Course Credit
Who should I talk to about choosing courses for study abroad?
Faculty-led study abroad programs
For most programs, you should talk to your faculty leader about the course option which would be best for you. Depending on the program, you may also need to talk to a faculty advisor (if the course may be used toward your major) and/or an academic advisor in the UARC (Undergraduate Advising Resource Center) in Dempsey. If you are planning to graduate at the end of your program abroad, talk to an advisor in the OIE as well.
Student Exchange and Independent Study Abroad
You MUST talk to a variety of people about course selection! Begin with a study abroad advisor in the OIE. Your advisor in the OIE will give you information about the course selection process and talk with you about others on campus you'll need to meet with before choosing a program. You'll also need to meet with your current advisor. Your advisor will be able to talk with you about course selection options which may work best for you. In addition, it is imperative that you talk with an advisor in the UARC (Undergraduate Advising Resource Center) in Dempsey!!! Your advisor in Dempsey can talk to you about policies and procedures on campus which may affect the choices you make.
What courses can I take?
Faculty-led Study Abroad Program
All faculty-led programs offer UW Oshkosh course credit. Course and credit information is available on each program's web page.
Student Exchange Program
Participants on student exchange programs are able to choose from a variety of courses at the host institution which are then transferred back to UW Oshkosh. Just as at UW Oshkosh, you will only be able to choose from courses for which you have sufficient background to show that you satisfy any course prerequisites. In some cases, the host institution may offer a subset of courses from which you can choose. Course selection details are available from each program's webpage.
What requirements can I fulfill?
Your study abroad experience may fulfill the following requirements:
College of Business Administration
Global Business Minor: There is a study abroad requirement of either a COBA international travel seminar (Bus 494) or a pre-approved semester abroad academic study experience.
International Dimension Requirement: Can be partially fulfilled with a COBA international travel seminar (Bus 494) or a pre-approved experience abroad.
International Management Emphasis: Can be partially fulfilled with a COBA international travel seminar (Bus 494), a pre-approved semester abroad academic study experience or a pre-approved for-credit international internship or work experience.
NOTE: You may not use the same three-credit experience toward your major, minor and emphasis. If you need more than three credits of study abroad, you can choose to take Bus 494 more than once or you can participate on a study abroad program which awards more than three credits.
College of Education & Human Services
DPI Study Abroad Requirement for Foreign Language Teachers: COEHS students must spend at least four weeks abroad and meet other qualifications outlined by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at UW Oshkosh. Visit the Foreign Languages and Literatures department office in Radford 315 to complete the required paperwork.
International Student Teaching for Licensure: Eligible COEHS students can participate in international student teaching to fulfill part of the required semester-long student teaching experience required for licensure. Check with the COEHS Field Experience Director, MaryBeth Petesch (424-3323) for eligibility requirements and an explanation of the process involved.
How do I register for courses?
The only way to register for study abroad-related courses is to complete the study abroad application process.
If you are studying through a faculty-led study abroad program, you will be registered for courses by the OIE when your study abroad application is complete.
If you are studying abroad through a student exchange program, you will be registered in a 'placeholder' course at UW Oshkosh before your study abroad program begins. When your program ends, the credits you earned abroad will be transferred back from your host school to UW Oshkosh and will replace the credits associated with the placeholder course.
Can I audit a study abroad course?
No.
How do I transfer courses back to UW Oshkosh?
Transfer Credit Prior Approval
If you are studying abroad on a program which does not grant UW Oshkosh credit, your courses will be transferred to UW Oshkosh at the end of the program; you'll need to get prior approval for your course and credit transfers so that there are no misunderstandings later on. Transfer IS NOT AUTOMATIC, as UW Oshkosh equivalencies may be different depending on your major.
If you are studying abroad on a program sponsored by another UW System institution, you may not need to complete this step for all of the courses you plan to take. Many may already be recorded in the UW System Credit Transfer Information System (http://tis.uwsa.edu/cgi-bin/tis/crswiz.cgi). Check the credit transfer wizard for the courses you plan to take to see how they will transfer back to UW Oshkosh. Print off the credit transfer information for your courses and attach it to the Transfer Credit Prior Approval Form.
Generally, credits taken through programs at other UW System schools or other accredited schools in the United States are transferable. Credits taken through programs which are independent of any UW System campus or other accredited school in the United States may not be transferable.
Use the Transfer Credit Prior Approval form and make sure that you keep a signed copy for yourself. Keep in mind that only those courses which are the equivalents of UW Oshkosh courses will transfer to UW Oshkosh (many courses will transfer in as general education courses or as upper-level electives). Credit transfer, on the other hand, is based on the number of class hours offered at the host school over the period of the course; forty-two class hours is equal to three credits at UW Oshkosh. It is therefore possible for you to earn fewer or more credits for a "three-credit" course taught abroad.
To discuss course equivalencies, make an appointment with your academic or faculty advisor or with the Transfer Student Coordinator in the Admissions office. Bring the Transfer Credit Prior Approval form, the name of the sponsoring school/organization or foreign institution; full address and email address of the sponsoring organization/foreign institution; and specific program information, including course names/descriptions and the number of hours spent in class for each course. If you have other information about the sponsoring organization/foreign institution, bring that with you also. If you meet with an academic or faculty advisor, in addition to discussing course transfer you may also want to discuss how the study abroad experience will fit into your current academic studies, any implications it may have on your graduation date, the types of courses which may be best for you to try to take abroad and the timing of your study abroad program (is fall semester better than spring? is junior year better than senior year?). Ask your advisor to sign the form after you have worked out course equivalencies.
If your academic or faculty advisor does not specify the number of credits for each course on your Transfer Credit Prior Approval form, you will also need to contact the Transfer Student Coordinator in the admissions office to find out how many you will earn. Again, you will need to share the name of the sponsoring school/organization or foreign institution; full address and email address of the sponsoring organization/foreign institution; and specific program information, including course names/descriptions and the number of hours spent in class for each course. Be sure to have enough copies of this information for yourself, your advisor and the Transfer Student Coordinator.
At the end of this process, you should have answered these questions:
- Will the courses you are interested in transfer as requirements toward your major or minor, will they transfer as electives, or will they not transfer to UW Oshkosh as anything at all? Will you receive the correct number of credits per course so that you don't have too few credits toward a particular requirement for your major, minor or general education coursework?
- Will you receive enough credits to be considered full-time for financial aid and health insurance purposes?
- If you will be graduating at the end of your semester abroad, what is the deadline that you will have to meet when providing UW Oshkosh with your transcript from the study abroad institution? Can the study abroad institution meet this deadline?
- If you are graduating within the next 2-3 semesters, will you meet the UW Oshkosh graduation rule which says that 15 of the last 30 credits earned must be earned at UW Oshkosh (credits earned through a UW Oshkosh-sponsored study abroad program are considered credits earned at UW Oshkosh)
This page was last updated on: July 2, 2007