Academic Matters

You may be more focused right now on practical matters involved with studying abroad, but it is important to remember that you will be studying as well, so you can’t forget about academic matters! You want to have an amazing time, but you'll also want you to do well in your studies and make progress toward your degree. It is possible to do both, but you will need to take steps to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Knowing the “rules of the game” (maintaining full-time status, securing course equivalencies, working with a study abroad liaison), and understanding how things work will help ensure you don’t overlook any crucial academic tasks.

This section focuses on study abroad academic matters, including addressing your most common concerns. Many of the following topics will also be covered in your accepted meeting and required orientations. If you have additional questions not covered in this handbook, feel free to ask your study abroad advisor.

First things first - be sure to familiarize yourself with our academic policies, if you haven’t already done so. You can find the full policy page by clicking below.

Academic Policy Page

You are responsible for reading and understanding these academic policies - so be sure to let your study abroad advisor know if you have any questions.

Below, we will highlight a few of our policies that we commonly receive questions on, but it is still important that you understand all policies, so be sure to click that link to go to the policy page!

Academic Policies and Regulations - What you Need to Know

Pass/Not-Pass Option

Students participating on co-sponsored, direct-enroll or exchange programs have the option to request the Pass/Not-Pass (P/N) grading mode for courses taken overseas. This option is not available to students on departmental programs.

If students choose to utilize this option, they must obtain permission from their academic advisor and submit the Pass/Not-Pass Approval Form on their My Study Abroad page before the stated deadline.

Please consult your My Study Abroad page to access this form and instructions for completing it, as well as to view the deadline for your program. Make sure to carefully consider any consequences this will have in your plan of study before choosing this option. Most courses graded in P/N cannot be utilized towards degree requirements – so if the course will be used towards a major or minor requirement, or even if you think you may add a minor in the future that the course could potentially be used for – your safest bet is to take the course for a letter grade.

This policy is one we often get many questions on, so for more information be sure to refer to the Pass/Not Pass Page.

Exams

Each student on a study abroad program is required to be present the full length of the program and to take all examinations as regularly scheduled by overseas faculty. Under no circumstances may students request an early exam, distance exam, or re-take an exam.

Even if the university or program you are at allows students to re-take or re-schedule the exam (often called extraordinary exams) please note this is not allowed by Purdue and you should take the regular exam only. If students take an extraordinary exam, this grade will not be reported on the Purdue record and only the original exam grade will be honored.

Academic Integrity

Just like is expected on campus, while abroad you are subject to the academic regulations of both Purdue and the host university or program provider. Any acts of academic misconduct (cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, violation of course rules, academic dishonesty, etc…) will be handled by the academic officials at the overseas site and will also be reported to the Purdue University Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Students will face the same procedures they would on campus once the act has been reported.

Full-time Status

Students are required to maintain the equivalent of Purdue full-time status while studying overseas. Full-time status for semester students is defined as 12 Purdue credit hours. For summer students, full-time status is 6 Purdue credit hours, though select summer programs may be designed for less than 6 credit hours and are an exception to this rule. In these cases, students should be aware that you are not eligible for most financial aid if you are under full-time enrollment for a term, though you can still apply for study abroad scholarships.

It is important to note that if the overseas program defines full-time status at higher than 12 Purdue credits, students must still meet full-time status at the host institution.

If an overseas program defines full-time status as lower than 12 Purdue credits, students must still meet Purdue's minimum requirement of 12 credits.

Credit systems may be different where you are studying, so utilize your Course Equivalency Form to understand exactly how many credits you'll be bringing back to Purdue - and ensure it is at least 12! If you're ever in doubt, consult with your Study Abroad Advisor for further guidance and information.

Academic Notice

Students are not able to study abroad while they are on academic notice. Your status was checked when you were accepted into your program. However, it is important to note that if you find yourself on academic notice between acceptance and departure for your program, your acceptance will be revoked and you will be responsible for any non-refundable fees owed to your program.

Grading for Courses Approved for Direct Credit

Grades and credits for every course that appears on your program transcript must be posted to your Purdue academic record regardless of whether the course is needed to meet degree requirements.

Grades earned overseas that are in a different grading scale to Purdue’s will be translated using nationally-recognized scales provided by WES (World Education Services). These scales are designed to match the spirit of the host country grading system in comparison to the U.S. system. The same variation that occurs between the differing demands of professors at Purdue is likely to occur with professors abroad.

Purdue does not make adjustments to grades from overseas transcripts.

Grading for courses that are NOT approved for Direct Credit

If a student takes a course on a program that falls within an area that does not have academic approval, they will by default receive Pass/Not-Pass for this course instead of a letter grade. It is important that students speak to their academic advisor before pursuing a course in an unapproved area, as P/N courses often do not count towards degree requirements.

Please see the Pass/Not-Pass page for more information.

Online or Hybrid Courses While Abroad

Students studying abroad for a full semester must take in-person classes while abroad. However, if a necessary class for the plan of study is not offered in-person, but is available remotely, students may take up to 3-4 credits of fully online/remote coursework via Purdue. Students must still meet the minimum on-site enrollment requirements of the host university, program, and/or country.

Students studying abroad during the summer or winter terms cannot take online classes that overlap with their study abroad program dates.

If you take an online class, it is important to understand the following:

Online courses do not count towards minimum credit requirement to be a full-time student at the host program or university
Students participating on co-sponsored, direct-enroll or departmental program types will be charged the appropriate Purdue tuition fee for the online credits in addition to their program cost as tuition for this course is not included in the fees you pay for the program.
Students should consider if the course has synchronous meeting times or assignments as these may be difficult to meet in a different time zone.
Students may not miss on-site classes or required program activities to participate in online coursework.

While in some cases, taking online coursework while overseas may be allowed, you should carefully consider if it is in your best interest and understand the limitations and any financial commitments involved.

It is your responsibility to review the policies in full and understand how these apply to you!

Registration at Purdue While Abroad

You will remain enrolled at Purdue for the duration of the time you are studying abroad. This ensures that you will receive Purdue credits for courses you take at your host institution, will be eligible to apply for a Study Abroad scholarship, and will be able to apply financial aid to your overseas studies. Thus, it is imperative that you know the procedure for registration if you are a study abroad participant.

Please see the Purdue Registration Page for more information on what to expect for your Purdue registration while you are abroad.

For students participating on co-sponsored, direct-enroll, or exchange programs it is important to note that this section does NOT refer to registration for individual courses on your overseas program. This registration process will occur according to the established timeline and procedures of your host program or university and may vary by program. More information will be shared with you directly from your program - please pay close attention, ask any questions you have, and understand that the timeline may look different from Purdue’s.

It is your responsibility to follow the registration instructions you have been provided. Of course, if you run into any challenges or issues, please bring these to the attention of your overseas program contact and/or your Purdue study abroad advisor. Failure to pay attention or meet established guidelines could result in not getting into the classes you hoped for, so be sure to take this seriously!

Posting Grades and Grade Translations

After your overseas study, your host university or study program will send a copy of the transcript to the study abroad office. In some cases, you may need to request this, or it may happen automatically. Pay close attention to any communications you receive near the end of your program and follow instructions provided to ensure your transcript reaches us promptly.

When we receive your transcript, we will review it alongside your Course Equivalency Form. If any course equivalencies are missing, we will reach out to you to let you know and ask you to submit these as soon as possible. Then, the transcript is translated to Purdue courses and grades (if needed), according to the established grading scale that was provided to you before departure.

Once everything is settled and equivalencies are in for each course, your grades will be processed by our office and sent to the Registrar's Office for posting to your Purdue transcript.

IMPORTANT:

It is the student’s responsibility to both submit equivalencies for all courses taken abroad to the Purdue Study Abroad Office and ensure an official copy of their transcript has been received from the host program. If the Study Abroad Office cannot finalize grades by one year after the official program end date, the credits from the program will be posted as Incomplete Fail on the permanent Purdue Academic Record/Transcript.
The grade process takes some time and will take much longer than it does for grades to post after you finish a semester on-campus. This is normal and there is no need to be concerned. Because it takes longer to post, you will continue to see your Study Abroad Course Number (SA XXXXX) posted on your record, sometimes with a grade of SI, until your grades have been finalized. Once finalized, the SA course number and SI grade will disappear and your actual credits and grades will be listed.

Grade Translations: While the Study Abroad Office does not adjust grades earned overseas, grades that are issued in different academic systems are translated to the equivalent U.S. letter grade. Purdue typically uses the nationally-recognized scales provided by WES (World Education Services). These scales are not a mere adaptation to the U.S. grading system, but are designed to match the spirit of the host country grading system in comparison to the U.S. system. Please note that for co-sponsor programs that also have an exchange equivalent, such as Universidad Carlos III de Madrid or University of New South Wales, that the WES scale is typically used instead of the co-sponsor's grading scale, which may be different. Select programs may use a different scale, if this is the case for your program the scale will be provided to you by your study abroad advisor.

Course Structure & Exams

Even if your program uses the U.S. grade scale, courses may be structured differently. There may be no quizzes, homework, or attendance checks. It is possible for a course grade to be based on one comprehensive final exam. Because of this, students often find that they have to put forth more effort in order to get good marks. See the Academic Success page for more information.

It is important that students understand their responsibilities in terms of the exams and how grades will come back to Purdue. Continue reading to ensure you have no surprises later on.

Exams: Each student on a study abroad program is required to be present the full length of the program and to take all examinations as regularly scheduled by overseas faculty. Under no circumstances may students request an early exam, distance exam, or re-take an exam.

No grade adjustments: There are no grade adjustments! Grades you receive for your overseas program transfer to Purdue according to an internationally recognized standard grade conversion scale. Your study abroad advisor will share with you the conversion scale for your intended destination; make sure to save this so you know what to expect on your transcript.

You should know also that in many cases, receiving an “A” from an overseas university may not look the same as earning an “A” at Purdue. For example, students who earn a 65 at a university in the UK will earn an A on their Purdue academic record once the conversion to the U.S. scale is completed. However, do not be lulled into thinking that earning a 65 in a UK university will require the same effort to get a 65 in a course at Purdue. The grading standard is much more stringent in the UK than it is at Purdue.

While grade adjustments are not allowed, if there is a true error on the transcript and the host university or study abroad program acknowledges this and sends a revision to Purdue, then the correct grade will be reflected on the student's Purdue record.

Understanding Credit Types

Students participating in an official Purdue University study abroad program will receive direct credits (credits and grades) unless arrangements for Pass/Not-Pass have been made (see the Pass/Not-Pass section for more information).

The good news: everything will count, and you should make appropriate progress on your degree program.

The “bad” news: you will have to work, possibly harder than usual, in order to maintain your desired GPA.

It is important to understand the difference in the terms direct credit, transfer credit, and pass/not pass credit, as the type of credit you receive can affect how the courses fit into your plan of study. We know this can be a bit confusing, so below is a guide to help make sense of how it all works.

Types of Credit

Direct Credit

By default, you will earn letter grades for Purdue-equivalent courses in academic areas that have been approved for direct credit for your study abroad program. To check the approved academic areas for your program, visit the program webflyer or information provided to you by your Study Abroad Advisor.

If the phrase "Specifically from" appears before an academic area, only the listed department(s) from that school or college can be considered approved. For example, if a program lists College of Health and Human Sciences approval specifically from PSY, then Psychology would be approved for direct credit but other Health and Human Sciences departments such as Kinesiology would not.

Transfer Credit

This type of credit is NOT awarded for approved study abroad programs, though the term "transferred" is commonly used when referring to how credits come back. Transfer credit counts differently in your plan of study and will not be the type of credit you are awarded for any of your classes abroad. You would have this kind of credit if you transferred classes to Purdue from another institution not through an official study abroad program, or if you had credits received during high school.

Undistributed Credit

If you're transferred classes to Purdue from another institution or dual-credit/AP classes from high school, you may see course numbers such as 1XXXX, 3XXXX, or similar. This is considered undistributed credit - and this type of credit is not used for study abroad courses.

Pass/Not Pass Credit

You receive this type of credit when you take a course on your program that has not been approved by the appropriate Purdue college OR when you request Pass/Not Pass for one or more of your courses. For example, say your program has been approved by the College of Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts. You take two engineering courses, a liberal arts course, and a math course. Because math falls under the College of Science, which hasn't approved the program, you will automatically receive P/N for the math courses, and letter grades for the rest of your courses.

Pass/Not Pass credit appears similar to direct credit on your transcript, except that the grade is either P or N, and it will not calculate into your GPA.

Please see the section above for more information on Pass/Not Pass - as this option can have unintended consequences for your plan of study if not utilized wisely.

Remember: It is your responsibility to know how the courses you took for P/NP can be used to satisfy your degree requirements. If you take a course for P/NP that shouldn't have been taken that way, you may have to take it again at Purdue for a letter grade - costing you extra money and potentially delaying graduation.

Credit & Grades FAQ

What if I need my grades to be posted quickly?

Purdue Study Abroad cannot guarantee an exact date when grades will be posted. If you think you will need grades posted quickly because you are a graduation candidate or for another reason, alert your study abroad advisor well before you leave. They will be able to give you a general timeline of how long it takes to post grades for your program so you can plan accordingly. Students especially need to take special consideration of timelines when studying in their last semester at Purdue. If studying abroad in your last semester before graduation, you must understand that an exact date for grade posting and degree conferral cannot be guaranteed in advance, so please consider any post-graduation plans before committing to a program.

I have returned, and my Purdue Plan still shows the SA course number with an SI grade - why?

This simply means that your grades haven't been fully processed and finalized yet, the SA course number and grade of SI will disappear once your grades post.

How do I know when my grades have posted?

The Purdue Registrar does not send a notification of posting grades, so the best way to check is to log into your MyPurdue account. Your My Study Abroad page will also show the date that Purdue received your transcript, so you can check that it arrived. However, keep in mind this is just when it arrived at Purdue and is not the same as when it is posted, as there is processing time. If in doubt, feel free to contact the study abroad office for an update.

My grades have posted, but the SA course is also still there - why?

This is a normal part of the process for posting your grades. The SA course number will fall off shortly, but may linger for just a bit longer after grades post.

Can I take less than the required minimum credits?

No. Students studying abroad for a full semester must take 12 credits. If you take less than this, you could lose eligibility for financial aid, scholarships, insurance coverage, and increase time to graduation.

Students participating on summer or shorter-term programs must stay in the established minimum credit requirement for their program.

Note: students participating on a summer program who wish to utilize financial aid must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours.

My program's minimum credit requirement is higher than Purdue's, do I have to comply?

Yes. Student must meet either Purdue's minimum requirement or the host program's requirement, whichever is higher.

Can I change my courses after arrival?

Like Purdue, most (but not all) semester programs have an add/drop period where you are allowed to make changes to your courses or course schedule, subject to available space in courses. This period may be shorter or not available in shorter programs.

If you make changes, don't forget to ensure you have course equivalencies for any new courses if you did not already have them approved as back-up options. If new equivalencies are needed, contact the study abroad liaison right away and copy your academic advisor and study abroad advisor on the email so they can provide any additional guidance needed.

Do I have to get equivalencies if I don't need the courses for my plan of study?

Yep! Every course you take, regardless of whether it meets degree requirements, must have a course equivalency. Yes, even if you're just taking it for "fun".

If I take a course for fun, will it appear on my Purdue transcript?

Yes! Every course you take while abroad must appear on your Purdue transcript, whether it was a required course for graduation or that fun soccer class you signed up for. If it's on your program transcript, it needs a course equivalency and will appear on your Purdue transcript as well.

Do I need an equivalency for electives or gen eds?

Yes - every course you take must have an equivalency, regardless of how it counts in your plan of study.

Can I request an early exam so I can come home a few days early?

No. You are expected to stay for the duration of the program and take the exams at the regularly scheduled time. See our Exam Policy on our policy page for more info.

Will study abroad give grade adjustments?

No, we do not make grade adjustments. We do translate grades to the US grade scale when necessary, but this is not a grade adjustment, just a translation of the grade you earned to our scale when it was graded in a different scale.

Do your best in every class to ensure you earn the grade you want.

How do I know what Purdue grade I will get for my courses?

Some programs already utilize a standard US grading scale, and others utilize different models depending on their location. Your study abroad advisor will share the grade equivalency scale for your program if the grading model is different than Purdue's, so that you'll know what to expect from grading.

Can I take courses for Pass/Not Pass?

Yes, unless you are on a departmental program.

However, please see information on this page of the Study Abroad Handbook for important matters to consider before deciding to take a course for Pass/Not Pass!

Will my grades count towards my GPA?

Yes, grades for all courses that are graded as a letter grade will count towards your GPA.

Students from other universities on my program are taking everything P/N, can I?

Yes, but please review information here on taking courses Pass/Not Pass. In addition, make sure any advice you take on grades comes from a Purdue source who knows Purdue's policies. Different universities may have different procedures and policies, so do not assume information that is true for other schools also applies to you!

I missed the P/N deadline, but still want to take a course P/N, can I?

Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to the deadline and you should proceed with your course knowing you will receive a letter grade.

If you are struggling, be sure to reach out to your professor or other on-site resources to see what help or extra support may be available that you can utilize for the rest of your term.

I am struggling in a class, what can I do?

Just like at Purdue, it's good to start by talking with the professor. Check to see if any study sessions or groups are available, and reach out to your program staff or study abroad office for help in finding additional resources available to you. Do not wait until you are in over your head to seek help, and do not be afraid to admit you could use some support!

Can I drop a course on my program?

Maybe. On semester programs, if you are enrolled in more than the minimum number of credits, and are within the add/drop deadline of your program, you should be able to drop a course.

Keep in mind your program, like Purdue, will have a deadline for this and that dropping a course at certain points in the semester may change how the course is reported on your transcript. If you do drop a course, be sure to understand how it will appear on your transcript, so there are not any surprises later.

If you are only enrolled in the minimum number of credits, you may not be able to drop a class and fall below full-time enrollment.

If you are seeking to drop a class due to extenuating circumstances, be sure to contact your study abroad advisor and on-site program contacts for additional assistance.

On summer or shorter programs, dropping a course may not be a feasible option.

Can I re-take an exam if I didn't do well on it?

Just like here on campus, you only get one chance at an exam. While some universities overseas may have options for local students to re-take examinations (sometimes called extraordinary exams), study abroad students should be aware that this is not allowed by Purdue. Only the grade from the originally scheduled exam time will be honored. See the Academic Policy page for more information.