Courses Abroad & Equivalencies
By now, you should have a general idea of the courses you want or need to take, and the degree requirements these courses will fulfill (major, minor, elective, general education). If you have yet to work out a plan of study for your time overseas, then now is the time to start!
Students studying on departmental programs will not need to secure course equivalencies since courses have been pre-approved. Students studying on exchange, co-sponsored, or direct-enroll programs will need to complete the course equivalency process.
For more information on the Course Equivalency Process, please review the following resources:
Step 1: Talk to Your Academic Advisor
The first step is to discuss your study abroad plans with your academic advisor. Together, you can go over your degree requirements to determine specific courses or categories of courses (technical electives, aesthetic awareness, language and culture requirement, etc...) you should take overseas. Your advisor can also inform you of any departmental policies regarding what you can take while studying abroad. For example, some departments do not permit students to take core or upper-division major courses overseas - knowing this will help you craft a realistic plan of study.
Questions you may want to ask your academic advisor:
- What degree requirements do I have left to complete?
- Are there particular requirements you recommend I try to take abroad?
- Are there any requirements I should NOT take while abroad?
- Does my department have any policies regarding study abroad I should know?
- If I want to take courses that do not work for degree requirements, will this impact my time to graduation?
- If I want to take courses towards (minor, certificate, etc...) can you also advise me on these or should I also reach out to someone in that department for further assistance?
- What courses can I put on my back-up list in case my plans change or a course isn't available? What impacts will any back-up choices have on my plan of study?
Step 2: Review Program's Course Offerings
You will be able to find the course descriptions of courses and compare these to the course descriptions for classes at Purdue. Your study abroad advisor will share with you in your accepted student meeting how to access this information, but if you get stuck or need help finding information, just ask your study abroad advisor! Some programs will release course information earlier than others, so at times you may need to review the course listings from a previous semester.
Important: Be sure to refer to the Academic Approvals for your study abroad program to ensure you are choosing courses in areas where you can receive credit. The program webpage (found via the Program Search) for your program will list which academic areas have approved the program, and your Study Abroad Advisor will also review this information with you when you are accepted to the program. If in doubt, don't be afraid to ask!
Make a list of courses that you are interested in taking, either because they might meet degree requirements, or just because they interest you. Be sure to include a few back-up choices as well, just in case you find yourself with scheduling conflicts down the road.
Ask your academic advisor if they are willing to offer guidance in helping you develop a study plan once you've taken the time to review available courses and have some ideas.
It may be helpful to craft a tentative study plan for yourself, an example of what this might look like is below. In this example, you can see the planning for a business major with a Spanish minor who is planning to go to CIEE-Barcelona. To make your own, simply make a chart with the requirements you need and then start listing potential options at your overseas program for each requirement.
Step 3: Reach Out to the Correct Study Abroad Liaison
While your academic advisor plays a key role in helping you stay on track for graduation, they aren't able to officially sign off on exactly how your courses will come back to Purdue - this is a job for the Study Abroad Liaison.
Therefore, once you have a good idea of the classes you want to take - your next step is to reach out to Study Abroad Liaisons who will give official confirmation on exactly what equivalent you will receive at Purdue if you take that course.
Study Abroad Liaisons are faculty members or academic advisors who can designate the Purdue equivalents of the courses you wish to take abroad within their academic area. If you are taking courses in multiple academic areas, you may need to consult with more than one liaison. For example, if you are a Management major and want to take a Math course, you will have to consult the DSB Course Equivalency page and work with study abroad liaison for Math. Liaisons can only review and approve courses within their own academic area.
When you reach out by email or meet with a liaison, be ready to discuss the Purdue requirements you hope to complete and the courses offered by your study abroad program. Bring or attach copies of the course descriptions and syllabi for the courses that interest you. Many liaisons cannot review a course without a syllabus, so you’ll want to gather this information to provide to them. If you cannot find a syllabus, reach out to your study abroad advisor or your on-site program contact for assistance.
NOTE: In some cases, your academic advisor is also the study abroad academic liaison for the area in which you wish to take courses, but not all academic advisors are also liaisons.
Study Plan Example
| Purdue Requirement | Program Courses that might meet this requirement |
|---|---|
| SPAN minor electives |
Past and Present in Barcelona (taught in Spanish) Spain Today: Politics and Society (taught in Spanish) Catalonia and Spain through the Arts (taught in Spanish) |
| SPAN 302 | Advanced Spanish |
| SPAN 241 | Literature and Cinema in Spain |
| International Marketing Requirement | International Marketing |
| Economics Requirement | International Economics |
Securing Course Equivalencies
Students must secure course equivalencies for ALL courses taken abroad, whether or not the courses they are taking will count towards their degree. So yes, even that "fun" class you plan to take will require a course equivalency!
Your course equivalencies should be completed BEFORE you depart for your study abroad program, and ideally before you have to finalize your class choices on your program. The timing for registering for classes can vary, and some applications ask for course choices up front - so we recommend starting the course equivalency process as soon as you are able to. This will make the course registration process easier and less stressful if you already know which courses will work for you.
In some cases, you may wish to take a course that doesn't have a direct equivalent at Purdue, and there are processes in place to assign a course equivalency for these courses as well. Purdue has variable title courses in each academic area that can be utilized for courses with no direct equivalent, so don't be afraid to pick these courses if they interest you! Simply include this course in your request to the appropriate Study Abroad Liaison along with any other courses in that area.
If you find a course you are interested in, but aren't sure what academic area it falls into at Purdue just ask your Study Abroad Advisor for assistance in figuring out which liaison to submit it to.
This process is important as it essentially acts as an insurance policy for you. You will have it in writing from the designated person at Purdue that if you take the course(s) that have been approved, then you will receive a specific course here at Purdue. Therefore, even before you leave you'll know exactly what credit you will receive and there will be no surprises for you later! This allows for you to easily plan your studies while abroad and to plan ahead for future semesters as well.
Instructions for completing the form can be found on the form itself, and are also detailed below.
For additional guidance and assistance in completing this form, visit the Guide by clicking below.
Course Equivalency Step-by-Step
Step 1: Research Program Course Offerings
Go to the program's website to find information about the courses you want to take. Be sure to check the semester availability and suitability of the courses. If you're unable to find upcoming course lists, look for the current or previous semester listings.
It'd be a shame if you had many courses approved and then realized they are all offered in the semester you aren't going to be abroad - so be sure to check when courses are typically offered! In addition, make sure you understand the terms at the host site and when you will be abroad, our first semester may be their second semester, or our spring - their fall.
Top Tip: Be sure to review course information to ensure fit - the study abroad liaison is not going to approve a course that clearly isn't related to their area or meeting a good percentage of the content the Purdue class you want it to meet would cover. If you're not sure, you may want to consult with your academic advisor before submitting to the liaison, as they can help you understand requirements and if a course looks to be a potential fit or a big stretch.
We recommend you select and submit equivalency requests for more courses than you plan to take, so that you have some back-up courses just in case you need them. Keep in mind that receiving an equivalency for a course does NOT mean you have to take it. Equivalencies are not registration, they only ensure you know what credit you will receive if you do take a course.
Step 2: Complete the "Study Abroad Course Information" Section of the Form
Include the host institution course codes, titles, and credit amounts. If you are taking courses in multiple academic areas, complete separate forms for each area. Do not include courses from separate areas on the same form.
Step 3: Reach Out to the Study Abroad Liaison(s) by Email
Include course descriptions and syllabi when requesting course equivalencies. The liaison will complete the ‘Equivalent Purdue Course Information’ section and sign the form.
It is a good idea to ask questions to make sure you fully understand what the courses equivalencies are being assigned – do not assume anything. It is not official until you have a course equivalency form filled out with the appropriate signatures.
NOTE: Study Abroad Liaisons can only assign equivalencies for courses in their academic area. If you are taking courses across multiple areas, you need to speak to multiple liaisons. For example, a student wanting to take a language course, and a business course will need to obtain equivalencies from CLA for the language course and from DSB for the business course.
The liaisons will not simply tell you what classes you can take. You are expected to be an active participant in the course equivalency process.
Step 4: Send the Signed Course Equivalency Form(s) to Your Academic Advisor
Confirm with your academic advisor that the courses and equivalencies with for your plan of study. Also confirm whether letter grades are required for any courses to meet degree requirements. The academic advisor will sign the Course Equivalency Form(s).
Step 5: Upload the Completed and Signed Form to Your MySA Page
You must submit the form(s) to ensure you receive the correct credit. Once you upload the form, it may take time for it to be checked off on your MySA page, and that's okay! We have to manually review each course equivalency form to make sure it's correctly completed before checking it off on your MySA page.
Course Equivalencies- Daniels School of Business
It’s important to note that the School of Business has a slightly different process for obtaining course equivalencies. Instructions and access to the DSB Course Equivalency Database can be found at this link.
While you should still follow the steps above, they have an online system where you submit requests and the liaison reviews them. If a course has already been requested by another student, you can simply add it to your own form. If it hasn’t been assigned an equivalency yet, you can request an equivalency.
Please note when filling out the online form, it asks you to identify the Purdue course you want to receive credit for. If you enter an inappropriate course number, your request for an equivalency may be denied. It’s usually best to consult with your academic advisor before submitting to ensure what you are requesting is realistic. For example, if you want a course to count for Macroeconomics, but it doesn’t cover anything the Purdue course covers, Purdue will not be able to assign an equivalency for Macroeconomics. If you’d like to take a course abroad, but do not see a similar Purdue course, you can try requesting MGMT 390 or MGMT 490, as these are variable title courses and can be used for courses that Purdue does not offer.
At the end you’ll be able to download a form that looks similar to the form above, which will already have the liaison's signature on it. You’ll then need to get your academic advisor’s signature and upload it to your MySA page when it's fully signed.
Course Equivalency Resources By College
Some colleges on campus have created additional resources or equivalency databases for students to view to help with the course equivalency process, please see the links below for more information. These pages do NOT replace the need to complete the course equivalency process or submit your course equivalency form, but are provided for informational purposes.
NOTE: If your college is not listed here, simply utilize the information on this page for the course equivalency process.
These links are provided for informational purposes only, information on these links is not maintained by the Study Abroad Office. Course offerings at programs may change without notice, so students should compare the information on the pages above to updated course listings to ensure availability.
Course Equivalency Troubleshooting
Will Every Course I Take Come Back to My Purdue Transcript?
Every Course you take abroad will appear on your Purdue transcript.
Even if:
- You don't need it for your degree
- It's just for fun
- You didn't do well in the course
Therefore, you’ll need to know what requirements they will meet and how they will appear on your transcript in order to stay on track; the study abroad office needs to know the designated Purdue course number and title for each course. If you do not obtain equivalencies for courses BEFORE enrolling in the course, there is no guarantee it will fulfill a certain degree requirement.
Obtaining proper course equivalencies will prevent delays in posting your grades and no surprises on your transcript when you come back.Can I Request Equivalencies While I'm Abroad?
We strongly recommend students complete and submit Course Equivalency Forms during the term before they intend to study abroad and/or before the registration process starts at the host institution. That way you know the Purdue equivalents for courses you’re interested in taking before you register. This will make academic planning during your study abroad and after your return much easier.
You may arrive at your destination and find a course you wanted to take was canceled or is full, or you may find a new course of interest. If you find yourself in this situation, email the appropriate study abroad liaison and your academic advisor. You’ll want to determine if an alternative course will work for your plan of study, and what Purdue course number can be assigned to it. In your email, be sure to include the full course name, description, and the syllabus if you have access to it. Be patient in case the liaison can’t get back to you immediately, and be ready to provide additional information if requested.
You can obtain course equivalency after arrival, but you must complete an equivalency form for every course you register for and upload it to your MySA page. Obtaining proper course equivalencies will prevent delays in posting your grades and no surprises on your transcript when you come back.
What if I Didn't Get an Equivalency for a Course?
If you did not complete the course equivalency process for a course, there is no guarantee that the Purdue equivalent assigned to it later will satisfy one of your degree requirements or that it will be what you wanted.
You should avoid this situation as much as possible. However, if you didn’t or couldn’t secure course equivalencies for whatever reason prior to departure or while you are abroad, here’s what you can do:
- Make sure you bring back the course syllabus/syllabi and other evidence of coursework.
- Send an email to the appropriate study abroad liaison(s) to discuss the non-approved courses. Include the course syllabus and course descriptions.
This extra step leads to additional delays in posting the grades and credit to your Purdue record. Liaisons might not be too accommodating if you are seeking their assistance for a task you should have completed weeks or months ago. Lack of planning ahead on your part is not an emergency for others. Be patient, but be sure to follow-up if you do not get a response.