Credit Transfer
Get Your Credit Abroad
Why fulfill your requirements at home when you can do it abroad? All of our affiliated program classes count toward your major, minor, and elective credits at home. To make it easy, we’ll send all your transcripts to your home university when you complete your program. We’ll also provide detailed course descriptions and syllabi for your advisor to look at and determine the appropriate credit hours.
We suggest getting your courses abroad approved by your university before you apply. The $150 payment for your LCA program application isn’t refundable, so getting course approval first is for the best, unless course credits are not your priority. We will reserve your spot for up to two weeks after you apply for free!
"Get Your Credits Pre-Approved: some extra legwork, but worth it!"
It’s Easy
Chances are, you won’t be the first student from your home university to travel to one of our partner institutions. We’re paired with prestigious universities abroad, most of which have a tradition of working with U.S. universities and students and know how it’s done. The credit transfer process usually works like a well-oiled machine.
Step by Step for Transferring Credits
Here are the simple steps you should take to meet the requirements for credit transfers:
Meet With Your Study Abroad Advisor
Ask your advisor if there are any requirements your home institution may have, as well as any deadlines you need to meet for submitting documents. Make this an easy breezy meeting by bringing the course syllabi and descriptions (available online) for the classes you would like to take.
Since study abroad policies vary from university to university, you might need to complete more forms to declare a “leave of absence” or request permission from your university to study at another institution. Just ask your study abroad or academic advisor for information on anything else you need to do outside of getting your course credits pre-approved.
It’s best to write out a list of questions you may have for your academic advisor before your meeting to ensure getting all of the important information you may need.
See if Your Host University is Affiliated
Many of our partner universities deliver official U.S. transcripts through what’s called a “school of record.” These are U.S. universities that specialize in converting foreign course credits into U.S. credits. This means that you will get a U.S. transcript from your host university that will help to facilitate your credit transfer process, making it simple to get them pre-approved.
Visit the ‘Partner university” tab of the program you are interested in to see if they are affiliated with a U.S. school of record. Also, let your study abroad advisor know if your host institution is affiliated with a school in the U.S.
Some host universities aren’t affiliated with U.S. schools. No worries though—this doesn’t mean that you can’t get credit for your courses abroad. If your host university isn’t affiliated, just skip this step and head on over to step 3.
Get Your Credits Pre-Approved
You can use the credit pre-approval form on your Explorer account, or ask your home institution to provide you with one of their own. This form asks you to list the courses you’ll take abroad and requires you to get a few signatures from faculty in related fields to approve the classes you are going to take abroad. This allows your home university to ensure that course requirements are roughly equivalent in content and credit hours.
Here are some common requirements. Just be aware that only your home university can ultimately decide what they will accept:
- On the semester system at home you typically get 1 credit hour for every 15 credit hours at the host university
- On the quarter system at home you typically get 1 credit hour for every 10 credit hours at the host university
The good news is that it’s likely that your home and host universities have worked together in the past—possibly with LCA—making this a painless process. It’s just as important to see that you meet your school’s requirements and communicate with your academic advisors to make sure you get everything approved on time.
Be a Good Student While Abroad
Don’t worry, there will be plenty of time for seeing the sights. Just make sure you go to class! Get the most out of your trip by studying and doing your best. Keep in mind that it’s wise to hang on to your syllabi, notes, and books to help you demonstrate the work you completed abroad.
Receive Your Transcript
Some universities won’t accept a transcript from the university abroad if it comes straight from the student instead of a more “official” source. LCA or the host university will forward the official transcript directly. As soon as your financial accounts with LCA are cleared (meaning you don’t owe any more money) we’ll send your official transcript to your home university, and we will send you an unofficial copy to review and keep for your records.
