Academic Considerations
With language, liberal arts, fine arts, science, business, engineering, and internship programs, we offer study abroad opportunities for students from all majors and interests. As you begin to plan your study abroad experience, it is important to select a program that aligns with your academic goals.
- MEET WITH AN ACADEMIC ADVISOR: Once you find a program or even before, it is crucial to check with your academic advisor to discuss how study abroad will fit into your academic plan. BU Study Abroad is not able to advise on course equivalencies or substitutions, or courses counting toward majors and minors—only your academic advisor and school can do that—so plan to meet with your advisor early in the planning process.
- CHECK SYLLABI AND COURSE INFORMATION: Once you find a program that interests you, check the program page on the BU Study Abroad website to see the course offerings; often, sample syllabi will be posted. For direct-enroll programs, the course offerings for the program will be communicated to you by the program manager or program staff.
Boston University–administered study abroad programs offer fully accredited Boston University courses taught by highly qualified and experienced faculty. All courses taught directly by Boston University at one of our program sites carry an official Boston University course number. This means that the course has been approved through Boston University’s rigorous curriculum-approval process, including review and approval at the departmental and college levels at Boston University.
Academic Policies & Procedures
Attendance
While on a Boston University Study Abroad Program, students continue their academic progress, earning BU credits towards their undergraduate degree while abroad. Students who enroll in a BU Study Abroad program do so with the understanding that these are academic programs with scheduled class meetings, internship placements and program-wide activities and excursions. Attendance is expected and required. Personal travel and visits from family and friends will not be considered excused absences while on a BU Study Abroad program. Students are expected to adhere to the local attendance policies as stated in course syllabi.
Tardiness
Students must make every effort to be on time for all scheduled meetings and class sessions and should notify the appropriate persons by phone or written message of extenuating circumstances that result in tardiness.
Absence for Religious Reasons
Students who have questions about practicing their religion while abroad should contact Boston University Study Abroad. Policies may differ in some locations, particularly in relation to internship placements.
Language Policy
In non-English-speaking programs, students are expected to speak the host language exclusively in the classroom, at the university, at their internship site, if the placement is in the host language, in the program office, and on excursions. Students should also speak the host language when in public places and as much as possible when with other students. Speaking in the host language will improve students’ abilities as well as ease cultural adjustments.
Course Load Policy
The Study Abroad course load policy is as follows:
16 Credit Semester-Long Programs
Study Abroad students are expected to enroll for 16 credits in the fall and spring semesters and must maintain full-time status while abroad. Student visa requirements for some overseas programs may not allow for a reduced course load below 16 credits. Any request to withdraw from a course must be approved by the student’s academic advisor and on-site program director.
Most study abroad students do not enroll for greater than 16 credits. Any request to overload must be approved by the student’s academic advisor and on-site program director.
In all cases, students must be registered full-time for: a minimum of twelve credits.
16-20 Credit Semester-Long Programs
While most study abroad programs require students to enroll in 16 credits, some require up to 20. Students should review the credit load for their specific program. Any request to withdraw from a course must be approved by the student’s academic advisor and on-site program director.
Students may not enroll for more than 20 credits.
In all cases, students must be registered full-time for: a minimum of twelve credits.
Grades
For Boston University students, grades earned on your off-campus program will appear on your Boston University transcript and will be averaged into your grade point average as normal.
For non-Boston University students, you should check with your home campus to determine whether or not the grades you earn will appear on your home institution’s transcript, or if the coursework will be transferred as pass/fail grades. Regardless of whether the actual grades you earn will appear on your home institution’s transcript, you should keep in mind that you will have a permanent record at Boston University. Should you apply to graduate school at a later date, you most likely will be required to submit an official transcript from each institution you have attended.
Coursework
Students are expected to turn in all course assignments on time; turning in assignments late will have a negative effect on your grades. All academic commitments must be completed before students leave the program site; no incompletes are permitted on Study Abroad programs. Students who do not complete a course on time will earn an F (failing grade). All courses must be taken for credit; students are not permitted to audit courses or to take courses on a pass/fail basis. For students on internship programs, unsuccessful completion of any course preceding the internship period may make them ineligible for placement in an internship.
Students enrolled in an internship program must complete the internship placement and all the academic work related to it, regardless of the transfer credit policy of their home institutions. Students will be informed at the program site of additional academic policies, such as deadlines for adding or dropping a course.
Course Credit Information
Upon successful completion of courses taken through our programs, students earn 16–20 Boston University credits per semester, depending on the program. No work can be left outstanding, to be finished after a semester has ended. Thus, no award of “incomplete” is allowed for a course taken on a Boston University Study Abroad program. Additionally, coursework may not be audited; all students must complete their courses for a letter grade.
The unit of credit at Boston University is the semester-hour. Each 4-credit course normally translates to a minimum of 42 contact hours. Colleges and universities generally accept Boston University courses for transfer credit in their degree programs, provided the student passes each course with a grade of C or C–, or better. Students should check with their home institutions to determine all credit transfer policies.
While transfer credit is generally assured, we urge students to obtain approval from their advisors for the courses they intend to take—especially if they want these courses to fulfill specific requirements (major, minor, concentration, elective, etc.). Students should obtain approval in advance for more courses than they will actually take, as occasionally we have to cancel classes due to faculty illness or lack of student demand.
Transcripts
Upon the conclusion of the program, the posting of grades and settling of the BU Student Account, students will be provided with detailed instructions on ordering an official transcript from Boston University
Official Boston University transcripts may be ordered online for electronic or paper delivery through Parchment, BU’s transcript partner.
We recommend students check in with their home school study abroad/international education office to confirm the correct contact person and email address/mailing address when ordering a transcript
Course Information
All courses offered by Boston University Study Abroad are fully approved by the appropriate curriculum and faculty committees at Boston University. The academic designation for each course is drawn from the following schools/colleges and departments on the Boston University Charles River Campus:
| CAS
CDS |
College of Arts & Sciences
Computing & Data Sciences |
| CFA
CGS |
College of Fine Arts
College of General Studies |
| COM | College of Communication |
| ENG
GRS HUB |
College of Engineering
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Boston University Hub (General Education Unit/Cocurricular) |
| QST
SAR |
Questrom School of Business
Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences |
| SED
SPH |
Wheelock School of Education
School of Public Health |
| SHA | School of Hospitality Administration |
Course Designations
Boston University applies the following numbers to its courses offered overseas:
| 100-199 | Introductory or general undergraduate |
| 200-299 | Intermediate undergraduate |
| 300-399 | Advanced undergraduate |
| 400-699 | Advanced undergraduate, graduate |
Academic Policies for Direct Enroll and Exchange Programs
Students who enroll in a course or courses at a university whose policies, teaching methods, and grading systems differ from Boston University’s must read carefully the academic policies in place when studying at a foreign university.
Internships
For more than 30 years, Boston University Study Abroad internship programs have combined coursework in a particular academic area with a professional work experience. These two strategies—classroom (or theoretical) training and professional (or practical) experience ground students in the reality of daily life in the host culture, while also enabling an increased understanding of professional culture.
The internship placement is a component of a larger, integrated academic experience, typically a 4-credit course in a 16-credit semester.
The internship itself exhibits these characteristics:
- It is academically directed. The internship is a separate course, supervised by faculty members, and with varying assessments that may include written work or presentations.
- Grades and academic credit are based on explicit requirements detailed in a course syllabus.
- It is credit-bearing.
- Its scheduling is meant to allow the student to carry out projects of significance for the employer while allowing normal contact hours for the accompanying classroom-based courses.
INTERNSHIP COURSE ASSESSMENT
Assessment is a combination of written work, participation in the internship seminar, and the internship supervisor’s evaluation. The internship course syllabus will indicate the specific grading and assessment criteria.
All assessment is performed by qualified teaching faculty, the resident director, or a qualified academic contracted specifically for this purpose.
Upon acceptance to an internship program, students will be provided with materials stating the academic expectations and requirements of the internship. These include:
- The placement process
- Suggestions on how to prepare résumés and how to conduct oneself during an interview
- An introduction to daily work life in the host culture and the behavioral expectations placed on the student
Study Abroad Student Learning Outcomes
Boston University Study Abroad assesses student learning outcomes for each of its programs on an ongoing basis. Study Abroad faculty review student learning and achievement with respect to program goals and outcomes. While assessment takes place regularly at the course level as faculty evaluate and grade student work, program assessment takes this evaluation to the next level to ask how the various parts of the curriculum are working together to promote student learning.
