Steps to Studying Abroad on a Non-IU program

1. Research your program options
2. Arrange for Credit to Transfer
3. Apply to the program
4. Arrange to use scholarships, grants and loans
5. Complete the Notification of Acceptance
6. Prepare for departure
7. Study abroad
8. Follow the post-program procedures

1. Attend a "Study Abroad 101" session in the Information Center.
   
   
2. Consult the Country Flyers which list a range of programs you might consider, including  Affiliated and AESOP lists for semester and academic year programs in which IU students frequently participate.
   
   
3. Additional programs are available; see www.iiepassport.org.
   
   
4. Verify that the country where you intend to study is not on the US State Department travel warning list by checking at http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html. Indiana University students may not study abroad with IU approval and support in any country for which there is a Travel Warning unless a program exception has been granted. That is, you may not retain your IU status or apply your financial aid to the costs of the program.
   
   
5. You must contact the sponsoring program directly for complete information and an application. You must apply for an IU co-sponsored program directly through IU.
   

Once you have thoroughly reviewed program materials, if you have further questions you may consult with an advisor in Overseas Study.

ARRANGE FOR CREDIT TO TRANSFER

1. Contact your program/provider to find out what college or university will issue your transcript at the end of the program. The transcript might come from a U.S. or foreign institution, but must be an official transcript from an accredited school or university and display letter grades. Once you confirm where your transcript will be issued from, take the following steps to ensure your credit is transferable:
   
   
   • Download and submit the Credit Transfer Agreement form, including program contact information, and course descriptions by the following deadlines for submission: Dec. 1 (spring programs), May 1 (summer) and Aug. 1 (fall or academic year). *Please note that there may be a 4-6 week processing time. You should submit the CTA prior to acceptance by your program. IU only gives transfer credit based on an official transcript from a recognized or accredited institution of higher education.
     
     
   • Check the Credit Transfer Service to see whether the transcript has been already been accepted at IU. You will need to search by the location of the institution providing the transcript, NOT the location of your program. As an additional resource, you may also consult the list of previously approved programs in the Office of Overseas Study.
   
   International Admissions will complete the shaded area of the form. Credit from no more than two programs and a maximum of six courses per program will be accepted for evaluation for each semester you plan to enroll. For schools on the quarter system, IU credit hours will be computed as two-thirds of the total quarter hours.
   
   
2. Please note:
   
   • Credits and grades earned will not count in your IU GPA.
   • Most courses will initially transfer back as undistributed 100-level credit (appears on your returned CTA as DEPT-UN 100). If you only need elective credit to graduate, you can leave these courses as they are. Otherwise, please continue reading below.
     
     
3. If you need courses from your non-IU program to complete requirements such as 300/400 level hours, major/minor requirements, distribution requirements, etc., then you will need to get your courses approved by the respective department at IU. It is up to each academic department or school to determine how they approve transfer credit from study abroad programs. Below are some ways that you can be proactive about taking appropriate classes abroad:
   
   
   • Consult your Advisement Report on Onestart to find out what types of courses you have left to graduate (elective
     hours, major/minor requirements, distribution, etc.).
     
     
   • Compare course descriptions/syllabi for the courses offered on your non-IU program to course descriptions/
     syllabi of the course requirements you wish to fulfill at IU. Hint: You can find a full list of approved distribution courses
     offered at IU in Appendix II of the College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin.
     
     
   • Choose courses at a similar level to the ones you are required to take at IU, noting that some institutions may
     operate on a different system. A general rule of thumb is that if you need to fulfill upper-level requirements at IU, do
     not enroll in introductory level courses abroad, but rather in more advanced courses.
     
     
   • Do not take classes Pass/Fail. Transfer credit is only awarded for letter grades of “C” or better.
     
     
4. Once you have done the above research on your own, and gathered information about your study abroad courses, you should meet with your major advisor about the courses you have remaining in your degree requirements, how many elective hours you can afford, limitations to the amount of credit you can complete abroad, or if there are any courses that must be taken on the IU campus. Seniors should check their residency status before committing to a program.
   
   
5. You can also meet with any departments outside your major or school to discuss course approvals and equivalencies. Be sure to have done the above research ahead of time and provide course information such as detailed course descriptions and syllabi from your non-IU program.
   
   
6. While abroad, keep course materials (syllabi, graded coursework, reading lists, etc.) for any courses you have not had pre-approved. Bring these materials home with you to petition for course approvals.
   

1. Program fee payment will be arranged by your program provider.

2. If you have or will have IU financial assistance (scholarships, loans, grants, etc), read the Financial Aid sheet.

3. If you qualify to take your financial aid abroad, pick up the appropriate documentation at Overseas Study (Deadlines: Nov. 1, April 15). To verify your financial aid award status, see Onestart.
   
   
4. Should your program have financial forms to be signed, Overseas Study can complete these forms for you. You will need to verify that you qualify to use your aid and a non-IU program first.
   
   
5. If you plan to apply for summer financial aid, you must also complete a summer aid application with the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

1. Confirm your participation in a non-IU program by completing the online Notification of Acceptance.

1. During Continuing Student Registration , register in the special zero-credit OVST course for which you have been given permission.
   
   

2. Read the non-IU programs "Getting Started" handbook online at http://www.indiana.edu/~overseas/programs/handbooks/Non-IUgettingstarted.pdf.
   
   

3. Attend the optional Non-IU programs orientation meeting in April (for fall programs) and December (for spring programs) organized by the Office of Overseas Study.
   

1. If you had a CTA approved before program participation and there were no changes in your original course schedule, you can assume that your courses will be transferred as agreed when the official transcript arrives at International Admissions. Please note that International Admissions reserves the right to reassess the credit hours if the actual program dates differ from those listed on the program literature (15-16 weeks constitutes a full semester. Note that quarter credits X 2/3 = semester credits.)

2. If you are in the College of Arts and Sciences or if you are in another school but working on a minor or other credit in the College, contact the advisors in the relevant departments to ask about having a course equated. You will need to provide them with course syllabi, reading lists and papers or exams you completed. They will then consider approving a match with courses in your major/minor area at the general 300-400 level*. Advisors should complete the Overseas Study online course approval form: Course Approval Form, authorizing the change from undistributed -UN 100 credit.
   
   *For culture study and distributional requirements you will need to complete a petition form available at Kirkwood Hall 012.
   
   
3. If you are not in the College of Arts and Sciences and are not working on a minor or certificate in the College, you will need to contact your advisor in your own school. Once you provide him/her with course syllabi, reading lists and papers or exams you completed, a determination may be made regarding satisfying requirements in your own school.

4. If you did not have a CTA approved before you left, you can follow the post-program procedures outlined above (depending on which school you are currently enrolled in). For courses not addressed by course approval memos, you can assume that if the program is approved by IU you will receive undistributed elective credit for those classes. Undistributed credit can be applied toward graduation and in certain cases can be used to fulfill distributional requirements. It does not automatically count in the major or for 300/400 level requirements.