Handbook – Academics

As you prepare for your program, talk to your UW–Madison academic and career advisors to share your plans. Stay in contact with your advisor(s) while you are on your program. Our staff can help with general program academic questions.

You should consult your advisor(s) for questions about how your program impacts:

• the various activities and communities you are involved in at UW–Madison,
• how your program’s courses fit into your degree plan, and
• courses for the next semester.

If you have not done so already, think about declaring your major and certificates prior to leaving for your program.

Discuss with your advisor(s) your progress towards your major(s). Before meeting with them, review your DARS, your program information and your program’s course equivalent list to determine what type of courses you might take on your program. Pay attention to your degree requirements and credit rules. Use the Guide to review requirements for your degree and major(s). Some types of UW credit may be more difficult – or not possible – to earn on your program. More information about these specifics are available in your program materials and below in the Courses and Credits section.

You may find it helpful to reference the following items during your meeting with your advisor(s):

• Program handbooks, academic notes, and academic information
• Program course equivalent list
• Course descriptions for courses you are interested in taking on your program that have not already been evaluated for equivalency.
• A current copy of your DARS report
• A list of other questions and concerns you want to discuss, such as the types of courses you should take on your program and what courses you should take (and enroll for) when you return to campus

If you are a student with McBurney Accommodations, you should discuss your plans with your McBurney advisor at least six months prior to starting your program.

UW–Madison degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. You will receive UW–Madison in-residence credit for course work completed on your program; however, each school, college, and some majors have their own residency requirements, and some more specifically have senior residency requirements or on-campus requirements. Review the Senior Residence Requirement policy for specific rules for “in residence” credit. You should refer to your specific school or college section of the Guide, your DARS, or consult with your academic advisor regarding residency questions prior to departure.

In-residence credits are different from “on campus” credits – on campus credits must be completed at UW–Madison and cannot be done on your program.

You are able to earn Honors credit abroad. Students participating in the University College Utrecht (Netherlands) program, the Ceiba Tropical Conservation Semester (Ecuador), and the University of Singapore Honors (Singapore) program should consult their program academic notes to learn about the amount of honors credit they will automatically receive.

Review the Honors Credit policy for schools and colleges specific information and required steps.

Students receive in-residence credit for coursework taken abroad and therefore students from most Schools and Colleges are able to complete their final semester and graduate abroad. Students from the College of Engineering are not able to graduate abroad.

Review the Graduating Abroad policy for specific information on schools and colleges and required steps.

Due to potential worldwide health or safety incidents that may occur while you are on your program, academic adjustments may need to occur. Examples could include:

• The mode of instruction (online, hybrid, in person, etc.) may be shifted
• The availability of certain classes may be reduced
• Syllabus and/or assessment may be adjusted
• Classes may be canceled
• You may be absent for a period of time due to illness/self-isolation

Graduation policy

CALS students graduate with a bachelor’s degree when they have met all the university, college, degree program, and major requirements; have earned 120 credits; and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher on all courses carried for a grade at UW–Madison. CALS will graduate students who complete their CALS degree requirements, regardless of whether they have completed declared certificates, additional major(s), or are planning to participate on UW–Madison study abroad program.

Certificates and additional majors are only awarded if the student has completed all of the certificate and/or additional major requirements before or at the same time as completion of their CALS degree requirements. Students should plan their coursework, study abroad program, experiential learning, research, internships, etc., carefully in order to align with this policy.

Refer to the CALS Graduation Policy for full information, including the appeal process for extenuating circumstances.

International Comparisons requirement

Students participating on an approved UW–Madison study abroad program may be able to satisfy the CALS International Comparisons requirement.

College of Engineering-sponsored programs

Students on programs offered in partnership with the College of Engineering (indicated by an orange gear icon in the program search and ENGR abbreviation) earn pass/fail credit unless they take program courses that fulfill degree requirements for a second major or a certificate outside of the College of Engineering, in which case A-F grades are issued for those courses.

Students from the College of Engineering do not earn in-residence credits towards their degree on any UW–Madison study abroad program.

Science, engineering & math enrollment requirement

Students participating in ENGR study abroad programs must take at least 50% of their coursework in engineering, science, or math. Depending on the host institution, you may be required to take more than 50% due to enrollment requirements.

Graduating while on a program & 24 credit waiver

If you are a College of Engineering student and plan to take any of your last 24 credits while participating in a UW–Madison study abroad program, you must request special permission to do so and also complete a 24 credit waiver form and obtain approval prior to your program. Contact your Study Abroad Advisor for the form. Approval is granted or denied on a case-by-case basis. With this permission, you can participate on a program during your second to last semester. However, you cannot graduate while on your program, and must return to UW–Madison to complete at least one full time semester before finishing your degree. Contact your Study Abroad Advisor to initiate this process.

Certificate in International Engineering

The Certificate in International Engineering demonstrates your knowledge of a specific country or region outside of the United States. This credential appears on your transcript, strengthens your resume, and testifies to your preparation for work in today’s global society. An international experience is required for this certificate and any program five weeks or longer satisfies this requirement. See International Engineering Certificate website for more details.

Common guidance for off-campus coursework

Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate students are advised to take no more than two courses in their major (or per major if pursuing multiple majors) off-campus. This guidance includes courses taken for transfer credit at another accredited institution as well as courses taken on any UW–Madison study abroad program.

You should complete the core course or initial course in your major(s) on campus.

You should plan to complete all prerequisites for any off-campus course, regardless of its place in the curriculum, prior to taking the course off-campus. AAdvance academic planning is an integral part of student success and the ability to remain on track to graduate.

Semester programs

Students participating on a semester UW–Madison study abroad business program are expected to enroll in at least six UW–Madison credits of business courses. Generally, this means that you would need to take two business courses while abroad.

Some programs use an alternate course equivalency process called bundling. Bundling is used when individual courses abroad are worth fewer than 3 UW‑Madison credits and would not transfer as meaningful credit on their own. In these cases, two or more courses are combined and recorded as a single UW‑Madison course, often a “365” or “topics” course within a business department. The final grade for a bundled course is a weighted average of the grades earned in the individual courses. If your program uses bundling, your Study Abroad Advisor will work with you to determine how credit will transfer. More details are available in your program handbook and the academic notes in your MyStudyAbroad account.

International Business certificate and major

The Certificate in International Business and International Business major help students develop an understanding of the global macroeconomic environment and the complexities of cross-border transactions. Both the certificate and the major have a study abroad requirement.

Applying to the Wisconsin BBA Program

There are multiple admission paths to the Wisconsin Undergraduate Business Program. Students who are already enrolled at UW–Madison can apply through the pre-business admissions process. More details can be found in the Guide. If you plan to apply for admission to the business school while studying abroad, consult with the admissions team before your program.

All participants on programs in the US and abroad are automatically enrolled for a single “Study Abroad Course” for your program’s term. This acts as a placeholder and allows you to maintain continuous enrollment at UW–Madison.

The placeholder appears on your student record in a few different ways, depending on the type of program, but serves the same purpose regardless of the course number. You’ll see one of the following placeholder courses on your record:

AdminUse 100 Study Abroad

AdminUse 200 Exchange Program

AdminUse 910 Graduate-Level Study Abroad

The following chart lists the amount of credits you will be enrolled for with the placeholder, which varies by term.

Term abroad	Placeholder credits
Academic Year	18 credits per term
Calendar Year	18 credits per term
Fall	18 credits
Spring	18 credits
Summer	2-12 credits
Winter	1-4 credits
Spring Break	1 credit

The amount of credits you earn is based on your program course enrollment and equivalent credits, not your placeholder credit. Keep in mind that the credits you earn may be different from your placeholder credit.

See the Enrollment section of our Academic Policies for specific information on enrollment procedures and specific details for summer, spring break, or winter programs.

Credit load

For specific information on credit load minimums and maximums, as well as information on pre-session courses, review our Credit Load academic policy.

It is sometimes possible to take an online course, in addition to your onsite courses. Any on-line courses would be at an additional cost. See the Online, Independent and Distance Learning academic policy for specific information on the policy and procedure for online courses.

Directed study with a UW–Madison instructor

A directed study is a one-on-one learning experience where your learning is “directed” by a UW–Madison instructor.  You work with the instructor on a topic that you both agree on, outlining the assessment parameters together.  How often you meet and what you do is contingent on the topic you study, the instructor and what you outline together.  You are permitted to complete a directed study course while participating on your program only in addition to the minimum program course and/or credit enrollment requirement.

Review the Directed Study academic policy for specific information on the policy and procedure for directed study courses.

Auditing a course allows you to take a class without the benefit of a grade or credit for the purposes of self-enrichment and academic exploration. You can only audit courses on semester or yearlong programs, and you may audit a course only if the instructor for the course agrees. Any program sponsor (foreign institutions, study abroad provider organizations, etc.) procedures and policies for auditing a course must be followed and regular attendance is expected. Audited courses are not posted to your UW–Madison transcript nor will they count towards the minimum number of credits as a full-time student on the program.

If permitted, you may add or drop courses by the add/drop deadlines set by your program, which will be different from UW–Madison’s deadlines. If you drop a course, be sure you will still be enrolled full‑time and remain in compliance with your visa requirements.

Read the Adding/Dropping Classes academic policy for specific information on the policy and procedure.

Each program course taken is matched with one in the UW–Madison course catalog, which we refer to as a course equivalent. Course equivalents are based on content and level matches between a program course and an existing UW–Madison course. The Academics tab on each of the program pages on our website lists established course equivalents.

You must request UW–Madison course equivalents for each course reported on your program transcript or grade report. After your program, these equivalents are reported on your UW–Madison transcript with the corresponding grades and credits earned. This is also true for Special Students (non-UW-Madison students), although you may need to work with your home institution to determine how your UW–Madison courses will appear on that transcript.

Review the Course Equivalents academic policy for specific information on the policy and procedure.

Credit conversion

Programs have their own credit conversion scales. Check your Program Handbook or Academic page in MySA to see the scale.

Review the Credit Load academic policy for specific information on the policy and procedure.

Grade conversion

International academic systems use different grading scales and the way that grades are reported varies by program. Some programs use numerical grade scales while others use letter grades. Each program has a specific scale to show how grades from your program will be converted to UW–Madison letter grades. This scale is located in the Academics tile of your MyStudyAbroad account. Review the Grades academic policy for specific information on the policy and procedure.

The rules for pass/fail eligibility are complex.

Review the Pass/Fail academic policy for specific information on the policy and procedure.

Your grades are processed after your program transcript or grade report is received. All your course equivalents need to be approved and you need to have completed the online program evaluation for staff to process your grades.

Worried about grade processing time? Ensure that the courses in your approved Course Equivalent Request (CER) list in MyStudyAbroad (MySA) match the program courses that you took and they are recorded on your program transcript or grade report.

Our staff will confirm that you have submitted all required CERs by matching the program courses from your equivalents to the courses recorded on your program transcript or grade report. If you are missing equivalents, you will be sent a notification requesting that you complete them within 2 weeks. If you fail to submit a CER by the 2-week deadline, a hold is placed on your UW–Madison account. This hold will prevent you from any future enrollment for courses at UW–Madison. To clear a hold, all missing program CERs must be submitted.

For academic year and calendar year participants, your first semester grades will not appear on your UW–Madison transcript until your grades for both semesters have been received.

When you have approved equivalents in your MySA for all enrolled program courses your grades are entered, you will receive an email asking you to review your Final Grade Report through MySA.

If there are no errors in your grades, credits, or equivalents, approve the Final Grade Report in your MySA account within 30 days following the notification date. The sooner you approve your Grade Report, the sooner your grades post to your UW–Madison transcript.

If you feel there is an error in your Grade Report, do not approve it. Contact your Enrollment Manager regarding the issue(s) within 30 days of receipt of the email notification.

After you approve your Final Grade Report, allow 14 days for the grades to post on UW–Madison transcript. Consult MyUW to confirm your program coursework has posted.

If you do not approve your Final Grade Report within 30 days of receiving it, your grades and course equivalents will be sent to the Office of the Registrar to post to your UW–Madison transcript without your review.

Once posted to your UW–Madison transcript, grades and equivalents cannot be changed.

Dean’s List

A notation is added to your UW–Madison student record if you earn a GPA that makes you Dean’s List eligible. Review the Dean’s List academic policy for specific information on the policy and procedure.

If you attend another US institution and participated on a UW–Madison study abroad program as a Special student, you need to make a request to the UW–Madison Office of the Registrar to have the transcript sent to your home institution. Make sure your program’s grades have posted before ordering your transcript by checking grades through your MyUW account. Review the Transcripts for Non-UW-Madison Students academic policy for specific information on the policy and procedure.

Ethnic Studies

The ethnic studies requirement is intended for courses that cover the culture and contributions of marginalized racial or ethnic groups in the United States. This course content can be difficult to find on study abroad programs. We cannot guarantee that the ethnic studies (“e”-designated) course equivalents listed for your program will be offered during the term you plan to study abroad through UW–Madison.

Communications B

To receive a UW–Madison equivalent with the Communications B (Comm B) designation (‘b’), the course taken on a program offered by a UW–Madison study abroad office must contain the same literacy proficiency component as Comm B courses offered at UW–Madison.  Few courses will meet this requirement. The language of instruction for the course must be in English. While an intermediate or advanced English writing course might equate to a similar Comm B course taught on campus, few courses in other disciplines will have the required intensive emphasis on writing and speaking to qualify for acceptance as Comm B.

In many universities outside of the U.S., music performance classes are not taught at a university. Universities might offer music theory courses, whereas conservatories or music schools offer performance classes and sometimes theoretical/general music classes. Most music courses taken abroad are at the elementary level. You should not plan to receive intermediate or advanced credit.

The School of Music determines credit and course equivalents for music performance and lesson courses taken abroad. If you take a band, choir, or orchestra performance course abroad, you will not receive more than 1 credit per semester course. If you take an instrument lesson course, you will receive 1-2 credits.

If you are a UW–Madison music major, you must check with your academic advisor prior to going abroad. Upon return, UW–Madison music majors who took performance courses abroad are required to meet with the School of Music to determine appropriate course equivalents and credit.

Some universities outside of the U.S. may offer physical activity or sport courses for credit (e.g. badminton, soccer, diving, and yoga). These classes are not taught at UW–Madison; therefore, a study abroad elective course equivalent (department listed as STDYABRD) will be assigned.