Outlined below is a summary of rules and restrictions to keep in mind when assisting students participating in international experiences. Note: departments and colleges might have additional rules. If in doubt, please consult your education abroad college liaison or the Office of the Registrar for assistance.
- Degree-seeking students at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Galveston, and the Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen must register their international experience with Texas A&M Education Abroad for risk management purposes and to facilitate the course pre-approval process.
- To receive transfer credit from other institutions, whether domestic or international, the institution issuing the program transcript must be accredited. In collaboration with the Office of Admissions, institutions granting program transcripts are vetted.
- For any transfer credit program, transfer credit refers to the act of being enrolled in another institution or provider course whether the credit counts towards the student’s degree plan or not. No credit means the student is not enrolled in any course on their experience.
- For provider programs, students must allot 2 – 3 months after the program for the transcript process. Therefore, participating in these experiences during the final semester to fulfill any remaining degree requirements is strongly discouraged.
- For exchange programs, students are not permitted to participate in their final semester.
- For internship, volunteer, and/or research experiences granting pre-arranged Texas A&M credit (e.g., 484, 485, 684, 685, etc.), students must work with their academic advisor to enroll in these courses for the same term of the experience abroad.
Undergraduate Students
- Program selection (travel dates, locations, and other concerns):
- Student Rule 7 (excused absences and attendance expectations)
- Travel rules
- TAMU Extreme Risk List
- Aggie Ring (overall total completed and institutional credit requirements)
- Credit hour rules
- Required institutional hours (25% of course work must be completed at TAMU, TAMUG, or TAMUQ)
- Excess hours exemptions
- Before departure (course approval):
- International and Cultural Diversity (core curriculum requirement)
- Student Rule 9 (further transfer course evaluation on an individual basis)
- Student Rule 10.22 (courses with repeat numbers and titles taken abroad must differ in content to transfer)
- Credit from foreign universities (restrictions for English composition, American history, and American political science courses -- scroll to 4th to last section at the bottom of webpage)
- Student Rule 14.22 (addendum to 36 Hour Residency requirement for upper-level courses completed abroad)
- Online course enrollment
- Practicum education abroad courses are not transferable per the Office of Admissions
- The transferability of theology courses taught abroad depends on certain criteria: program structure, course context, the credentials of the instructors, reading list, assignments, and/or grading rubric. The course must be taught from an academic, scholarly perspective per standards for state institutions.
- While Abroad (course changes or abroad final semester):
- Degree Audit: new courses must be approved
- Degree Requirement Verification (final semester)
- Upon Return:
- Program transcripts guidelines (Office of Admissions)
- For foreign universities, the official transcript must come from the host institution's Registrar listing courses, contact hours/credits, and grades. If the school does not issue the transcript in English, include an official translation from the program contact or a certified translation agency.
- For the U.S. universities, an official transcript is required from that particular U.S. institution's approved catalog of courses, credits, and grades.
- Graduation deadlines and clearance timeline
- Program transcripts guidelines (Office of Admissions)
Graduate Students
- Program selection:
- Discuss plans with chair of graduate committee.
- Program courses must be applicable to degree plan to be eligible for transfer credit registration process with Education Abroad.
- Graduate catalog: additional rules might apply based on department, college, and/or classification (master’s student or doctoral candidate)
- After the experience:
- Must obtain final grade of ‘B’ or greater.
- Courses can only be listed once on transcript. Do not attempt to transfer credits for a course already taken.
- File a degree plan/petition