Study Abroad & Course Equivalencies

Looking into earning credits at an approved SMCM program abroad? You can start researching this, even before you apply!

1. Have you made an appointment with the OIE yet? If not, please do so. You are not alone in this process.

2. You’ll earn transfer credit during your time abroad at an approved program. Familiarize yourself with SMCM’s transfer credit policy.

3. Browse each specific program page to peruse the course catalog abroad and see what may be offered, as well as what prerequisites you may need to get into such courses. Each program’s course catalog is linked under the Academics section/Important Links section on the program page, which you can find using the drop-down button on the left-hand side of this page. Make sure they are offering the courses you’d prefer during the term you’d like to study abroad. Note: we cannot guarantee you’d get any specific courses abroad, so look for back-ups.

4. See if SMCM has already approved a course equivalency for the specific course, by searing in the new transfer credit course evaluation database (TES), here! Previously approved study abroad courses are entered into this database. Simply search for your study abroad institution of choice and browse equivalencies.

5. Ready for next steps? We will give you the course equivalency request form during your application process, but you can always start researching by making a copy of our handy course equivalency planning template. This is for you (and maybe your advisor), but will not be reviewed as part of your application process.

6. Speak to your academic advisor to make sure your plans for studying abroad will keep you on a path to graduation.

Helpful notes and tips:

• Don’t see the course you would like to take in our database? Don’t worry! It’s normal for each student to request several new courses as they apply to study abroad. The earlier you start this request process, the better.
• Curious about how grades and credits will come back? We have conversion charts for you on each specific program page.
• All applicants will conduct course research and submit their equivalency requests as part of the application process; these resources are embedded in your Via TRM applications.
• Wondering how the course equivalency process works? Once your request form has been completed, Transfer Services consults with the relevant academic departments and waits for their approval. Once your courses are evaluated, you’ll receive an equivalency report.