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Student exploring his surroundings while studying abroad.
Study Abroad

Course Credit While Studying Abroad

Understanding how foreign courses taken during study abroad will fit into your Pace degree plan is the most important part of the study abroad process. Education Abroad reviews academic planning during pre-departure advising in the Abroad 102 info session, which is mandatory for all study abroad students (except Pace Travel Course participants). All Pace students who study abroad must pass a short quiz as part of their application process, confirming that they understand the basics of Course Equivalencies.

How do credits work for study abroad?

When you study abroad at a Pace partner institution — for a semester, year, summer, or January program — you will receive Pace credits for courses taken abroad. (This does not apply to Pace Travel Courses.) With prior approval, Study Abroad credits are processed as Pace institutional credit (and not transfer credit) so that students can get Pace institutional aid while studying abroad. In order to get these Pace credits, there are steps you must take. It's your responsibility to follow these steps; you will not be able to get academic credits otherwise.

Undergraduate students going for a semester abroad must enroll in a minimum equivalent of 12 Pace credit hours (though it is strongly recommended you take the equivalent of 15 Pace credit hours while studying abroad). Students participating in a January study abroad program take the equivalent of 3-4 Pace credit hours. Students who do a summer study abroad program enroll in a minimum of 3 Pace credit hours while studying abroad; if a student wants to use financial aid for a summer program, they must enroll in a minimum of 6 Pace credit hours while studying abroad.

You must take all courses abroad for a grade; you may NOT take a class abroad Pass/Fail or audit.

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What are “course equivalencies”?

Any course you take at a foreign university (or through a study abroad program provider) must closely match a course offered at Pace, in terms of content and academic level. You will select courses from those offered at the overseas institution, with the assistance of your Pace Academic Advisor and Education Abroad. Every course taken abroad must be approved by a Department Chair as a similar course at Pace. This process is referred to as obtaining course equivalencies.

The Chair's decision on whether or not to award Pace credit is based on the academic merit of the program and courses. Credit will not be given for informal, non-credit "enrichment" nor "extracurricular" activities. Students must also follow all other Pace protocols for study abroad by first applying through Pace Education Abroad. If a Pace Department Chair refuses to grant credit for a course, the student will receive an UNS (unsatisfactory) grade for that course on their transcript.

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How do I obtain course equivalencies?

  • Attend the mandatory "Abroad 102" info session for guidance on academic planning and how to obtain course equivalency forms for your study abroad program.
  • Talk to your Pace Academic Advisor and Education Abroad about courses you want to take abroad and how they will fit into your academic plan. (Not sure who your Academic Advisor is? Email: whoismyadvisor@pace.edu)
  • Once you are approved by Pace to study abroad, you will receive a link to complete your Course Equivalency Forms via the online form system.
  • When you study abroad, you will need to ensure you receive course equivalency approvals for each course you plan to take abroad before you depart or you will risk not receiving credit for your study abroad program.

We strongly recommend that you take courses abroad that have already been approved as having a Pace course equivalent, as it will be much easier and quicker to obtain Pace credits (because the course won't need to be reviewed and approved by a Pace Department Chair).

First, check and see if there are courses you want to take abroad that are already in Pace’s database of previously-approved courses for your program:

  • Go to the (Terra Dotta) and find your program's brochure page.
  • Go to the Academics tab.
  • Go to the "PRE-APPROVED COURSES" section, and click on the link to see the historical archive of all the courses that already have an approved Pace course equivalent on your program.
  • Review the courses to see if there are any you're interested in taking and fit your academic plan.

If your course isn't in Pace's Pre-approved Courses database then you must submit a Not Previously Approved Course Equivalency Form via the online form system that is emailed to you after you're approved to study abroad by Pace. This adds the additional step of having a Pace Department Chair review the foreign course syllabus and allocate an equivalent Pace course.

Foreign courses approved as equivalent to Pace’s courses must satisfy the same curriculum requirements as the Pace course satisfies. Courses for which there is no Pace equivalent — but which are deemed appropriate/desirable to enhance the student’s educational goals— must have approval from the Department Chair. If there is no specific equivalent course, the Department Chair can list the course as meeting the requirements for major, minor, or general/open elective. Note: Pace Department Chairs evaluate course equivalency, and Academic Advisors determine how courses fit within students' degree plans. Only the Pace Registrar can evaluate credits and determine their value.

(Note: You should never sign/forge an Academic Advisor, Study Abroad Advisor, of Department Chair's name on a form! Forging a signature on the Course Equivalencies Forms may result in the termination of your Study Abroad application, discontinuation of your Study Abroad program, and/or denial of study abroad credits.)

Need more help? Attend an "Abroad 102" info session.

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How do credits work if I want to study abroad on a summer or January program that has not been approved by Pace?

Any student who chooses to participate on a study abroad program that is not found on the Pace pre-approved programs list must first request approval to participate by sending a request to studyabroad@pace.edu, no later than March 1 for summer programs and September 20 for January programs. Students must follow all Pace protocols for study abroad by first applying through Pace Education Abroad and receiving approval before applying for the study abroad program.

Because it is not an approved Pace program and no other Pace student will have previously attended, there will be no pre-approved courses available. Students will need to submit Not Previously Approved Course Equivalency Forms for each course they wish to take abroad, following the course equivalency process outlined above. Failure to do so may result in denial of credit, which will delay students' on-time graduation. Attend an "Abroad 102" info session to understand the process of academic planning and obtaining course equivalencies.

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How many courses should I seek approval for?

Seek approval for more courses than you intend to take — so that you’ll have flexibility in choosing your schedule after you arrive abroad (in case a course is cancelled or there’s a schedule conflict). For example, we recommend that you seek approval for up to 10 courses if you plan to take 5 courses.

Need more help? Attend an "Abroad 102" info session.

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Which courses can I seek approval for?

You can seek approval for most major, minor, and Pace University core courses, as well as open elective credit.

  • Language courses may require taking a placement test at both the institution abroad and at Pace. To fulfill Pace's Second Language core requirement, the language you take abroad must also be offered at Pace for you to continue, unless you take 2 semesters while studying abroad to complete the language requirement.
  • While students can take a lab science course abroad, you should not rely on doing this, as it is difficult to find courses that fulfill the lab science component for Pace's core requirement.
  • You can fulfill AOKs 2, 3, 4, and 5 while abroad, if the existing Pace course equivalent of the class you take abroad is already designated as such.

Courses that you may NOT take abroad (because you will not get Pace approval/credit for them):

  • AOK 1 (Civic Engagement), Learning Community, Writing Enhanced, Anti-Racist Education core requirements
  • Any course for which you have not yet satisfied the Pace prerequisites
  • Any course you already took, passed, and got credit for
  • For Lubin students: MGT 226/490, MAR 221/222/345/445/499, ACC 300 & above, BUS 255, and for-credit internships
  • For Honors students: ENG 201
  • You may NOT take a class abroad Pass/Fail or audit

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What if I change courses while abroad?

You must obtain approval for each of your study abroad courses. You will not receive academic credit for classes that are not on your completed Course Equivalency Forms (regardless of whether you have completed and/or paid for the new courses). This will delay your graduation from Pace.

If you change classes while abroad, you must ensure you complete a Course Equivalency Form for the new class(es) to receive approval as soon as possible. Keep in mind that if the foreign institution's Add/Drop period closes and you haven't received a course equivalency approval, you will remain registered in the course without guarantee of receiving Pace credit. Weigh the risk of registering in a course prior to receiving course equivalency approval.

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What happens after I complete my Course Equivalency Forms?

As you are advised in the pre-departure phase, you must upload all of your completed Course Equivalency Forms to the 'attached documents' section of your .

Pace Education Abroad will receive your transcript from your overseas host institution/program (possibly months after your program has ended) and forward it to The Registrar for processing and conversion of your foreign credits. The Registrar will then update your Pace transcript based on the completed/signed Course Equivalency Forms you submitted. Please allow 12 weeks for the Registrar to process your credits. When processed, the Registrar will notify you via email with your final TCE (Transfer Credit Evaluation). If you haven’t heard from the Registrar in 12 weeks from the date that Education Abroad has notified you that your documents have been sent to the Registrar, open a help desk ticket with the Registrar. Remember: The Registrar will NOT be able to process your transcript until all your Course Equivalency Forms have been uploaded for all your classes taken abroad.

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Who does what at Pace (concerning courses taken during study abroad)

  • Department Chairs–have the sole authority to identify a Pace equivalent course for a foreign course taken abroad
  • Office of the Registrar–has the sole authorization to determine credit values for courses taken abroad
  • Academic Advisors–determine how courses fit in with a student's degree plan. (Advisors can also sign off on open electives when there’s a pre-approved Pace equivalent course in the study abroad database.)
  • Education Abroad–acts as an intermediary support to Pace students by receiving transcripts from overseas partner universities; tracking students’ progress with course equivalencies; intervening when necessary with Dept. Chairs and Academic Advisors; and informing the Registrar of student’s status related to Course Equivalency Forms.

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What happens if I DON'T do my study abroad course equivalencies?

Failure to complete your course equivalencies before your departure can result in a number of issues.

  • Credit for the classes you took abroad will not be granted. The Pace Office of the Registrar will NOT process your foreign transcript until all your Course Equivalency Forms have been submitted for all your classes taken abroad.
  • You may be denied Pace credit for courses you've taken during study abroad - if the courses don't meet Pace University standards, after review by a Pace Department Chair.
  • You may receive credit for the “wrong” courses at Pace. (The courses you took abroad might not be approved by Pace as the courses you hoped they would be approved for.)
  • You’ll have less flexibility with future course registration at Pace (because your course registration date/time slot is associated with the number of credit hours completed).
  • Your graduation will be in jeopardy. If you don’t do your course equivalencies, you will NOT graduate on time.
  • You won’t be able to complete an application for grad school, as you can’t show proof of having graduated from Pace.
  • You may not be able to prove to a potential employer that you graduated–which could be a condition of employment.

If you return from study abroad and haven't yet obtained your course equivalencies, you must submit Course Equivalency Forms for each missing class retroactively via the online form system sent to you at the time of your approval by Pace to study abroad. Then let Education Abroad know when completed by emailing studyabroad@pace.edu. If Education Abroad has not been informed that you've completed your Course Equivalency Forms, we won't know to begin processing your foreign transcript.

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Can I get credit if my foreign transcript is not in English?

As you agreed to during the Pace study abroad application process, it is your responsibility to have any non-English language transcripts translated into English via one of the below professional methods, and it is your responsibility to pay for that translation service. Please see the list of approved translation services from the Office of the Registrar:

  • Any translation evaluator (preferred) OR
  • The student's Ministry of Education OR
  • A U.S. consular officer OR
  • An adviser OR
  • The

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It is your responsibility to obtain your course equivalencies for courses taken during study abroad, and Education Abroad will support you with the process. You will not be able to graduate from Pace without taking these steps!