The Office of Global Education facilitates the transfer of credits and grades to each student’s BC transcript. At a minimum, credit earned abroad will count towards general elective credits needed to complete a BC degree. With careful planning, students can make progress in their major and minor concentrations while exploring new areas of interest and opportunities that may not be available in Chestnut Hill.
Choosing a Program
Where do I begin? What do I need to consider as I research programs abroad?
1. Review OGE’s academic policies. Meet with your academic advisor and discuss when you should study abroad.
2. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are there courses that I can take abroad to complement my major/minor?
- How much room do I have for electives?
- Will I still be able to graduate on time if I don't get the courses I need abroad?
- Should I double-major or add a minor?
- Should I take a language course abroad?
- Do the programs I am considering have specific requirements?
- Are the courses I am hoping to take abroad have any prerequisites?
- Are there limited or restricted courses for the specific programs I am considering?
3. Plan ahead using the course and credits guidelines.
4. Review the policies and process for course approvals.
5. Check courses previously taken by BC students, by program.
What are ECTS Credits?
The most common credit system used by BC abroad programs in Europe is the ECTS system (European Credit Transfer System). Our standard rule for ECTS credits is 2 ECTS credits equal 1 BC credit. Since Boston College does not allow half credits, a 5 ECTS credit course will transfer back as either 2 or 3 BC credits depending on the student’s full course load of credits. *Please note that courses transferring back to Boston College as 2 BC credits may not satisfy major, minor or core requirements.
| 10 ECTS = 5 BC |
| 7.5 ECTS = 4 BC |
| 7 ECTS = 4 BC |
| 6 ECTS = 3 BC |
| 5 ECTS = 2 or 3 BC * |
| 4 ECTS = 2 BC |
Prior to Departure
I am getting ready to register for courses abroad. What do I need to do to get courses approved?
The OGE recommends but does not require seeking approval for courses prior to going abroad. For a majority of programs, course registration may not be finalized until students arrive abroad.
Courses taken abroad automatically count toward general elective credit at BC. Students looking for major, minor, or core requirements should first check the Study Abroad Course Database to see if a course has been approved in the past. If a course is not in the database, submit a Study Abroad Course Evaluation Form.
Courses found in the Study Abroad Course Database have been either taken by past BC students and/or reviewed and approved for major/minor/core by BC departments in the past. Courses are not guaranteed to be available every semester. Students may absolutely take courses not found on the database, this is common.
If a course is not approved in the Study Abroad Course Database and you wish to have it approved to fullfill a major/minor/core requirements at BC, submit the Study Abroad Course Evaluation Form.
Ideally and where possible, students should seek course approval prior to departure. Courses can be approved either prior to departure, while abroad or after you return to BC. The availability of syllabus & course descriptions before departure can be very limited depending on the host study abroad program. This is why it is not always possible to seek approval prior to departure.
Some majors/minors only allow a certain number of study abroad courses (even if it has already been approved). Please check the respective departmental website for more information.
While Abroad
I'm here, what's next?
Where possible, students should seek course approval prior to departure. However, the availability of syllabus & course descriptions prior to departure can be very limited depending on the host study abroad program. This is why it is not always possible to seek approval prior to departure and some students will need to work on getting courses approved to fulfill BC major/minor/core requirements while abroad.
We recomment that students digitally save all syllabi, course materials, assignments, and important emails for future reference until pending and perspective course approval is fully settled.
If you have any questions about credit translation, please send a list of all your abroad courses with credit values to ogeregistrar@bc.edu.
Students may consider declaring one of their abroad courses to be recorded with a Pass/Fail at BC. Please be sure to review the academic policy and instructons if you wish to declare a course P/F.
We remind students to also review the OGE grade translation scales when considering declaring a course P/F.
Back from Abroad
I had an amazing experience. Am I all set?
At the end of your time abroad, you will receive an email from OGEregistrar@bc.edu with specific information about transcripts, courses, and grades from abroad.
All courses taken abroad are entered into a student's BC record as if they were BC courses. Major/minor/core approvals do not appear on EagleApps until your transcript is processed and your study abroad courses are entered. The average timeline of when grades/courses from abroad appear on EagleApps looks like this:
Fall Study Abroad: April/May
Spring Study Abroad: September/October
Your grades will be translated according to our grade translation scale, and credit will be assigned based on the course and credit guidelines.
Most, but not all programs will automatically send your transcript to the OGE. If asked where to send your host transcript, please provide the following address: OGEregistrar@bc.edu. Some institutions will not release transcripts if students have an unresolved financial or disciplinary issue. It is your responsibility to attend to these matters.
If you need a copy of your host program transcript, please email OGEregistrar@bc.edu using your @bc.edu email address and include your eagle ID with your request.
How does course transfer work and do I need to get any courses approved?
All courses taken abroad automatically count toward general elective credit at BC, with the exception of non-academic subjects including but not limited to: cooking/wine courses and sport/gym/physical activity courses, for which Boston College does not grant credit. With departmental approval, courses from abroad can also fullfill BC major, minor or core requirements. A course must equate to a minimum of 3 BC credits to fulfill a BC requirement. Students should remain flexible and not expect to fulfill more than 3 major, minor, or core requirements while abroad. Any course approved for major/minor/core always counts for BC credit.
If you are unsure if a given course will count for general elective credit, contact the Academic Operations Administrator before registering for the course. If you have any questions about credit translation, please send a list of all your abroad courses with credit values to ogeregistrar@bc.edu.
General Guidelines
Students are expected to take a full load of courses as described in the Course Guidelines PDF. Grades are translated to the BC grading system using the Grading Translation Scale PDF. All courses taken abroad automatically count toward general elective credit at BC.
If a course has been approved by the respective department, then it will transfer back as major/minor/core credit accordingly.
Boston College does not grant credit for non-academic subjects including but not limited to: cooking/wine courses and sport/gym/physical activity courses.
Courses transferring back to Boston College with two (2) BC credits may not fulfill major, minor, or core. Students should NOT expect more than 3 courses to fulfill major, minor, or core while abroad.
Courses approvals do not appear on EagleApps until after your study abroad courses are entered. The average timeline of when grades/courses from abroad appear on EagleApps:
Fall Study Abroad: April/May
Spring Study Abroad: September/October
Students can email OGEregistrar@bc.edu with any questions.
How do I get courses approved to fullfill BC Major/Minor/Core requirements?
Courses taken abroad automatically count toward general elective credit at BC. Students looking for major, minor, or core requirements should first check the Study Abroad Course Database to see if a course has been approved in the past. If a course is not in the database, please submit a Study Abroad Course Evaluation Form.
Courses found in the Study Abroad Course Database have been either taken by past BC students and/or reviewed and approved for major/minor/core by BC departments in the past. Courses are not guaranteed to be available every semester. Students may take courses not found on the database, this is common.
If a course is not approved in the Study Abroad Course Database and you wish to have it approved to fullfill a major/minor/core requirements at BC, submit the Study Abroad Course Evaluation Form.
Ideally and where possible, students should seek course approval prior to departure. Courses can be approved either before abroad, while abroad or after abroad. The availability of syllabus & course descriptions before departure can be very limited depending on the host study abroad program. This is why it is not always possible to seek approval before departure.
Some majors/minors only allow a certain number of study abroad courses (even if it has already been approved). Please check the respective departmental website for more information.
University Core Curriculum
Students should note that most of the University Core requirements should be completed at BC prior to study abroad. However, students participating in BC and approved external programs may be able to fulfill certain core requirements while abroad. Students must plan carefully. When seeking core approval from abroad, the course from abroad must closely match BC Core Requirements.
Please note that the following core requirements cannot be fulfilled abroad: Literature, Writing, Social Science, Art History, Film, Studio Art, and Theater. The only exceptions are the limited number of courses as noted in the Study Abroad Course Database.
To request substitution credit, students must complete the Study Abroad Course Evaluation form.
Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
- African and African Diaspora Studies
- American Studies
- Ancient Civilizations
- Applied Physics
- Art, Art History, and Film
- Asian Studies
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Catholic Studies
- Chemistry
- Classics
- Communication
- Computer Science
- Earth and Environmental Studies
- Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies
- East European Studies
- Economics
- English
- Environmental Geoscience
- Faith, Peace, and Justice
- Film Studies
- French
- Geological Sciences
- German Studies
- Hispanic Studies
- History
- Human-Centered Engineering
- Independent Major
- International Studies
- Irish Studies
- Islamic Civilization and Societies
- Italian
- Jewish Studies
- Journalism
- Latin American Studies
- Linguistics
- Mathematics
- Medical Humanities, Health, and Culture
- Music
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science
- Psychology and Neuroscience
- Pre-Health
- Religion and Public Life
- Romance Languages and Literatures
- Russian
- Sociology
- Studio Art
- Theatre
- Theology
- Women’s and Gender Studies
Carroll School of Management
Students in the Carroll School of Management are highly encouraged to study abroad. International study enables CSOM students to gain new perspectives on a variety of subjects and exchange ideas and information with people from different cultures. While living abroad in a challenging atmosphere that inspires both personal and intellectual growth, students also increase their awareness of cultural diversity and international issues. CSOM students must seek approval to receive credit for a CSOM core or elective in their concentration taken abroad. Students are encouraged to meet with their CSOM staff advisor to talk about how studying abroad fits into their academic plans. Please visit the CSOM website for further information.
Carroll School of Management students are eligible to study abroad during either the fall or spring semester of their junior year. A few students will study abroad for an entire year. Students who wish to pursue an internship in the summer after their junior year,should consult with the career advising team or Handshake to learn about the recruitment cycle for the industries they are interested in. Approximately 35% of CSOM students study abroad.
The only three Carroll School core classes that may possibly be approved are Marketing Principles, Organizational Behavior and Operations Management.
Students can also take one elective towards their concentration. You can only obtain concentration elective approval from the department after completing the core classes (e.g. Fundamentals of Finance or Marketing Principles). Students can also take courses to fulfill the required MCAS electives.
Connell School of Nursing
Each CSON student will be told which semester of their junior year it will be possible for them to study abroad (should they wish to and should they meet program requirements) by the Undergraduate Associate Dean in the spring of freshman year.
Yes! Although CSON does not have a language requirement, many of the study abroad programs do have foreign language pre-requisites. CSON students should take the appropriate language courses in order to be eligible for their programs of interest. For students who do not have foreign language skills, there are several BC partnerships in non-English speaking countries that offer excellent courses in English.
Although most nursing students take University Core and elective courses abroad, some seek opportunities to learn more about health-related topics or build language proficiency. For example:
- At the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, students may enroll in a community health course developed for and offered specifically to BC nursing students.
- The National University of Ireland at Galway offers courses that have been approved as electives for the BC nursing program.
If possible, most University Core courses should be completed before studying abroad.
Given the limited number of electives in the nursing curriculum, many students do get approval for core courses while they are abroad.
Lynch School of Education and Human Development
Lynch School of Education and Human Develpment (LSEHD) students seeking MCAS credit for courses taken abroad can contact Maureen Raymond: lsehdstudyabroad@bc.edu. For further information and guidelines, please visit the Lynch School website.
LSEHD students are eligible to study abroad during either the fall or spring semester of the junior year. Students should begin planning in the fall semester of their sophomore year.
Yes! Even though LSEHD does not have a foreign language requirement, students are strongly encouraged to study abroad in a foreign language destination.
LSEHD students are encouraged to concentrate on completing a majority of the university core courses before studying abroad. However, since students in other countries tend to specialize earlier in the field of study than students in the U.S., it is important to balance work on the core with work in the major/minor fields in order to build a strong background for study abroad. This background will allow you to participate in regular classes with local students, and take advantage of the best offerings at your host institution.
All LSEHD students must meet with The Office of Undergraduate Programs and Students (Campion 104), Associate Director, Maureen Raymond prior to applying for study abroad in order to discuss potential coursework. With careful selection and PRE-approval from LSEHD OUP, courses taken abroad can count for LSEHD major and minor credit. MCAS double majors can also receive major credit for courses taken abroad with prior pre-approval of the appropriate MCAS department.
Lynch School students are encouraged to take electives abroad. The best types of courses are those that focus on the region in which you are studying, and those that reflect the strengths of the host university department.
Completing an international field experience while abroad isan option. In places where placements are not offered as a regular part of the program, it is possible to work with the BC Office of Field Placement & Partnership Outreach in order to arrange a suitable local placement. Students interested in completing an international field placement must email the International Field Placement Practicum Coordinator Intlprac@bc.edu. You can learn more about the International Field Placement program here.
Students planning to do an honors or senior thesis are advised to identify a potential topic and potential supervisor prior to studying abroad. Students should then keep in touch with the thesis supervisor while abroad.
As a BC student, you are expected to take a full load of courses at your host institution abroad. BC program participants can refer to the course load requirement table for guidelines, since what constitutes a full load may vary by program. External program participants expected to complete the equivalent of 15 credits per semester.
- Students abroad can take a maximum of one pass/fail course per semester
- No business course can be taken pass/fail
- A pass/fail course cannot fulfill a BC major, minor, or core requirement
- After a course is declared pass/fail, it cannot be changed back to a graded course, and no grade changes will be made after the pass/fail timeline period has ended
- Courses should be taken for a grade with the host institution. OGE will mark your course as P/F once we receive your transcript from abroad.
Timeline
| Course Length | Last day to declare pass/fail |
| Regular semester course | 8 weeks (56 days) after the course starts. Courses can never be declared P/F after the final exam |
| Courses 1-5 weeks in length (typically intensive, pre-semester, or early-start courses) | 10 days after the course starts |
Process
Students should email their course title and course ID number (if possible) to their OGE Advisor before the timeline listed above.
Students are expected to enroll in and maintain a full course load, equivalent to 15-16 US credit hours for each semester abroad. If you’re considering withdrawing from a course, you should be in touch with the OGE Academic Operations Administrator. You are also expected to follow the guidelines regarding withdrawals at your host institution; in some cases, withdrawals may not be permitted.
Typically after the add/drop period allowed by the host institution, students who withdraw from a course will have a “W” recorded on the host institution’s transcript, which will be recorded to BC’s academic record. Students will not be permitted to withdraw from courses after the deadline set by the host institution. Students should direct any questions regarding courses abroad to their OGE Advisor.
Per university policy, undergraduate students may not audit a course.
Students may not register for online courses at host institution. We strongly recommend students to take on-site courses in order to fully immerse themselves in a new academic culture.
Seniors may take an online course offered by Boston College while abroad only with permission from their Academic Dean, the Registrar’s Office, and the Director of the Office of Global Education. The online course taken must meet a specific academic requirement, such as a course required for a senior thesis. Students must proactively seek approval prior at least two weeks to the beginning of the online course. Students taking an online course will be charged for the Student Activity Fee and Health Services Infirmary fee. The Student Activity fee is mandatory, while the Health Services fee may be waived for that semester by contacting Health Services before the start of the semester to verify with them you will be abroad.
We honor the grades submitted by the professor/host school and OGE cannot change or modify grades students earn abroad. Students need to work directly with the host school/professor if they have any grade disputes.
Students are not permitted to leave the program early. All students must stay until the end of the academic program. If you have any questions, please contact your OGE advisor.
“These courses really furthered my knowledge of the subjects and my professors pushed me to learn in different ways. It really opened my eyes to the different experiences people have around the world in terms of education. ”