Academic Considerations | Education Abroad

Academic Credit FAQ

One of the key topics we get asked about with regard to academics is credit. How does it all work? See below for some important information and considerations. Important note: UVA study abroad courses may not be audited. All UVA study abroad courses must be taken for credit.

What is academic credit?

Official certification by an accredited academic institution that a student has successfully completed a course of study. All UVA study abroad courses must be taken for credit (they may not be audited).

What is the difference between direct credit and transfer credit?

Direct credit is credit awarded by the University of Virginia. Direct credit factors into your GPA, and direct credit courses can sometimes fulfill general requirements within your school.
Transfer credit is awarded by another institution, but can still be applied toward your UVA degree and your major/minor/language requirements with appropriate approvals. Transfer credit does not factor into your GPA and a grade does not appear up on your UVA transcript.

How can I tell whether my program offers direct or transfer credit?

Look at the "Credit Type" field in the Fact Sheet section of the program page (conduct a Program Search to access these pages). Note that some programs offer a combination of direct and transfer credit; review the rest of the content on the page for details. You can also narrow down your program search by credit type if, for example, you know that you need direct credit (see related question below).

How can I use the credit I will earn on my education abroad program?

There are a few differences in the uses of direct credit vs. transfer credit:

Credit Counts for	Direct	Transfer
Graduation	YES	YES
Major / Minor Requirements	YES	YES
Elective Requirements	YES	YES
Language Requirement	YES	YES
Area Requirements	CLAS: YES Schools: YES	CLAS: NO Schools: YES
Calculated in GPA	YES	NO

Do I need direct credit?

There are only a few reasons why you might benefit from direct credit when you study abroad:

You have reached or are very close to reaching the 60 transfer credit maximum that the University allows you to use toward your degree. You are in the College and need to fulfill an area requirement which you will not be able to fill at any other time at UVA.

Otherwise, transfer credit will work every bit as well as direct credit for you.

You need to earn more credits toward your major/minor than the department will allow you to fill with transfer credit.
You need to raise your GPA.

How do I go about getting transfer credit applied to my degree/major/minor/language?

One of the main components of the application for transfer credit programs is the Transfer Credit Approval Form. Before your application can be reviewed, you must get transfer credit approval for the courses you expect to take abroad. If you discover the courses you want to take abroad are not available upon arrival, or you change your mind, obtain approvals while abroad via email from the same individuals who approved your initial courses. Provide those email approvals to the appropriate person for your school and keep copies for yourself. All of the instructions for filling out and turning in the Transfer Credit Approval Form are located on the form, which is found within your application. Each school has its own version of the form.

	Schools	CLAS
Major / Minor Approval	Academic Advisor or Dean	Department DUP, then College Transfer Credit Evaluator
Elective Approval	Dean or Registrar	College Transfer Credit Evaluator
Language Requirement Approval	Language Department	Language Department, then College Transfer Credit Evaluator
Area Requirement Approval	Dean or Registrar	N/A
Submit forms to	ISO	ISO
Minimum Grade you must earn in each class	Batten, COMM, SEAS & UVA EHD: C ARCH & SON: C-	C

Can I take a class at UVA while I'm abroad?

No, students studying abroad may not be enrolled in any on-Grounds classes. This includes independent study classes, virtual classes, DMP classes, research classes, etc.