3 Important Steps to Receive Credit for Courses Taken Abroad:

1. Course Approval Process
2. Verification of Course Enrollment
3. Credit Transfer

STUDY ABROAD COURSE FORMS

It is recommended that you download/open the study abroad course forms in Adobe Reader to ensure all functionality of the form. For Mac users, see Student Guide to the Course Approval Form.

Course Approval Form (CAF) Process

Students participating on a study abroad experience should aim to complete a course approval form at least two weeks prior to their departure for their study abroad program. Enrollment in study abroad courses is not guaranteed. If course offerings change upon arrival in country, you can obtain approval for additional courses by working via email with your college course approval contact.

Please note that due to the varying academic systems and calendars, the timeline of obtaining course syllabi for evaluation will vary. Please communicate any delays with your OIE Education Abroad staff member.

For Sibanye Cape Town & Faculty-Led Programs

Work with your academic adviser to understand the MU course requirements you have yet to satisfy and to make a plan for progress toward graduation. You must then discuss your plans to study abroad with your college course approval contact.

If you are participating in a Marquette credit-bearing program, you will receive Marquette credit directly just as though you were studying here on campus. Students on these programs should not complete the Course Approval Form. Grades will appear on the Marquette transcript and will be calculated into a your overall Marquette GPA. To determine how these courses will apply to degree requirements, you must still work with your academic adviser. You are not permitted to audit courses abroad and must receive a letter grade for each course.

For All Other Programs

Work with your academic adviser to understand the MU course requirements you have yet to satisfy and to make a plan for progress toward graduation. You must then discuss your plans to study abroad with your college course approval contact. You are responsible for understanding how approved courses will/will not satisfy Marquette requirements. 

To receive transfer credit, you must be accepted to study abroad by Marquette. All courses taken on study abroad programs must then be approved by the appropriate college's course approval contact. Approval is indicated by the appropriate college representative’s signature on the course approval form (CAF). Follow the instructions below - 

1. Download the study abroad course forms and navigate to page 1.
2. Fill out the top section and first, four columns of the chart on the CAF (page 1). List all the study abroad/host courses you are interested in taking during your term abroad. You can fill out more than one CAF. Marquette University nor the OIE can guarantee enrollment into the courses listed on your CAF so OIE recommends 8-10 courses to account for course cancellations, schedule conflicts, enrollment maximums, etc. 
3. Once you fill in the appropriate sections on the CAF, email the CAF form to your college’s designated study abroad course approval contact along with the course syllabi or details.
   Note: It is highly recommended that you keep any course syllabi received during your term abroad if further course evaluation is required upon your return.

4. Monitor your Marquette email for further updates regarding the study abroad course approval process from your college study abroad course approval contact.
5. Ensure your completed CAF (with signatures) is sent to studyabroad@marquette.edu. The course approval process can take several weeks to complete as your college study abroad contact may need to work with several different departments to obtain an approval. We recommend that you begin this process as soon as you can and/or as course information becomes available. Failure to complete a CAF may result in a delay in the transfer of your study abroad credits upon your return to campus.

Program-specific Evaluated Course Equivalencies lists

To assist you in determining potential Marquette course equivalents, each study abroad program brochure page includes an "Evaluated Course Equivalencies" link (see example image below), which can be found within the "Academics" tab. This link will take you to a Program Course Equivalency page, which lists courses offered on that program and the corresponding Marquette course equivalents and their credit values. Courses found on these lists must still be pre-approved by completing the Course Approval Form (page 1) and courses are not guaranteed to be offered by the host institution. Please note, these Program Course Equivalency lists are not comprehensive. These are living course lists that are edited continuously, and not all courses taught abroad have been evaluated to determine the Marquette equivalent course. Students can still request pre-approval and take courses that are not yet listed on these lists.

College Contacts for Study Abroad Course Approvals

Verification of Course Enrollment (VCE) Process

As soon as course enrollment/registration at the host institution is finalized, students must complete the verification of course enrollment (VCE) form. This is page 2 of the study abroad course forms and separate from the study abroad course approval form. Failure to complete this form may jeopardize the student’s enrollment status at Marquette University.

To complete this form, following the instructions below –

1. Download the study abroad course forms and navigate to page 2.
2. Fill in the STUDENT INFORMATION and PROGRAM COURSE ENROLLMENT sections on page 2.
3. Provide a physical, handwritten signature in the PROGRAM ENROLLMENT section on page 2.
4. Submit the form to your host institution study abroad office or relevant office to obtain signature confirming your course enrollment in the HOST INSTITUTION section.
5. Upload the completed form with signatures through your MUGlobal Portal OR request of your host institution to email it to studyabroad@marquette.edu.

Uploading an incomplete VCE or incorrect form may result in a hold on your CheckMarq account which can prevent you from requesting an official transcript, enrolling in courses for the next term, etc.

Reminder: Students are responsible for obtaining approvals for those study abroad courses listed below which were not previously approved on the course approval form (CAF). It is strongly recommended that you keep a copy of your study abroad course syllabi until after your study abroad transfer credit process at Marquette has been completed, which can take up to 3 months following your return back to campus.

Credit Transfer

Credit hours and grading systems at institutions abroad vary greatly. Not all credit hours are a one-to-one match. For example, ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System) are a two-to-one match, so eight ECTS credit hours are equivalent to four Marquette credit hours. Likewise, the equivalent passing grade or better varies by country. Program specifics will be discussed during your on-site orientation or can be obtained by contacting your OIE education abroad staff member.

Credits from study abroad programs will transfer, but grades will not be incorporated into your Marquette GPA (exception: faculty-led and Sibanye Cape Town). Completed courses will appear in the transfer credit section of the student transcript. Courses not approved through the appropriate channels will NOT transfer.

Transfer credit is guaranteed based on the following:

• The course has been approved.
• You earn an equivalent passing grade or better. Pass/fail courses will NOT transfer. You are responsible for confirming that the study abroad program awards letter grades.
• An official program transcript is sent to the Marquette Office of International Education. Certificates of attendance or completion do NOT meet the requirements for credit transfer.
• You are NOT permitted to audit courses abroad.

Study Abroad Transcripts

An official transcript of credit must be sent DIRECTLY to the Office of International Education (OIE) by your study abroad program. It is the student's responsibility to confirm the transcript process directly with the host institution. Official transcripts sent by the student are not accepted. More details on the Returning to Campus webpage.

FedEx/UPS: Office of International Education (OIE) Marquette University Holthusen Hall, Fourth Floor 1324 W. Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53233 U.S.A. Phone: (414) 288-7289

U.S. Postal Service: Office of International Education (OIE) Marquette University Holthusen Hall, 4th Floor P.O. Box 1881 Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881 U.S.A. Phone:  (414) 288-4000