students should allow a minimum of two weeks for processing. In most cases requests for credit for language instruction courses should be directed to the Modern Languages department—the only exception is if instruction in the target language is not offered at William & Mary. In these cases students are required to submit approval to the faculty approver listed for Non-W&M languages.

Asian and Pacific Island American Studies

To receive transfer credit in APIA, courses should feature content that specifically focuses on the study of the cultures, politics, and societies of Pacific Islands and/or indigenous studies in Australia or New Zealand. All students, whether they have received pre-approval or not, are expected to keep course materials (syllabi, reading lists, sample handouts, tests) since these must be submitted upon their return. Credit will be assigned on the basis of these materials. Pre and post-approval forms and materials should be submitted to the director of APIA. Students should allow a minimum of two weeks for processing. In most cases requests for credit for language instruction courses should be directed to the Modern Languages department—the only exception is if instruction in the target language is not offered at William & Mary. In these cases please check the faculty approver for non-W&M languages.

Chemistry

The Chemistry Department requires, in addition to the DocuSign course approval form, a description of the program in which you are enrolling and detailed course descriptions for each course you intend to take, as well as syllabi for the courses, if available. The description of the program and courses, and their syllabi, should be sent to the Chemistry Department contact for study abroad courses prior to the student leaving to study abroad.

Classical Studies

The Classical Studies Department requires, in addition to the DocuSign course approval form, a description of the program in which you are enrolling and detailed course descriptions for each course you intend to take, as well as syllabi for the courses, if available.

Computer Science

The Computer Science Department reminds students that at least half of the required minimum number of courses for the CS major must be taken at W&M and for classes at the 300 and 400 level taken elsewhere, a total of at most two courses can count towards the CS major.

Data Science

Students majoring in Data Science who are seeking transfer credit from study abroad institutions should follow the instructions available on the Data Science website here: https://www.wm.edu/as/data-science/faq/#studyabroad

Economics

Request for transfer credit for study abroad may take two forms: pre-approval and post-approval. To obtain course approval for study abroad courses in Economics, you must email the designated coordinator in the Department of Economics who will forward his or her recommendation to the Chair of Economics. Bring a course syllabus for any course you wish the department to consider. A simple catalog statement is not enough. The syllabus needs to include a list of all prerequisite courses, a complete description of the structure and requirements of the class, and a thorough description of the readings. To qualify for economics credit, study abroad classes must have strictly comparable prerequisites as the corresponding economics class at W&M. Be sure to complete a DocuSign course approval form. Tentative pre-approvals are flagged on the form as "will only post-approve" since post-completion documentation has been deemed necessary for a fully informed consideration.

Education

Due to licensure requirements, students taking education courses abroad are only eligible for EDUC XXX transfer credits. Courses that receive approval for EDUC XXX will transfer as an elective course. For pre-approval, submit the syllabus and course description and complete a DocuSign course approval form. If a syllabus is not available, you will need to seek post approval. For post approval please send your course syllabus. If your course does not have a syllabus, please provide reading lists and coursework.

English

Students seeking post approval for English or Creative Writing courses will need to be able to submit the following for faculty approval: completed post-approval form, syllabus with reading list for each course, copy of host transcript, and W&M degree evaluation.

Environmental Science/Policy

ENSP majors and minors intending to count a course for a specific degree requirement must submit a course syllabus for post-approval. Majors, minors, and non-majors seeking elective credit only may submit course descriptions to the director for pre-approval. All students must also sumbit a DocuSign course approval form.

European Studies

To receive transfer credit in European Studies, courses should be interdisciplinary and should focus on the study of the cultures, politics, and societies of Europe. Courses that focus on Europe but are not interdisciplinary should be approved for transfer credit by the most relevant department. All students, whether they have received pre-approval or not, are expected to keep course materials (syllabi, reading lists, sample handouts, tests) since these must be submitted upon their return. Credit will be assigned on the basis of these materials. Pre and post-approval materials should be submitted to the director of European Studies. Students will also need to complete a DocuSign course approval form. Students should allow a minimum of two weeks for processing. In most cases requests for credit for language instruction courses should be directed to the Modern Languages department—the only exception is if instruction in the target language is not offered at William & Mary. In these cases students are required to submit an approval request to the faculty approver listed for Non-W&M languages.

Film & Media Studies

Film and Media Studies majors and minors intending to count a course toward their major or minor must submit a course syllabus for pre- or post-approval. Non-majors seeking elective credit only should submit course descriptions to the department designee for pre-approval.

Global Studies

Generally speaking, to qualify for credit in Global Studies, courses should feature interdisciplinary content that focuses on multiple geographic regions of the world and/or their interconnections.  The language of instruction may vary. However, requests for credit for courses that focus primarily on language instruction should be directed to the Modern Languages department or to an area studies program (i.e. Africana Studies, Asian-Middle Eastern Studies, European Studies, Latin American Studies, or Russian-Post-Soviet Studies) in cases in which instruction in the target language is not offered at William & Mary. All students, whether they have received pre-approval or not, are expected to keep course materials (syllabi, reading lists, assignments, sample handouts, tests) since these must be submitted upon their return. Credit will be assigned on the basis of these materials. Pre and post-approval materials should be submitted to the director of Global Studies along with a DocuSign course approval form. Students should allow a minimum of two weeks for processing.

Government

Students must seek pre-approval from the Department of Government for study abroad internship-related credit. Pre-approval will be granted for GOVT ELEC credit. GOVT ELEC credit counts toward graduation but not toward Government Major credit requirements.

Students have the option of converting GOVT ELEC credit to GOVT 498: Internship credit upon returning from their study abroad experience; however, pre-approval is required. The Department of Government will not grant GOVT 498: Internship credit if the student did not receive government pre-approval for their study abroad internship experience. See the Government Department’s website for additional information. (Link: https://www.wm.edu/as/government/undergraduate/studyabroad/)

The Department of Government does not grant 400-level capstone (COLL 400) seminar credit for study abroad courses.

History

HIST 299: History Courses Taken Abroad may be approved for history courses taught by non-William & Mary faculty at  specific universities.  For history courses taken at the following universities, please submit a syllabus upon completion of the course to the Global Education Office in the Reves Center. Courses that were taught by a member of the history department at one of the following universities and those listed as history courses will be reviewed in GEO to receive HIST 299 credit. Send syllabi to [[abroadtranscript]]

• Argentina: National University of La Plata
• Australia: Universities of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney
• Belgium: Veralius College
• Botswana: University of Botswana (CIEE)
• Canada: McGill University
• Czech Republic: Charles University
• Denmark: DIS (Danish Institute for Study Abroad
• England:  Universities of  Bath, Cambridge, Exeter, Kings College London, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, University College London, and Advanced Studies in England (ASE) in Bath
• France: L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Lille, Lille; Universite Lumiere, Lyon; Universite Paul-Valery, Montpellier III
• Germany: University of Munster
• Ghana: University of Ghana (CIEE)
• Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Ireland: National University of Ireland, Galway; Maynooth University; University College Dublin
• Italy:  Florence University of the Arts
• Japan: Akita International University, Keio University, Kanazawa University
• Netherlands:  University of Leiden
• New Zealand: University of Auckland, University of Otago
• Poland: Jagiellonian University of Krakow
• Scotland: Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and St. Andrews
• Singapore: National University of Singapore
• South Africa: Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Western Cape
• South Korea: Yonsei University
• Spain: University of Barcelona
• Spain: William & Mary Sevilla Semester Program 
• Wales: Cardiff University

All other courses must be post-approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History.

Before You Go

You must consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies before departure to review planned coursework. Please provide the following:

•  Description of the program and institution where you intend to study; including the full name of the school and the names of any U.S. programs with which it is affiliated.
• Syllabi or descriptions of intended courses (including any prerequisites) as well as the number of contact hours for each course.

 Soon After Return

 All students who wish to receive History Department credit from study abroad courses taken at universities other than those listed above must submit the following materials to the Director of Undergraduate studies after returning:

•  Transcript (unofficial) from the study abroad program and/or university, showing grade in each course taken. (Students can obtain a copy of their study abroad transcript from the Reves Center for International Studies.)
• Syllabus for each course taken, including the number of contact hours.
• Course materials such as papers and exams (with instructors’ comments), journals, projects, notes, etc. (i.e., materials that provide a good overview of your work in the course).
• Submit a Transfer Credit DocuSign form.

Credit will be assigned on the basis of these materials. Students should allow a minimum of two weeks for processing."

Interdisciplinary Studies

Interdisciplinary Studies is not a general source of credit for all courses that are not approved by specific academic departments. For courses to be transferred with interdisciplinary credit it must be demonstrated that they have significant content drawn from at least two academic disciplines.

International Relations

Students majoring in International Relations who wish to have courses taken abroad count towards the major must submit a DocuSign course approval form to the relevant departments along with any course materials, syllabus, or work. The IR Director can only approve International Relations courses. If the courses appear as Economics, Government, History, Sociology, or any other designation appropriate for the IR major, students must seek approval from these departments.

Latin American Studies

To receive transfer credit in Latin American Studies, courses should be interdisciplinary and should focus on the study of the cultures, politics, and societies of Latin America and the Caribbean. All students, whether they have received pre-approval or not, are expected to keep course materials (syllabi, reading lists, sample handouts, tests) since these must be submitted upon their return. Credit will be assigned on the basis of these materials. Pre and post-approval materials should be submitted to the director of Latin American Studies. Students must also submit a DocuSign course approval form. Students should allow a minimum of two weeks for processing. In most cases requests for credit for language instruction courses should be directed to the Modern Languages department—the only exception is if instruction in the target language is not offered at William & Mary. In these cases students are required to submit an approval request to the faculty approver listed for Non-W&M languages. Students should allow two weeks for processing.

Mathematics

The Mathematics Department requires, in addition to the DocuSign course approval form, a description of the program in which you are enrolling and detailed course descriptions for each course you intend to take, as well as syllabi if available. The description of the program and other materials should be sent to the Mathematics Department contact for study abroad PRIOR to the student leaving to study abroad.

Modern Languages

*For courses in non-W&M taught languages, use the designated faculty approver noted for "Languages not taught at W&M" rather than MDLL.

All courses MUST be listed and submitted in English and students must be prepared to submit translations if supporting materials are in a language other than English.

Please refer to the MLL Study Abroad Transfer Credit Website for complete instructions on the course approval process - the process for MLL is quite different from the approval process for all other departments!

Music

The Music Department requires, in addition to the DocuSign course approval form, a detailed course description for each course, including the number of contact hours per week and the number of weeks the class meets. Please note that credit granted for study abroad is almost exclusively elective credit. It is highly recommended you seek course approval BEFORE studying abroad.  If that is not possible, music courses will only be evaluated for post approval the semester AFTER returning from study abroad.

Neuroscience

Students majoring in Neuroscience who are seeking transfer credit must complete a DocuSign course approval form. For courses that are similar to specific courses within the Neuroscience curriculum, contact the appropriate department (BIOL, PSYC, KINE, CHEM, APSC) to seek transfer credit approval. For courses that do not have an obvious equivalent to courses within the curriculum but are clearly Neuroscience courses, contact Neuroscience Director for possible credit towards the Neuroscience major.

Philosophy

The Philosophy Department accepts requests for both pre- and post-approval credit courses taken abroad, though in many cases lack of materials available before a student goes abroad will make pre-approval unlikely. Approval of either credit requires completion of the DocuSign course approval form plus an email of a detailed course syllabus to the listed faculty approver. In some instances, for post-approval the Department might request additional documents as well such as lecture notes, exams, and papers. Students seeking either pre- or post-approval credit through the Philosophy Department should begin the process by contacted the designated department approver as listed by the Global Education Office at the Reves Center.

Physics

The Physics Department requests that students complete the DocuSign course approval form and email course descriptions to the department course approver; students will be notified via email if the course is approved. 

Psychological Sciences

For pre-approval, email syllabi and complete the DocuSign course approval form for the designated professor.  For post approval,  email the designated professor course materials for review and complete the  DocuSign course approval form.

Religious Studies

The Religious Studies Department will issue only post-approval for courses taken abroad. Students must bring back all course materials, such as syllabi, lecture notes, papers, exams, etc., and submit them to the department chair along with the DocuSign course approval form.

Russian-Post Soviet Studies

To receive transfer credit in Russian and Post-Soviet Studies, courses should focus on the study of the cultures, politics, and societies of Russia, Soviet or Post-Soviet Russia, or Eastern Europe. All students, whether they have received pre-approval or not, are expected to keep course materials (syllabi, reading lists, sample handouts, tests) since these must be submitted upon their return. Credit will be assigned on the basis of these materials. DocuSign course approval forms and materials should be submitted to the Director of Russian and Post-Soviet Studies.

Sociology

Course Approval DocuSigns sent in between the dates of May 20-August 20 will be addressed upon faculty return for the upcoming academic year - please plan accordingly!

Theatre, Speech and Dance

The Theatre, Speech, and Dance Department requires, in addition to the DocuSign course approval form, a description of the program in which you are enrolling and detailed course descriptions for each course. It is important that you provide the number of contact hours per week and the number of weeks the class meets.