Courses approval process abroad
Course Approval process for Study Abroad at CSB/SJU
Students may ask you to approve a course(s) abroad to meet a Major/Minor and/or Common Curriculum/General Elective requirement(s).
Please refer students:
- Department chairs for Major/Minor course approvals
- Academic Advising/Registrar for common/integration curriculum or general elective course approvals.
Reminder that majority of our CSB/SJU sponsored program courses are already vetted to fulfill common/integrations curriculum requirements and/or general electives towards graduation; exceptions are found on the Ireland-Cork, Germany or External programs.
For Semester Programs, you will find academic information on each program's website in the ACADEMICS section. Below is the guidance that CGE shares with students on how to get courses approved while abroad, so you can familiarize yourself with the process.
PRE-APPROVED MAJOR/MINOR COURSES TAUGHT ABROAD: Currently the following departments: Asian Studies, COMM, CHEM, GBUS, HISP, & PSYC have reviewed the curriculum abroad for courses that meet Major/Minor course requirements. Having courses pre-approved in a major or minor allows students to view courses that already are approved for planning and registration purposes. If you are interested in learning more about this process for your department, please contact CGE. A signature of approval is NOT required for courses that have been pre-approved for the Major/Minor. Any other Major/Minor course requires a signature for approval.
Student process for study abroad course(s) that may fulfill Major or Minor requirements
Step 1: Gather course description(s) and possibly syllabus from the appropriate program's website.
Step 2:Email the course description(s) to the chair of the department at CSB/SJU from which you are requesting Major/Minor course approval.
Subject Line: Request for Study Abroad Course Approval - Program, Term, Year
Text: 1) Course title & number, description, and number of credits
2) Major/Minor course you think this course(s) abroad will fulfill
3) Study abroad program offering the course
4) Term and year you plan to take the course
5) Attach a copy of the course description or syllabus from the program website
Step 3: The chair of the department will review and determine if those course(s) are approved for the Major/Minor. If approved, the Chair will sign the Course Approval Form form or will send email approval to student.
Step 4: A student will upload the completed Course Approval Form along with any email approvals in the CSB/SJU Global Portal.
Step 5: Once on-site: After final registration on-site, a student needs to review Degreeworks. If a course doesn't appear in the correct location in Degreeworks, a student will need to complete the online Major/Minor Substitution Form for final approval by the Department Chair.
Student Process for study abroad course(s) approval that may fulfill Common/Integrations curriculum requirements or general electives.
Note: only applicable for Cork- Ireland, Germany or External programs.
Step 1: Consult the Common Curriculum website or Integrations Curriculum website to review the learning objectives for each area of the Common/Integrations Curriculum. Determine whether your selected Study Abroad course addresses the objectives of a particular requirement. (Only courses with compatible learning objectives will be considered for CSB/SJU Common/Integrations approval).
Step 2: Email Barb Novak in the Registrar or someone in Academic Advising office
Subject Line: Request for Study Abroad Course Approval - Program, Term, Year
Text: 1) Course title & number, description, and number of credits
2) Common/Integrations area you think course will fulfill
3) Study abroad program offering the course
4) Term and year you plan to take the course
5) Attach a copy of the course description and or syllabus from the study abroad program website
Step 3: The Registrar or the Academic Advising Office will review and determine if the course(s) are approved for the Common/Integrations Curriculum or General elective credit. If approved, the Academic Advising Office or the Registrar either sign the Course Approval Form or send electronic approval to you.
Step 4: A student will upload the completed Course Approval Form along with any email approvals in the CSB/SJU Global Portal.
Step 5: Once on-site: After final registration on-site, student will review Degreeworks. If course doesn't appear in the correct spot, you will need to complete the online Common Curriculum Substitution Form for final approval.
Further Tips:
- Having a course approved for CSB/SJU crediting does not guarantee that you will get into that course abroad.
- It is recommended to get as many courses approved as possible so you have alternatives in case a course abroad is not available.