Transferring Study Away Credits

Transfer Credit Process

When you study away on a sponsored program during the Fall or Spring, you’ll earn transfer credit for the courses you take. You must earn the equivalent grade of a C or better in your course(s) to receive credit at Allegheny. No matter what, if you pass your courses with the equivalent grade of C or better, you will earn general elective credits towards the 128 credits you need to earn your Allegheny degree. But, it’s important to know that most students take courses while studying away that count towards major or minor requirements, too. Grades from studying away are not calculated into your Allegheny GPA, but the courses you take may count for major and minor requirements. Study away is not a semester off, instead you can continue to fulfill degree requirements and earn Allegheny credit while away!  You will finalize your course approvals during the pre-departure process.

Browse the list of pre-equated courses that have been taken by other Allegheny study away students in the past in the Sponsored Programs Course Equivalency Spreadsheet. In order to determine these equivalencies, the Chair of the corresponding Allegheny department equates the courses to a course number at Allegheny. Courses are regularly added to this database as more students study away.

Steps to Pick a Program & Receive Credit for Study Away Courses

Step 1

Research program options on the Global Education website.

Step 2

Review our Major Specific Study Away Advising Sheets to assist you in determining general details about which semester it is best for a student in your major to study away, what parts of your degree you can work on while you study away, how study away courses typically count for your major, and a suggest list of program.

Step 3

Browse the list of pre-equated courses that have already been taken by other Allegheny study away students in the past by looking through the Sponsored Programs Course Equivalency Spreadsheet.

Step 4

Talk with your academic advisor about the types of degree requirements you need to fulfill during your semester away. Some students have room for elective credits so you can explore topics unrelated to your major, while other students need to fulfill specific requirements for their major and/or minor while away. Most students take a mix of elective courses along with courses for their major/minor. Review the four year plan you’ve made with your advisor and if you need help figuring out what to take while abroad, check in with your academic advisor.

Step 5

Meet with the Global Education Office to learn more about sponsored program options that can offer coursework suited to your specific academic needs and personal and professional goals. Come prepared with any questions you have about the program, application process, etc.

Step 6

Apply and get admitted to your study away program. During a session of your pre-departure course EXL-302, you will complete your Course Approval Form which will establish your intended subject plan and how the courses can count back at Allegheny toward your degree based on their equivalencies in the spreadsheet. If a course you want to take is not yet in the database, then you must provide a syllabus for the course so that the Global Education Office can request equivalency for it from the department chair and then add the equated course to the spreadsheet.

Step 7

Go away! Finalize your course choices. You must send the Global Education office your final course schedule. We will update your Course Approval Form so that only your registered courses appear and any intended or dropped courses are deleted.

Step 8

Confirm how your program sends a transcript of results to Allegheny College. Some send them automatically, others require you to fill something out to have it sent to us. If you need a specific address, have it sent it to the Global Education office at the 520 N. Main Street main campus address.