Handbook – Academics

As you prepare for your program, speak with your UW-Madison academic and career advisors to update them on your plans. Stay in contact with your advisor(s) while you are participating 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.

You will want to 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 as part of 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 as part of 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. “In residence” means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses earned on UW–Madison study abroad and study away programs. In-residence credits, however, are different from “on campus” credits – on campus credits must be completed at UW-Madison and cannot be done as part of your program.

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. For this reason, it is essential that you refer to your specific school or college section of the Guide, your DARS, or consult with your academic advisor regarding questions prior to your departure.

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

Honors, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Students pursuing either track within the CALS Honors Program may complete a UW-Madison study abroad program. Those on the Honors in Research track should work with the CALS honors program manager and their research mentor to plan for their experience. Those pursuing Honors in Major should work with their academic advisor in their CALS major department.

Honors in the Liberal Arts Program (HLA), College of Letters & Science

Students completing HLA may have one course (up to 4 credits) per semester counted towards honors requirements. The course must transfer as L&S credit (C credit), and you must earn a B or better in the class. Courses taken pass/fail towards honors requirements do not count. Refer to the HLA study abroad page for complete requirements and process.

Honors in the Major (HM), College of Letters & Science

Students completing HM should talk to their major academic advisor(s) about whether any of their program’s coursework can be counted towards HM requirements.

Students in other schools and colleges at the UW-Madison should contact their academic advisor(s) about honors credit.

While many students can graduate while participating on UW-Madison study abroad programs, this can vary by School/College. Details, including: how to apply, and the graduation process are online. Before your departure, you should request a degree audit (DARS) and meet with your academic advisor(s) to ensure you are on track to graduate.

If you intend to complete any final requirements for your degree while participating on a UW-Madison study abroad program, your School/College’s Dean’s Office may contact you and let you know that you have remaining degree requirements to complete. Your enrollment shows up as a placeholder until your program’s courses and grades are posted to your transcript.

Your degree will be final after the following have been completed:

• All your course equivalents and grades from your program have been processed and posted to your UW-Madison transcript
• Your School/College confirms that you fulfilled all your degree requirements through reviewing your student record and/or DARS report.
• The Office of the Registrar confers your degree.

Your official graduation date will match the UW-Madison semester in which you completed your degree requirements, even if your program ends months after the UW-Madison term. Your degree will not be granted (and therefore, posted to your student record) until a later date due to the delay in receiving grades from your program and processing course equivalents. Consult your Enrollment Specialist Advisor if you have questions or concerns regarding graduating.

If you wish to attend a graduation ceremony but cannot be at UW-Madison for the ceremony in the term in which you graduate, you may attend an earlier or later ceremony. You should note your preferred graduation ceremony date when you apply to graduate through MyUW. Detailed information regarding commencement ceremonies and attire can be found on the commencement website.

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 all students who complete their CALS degree requirements, regardless of whether they have completed declared certificates, additional major(s), or are planning to complete a 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, UW-Madison 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 Studies Requirement

Students participating on an approved UW-Madison study abroad program may be able to satisfy the CALS International Studies requirement. For more information on the CALS International Studies Requirement, visit the CALS International Studies Requirement page.

College of Engineering-Sponsored Programs

All participants 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 on any UW-Madison study abroad program.

Science, Engineering & Math Enrollment Requirement

Participants on ENGR programs are required to take a minimum of 50% engineering, science, or math courses on a UW-Madison study abroad program. This could be more depending on the host institution’s 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 complete a 24 credit waiver form prior to your program. 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 BBA 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 offered in partnership with the Wisconsin School of Business (indicated with a blue briefcase). Due to the international emphasis of the International Business major, there is no limit on the number of courses taken towards that major while on a UW-Madison study abroad program.

The academic departments of the business school strongly recommend that all BBA students complete the core or initial course in their major(s) on campus.

You should plan to complete all prerequisites for any off-campus course, regardless of its place in the BBA curriculum, prior to taking the course off-campus. Attention to these prerequisites is crucial to ensuring BBA students are prepared for their coursework whether it is taken on or off campus. Advance 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 duration 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 on your program.

Some programs will indicate that they utilize an alternate course equivalency process: bundling. Bundling is used when the credit for individual program courses may consistently be less than 3 UW-Madison credits, thereby not offering the most meaningful credit at UW-Madison. On these programs, two or more individual program courses are bundled together into one UW-Madison course. Credit is most often a “365” or “topics” course within a particular business department. The grade awarded for this bundled equivalency will be a weighted average of the foreign courses. For programs that bundle course equivalencies, your Study Abroad Advisor will work closely with you to determine the credit to be received. More information on the course bundling process can be found in program handbooks and/or academic notes.

International Business Major

To develop perspectives on regional and local cultural issues, international business majors select a geographic region of emphasis and select language and area studies courses accordingly. Participating on a UW-Madison study abroad program in the selected region of emphasis for one fall or spring semester is also required for the major. Additional details are available in the UW-Madison Guide.

Applying to the Wisconsin BBA Program

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

All participants on programs in the U.S. 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 will appear 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, which varies by term.

Here’s an example of how this might look on your student record:

The placeholder is replaced with the actual course equivalents, credits and grades earned after the completion of your program, receipt of your transcript, and course equivalencies have been finalized.  When calculating your remaining credits to graduate, note that your actual credits earned will vary based on the classes you take on your program, and in many cases will not exactly match your placeholder credits.

Summer Programs

The placeholder course is posted as the maximum number of credits you can take on your program. For example, students attending a program offering 3-6 credits will be enrolled in a 6-credit placeholder. If you plan to take additional UW-Madison courses during the summer, enroll for your selected courses as usual.

Winter and Spring Break Programs

The placeholder course for a winter or spring break program is included in your spring semester enrollment total. Follow normal steps for your spring course enrollment at UW-Madison.

If your winter or spring break placeholder course interferes with your ability to take 15-18 spring term credits, contact your Enrollment Specialist Advisor with the total number of spring term credits you plan to take so your enrollment credits can be adjusted for the overload. You are not charged a fee for this credit overload.

Future Terms at UW-Madison

All students follow the same enrollment procedures and timing that you would on campus to enroll for future semesters at UW-Madison. Refer to MyUW for your specific enrollment dates.

Credit Load

Undergraduate students participating on a program for a semester or year must carry the equivalent of a minimum of 12 UW-Madison credits and a maximum of 18 UW-Madison credits each semester. In MySA, consult the academic information in your program-specific handbook or academic notes for the exact credit load requirements for your program and credit conversion scales.

If you hope to take an online course during the same term as your UW-Madison study abroad program:

• Be aware that some of our programs have fixed course/credit loads. You must follow all program and host institution guidelines for full-time enrollment. Any online courses are in addition to your program, which may mean that it is not possible to take an online course. Notify your Enrollment Specialist Advisor of your plans.
• Contact your academic advisor(s) to discuss how to enroll in the course if it is outside UW-Madison’s course catalog (such as a UW System online course).
• Enroll for your online course. This is separate from your enrollment for your  program.
• You will be charged UW-Madison tuition for the online course.  Tuition waivers are not honored for online courses taken in addition to UW-Madison study abroad program courses. You should consult with the Office of the Registrar to determine your potential tuition charges.
• Taking an online course in addition to your program courses does not mean that you’re able to exceed the amount of credits you’d normally be able to take in a single term. Refer to your home School/College for guidelines on allowable maximum credit by term.

Directed Study with 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.

If you hope to complete a directed study with a UW-Madison faculty during the same term as your program, consider and understand the following:

• Consider your academic goals and priorities for your study abroad or domestic study away experience, and whether adding a directed study would align with those goals.
• It is your responsibility to find an instructor for your directed study.
• Consider and review the minimum & maximum course/credit load for your program. Reference the program webpage and consult with your Enrollment Specialist Advisor.
• You must follow all program and host institution guidelines for full-time enrollment. In some cases, it is not possible to complete a directed study in addition to the course load required on the program.
• Plan your directed study directly with the UW-Madison instructor who will serve as your supervisor. Your UW-Madison study abroad office has no role or responsibility in this process.
• Complete this form, and upload it in your MyStudyAbroad account (Academic section, CER Option 3).
• Your UW-Madison study abroad office will enroll you in a placeholder course for your program. Your directed study is included in this enrollment – do not enroll yourself.
• Your directed study instructor must report your final grade to your UW-Madison study abroad office. Your directed study course, credits and grade will be recorded by your UW-Madison study abroad office along with your program 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 consents. 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 will not be posted to your UW-Madison record nor will they count towards the minimum number of credits for participation as a full-time student on the program.

If you choose to drop a course, ensure that you will remain full-time and in compliance with in-country visa regulations after you drop.

Always check with your on-site program staff and notify them if you plan to drop a course. Complete any steps that may be required by your host institution or program provider to ensure you formally drop the course. Ensure you meet add/drop deadlines as laid out by your program or host institution. Failure to follow all program steps and requirements for dropping a course may mean that the course will appear on your program transcript. If the course is reported, and a failing grade is assigned, you will receive an F on your UW-Madison transcript for the course. If an “Incomplete” appears on the program transcript because you did not officially drop the course, this “Incomplete” will lapse to an F if you are unable to complete the work for the course.

The rules for pass/fail eligibility are complex. Read this information carefully.

If you wish to declare a program course pass/fail, adhere to the policies below. Some programs may have additional pass/fail policies that are noted in your program materials or communicated to you on-site. For example, Engineering students automatically earn pass/fail credit on Engineering-sponsored programs (more details can be found in the College of Engineering tab above) and do not need to make pass/fail requests.

If you are contemplating graduate or professional school, you should take as few pass/fail courses as possible. Pre-med students are advised to take only graded courses.

You should not request pass/fail directly with your program provider or host institution. You must complete the pass/fail request process in your MyStudyAbroad account (MySA) by the pass/fail deadline posted in your MySA Academics page. After submitting a pass/fail request, a confirmation will appear in your approved course list in your MySA account.

For classes you declare as pass/fail, if you receive a grade of C or better, the letter grade S (satisfactory) is posted on your transcript. If you receive a grade of D or F, the letter grade U (unsatisfactory) is posted on your transcript, resulting in no degree credit for the class.

Pass/Fail Rules

A program course taken as pass/fail still requires a UW-Madison course equivalent.  College of Engineering students participating in College of Engineering programs receive pass/fail grades unless the course(s) fulfills degree requirements for a non-engineering major/certificate.

A student may not add or alter a pass/fail request at any time after the pass/fail deadline.

These rules apply to all students considering a pass/fail request for a course offered by a UW-Madison study abroad office.

• Students must be in good academic standing according to their school or college to be eligible to request the pass/fail grading option.
• Undergraduates may carry one course on a pass/fail basis per term and a maximum of 16 credits during their undergrad career.
• Only elective work may be taken pass/fail
• Required courses cannot be taken pass/fail.
• You should consult with your academic advisor(s) and understand the pass/fail policies in your school/college before declaring any course pass/fail.
• Pass/fail courses do not count toward the following requirements (it is your responsibility to ensure the course you are requesting pass/fail is not intended to fulfill the following):
  • Breadth (humanities, literature, social science, science)
  • Foreign language (prior to fulfilling the BA or BS foreign language requirement)
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Math (coursework required to satisfy the BS mathematics requirement or needed to enroll in required math courses)
  • General Education (Comm A, Comm B, QR A, QR B)
  • Coursework for a student’s major
  • Coursework required for a student’s certificate
• Summer programs: The summer sessions collectively count as a single term. All summer courses, including those on your program, on-campus, and online, are part of the same summer term.

Winter Intersession and Spring Break programs: Only one class in the Spring term, comprised of the Spring semester on-campus or online, Winter Intersession, and Spring Break programs, may be taken pass/fail.

Each course taken on your program 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 of each of the program pages on our website lists established course equivalents.

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

Many UW faculty-led programs offer a single course with a single approved course equivalent. You will still need to log in to MySA to request your course equivalent even if there is only one option. Other faculty-led programs have multiple course equivalents to choose from; if this is the case, only the one you select in your MySA will appear on your transcript.

UW-Madison may not offer a course with the same content as a course on your program. In this case, the best course equivalent match may be a course that covers a broader range of topics, or even a course created by an academic department specifically as a match for commonly requested topics.

To establish UW-Madison course equivalents for your program courses, you will submit Course Equivalent Requests (CER) through your MySA account. You have access to submit requests upon acceptance to your program.

There are two options to submit a CER in your MySA account.

1. Submit a CER for a Pre-Approved UW-Madison Equivalent

Some program courses already have pre-approved UW-Madison course equivalents. A list of these pre-approved equivalents are located in your MySA account (Academics section) and on your program’s page on our website (Academics tab).

There may be multiple pre-approved equivalents listed for the same program course. Choose the one equivalent that is most appropriate for your major and degree requirements. If you have questions about which equivalent to choose for your degree plan, consult your UW-Madison academic advisor(s).

If you wish to request a different equivalent for a course that is already pre-approved, submit a new CER (process below).

2. Submit a New CER for a Different UW-Madison Equivalent

If your program course(s) are not listed on the pre-approved list OR you wish to have a different equivalent evaluated for a program course, you will submit a new request for a UW-Madison course that best matches the program course. Submit one CER per foreign course.

Check the Guide to find a UW-Madison course that is relevant to your program course. The courses should be similar in content and level. Your Program Leader, program on-site staff, Enrollment Specialist Advisor or UW-Madison academic advisor(s), may have suggestions. After you have found a UW-Madison course equivalent, complete the new course request in your MySA account. Be careful that you are not requesting a course for which you have already received credit. Check your School/College-level rules on “Repeating a Course” in the Guide before doing so. If you’re having trouble, look for a Topics course or Study Abroad Topics course in a closely related department. Be aware that topics courses may not fulfill breadth requirements since the topic can vary.

Because you are requesting a new equivalent, you must include a syllabus (in English unless you are requesting credit in a world language department) to determine if your program course is an appropriate match to the requested UW-Madison course. The syllabus should include a week-by-week breakdown of topics, a required reading list and grading policies. A brief course description alone is generally insufficient to determine equivalence. If a syllabus is not in English, and the request is not for an equivalent in a foreign language department, you are responsible for translating the syllabus.

If your program course does not have a syllabus, you are prompted to enter the necessary course information and details. If this information is not included, your request is sent back to you, requiring further action on your part.

Final approval of a new equivalent request comes from the respective UW-Madison academic department. The determination of the academic department is final.

CER Processing Time

After you submit your CERs, your Enrollment Specialist Advisor reviews the requests and forwards them to the relevant UW-Madison academic department for evaluation. Processing time varies by department. We recommend that you submit your course requests as soon as possible after your schedule is finalized to provide adequate time.

Our staff and UW academic department staff review each CER individually, so please be mindful of the number of CERs you submit. While you can submit CERs as soon as you gain access to your MySA account (upon acceptance), you may want to wait and submit them until after you’ve enrolled in your program courses. This way you only select a pre-approved CER if you are taking the course.

If your CER is denied, check the list of pre-approved equivalents to see if the department has approved a different equivalent. Departments rarely approve more than one equivalent for a course abroad. If no alternative equivalent was approved, submit a new CER for the course in a different academic department.

See the CER FAQ for additional information on CERs.

Credit Conversion

Programs have their own credit conversion scales. Check your Program Handbook or Academic page in MySA to see the scale. In general, one class hour per week for a 15-week semester equals approximately one credit; two laboratory, discussion, or tutorial hours per week for the semester equals approximately one credit. There are exceptions to this formula in determining credits for work completed.

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. Therefore, 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 page of your MySA account. If you took a class for pass/fail, you will receive S or U grades. If you receive an incomplete on your transcript at the end of the term, you will have one semester to remove the incomplete. If the incomplete is not removed by this deadline, the incomplete will lapse into a failure (F).

Step 1

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

Worried about grade processing time? Ensuring that the courses in your approved CER list match the courses that you took on your program (and recorded on your program transcript or grade report) will help move things along!

Step 2

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 CERs from your program 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.

Step 3

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

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 Specialist Advisor regarding the issue(s) within 30 days of receipt of the email notification.

Step 4

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

If you do not approve your Grade Report within 30 days of receipt, your grade and course equivalent information will be sent to the Office of the Registrar for posting 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.

If you attend another U.S. institution and participated on a UW-Madison study abroad program as a Special student, you will need to make a request to the UW-Madison Office of the Registrar in order 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.

Our staff cannot order or forward official UW-Madison transcripts on a student’s behalf. The Office of the Registrar’s website has detailed information about how to obtain a transcript.

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 as part of a UW-Madison study abroad program. We cannot guarantee that the few ethnic studies (‘e’ designated) equivalents that you may find in your program’s course equivalent list will be offered for the term that you plan to take classes on a program offered by your UW-Madison study abroad office.

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 Communications 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.

For most programs with a language component, you will receive credit for the next course(s) in the UW-Madison language sequence. These UW-Madison language equivalents are listed on your program’s course equivalent list.

You cannot take foreign language courses abroad in languages other than the host country’s official language(s) unless you have received approval from the appropriate foreign language department at UW-Madison prior to departure. This approval must be verified by email; and sent to your Enrollment Specialist Advisor. For example, students who wish to study Spanish while in Ireland need the approval of the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at UW-Madison prior to going abroad.

If you are interested in taking a language not taught at UW-Madison, and is not the country’s official language, you should contact your Enrollment Specialist Advisor (e.g. you would like to take Berber while studying on a program in France). You will submit a course syllabus to your Enrollment Specialist Advisor, who will work to have the course evaluated for UW-Madison credit in a related department (e.g., African Cultural Studies for Berber). If a departmental equivalent cannot be given, a study abroad elective course equivalent (department listed as STDYABRD) will be assigned.

Students taking language courses to fulfill the UW-Madison foreign language requirement cannot take the courses pass/fail.

In many universities outside of the U.S., music performance classes are not taught at a university. Universities might offer courses in music theory, 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 types of classes are not taught at UW-Madison; therefore, a study abroad elective course equivalent (department listed as STDYABRD) will be assigned.