Academics Abroad

Registration and Academics

One of the benefits of going abroad is the opportunity to study in a foreign country and culture. Experience the art of Italy, business practices of China, or biological diversity of Costa Rica in an immersive, experiential way! There are several ways in which a UA student may obtain credit from their experiences, and it is important to know the differences.

There are two main ways to earn credit abroad:

  1. UA Courses Abroad: take a UA course taught abroad, typically instructed by UA faculty on a UA faculty-led program (i.e. UA in Belize, UA in Oxford etc.).
  2. Non-UA courses: Take courses at an international university/program and transfer the credit back to UA. Typically, these courses are taken on an Affiliate, Exchange, or Direct-Enroll program.

 

UA Courses Abroad

The University of Alabama offers dozens of programs for students to take a UA class abroad, usually through a UA faculty-led program. When looking at a UA faculty-led program, take note of the courses offered and the number of hours. Work with an Academic Advisor to determine how the credit may be applied to your UA degree requirements.

Selection to participate and register for UA faculty-led courses is coordinated by the Education Abroad office. Once a student has an approved application, our office will issue the student a registration permit. Students will then be given instructions and granted access to register for the appropriate UA faculty-led course(s) during their open registration period for that term.

Need to know:

  • UA faculty-led courses taken abroad are taught by UA faculty.
  • UA faculty-led courses will affect your GPA like regular courses taught on campus.
  • Registration permits will be issued close to open registration and you can register once your assigned window opens.

 

Non-UA Courses

The University of Alabama offers many opportunities abroad with international universities and programs through affiliate, exchange, or direct enroll study abroad programs. This opportunity is a unique way to take classes outside of the UA course catalog, allowing students to receive transfer credit for their experience.

Examples:

  • Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, Scotland
  • Engineering at University College Dublin, Ireland

As part of the application process* with the Education Abroad office, UA students will be required to submit a list of courses from their abroad program for evaluation. Students will work with their Education Abroad Advisor and college to determine the UA equivalencies of the international coursework. In other words, the courses on these programs will have very different names/numbers. By completing this credit evaluation process early on, students can determine how courses will transfer to UA and to their degree requirements long before their program begins.

More about the course equivalency process and the online course equivalency database can be found here: Course Equivalency Database

*Note: Course equivalencies are processed after a student’s Education Abroad Application has been approved.
Example Equivalency:
  • Program: University of Antonio de Nebrija – Madrid, Spain

Chart, International course and UA Equivalent

Need to know:
  1. Receiving international transcripts at the end of your experience abroad can often be delayed. Speak with your Education Abroad Advisor regarding any concerns you have regarding study abroad and graduation.
  2. After you have completed the course, you must submit an official transcript to the Education Abroad office. Please be aware that in some cases it can take up to 6 months to receive these transcripts. Credit appearing on a domestic transcript will be posted to the UA record with the grade that appears on that transcript (whether letter grade or Pass/Fail). Credit appearing on an international transcript will be posted to the UA record as Pass/Fail grades only. While a grade of “P” is not calculated into your GPA, a grade of “F” will negatively impact your GPA. If both a domestic and international transcript are provided, the domestic transcript will be the one used to post the credit to your UA record.