All Programs
Transcripts
The OIP can only accept official transcripts directly from the host institution or program provider. We cannot accept transcripts from students. If you receive a sealed, official transcript at home, do not open it: instead, bring it or mail it to OIP in the sealed envelope.
BC must have the official transcript from your study abroad program in order to process your grades and credits. Some institutions may require a transcript release form: be sure to check before you return home. Some institutions won’t release transcripts if you have a financial or disciplinary issue to resolve. It is your responsibility to attend to these matters before returning.
If you need your own copy of an official transcript from your study abroad experience for a job, internship, or graduate school application, you will need to contact your host institution or provider directly. If you need an unofficial transcript, OIP can provide you one.
Transcripts will be sent directly to the OIP by the host institution. All courses taken abroad are entered into a student's BC record as if they were regular BC courses regardless of W, F, or Incomplete grades. Your grades will be translated according to our grade translation scale, and credit will be assigned based on the course and credit requirement guidelines. All Incomplete grades will automatically be changed to F on March 1 for the fall, August 1 for the spring, and October 1 for the summer.
Course Questionnaire
In order to expedite the processing of your study abroad transcript, please follow the instructions below for submitting your course registration list in My OIP as soon as your course enrollment is confirmed for the semester.
1. Log in to My OIP using your BC login credentials.
2. Under “Applications”, select the link for your current study abroad program.
3. Under “Application Questionnaires”, select OIP Student Course Info Abroad.
4. For each course you are taking, provide the information as described below:
- Title of course (in English)
- Host institution course number (if applicable; for example, “HIST 3024”)
- Host institution credits (if applicable; for example, “10 ECTS”)
- Are you using the course to fulfill major, minor, or core requirements? (Select Yes if this is a pre-approved course or if you have submitted or plan to submit a Course Substitution Form for this particular course; only courses worth 3 BC credits or more can fulfill a major, minor, or core requirement)
5. Ignore the questions in red marked “For Office Use Only.”
6. The questionnaire allows information for up to twelve courses, but you only need to enter the information for the number of courses you are actually taking.
7. When you’re done, click Submit.
Once your official transcript arrives, the OIP will complete the remaining questions for each course and the information will be sent to Student Services for processing.
If you have any problems accessing or completing the questionnaire, or if you have any questions about what courses are eligible to fulfill major, minor, or core requirements, please contact the OIP Registrar.
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 credit 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 student’s full course load of credits. A course must equate to 3 BC credits to fulfill a BC major, minor or core requirement.
7.5 ECTS = 3 or 4 BC
6 ECTS = 3 BC
5 ECTS = 2 or 3 BC **
4 ECTS = 2 BC **
** Courses worth 5 ECTS credits may not automatically fulfill a BC requirement. If you have any questions about credit translation, please contact oipreg@bc.edu.
Students must request that their transcripts be sent to the address below.
Boston College
Office of International Programs
Attention: Academic Operations Administrator
Hovey House
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 USA
If you program can send secure digital transcripts, please request that files be sent to: oipreg@bc.edu
Grades earned on external programs are not translated; they will appear on your transcript as transfer credit, but will not factor into your GPA. Students must earn a grade C- or above to receive transfer credits, courses with a grade of D+ or lower are not eligible for transfer credits and will not appear on your BC record.