Credits earned on an approved study abroad program are considered Puget Sound credit and will count towards your degree as long as they are approved in advance.
Types of Credit
- Credits earned abroad will count as lower-division or upper-division elective credit (TRNF XXX or TRNF 3XX, respectively), unless otherwise noted
- In addition to elective credit, it is possible for major and minor credit to be earned on a study abroad program
- Acceptance of study abroad credit toward major or minor requirements is at the discretion of the academic department
- Connections courses may not be taken abroad
- Acceptance of study abroad credit toward the other Core Curriculum requirements is at the discretion of the Office of the Registrar
- KNOW courses may be taken abroad if a course is equivalent to one of the Puget Sound KNOW courses; the list of KNOW courses can be found in the bulletin, and on the website
- The Experiential Learning requirement can be fulfilled by enrolling in EXLN 297
- Some courses taught on approved programs may not be granted Puget Sound credit, including:
- certain applied courses, such as architecture, that are not similar to the liberal arts courses found at Puget Sound
- courses abroad that have an equivalent at Puget Sound may not be allowed for credit for both courses, as the course content will overlap
Credit Approval Process
- Prior to studying abroad:
- You must meet with your major advisor prior to submitting your study abroad application. The advisor’s role in study abroad planning is essential to a successful study abroad experience.
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You must have all majors, minors, and interdisciplinary emphases that you plan to complete on your academic record. (You can declare or change your academic plans on the Academic Advising Office website).
- Once you have enrolled in courses with your study abroad program or institution, you may fill out a Study Abroad Course Evaluation (SACER) form.
- To see if your course is pre-approved navigate to the Experiential Learning Puget Sound tile via myPugetSound as follows:
- Students: Student Homepage > Academics > Experiential Learning
- Faculty: Faculty Homepage > Teaching Resources > Experiential Learning
- Staff: Staff Homepage > Campus Resources > Experiential Learning
- To see if your course is pre-approved navigate to the Experiential Learning Puget Sound tile via myPugetSound as follows:
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If a course has not been reviewed previously, you can submit a Course Approval Form for Study Abroad (note, you can submit more than one of these forms, as needed).
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If you learn of new courses later, or when you arrive at your study abroad location, submit additional SACER and/or Course Approval Forms, as necessary.
- Be sure to request an official transcript from your study abroad program be sent to the Office of the Registrar upon completion of your program:
- Office of the Registrar University of Puget Sound 1500 N. Warner Street #1034 Tacoma Washington 98416-1034
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Transcripts can also be sent electronically from the institution to registrar@pugetsound.edu or by using the institution’s third party vendor such as the Student Clearinghouse or Parchment
- After your official transcript arrives, the Office of the Registrar will apply your approved courses to your academic record at Puget Sound.
Units Earned
- On semester programs, students typically earn 3.75 – 4.25 units
- On summer programs, students typically earn .75 – 2 units
- The number of units earned for each course abroad differs greatly by program and country. Many programs will state the number of credits earned in each course in US semester credit hours:
- 4 semester credits (or credit hours) = 1 Puget Sound unit
- 3 semester credits = .75 Puget Sound unit
- The number of major or minor requirements you can fulfill abroad is determined by each department
- Many Majors will allow you to fulfill 1 or 2 major requirements abroad
- Many Minors will allow you fulfill 1 minor requirement abroad – however you will need to plan carefully as some minors have a minimum unit requirement and thus any courses taken abroad that offer less than one full Puget Sound unit can result in the need to take additional units in the minor when you return from abroad
Grades and GPA
- Study abroad grades are included in your cumulative GPA on your Academic Requirements (AR) report. The AR report is a tracking audit to verify students satisfy all degree requirements, and is no longer used following graduation. The cumulative GPA is comprised of grades from all courses included in the 32 units required for your degree, including study abroad courses and courses transferred from other U.S. colleges. Study abroad grades are also included in the major or minor GPA, if applicable, on the AR report, for purposes of degree clearance and departmental honors. You must have at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA to graduate, and a 2.00 GPA or higher for any major or minor.
- Study abroad courses, but not grades, are listed on the UPS transcript. Thus, the study abroad grades are not part of the Puget Sound GPA on your transcript. The course title and unit value will be listed on the transcript. The grade is not listed. The transcript is the official academic record that students submit to graduate schools and employers after graduation.