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Transfer of Credit
The process of having the credits you have taken abroad transferred to your FIU record is an important one. This process will vary depending on the type of program in which you participate. There are several things to keep in mind to ensure the proper transfer and awarding of your credits, and you can ask an Office of Education Abroad advisor for guidance at any time. FIU Sponsored Programs
Students participating in FIU Sponsored programs will be registered in FIU courses and will be earning FIU credits. The grades earned for courses taken on these programs will be averaged into the FIU GPA as if the course were taken on-campus.
No course pre-approvals are required for FIU Sponsored Programs, and these credits will apply to the university’s last 30 credit residency requirement as well as the 9-credit hour summer requirement (summer programs only). International Student Exchange (ISE) Programs
Office of Education Abroad Course Pre-Approval Form
Prior to departing for the host institution, you must submit the Office of Education Abroad Course Pre-Approval form that indicates the courses you plan to take abroad, as well as their assigned FIU equivalencies (as applicable), and approval from your academic department. This form must be submitted to Office of Education Abroad before you leave for your semester abroad or you cannot be guaranteed that your courses will transfer back as you need them to.
Credit Conversions
Each country, and in some cases each host institution, has its own credit system. There are standard conversions for these systems so that you can ensure you are enrolled in the appropriate number of credits abroad. All students must be enrolled in the equivalent of a minimum of 12 credits (full-time) at their host institution. Please click here to see the Credit and Grade conversions for FIU’s partner institutions.
ISE 4990
Students participating in ISE Programs will be registered at FIU for the appropriate number of credits in ISE 4990 (the International Student Exchange course) during their semester(s) abroad. This course is not graded or credit bearing for the purposes of your transcript and serves strictly as a placeholder for the courses you will actually enroll in at the host institution. Registration in the ISE 4990 course allows you to pay FIU tuition and fees for your ISE program and ensures the timely release of your Financial Aid.
FIU Transcript
The courses taken on an ISE program will appear under the transfer credit section of your FIU transcript. Next to the FIU course number (if an equivalency was assigned), the name of the course you take abroad will be indicated, as well as the number of credits (converted to the U.S. credit system), and the translated letter grade.
Since they appear as transfer credits, the letter grades you earn will appear on the transcript but will NOT be averaged into your FIU GPA. Please note that if you apply to graduate or professional schools they will typically recalculate your GPA to include all classes taken during your college career, so it is in your best interest to do well. Click here to see the Credit and Grade Conversion for each of our partner institutions. Non-FIU Programs
Office of Education Abroad Course Pre-Approval Form
Prior to departing for the host institution, you must submit the Office of Education Abroad Course Pre-Approval form that indicates the courses you plan to take abroad, as well as their assigned FIU equivalencies (as applicable), and approval from your academic department. This form must be submitted to Office of Education Abroad before you leave for your semester abroad or you cannot be guaranteed that your courses will transfer back as needed.
Registration during Term Abroad
Students participating in Non-FIU programs will not be registered at FIU during the term abroad.
FIU Transcript
The courses taken on a Non-FIU program will appear under the transfer credit section of your FIU transcript. Next to the FIU course number (if an equivalency was assigned), the name of the course you take abroad will be indicated, as well as the number of credits (converted to the U.S. credit system as appropriate), and the translated letter grade.
Since they appear as transfer credits, the letter grades you earn will appear on the transcript but will NOT be averaged into your FIU GPA. Please note that if you apply to graduate or professional schools they will typically recalculate your GPA to include all classes taken during your college career, so it is in your best interest to do well. Posting of Credit to the FIU Transcript (ISE and Non-FIU Programs)
Upon completion of your program abroad, your host institution will send a final transcript to the Office of Education Abroad.* When we receive your transcript, we will put it together with your Course Pre-Approval Form and prepare a memo to approve the transfer of credits to your FIU transcript. These materials are then sent to the Office of the Registrar and the SASS office to be posted to your record.
If you took courses abroad that must have FIU equivalencies but that were not on your Course Pre-Approval Form, you must notify the Office of Education Abroad immediately. When your transcript arrives at Office of Education Abroad, we will prepare a Post-Program Course Evaluation form for you to take to the appropriate faculty member/advisor for evaluation of the course and assignment of an equivalency.
If you do not notify the Office of Education Abroad that you need equivalencies for courses not approved prior to your departure, transcripts will be submitted to the Office of the Registrar for posting “as is,” and may appear on your FIU transcript with generic course numbers.
For ISE students, the Office of the Registrar will change your grade in the ISE 4990 course to a “+” to indicate that you have completed your semester abroad. A notation is also placed with the course information to indicate that the individual courses are listed under the Transfer Credit section of your transcript.
For all ISE and Non-FIU program students, under the Transfer Credit section of your transcript, you will see the name of your host institution, the FIU equivalent assigned to your courses (as applicable), the translated title of the course, the number of credits (converted to the U.S. credit system as appropriate), and the translated letter grade.
The SASS office and/or your academic department will be notified when the courses taken abroad have been posted so that your Degree Audit can be updated to reflect any requirements fulfilled on your program abroad.
* An Official transcript must be sent directly to Office of Education Abroad by your host institution or program provider. If the transcript is sent to you directly, it must be delivered, UNOPENED, to the Office of Education Abroad in order to be processed. We will be happy to provide you with a copy of your transcript, but it must reach us in a sealed envelope from the host institution or program provider in order to be considered official.
Also, please note that in some cases it can take several weeks, and in some cases months, for a final transcript to be sent by the host institution. This is especially true for programs in European countries where institutions typically close for a long summer break immediately following the spring semester (July/August). It is completely normal for our office to receive transcripts in late-August or September for a program completed during the spring term.
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