Planning for your coursework before you go abroad

Should I register for UNC courses for the term I’m planning to study abroad? 

No. You will be enrolled in a Study Abroad placeholder by our office during the registration period. 

What is a YAP/ISP placeholder? 

• Before you go abroad, the Study Abroad Office will register you in a study abroad placeholder. Students enrolled in a semester program will be enrolled in a 12-credit placeholder. It does not necessarily equal the exact number of credit hours you will enroll in or earn while abroad and is meant to maintain your full-time status at UNC. For summer programs, you will work with your Study Abroad Advisor and/or the Credit Team to be enrolled in the exact number of credits. 

• Your placeholder will be dropped back down to zero credits once your credit is processed upon program completion. 

• Registration typically takes place in April and November. Ensure there are no holds or flags on your account to avoid delays registering you in your placeholder. In addition, you must not be registered for any on-campus classes for the term abroad, including regular classes, online classes, or independent study classes. 

• For students studying abroad in the Summer, your placeholder will be registered under Summer Session 1 term regardless of whether your program starts during Summer Session 1 or 2. 

How many credits do I need to take while abroad? 

• During the semester, you should be enrolled in at least 12 UNC credits and can transfer back up to 18 credits. Please be aware of your host institution’s conversion when registering for courses to ensure you are meeting UNC requirements and maintaining a full-time status during the term (i.e. 12 credits at your host institution may not always equal 12 UNC credits). 

• During the Summer, you must be enrolled in at least 3 UNC credits. 

How do I know what my courses will transfer back as? 

• If a course is already pre-approved, you can refer to the Pre-Approved Credit Table to see how it will transfer back. If your course is not already approved, please follow the steps below for requesting new courses. Please note that new requests typically take upwards of 6-8 weeks to be reviewed. 

• Courses for Faculty-led programs are already approved as UNC equivalencies and will automatically transfer back and be factored into your GPA. Students on hybrid faculty-led programs may earn both graded and transfer credit. 

Does the repeat credit policy count for Study Abroad transfer credit? 

Yes. All students are still expected to follow all UNC policies while abroad, including repeat credit. Refer to the Repeat Rules page for additional information. You may also need to work with your Academic Advisor for additional considerations pertaining to major/minor or other general degree requirements. 

When can/should I submit my course requests? 

Upon acceptance, you will be able to access the Credit Portal using the link found in your HeelsAbroad application portal under the Post-Decision requirements page. Course requests should be submitted within 30 days of your program start date or as soon as you finalize your course schedule at your host institution and have sufficient information (detailed syllabus/course overview, weekly topics, required readings, etc.). 

How do I submit a new course request? 

• The link to access your Study Abroad Credit Portal can be found in your HeelsAbroad application portal under the Post-Decision page–>  Link to Credit Portal and Steps for Transferring Credit. Follow the steps in the Submit New Course Request form. Please ensure you fill out all fields and have successfully uploaded a syllabus and/or supporting documentation for every course request otherwise your request(s) may be deleted. 

• If you are submitting multiple requests, do not delete any previously uploaded files as it will delete it from that request altogether. Your Study Abroad Course List should not be treated as a wish list. Please only select courses you intend to take abroad. 

What if there is no syllabus or sufficient course information available to submit? 

This is common for many institutions abroad as they don’t always create/provide a traditional syllabus like most U.S. universities. In this case, you can try contacting the instructor (when available) or wait until you can submit additional materials from the term, such as lecture notes, writing samples, and/or any other graded assignments. 

How do I add a course from the Pre-Approved Credit Table to my course list? How do I remove a course from my course list? 

To add a course from the Pre-Approved Credit Table, simply select the green ‘Plus’ button. To remove a course, go to the My Courses tab and select the ‘Minus’ button. Please note that this is a manual process for the Credit Team and may take a few days to be updated. 

I don’t see my program listed on the Pre-Approved Credit Table, what should I do? 

If your program is not listed on the Pre-Approved Credit Table, please email us at credit_abroad@unc.edu so we can add it. 

I’m studying abroad through Kenan-Flagler. How do I go about getting courses approved? 

Kenan-Flagler program courses should be requested through Kenan-Flagler. If you are seeking a Gen Ed for a course taken on a Kenan-Flagler program, you can email credit_abroad@unc.edu and CC ubpglobal@kenan-flagler.unc.edu. 

How long does a course take to be reviewed once the request is submitted? 

During peak times, the course review process can take upwards of 6-8 weeks. The timeline varies during peak times such as registration and graduation, as well as during the Summer when faculty may have limited working hours. Course requests are reviewed and processed in the order that they are received. 

Where can I check the status of my course requests and see my decisions when they are posted? 

You can find this information under the My Courses tab in the Credit Portal. 

What should I do if I have already been in contact with a department and/or a faculty member and they have given ‘soft approval’ for how a course can transfer back. 

All course requests, regardless of whether they have received soft approval from a department, must still go through the official review process in the Credit Portal. In this case, you can submit any supporting documentation (i.e. email with approval) or note indicating this. A soft approval decision is not always a guarantee of how the course will transfer back.