Study Abroad Handbook
You should get courses pre-approved BEFORE you depart on exchange. Do not expect that everything will automatically transfer back the way you expect it to. It is ultimately YOUR responsibility to ensure proper credit transfer by taking a full-time course load and providing an official transcript.
Save all coursework, tests, papers, and books you accumulate while on exchange. You may need to show the work to your professors at The University of Montana for final approval.
All foreign language transcripts must be accompanied by an English translation.
IMPORTANT ACADEMIC MATTERS
There are a number of important academic matters that must be taken care of before you leave on exchange, as well as when you return. Neglecting these responsibilities can result in headaches and problems. The best way to proceed is by carefully following the suggestions and procedures in this section of the manual and by consulting with the Student Exchange Coordinator.
Registration: When You Leave
Pre-registration: Before You Return
Student Status
Courses for Study Abroad
Transferring Credit
Obtaining a Transcript
Applying for Graduation
REGISTRATION: WHEN YOU LEAVE
While you are on an exchange program you will automatically be registered at The University of Montana by the Study Abroad Coordinator for each semester that you are gone. You do not need to register yourself. This registration mechanism avoids the process of re-admission upon your return and keeps you "in good standing" for financial aid or other purposes.
PRE-REGISTRATION: BEFORE YOU RETURN
Before you leave on your exchange, you must make arrangements for a friend or family member to register you. The Schedule of Classes can be found on the university website. If you do not have access to the internet, you must make arrangements for the Class Schedule to be sent to you. For overseas mailing, send US$9.50 (payable by check, money order, or credit card) to: UC Bookstore, 5 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59801.
It is likely that you may not get all of the classes that you want, so you must be sure to list alternate courses and sections just in case some of your preferred classes are full or have been canceled.
STUDENT STATUS
It is necessary for you to be a full-time student while on your program. It is your responsibility to find out from your host institution what is an appropriate full-time course load for students at that institution. "Full-time" at The University of Montana means taking a minimum of twelve undergraduate or nine graduate credits per semester. If you are on financial aid and fail to
maintain full-time status, you will be required to pay back part of your disbursement upon your return. (See the section on financial aid in Preparations for Departure.)
COURSES FOR STUDY ABROAD
There are several types of courses that you can take on a study abroad program. The general rule is that if you are participating in a program at another institution, your credits are treated as transfer credits and the grades will not count in the calculation of your cumulative grade point average, but they will have bearing on The University of Montana's honors requirements and eligibility for professional program applications, etc. However, if you are participating in one of The University of Montana's Group Study Abroad programs, the credits earned are UM credits, and the grades will count in the calculation of your major, minor, and honor's grade point averages. If you are not sure whether or not your grades will count, consult with the Student Exchange Coordinator.
TRANSFERRING CREDIT
This is perhaps the most important academic concern you should have as a study abroad participant, unless you are participating in a UM Group Study Abroad program where your courses have been pre-approved. Please pay close attention to the following issues: Who is responsible for credit transfer? YOU are ultimately responsible for the courses you take, providing proper transcripts to UM for evaluation, and for any other documentation needed for the proper transfer and placement of credits earned abroad. It is an important responsibility and one that should not be taken lightly. All courses taken at the host institution for academic credit can be transferred into your degree at UM. Whether it is an elective credit or a specific course substitution, it is up to you and your advisor(s). If you want to use any courses toward your general education requirements, you should contact Admissions and New Student Services. This is where general education determinations are made for transfer courses and where transfer credit is ultimately recorded on your UM transcript. The foreign host coordinator(s) cannot help you with this! They are totally unfamiliar with your degree needs here at The University of Montana.
STUDY PLAN APPROVAL
Before you leave you must complete a Study Plan Approval form with your advisor(s). This form is provided by the Office of International Programs (OIP), and there is an example of it in the appendix. If you intend to transfer credit into more than one major, you will need agreements with each advisor and department chair. This form should be signed by you, your advisor, the chair
of the appropriate department, and the Student Exchange Coordinator. The most important thing with the agreement is to plan for what you hope will happen, but leave academic room for what might happen. This means getting as many courses pre-approved as possible, even though you may not be sure if you will take all of them. You should leave a copy of your credit transfer agreement with OIP. You should also take a copy with you. If, while you are abroad, there are changes in your study plan, you must contact your advisor to inform them of the changes.
CREDIT AND GRADE TRANSFERABILITY
- Only those courses that have been passed according to the host institution’s grading policy (whether it be numbers, letter grades, or simply pass/fail) will be considered for transferability.
- Total credits awarded will usually not be greater than what you would normally take in the same time period at The University of Montana.
- If a course taken abroad is viewed to have the same course content as a course previously taken at The University of Montana, your original UM credits for the course will be deleted.
- Grades given on exchange (direct enrollment) are not used in the calculation of The University of Montana cumulative grade point average. However, these grades will have bearing on The University of Montana's honors calculations, applications for The University of Montana professional programs, etc.
- Grades given on The University of Montana Group Study Abroad programs are the same as if you had earned them on The University of Montana campus.
- Be aware of The University of Montana graduation requirements. Please note the following statement from The University of Montana catalog: " “Of the last 45 credits required for the degree, at least 30 of these must be earned from The University of Montana. Students attending a university-approved exchange may be exempt from this requirement with the prior written approval of their major department chair or dean." A department-approved application will be accepted as written approval when transfer credits are listed on the graduation application.
- Keep copies of course descriptions, syllabi, and any other records you feel may be important for the proper evaluation of your courses.
USE OF CREDITS IN MAJOR, MINOR, GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
- Courses to be used in your major must be approved by your advisor and the department chair. This approval must be in writing on your Study Plan Approval form and a copy kept in your file in the Office of International Programs (OIP).
- Courses to be used in your minor must be approved by the chair of your minor department. This approval must be in writing on your Study Plan Approval form and a copy kept in your file at OIP.
- For a course to be used to satisfy one of the general education requirements, it must fulfill the spirit of The University of Montana requirement. Courses may be preapproved for general education requirements by meeting with Admissions and New Student Services (see reverse of Study Plan Approval form for directions).
INDEPENDENT STUDY CREDITS
If you plan to earn independent study credits at The University of Montana for your study abroad program, you will be registered for the independent study credits at The University of Montana during the semester of your study abroad period. To register for the independent study credits, you must sumit the following information to the Student Exchange Coordinator by the designated deadline:
- Subject & Course Number (i.e. Biology 395)
- Number of Credits
- Supervising Instructor
Plan to meet with the Student Exchange Coordinator prior to the deadline to discuss your plans for earning your credits.
Please note that students who do not pay their tuition and fees to The University of Montana (ISEPDirect students and one-way exchange students to CSU, Massey, or PUCChile) register for independent study credits the semester following the study abroad period.
OBTAINING A TRANSCRIPT
Before you leave your host institution, make sure that you make arrangements for an official copy of your transcript to be sent to at least one of the following places, if not all of them:
- Admissions and New Student Services at The University of Montana
- Office of International Programs
- Your home address
Eventually your transcript must end up at the Admissions and New Student Services Office. One thing that many students do is to assume that a transcript will automatically be sent to The University of Montana. This is most often NOT the case, so
check with the International Office or coordinator at your host institution about the correct procedure for receiving a transcript. If it is at all possible, try to obtain a copy of your transcript before you leave and hand carry it back to the U.S. You may want to obtain two or more personal copies of your foreign transcript. It may be difficult to obtain official copies in the future, and official copies would be needed if you transferred to another school for graduate or undergraduate work. The University of Montana will not make copies of your international transcript. This transcript along with all others in your file (except The University of Montana's) are destroyed five years after your last course is taken at The University of Montana.
APPLYING FOR GRADUATION
Because extra time is needed to provide transcripts and to have the work evaluated and posted, students enrolled at another university will usually graduate the semester following the completion of the exchange program. This means that if you are taking your last courses overseas during Fall semester, you would graduate Spring semester. You should apply for graduation
one semester before you plan on graduating. Application deadlines for graduation are the end of the second week of the semester prior to your final semester.