Many UC students graduate from abroad each year. With a little planning, you can too!
Graduating from Abroad
The reporting and posting of grades for courses taken abroad may take as much as one semester after you return, as many as 60 to 90 days. Therefore, students should submit their graduation applications no sooner than the semester after they return. For example, if a student’s program ends in spring, coursework likely will not appear until during the fall semester.
Commencement
In most cases, students will not be able to move up their exams abroad in order to participate in the UC Merced commencement ceremony if the program length stretches beyond the UC Merced spring semester. Students may purchase another roundtrip ticket to come back to California for a graduation ceremony and return to their program, but the cost is not covered by financial aid. Students may also choose to participate in the commencement ceremony the following year without taking additional coursework.
UCEAP Grades
It is not possible to obtain grades early. If students know that they need show coursework for graduate study applications or employment, they contact the Office of International Affairs, where advisors can direct them to resources.
Feature: 5 Reasons STEM Majors Should Study Abroad
Want to stand out on your next job application or boost your chances into getting into grad school? Or are you looking to expand your worldview, perhaps explore a side interest? Whatever your goal is, there’s a good chance study abroad can help you achieve it.
At least three courses in social sciences, arts, and humanities
Intellectual Experiences
Global Awareness, which is automatically fulfilled through study abroad with UCEAP
Additional Intellectual Experiences, as appropriate, including, but not limited to:
Societies and Cultures of the Past,
Diversity and Identity, or
Sustainability
These requirements represent the most flexible general education requirements for Engineering students planning to study abroad.
Technical Electives Abroad
Technical electives serve as the next most flexible degree requirement category. Study abroad advisors suggest that engineers who wish to pursue engineering coursework while abroad and take advantage of the specializations of uniquely-positioned world-class universities save as many technical electives as they can while enrolled at UC Merced and instead target core, prescribed engineering requirements. Technical electives should value at least 3.0 semester units or students should plan to combine more than one course to fulfill unit requirements in this area.
Enrollment Planning Strategies for Engineers
Whenever possible, study abroad advisors recommend that Engineering students aim for more of their major and School of Engineering degree requirements when selecting a program and using the general education requirements as fallback options in case the targeted engineering course requirements do not pan out. In this way students continue to make progress toward their degrees while maximizing their scholarship potential and the the opportunities to integrate an international experience with their academic interests.
The School of Engineering has made some previously approved courses for Engineering substitutions and/or requirements available to the public. This is not a comprehensive list of courses available but it may be a starting point in your research.
Additionally, the School of Natural Sciences has some previously approved courses listed online. This is not a comprehensive list of courses available, either, but it may help with SNS coursework to fulfill Engineering requirements.
With a few exceptions of previously approved courses (ask your academic advisor), courses will need to be approved to meet individual degree requirements. In these cases, students will use the Course Approval Form for the school that would typically offer such a course at UC Merced:
The school will often require a syllabus or equivalent in order to do a review. Keep in mind that syllabi may be protected intellectual property of certain professors or universities and may not be publicly posted online. If it is a UC Center program, you may be able to acquire syllabi through your study abroad advisor. If the program is with a local host university and the course is not posted online, you may be able to inquire with the instructor or host university in some cases.
Academic Planning
No matter your academic intentions while studying abroad, you should consult your academic advisor and your MyDegreePath report to plan out your study abroad academic goals. Once you narrow your search to 1-3 study abroad programs consult your program page or ask your study abroad advisor about resources for researching courses in your program.
Start planning for study abroad with your academic advisor as soon as you can. One of the keys to maximizing academic success abroad is early planning and scheduling course loads before, during, and after study abroad. This includes strategies such as targeting a study abroad term to exploit areas of flexibility in your academic plan.
How to Explore Database of Courses Previously Taken
Campus Credit Abroad
Planning the courses you’ll take on study abroad is as important as figuring out when and where to go. All courses taken on the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) are guaranteed UC credit, but understanding how each class may fit into your academic plan is a critical part of the planning process.
UCEAP Database of Courses Previously Taken
How to Find Courses for UCEAP
One of the challenges with academic planning and completing the Academic Planning Form is finding courses. While there is never any certainty with course offerings and study abroad always requires a little calculated academic risk, there are some techniques to minimize the risk and exploit unique educational opportunities through study abroad.
Courses & Credit Tab
For nearly every UCEAP program page, there will be a tab labeled “Courses & Credit.” Within this tab you will find information and links in the “Course Opportunities” area. The course resources are listed in order of relevance. Depending on the program, you might find any of the following resources:
Course syllabi
Links to academic majors or programs with courses
A bulleted list of courses
UCEAP Course Catalog
All UCEAP coursework taken in the last five (5) years is listed in the UCEAP Course Catalog. There are a few things you should consider when using the UCEAP Course Catalog:
The list of courses is not comprehensive.
Course units are listed in quarter units (to convert to semester units, divide by 1.5).
Syllabi are not included.
You may need to search less intuitive subject areas to find coursework (e.g. health sciences for public health, "engineering" for bioengineering, business for management and business economics).
Check Previously Approved Courses
There are a few resources available showing coursework previously approved for study abroad online. The resources are limited but they do represent some of the more recent course approvals:
Your academic advisor or school may insist that you need syllabi in order to determine whether a course abroad will substitute a particular degree requirement. While this is generally true, this does not prevent you from planning out your academic schedule abroad and determining what type of degree requirements a course may fulfill.
Sometimes your study abroad advisor or UCEAP can acquire a syllabus on your behalf; however, this is not always the case. Please understand that syllabi are often considered intellectual property and may not be shared until the course begins. Previously approved courses (see above) are often your first go-to resource to select courses.
