Earning Credits Abroad
If you are participating in a program at a host university abroad, you will need to transfer your course credits back to Kent State.
To do so, you will need to complete a Transfer Course Planning (TCP) Form with your Academic Advisor.
It is critical that your form accurately reflects the classes you are taking abroad. Only courses listed on your TCP Form are approved to transfer back as Kent State course equivalents. If you decide to take a course that is not listed on that form, you must request approval for the course while abroad; do not wait until after you return! Please contact your Academic and Education Abroad Advisors if you need to update your TCP Form.
It’s also important that you keep all your syllabi, papers, and tests. Your academic department at Kent State might ask to see these documents when you return.
Full-Time Enrollment Abroad
If you are receiving and using federal financial aid, it is important that you stay enrolled as a full-time student. To be considered a full-time student, you must be enrolled in at least the equivalent number of credit hours for the following:
Undergraduate:
- Semester: 12 credit hours
- Summer: 6 credit hours
Graduate:
- Semester: 8 credit hours
- Summer: 4 credit hours
As an example, if you are studying in Germany for a semester, you may need to enroll in 24 ECTS credits in order to be considered full-time by US standards.
For summer programs, it is possible to meet the minimum credit hour requirements by taking the equivalent of 3 credit hours abroad and enrolling in 3 credit hours at Kent State.
Academic Culture Abroad
Keep in mind that you are going to be living and studying in a new culture, which also means you will be in a new academic culture.
The grading system may be vastly different from what you are used to. For example, a 65 is considered as a good grade in the United Kingdom. Moreover, some courses might not give you a grade and instead mark you as either “Pass” or “Fail”.
Coursework may also be different. Many other educational systems focus more on lectures and less on group discussion and group participation. You may find that your entire grade is based on one final exam.
If you are worried about how your academics are going, please reach out to your host university and your Education Abroad Advisor for assistance.