Academic Planning & Policies

Education Abroad by definition includes an academic component. In order to have a successful time abroad, it鈥檚 important to understand the academic aspects of your upcoming experience and how they will integrate into your degree. Make sure that you're aware of the Education Abroad Academic Policies listed below and how the program you apply to may impact your academic experience. 听Education Abroad programs can vary academically, so be sure you know:

  • How many credits you'll earn while abroad
  • What classes will be available to you during your term abroad
  • How these classes will come back to CU and help you complete your degree requirements
  • How the academic system may differ from CU's and how that will impact your workload & learning experience
  • What the grading system is on your program & if that will impact your CU GPA
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Academic Accommodations

  • The level of academic accommodations provided on Education Abroad programs can vary widely. Some programs may provide accommodations that are similar to CU. Other programs will not provide the same level or type听of academic arrangements as you may expect in the U.S.听
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  • Sharing your accommodation needs in advance helps Education Abroad and your program best support you and to make necessary arrangements.听
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  • If you have accommodations through the听Office of Disability Services, start the accommodation request process early. As early as possible, access your accommodation letter within the Disability Services'听Accommodate portal and share it with your program. If you need any assistance requesting these forms, you can reach out to your听Access Coordinator听within Disability Services.

Getting Academic Support Abroad

If you find yourself struggling with your courses while you're abroad, there may be resources and support available to you. Talk to your on-site staff about what support systems, such as tutoring, may be available to you. If you continue to find the academics of your program challenging after taking full advantage of these support resources, you should notify Education Abroad and your academic advisor as early as you can. Your Education Abroad program manager can discuss your options regarding your program course enrollment, and your academic advisor can work with you on adjusting your CU registration for the term you get back to CU as needed.听

Academic Policies

Coursework completed on a 色戒成人直播-approved听education abroad program is considered "in residence" credit. Coursework听counts towards the minimum number of credits taken on the 色戒成人直播 campus needed to earn a degree from 色戒成人直播. (i.e. the college of Arts and Sciences requires a minimum of 45 hours on the 色戒成人直播 campus).

There are three different grading systems depending on your program:

  • Coursework taught by 色戒成人直播 faculty:听For programs where 色戒成人直播 acts as the school of record, including听,听, and听听you will receive letter grades
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  • CU in D.C.: courses听come back as challenge credit, which will appear as P/F or Credit/No Credit depending on the type of coursework completed. See the materials in your CU in D.C. application checklist for more details.
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  • All other programs: The grades you earn abroad will be converted to Study Abroad Pass/Fail credit on your 色戒成人直播 transcript. None of your pass/fail grades will be calculated into your CU GPA.听CU Education Abroad pass/fail credit is听exempt听from the usual 色戒成人直播 campus pass/fail limitations. As long as courses are approved by the relevant department, they may be used to fulfill major or degree requirements.听


Regardless of which grading policy applies, the following policies hold true:
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  • Education abroad pass/fail courses posted with a passing grade may be used to fulfill various degree requirements towards major, minor, A&S Gen Ed, and other degree requirements. Courses must have formal approval from the relevant department, and coursework completed on Education Abroad programs are subject to the same grading policies as classes taken on 色戒成人直播 campus (e.g. for students studying abroad in Fall 2024 or beyond,听if your department requires a C- or better to complete a major requirement, you must have earned an SP+ abroad to complete that requirement).
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  • Students cannot choose to have letter grades recorded instead of pass/fail (or vice/versa).
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  • Even if your coursework comes back as pass/fail to 色戒成人直播, graduate/professional schools may request your transcripts from abroad and see the letter grades you earned on your program.
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On programs where grades are听converted to Study Abroad Pass/Fail, this will be done based on the following credit conversions.

For students studying abroad in Fall 2024 or later,听grades will be converted to Study Abroad Pass+, Pass, No Credit, or Fail according to the following scale:

  • SP+ (Study Abroad Pass+): for grades equivalent to C- or better
  • SP (Study Abroad Pass): for grades equivalent to D+, D or D-
  • SF (Study Abroad Fail): for grades equivalent to F
  • SNC (Study Abroad No Credit): when a student completes a non-credit class

For students studying abroad in Summer 2024 or earlier,听grades will be converted to听Study Abroad Pass, No Credit, or Fail according to the following scale:

  • SP听(Study Abroad Pass): for grades equivalent to C- or better
  • SNC (Study Abroad No Credit): for grades equivalent to D+, D or D- or when听a student completes a non-credit class
  • SF (Study Abroad Fail): for grades equivalent to F

For programs where the grading systems don't align with U.S. academic system, students will get more information on grade conversions in their MyCUAbroad checklist upon acceptance to their program. For questions on grade conversions, please contact the relevant Ed Abroad Program Manager.

Incompletes: It is your responsibility to finish all coursework and to take all final exams before leaving your program site. Students who do not complete coursework during their program & have an Incomplete on their transcript will not receive credit for that class. In rare cases students are able to convert an Incomplete into a grade - in these cases it is the student's responsibility to request an updated transcript be issued to Education Abroad.听

You are responsible for following your program鈥檚/host institution鈥檚 attendance policy for classes and program activities and for completing assigned work. Failure to participate fully in a program may constitute academic misconduct and result in dismissal from the program.

Exams must be taken onsite at the regularly scheduled times.

You must be enrolled as a full-time student on a 色戒成人直播 program. Full-time is defined as at least the equivalent of 12 色戒成人直播 credit hours each semester or at least 24 credit hours per academic year. Some programs have higher required credit minimums. In such cases, students must abide by the program鈥檚 required credit minimum. Summer course load minimums vary by program, but you must be a full-time student for the length of your program.

  • CU online classes,听Continuing Education classes, and/or online transfer coursework cannot substitute for your full-time course load abroad. Any CU courses you take while abroad will be additional credits on top of your minimum required course load abroad.
  • Non-credit classes and/or non-credit internships do not count as part of your required minimum load.
Consequences of under-enrollment

If you fall below full-time status on your education abroad program (generally 12 credits for semester programs; varies for summer programs), you may encounter the following consequences:
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  • Your financial aid could be impacted and possibly revoked
  • You risk falling behind on your academic progress and may not graduate on time
  • You could violate the terms of your visa which could impact your standing on your ed abroad program and/or future opportunities to visit your host country
  • If you are an international student completing your degree at CU on a U.S. visa, you could jeopardize your U.S. immigration status.

If you are concerned that you may fall below full-time status on your program, please connect with your program manager to determine how this could impact you.

14-16 credit hours is a reasonable semester load. You may not take more than the equivalent of 21 色戒成人直播 credits in one term. If you exceed the 21-hour maximum, some of your credits will be converted to 鈥渘o credit.鈥 If you believe you will exceed this limit, consult with your Ed Abroad Program Manager.

You cannot obtain credit for a course abroad that has been determined to be a direct equivalent (exact match) with a CU course that you have already taken. For example, perhaps you place lower than you had hoped on your language placement exam on-site and end up taking a course abroad that has been determined to count/match with FREN 1010. If you have already taken FREN 1010 in 色戒成人直播, you will not receive credit for the course abroad. Your degree audit will be 鈥渃ut back鈥 and the course/credits will not count towards any portion of your CU degree. This may also result in less than full-time status for the semester, depending on how many other credits you took. You may also be able to take an extra course to make up for the credits that you won鈥檛 receive, but you'll need to plan for this in advance.听

You can听help minimize the risk of getting a cutback in credit by taking the following actions:

  • Cross-check your final class enrollment and ensure that none of the classes you've registered for have an approval听for a direct equivalent of a class you've already completed. You can听find direct equivalency approvals on the听.
  • If you are taking language classes, study听for your on-site language placement exam before your program begins

It is your responsibility to know how courses听are approved at CU. If you have concerns about this, contact your听Ed Abroad Program Manager.

The vast majority of courses on 色戒成人直播-approved programs are traditional academic subjects and will be accepted by 色戒成人直播 as elective credit at the very least. However, a small number of courses听on Ed Abroad programs are not eligible for CU credit.听If a course is determined to be听non-transferrable/not-for-credit, this means that this course听will not count towards any degree requirements (including major or general elective credit) or hours towards graduation. If you still take the class, you will need to enroll in enough additional for-credit courses to maintain your status as a full-time student (meaning at least 12 credits in addition to this course). This course will appear as Not for Credit (NC) on your 色戒成人直播 record.

To ensure that all of your credits are accepted by CU, check the听听for your program听and听avoid听any courses already listed as NON-TRANSFER. As you explore new courses, use the following criteria as guidelines for what to watch out for that may also be determined to be non-transferrable:

  • Wine, cooking, and food appreciation courses
  • Physical education courses (e.g. yoga, recreational dancing, sports)
  • Outdoor leadership and related courses through Outward Bound, NOLS or similar programs
  • Tourism studies courses
  • Vocational-technical courses that are offered at two-year and proprietary institution
  • Credits earned for work experience (including some internships, see below)
  • Courses in religion that constitute specialized religious training or that are doctrinal in nature
  • English-language proficiency courses (courses designed for non-native English speakers)
  • Applied medical courses
  • Courses or programs identified as college orientation
  • Courses identified by 色戒成人直播 as remedial, i.e.听necessary to correct academic deficiencies, such as remedial English, mathematics, science, etc.
  • In addition,听some Business classes听may not be eligible for any 色戒成人直播 credit for Business & non-Business majors alike. Business majors should work closely with their advisors to get all Business courses pre-approved.


Worried a class might not count for credit?听Submit the 听if you are considering taking a class that looks like it might听not be eligible for CU credit.

You may enroll in an online class while abroad, such as an online CU course, an online Continuing Education course, or a special Independent Study course arranged directly with a department. Before choosing this option, carefully consider the following financial and workload implications:

  • CU courses cannot substitute for your full-time course load abroad. Any CU courses you take while abroad will be additional credits on top of your minimum required course load abroad.
  • The cost of tuition and fees for any CU courses will be added to your bill for the relevant term (on top of your education听abroad program costs). The cost of taking a CU course is not included in the cost of your education听abroad tuition/fees. see听听for more details (note that a听single rate is charged regardless of a student鈥檚 in-state or out-of-state classification).
  • Keep in mind issues such as the time difference and managing听your overall workload.

Course Registration

Course Registration at CU

For the term you're abroad, you will be registered at CU for either a placeholder course (STDY1001/5001), or if you are participating in a Global Seminar, Global Intensive, Global Internship, or CU in D.C., you'll be registered for the actual courses you're taking abroad. Education Abroad will complete this registration process on students' behalf for all programs exception Global Intensives, where students will register themselves. This registration process follows these general timelines:

  • Spring and Winter programs: November
  • Summer programs: March - April
  • Fall and Academic Year programs: April

Make sure you have no holds or 鈥淪ervice Indicators鈥 on your account during this registration period - you can check this in your Buff Portal account. Most stops or Service Indicators on your 色戒成人直播 record will prevent registration. If you have any questions or concerns about holds on your account, email abroad@colorado.edu.听

Registration through your Program

What is the STDY1001/5001 placeholder?
  • The CU placeholder course (STDY1001/5001) is generic credit that holds your place at CU while you're abroad and is a way of notifying campus of your status as a study abroad student.
  • The amount of credits earned abroad may differ from the amount indicated on the study abroad placeholder course. The actual credit amounts will be updated upon receipt of the abroad transcript.
  • This temporary course will be replaced with your actual coursework when Education Abroad (EA) receives your grades after your program ends.
  • It can take months for EA to receive grades from some programs, and occasionally students need to submit a transcript request before their transcripts will be issued - see the听听page for more details.

If you are participating in an exchange, direct partnership,听or听a program run by a study abroad organization (e.g. CIEE, CEA CAPA, ISA, etc.), you听must register for classes through your program. The CU placeholder course (STDY1001/5001) is generic credit and does not register you for the individual classes you plan to take on your program. Programs' registration processes can vary - get more details on what your registration process will look like in your and/or from your program. Note that the听registration timelines through your program will likely be different from those at CU. It's common for many registration timelines to take place 1-2 months before the start of your program. On some programs, students will not formally register for their classes until they are on-site.听

Registration and Language Placement Exams

On many programs you will register for your classes on-site and not in advance of your program start. There are opportunities and pitfalls that come with doing this so soon after you arrive on-site. These could include:

  • Language classes & placement听exams: if you place too low, you risk not earning credit for the course you enroll in if it's determined to be a direct equivalent to a course you already took at CU.
  • Deviating from your original course plan:听refer to your Ed Abroad course evaluation forms and academic planning worksheets that you developed with your academic advisor when you register for your classes. If you discover new and exciting classes that might be a better match for your schedule and/or academic interests, keep in mind that they may not be approved to fulfill the degree requirements you need to take during your program in order to听stay on track with your degree. Be sure to communicate this change to your academic advisor, and听听as needed.
Registering for 色戒成人直播 Classes as a Backup

In general, students don鈥檛 need to enroll in 色戒成人直播 campus classes as a backup for the term they plan on being abroad, however, there may be reasons that you wish to remain in one or more of these courses:

  1. You intend to take an online course (one maximum) for the time you are abroad (see below for more details & considerations).
  2. You were accepted with a condition (see below for more details & considerations).
  3. You are still uncertain about going abroad.
  4. Other reasons for wanting to remain in the 色戒成人直播 campus courses for the time being.

If you have been accepted with a condition, you are encouraged to register for regular 色戒成人直播 campus courses in addition to being enrolled in the placeholder course. If/when you are fully accepted into your program, you should drop the 色戒成人直播 campus courses and will remain enrolled only in the Education Abroad course.听

Students who enroll in 色戒成人直播 classes as a backup for the term they plan on being abroad are responsible for dropping those classes in time to avoid any negative financial repercussions. Students are subject to the standard withdrawal fees and drop/add timelines for any 色戒成人直播 classes in which they are enrolled. As a best practice, students should drop any 色戒成人直播 backup classes by the first day of the start of the 色戒成人直播 term. See the听Registrars' Withdrawal Calendars听page for more details. Note that Education Abroad students are exempt from paying the $200 withdrawal fee, provided that they stay enrolled in their Education Abroad program.听听听

Working with your Academic Advisor

As you plan for studying abroad, your Academic Advisor and Education Abroad advisors will both help you along the way. Here is a general overview of when to work with your Academic Advisor versus Education Abroad:

Pro-Tip

Confirm your final class enrollment with your academic advisor when you're abroad. This helps them advise you on what CU classes to register for in the term you get back (which you are often doing while abroad).

Your Academic Advisor can...

  • Help you understand how the courses you take abroad fit into your CU degree plan
  • Provide guidance on what degree requirements are best to complete abroad v. at CU
  • Facilitate course evaluation requests
  • Map out CU classes to take when you get back听

Education Abroad can...

  • Advise on programs that meet your academic needs
  • Share academic details of your program like academic systems, credit conversions, and upper/ lower division credits
  • Help you navigate your program鈥檚 class search & advise on your program's registration process
  • Access and complete EA course planning forms including finding course syllabi

Registering for CU Classes While Abroad

For students on semester or year-long programs, you will register for the 色戒成人直播 classes you'll take when you get back to the U.S. while you're abroad. Your registration window and processes will match what you are used to in 色戒成人直播, which may fall during odd times when you're in different time zones.

  • The Office of the Registrar听will email you with specific registration instructions and detailed enrollment dates as you approach your registration window. Be sure to keep an eye on your @colorado.edu email account while you're abroad so that you don't miss this email.
    • Spring and Academic Year听students will register for fall classes听while abroad; you'll be able to see your enrollment dates in听听typically beginning听in early March.
    • Fall students will register for spring classes while abroad; you'll be able to see your enrollment dates in听听typically beginning听in early to mid-October.
  • Neither Education Abroad nor your Academic Advisor can register you for your CU classes while you are abroad. Make sure you have access to the internet and clear your schedule for your registration window.
  • Check for holds and get them removed in advance of your time assignment. Even though you'll be abroad, you may still be flagged with an advising stop/service indicator. Check for holds as soon as you receive your registration instructions, and get them cleared before your registration window opens.
  • Connect with your academic advisor well in advance of your registration window (preferably before you go abroad) about what CU classes you should register for. Keep your academic advisor up-to-date on your final course enrollment on your program.