College of Fine & Applied Arts
Important information:
• Completion of the Course Approval Summary Form is required before departure.
• All courses taken abroad must be approved.
• Submit the Course Approval Summary Form to faa-abroad@illinois.edu.
This webpage is for students enrolled in the College of Fine and Applied Arts that are studying abroad on a pre-approved program. To be considered a full-time Illinois student and qualify for financial aid, you must be enrolled in the minimum full-time academic load as defined by your host institution and complete 12 or more Illinois credit hours abroad. Students who receive the Monetary Award Program (MAP Grant) from the state of Illinois, are required to complete the equivalent of 15 Illinois credits.
Course Approval Instructions
Complete a Study Abroad Course Approval Summary Form before you go abroad so that you may understand how courses you plan to enroll in at the partner university articulate as Illinois credit. This form is not used to register for classes at the partner university.
Pre-Departure
You will start the course approval process prior to your departure, with the understanding that for many programs, not all courses may be available to you when it comes time to register. The more you do ahead of time, the easier your course selection process will be once you are on-site.
Complete the Study Abroad Course Approval Summary Form as part of the Study Abroad Orientation Course (LAS 291/292). For this form, you will research and plan for potential courses and determine the appropriate approval process. First, find information on course offerings for your particular term(s) abroad on the host institution’s website, My Study Abroad, a course catalogue or a combination of these resources.
If you want to use a course for any of the following you will need to go through the Course Approval Process, as outlined below:
- To satisfy a requirement for a major or minor or general education requirement
- If you need major elective credit as ARTS, ARTD, ARTH, UP etc.
- For a level other than 100 level
- To take a course as credit/no credit (CR/NC)
Next, review the process below and meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss your options.
Course Approval Process
Using the Course Approval Summary Form, complete one row for each course using the instructions below.
Instructions for Columns
Follow the instructions in order.
While Abroad
Collect as much information on your courses as you can. This includes bringing back syllabi, homework assignments, tests, textbooks, etc. These will be used in the Course Approval Process.
Upon Return to Campus
If a course is on the host university transcript, it will and must transfer into your academic record at Illinois.
Consult with your advisor to determine which of your remaining completed courses require approval. For those courses, follow the instructions for the course approval process outlined below. Complete and submit your final Study Abroad Course Approval Summary Form to FAA International Programs at faa-abroad@illinois.edu by the end of the 8th week of the semester following your study abroad. FAA International Programs will contact you (Illinois email address) to review the credit recommendation form before your student record is finalized with your study abroad credit.
If No Course Approval Form is Submitted
IFAA International Programs recommends that students complete their course approval forms prior to departing for the abroad semester.
If you do not submit a course approval form by the end of the 8th week of the semester following your term abroad:
- Your courses will appear as "FAA 388" on your transcript
- “FAA 388” will factor into your degree audit as FAA 100-level credit
- All classes will default to free electives. Free electives do not fulfill specific degree requirements, such as major courses or general education categories.
- All courses will transfer the letter grade to your Illinois transcript, which will factor into your GPA.
For Students Contemplating Studying Abroad During Senior Year
Waiting until your senior year to study abroad will cause considerable delay in the receipt of your diploma for the following reasons:
- Many institutions abroad routinely take a very long time to send a transcript (3 months is common, sometimes up to 9 months).
- You may be unaware of how all credit is articulated to identify remaining degree requirements (i.e. fall abroad credit will not inform you of what to complete in the spring term)
- If the student studies abroad during their last semester, they should anticipate a considerable delay in the certification of their degrees.
