Earning credit from Spring 2021 forward
The Basics
UNC faculty-led programs offer graded credit that factors into your UNC GPA.
Students on hybrid faculty-led programs may earn both graded and transfer credit. Please see the “all other programs” drop down below for information about requesting credit for your transfer credit courses.
Any course taken abroad taught by a non-UNC professor will be eligible for transfer credit that will come back as a UNC equivalent course, departmental elective, or general education/elective course (more information about credit types) with a specific study abroad grading basis
- Passed credit (courses where a “C” or better is earned) will be reflected on the UNC transcript as a pass and satisfy the approved requirement. The passed credit will not be calculated in your GPA.
- Failed credit (courses where a “C-” or less is earned) will be reflected on the UNC transcript AND impact the UNC GPA as the equivalent of an “F” grade
- Meet with your Academic Advisor before applying to discuss academic planning and degree requirements. This is imperative if you have a high number of transfer credit hours at UNC.
- Research course and credit information for your study abroad program, including online course catalogues. Familiarize yourself with the academic system of the host institution, including credit and grade equivalencies posted on the program brochures.
- Save ALL course materials and work produced, syllabi, reading list, papers, artwork, et cetera, to support your credit transfer requests.
Next Steps
Browse Pre-Approved Courses
Students can browse pre-approved courses here. The optional filters can be utilized to narrow by program, UNC Department for credit, or country.
Note: this is not an exhaustive list of available courses or programs, and courses listed here are not guaranteed to be available at the host institution in the term you intend to study. This list will update as new courses are reviewed and approved.
Credit Request Process
Students will receive a link to login to the Study Abroad Student Credit Portal upon approval/acceptance to their study abroad program.
Prior to receiving approval and/or applying to a program, students can browse pre-approved courses using this link. Courses that are not pre-approved can be submitted for review and approval via the Study Abroad Student Credit Portal. Students wishing to discuss specific credit concerns prior to receiving approval to a program and access to the Study Abroad Student Credit Portal can reach out to their major/minor Departmental Reviewer contact or credit_abroad@unc.edu.
If you are participating on a program where one or more courses are not taught by a UNC professor, you will need to take action to submit your courses via the Study Abroad Student Credit Portal.
Credit Glossary
| Type of Credit | Which courses? | How will it appear on my transcript? | Satisfies which requirements? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC Equivalency | Assigned for courses that have an exact match in the UNC curriculum | Will appear as equivalency on transcripts and in Connect Carolina (Course History, Tarheel Tracker, etc) with study abroad grading basis | Satisfies any associated general education and major/minor requirements and functions as prerequisite if needed | HIST 226 History of Rome |
| Departmental Elective | Assigned for courses that do not have an exact match in the UNC curriculum, but do fit within a UNC department | Will appear as departmental elective on transcripts and in Connect Carolina (Course History, Tarheel Tracker, etc) with study abroad grading basis | If assigned with a level, will satisfy any associated major/minor/supplemental education requirements (when possible). May need additional discussion and/or adjustment with your major/minor department to fulfill additional requirements | HIST ---- History Elective or HIST 2--- History 200-level Elective |
| General Education | Assigned for courses that do not fit within a specific department at UNC, but do satisfy "Making Connections Curriculum” general education requirements | Will appear as assigned GENR for associated general education requirement on transcripts and in Connect Carolina (Course History, Tarheel Tracker, etc) with study abroad grading basis | Satisfies any associated general education requirement(s) | GENR 180 Visual or Performing Art |
| General Elective | Assigned for courses that do not fit within a specific department at UNC and do not fulfill any general education requirements | Will appear as GENR ---- on transcripts and in Connect Carolina (Course History, Tarheel Tracker, etc) with study abroad grading basis | Satisfies general elective hour requirements | GENR ---- General Elective |
| No Credit | Credit cannot be awarded for courses focused on alcohol (i.e. wine tasting) | Course will be posted as GENR ---- with a study abroad grading basis of ‘SN’ indicating no credit is being awarded | No credit hours or requirements can be fulfilled with courses designated as no credit |