Understanding International Course Credits and the Credit Transfer Process

Jan. 18, 2019
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The number of courses you'll take while on exchange varies from country to country and institution to institution; you might be taking four courses while your friend is taking six, or more, courses. 

Course structure can also be different. Your courses may only last a few weeks, you may have to do an oral exam, or your final grade could be determined by one exam. These differences are part of the experience of studying abroad!

Even though the weighting of each course, and possibly the course structure, will vary, the work you do in these courses will be comparable to what you would do at Laurier.

Credit Conversion

This information will help you better understand how many credits you need to take in a host country or a host institution to earn an equivalent of 2.5 credits at Laurier.

Australia:

  • Australian Catholic University: 12 UC credit points, or 30 UCTS
  • University of Canberra: 12 UC credit points, or 30 UCTS
Western Sydney University: 40 UWS credit points, or 30 UCTS

Europe:

  • 30 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) unless noted below
  • Université de Tours: 25 - 30 ECTS
  • Université de Poitiers: 25 - 30 ECTS

Ireland: 30 ECTS

United Kingdom: 60 CATS or 30 ECTS

United States: 12 credits (generally 4 courses, with each course being worth 3 credits)

Mexico:

  • ITAM: 4 courses
  • Tecnologico de Monterrey: 40 credits

Hong Kong: 

  • HKUST: 15 credits (generally 4 courses)
  • Hong Kong University: 30 credits

Macau: 18 credits (generally 6 courses)

Japan:

  • Akita International University: 18 credits
  • Nagoya University of Commerce & Business: Each course is worth 2 NUCB credits, which equals 3 ECTS (as in Europe)
  • Saga University: 15 credits

South Korea: 12 credits (generally 4 courses)

China: 15 credits (generally 4-5 courses, but confirm with the Student Abroad Advisor)

  • Shanghai Lixin University: 30 ECTS
  • Nanjing University: 2 credits is equal to 0.5 Laurier credits

When neither the ECTS nor UCTS credit systems are available, credits are awarded on the basis of Laurier course hours. Each 0.5 credit course at Laurier is 36 hours over a 12-week period. When multiplied by 5 courses per term, the normal course load at Laurier is 180 hours per term.

Types of Credits You Can Earn on Exchange

There are three types of credits you can earn while you are on exchange:

  1. 100-, 200-, 300-, or 400-level program-specific electives (e.g. 400-level history elective).
  2. Exact equivalent courses (e.g. BU481).
    • If the course matches a similar course offered at Laurier, you may be able to earn the equivalent credit. However, in some programs it's not possible so you may earn a program elective instead.
  3. UU courses. This happens when you take a course that doesn't fit in any program offered at Laurier (e.g. Folklore Studies or Korean Ceramics).

Always discuss your program progression with your academic advisor to see where the credits you earn while on exchange will fit into your academic plan.

Course Credit Transfer Agreement Form

Once you are officially registered in your courses, and you won't be changing them, you should complete the Course Credit Transfer Agreement (CCTA) form. This form can be completed electronically with your academic advisor or in person prior to your departure.

You can complete the CCTA form after your exchange, but we recommend that you do it before you leave, and that you are in touch with your advisor about your course selection and the type of Laurier credit(s) you'll receive during your exchange. If you don't keep your advisor up-to-date on your course selection, you might not receive the credit(s) you were expecting!

You can find a fillable CCTA form, as well as an example of a completed CCTA form, in Journey under the Document Library tab. Be sure to write the name and title of your advisor clearly on the form.

And remember, your academic advisor or program coordinator can only approve credits for their specific program. This means you could have to meet with more than one advisor or program coordinator to get all your credits approved.

Transcript Information

For the courses you take while you are on exchange, the actual numeric or letter grade will not appear on your Laurier record. Instead, you will only earn a CR (credit) for F (fail). As well, your GPA will not be affected by the grades you receive during your exchange.

While your grades will not show on your Laurier record, most graduate institutions will require an official transcript from the host institution at which you studied while abroad. While on exchange, order extra copies of an official transcript from your host institution and send them to yourself. Leave them sealed so they are ready in case you apply to graduate school.

It is often difficult to obtain transcripts after leaving the country and  you are no longer registered at the host institution.