Distinctions & Opportunities

Opportunities Outside the College

Studying Abroad

The College of Arts and Sciences encourages students to take part in programs of overseas study sponsored by Indiana University. For information about such programs, please see the section of this Bulletin entitled “Overseas Study Programs,” which can be found under “Academic Opportunities,” which in turn can be found under "Distinctions & Opportunities." 

Students may also apply to programs administered by other institutions and organizations. Credits from non–Indiana University programs may be accepted as transfer credit, subject to the following conditions:

  1. Indiana University admissions policy limits the acceptance of transfer credit from study-abroad to programs administered by a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or by a foreign institution recognized by the ministry of education of the country as a university-level institution.
  2. Credit can be awarded only upon receipt of an official transcript, or equivalent document, listing specific courses taken and grades assigned. The amount of credit awarded by overseas study may not exceed the number of credit hours that can be earned at Indiana University in the same amount of time.
  3. The assignment of equivalent Indiana University course numbers or undistributed credit for course work transferred from non–Indiana University overseas study programs is subject to the approval of the appropriate academic departments and an assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
  4. Course work not approved for transfer as credit in a particular academic department may be accepted, with the approval of the College of Arts and Sciences, as College of Arts and Sciences foreign study credit. However, no more than 8 hours of such credit can be counted toward a degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.
  5. In cases where courses taken abroad fall into a set sequence of courses at Indiana University, the relevant academic departments may at their discretion require examinations before any transfer credit is awarded. Specific examples include courses in foreign languages, applied music, music theory, mathematics, and natural sciences.
  6. Overseas study programs vary greatly in quality. No transfer credit at all may be awarded for programs of uncertain quality, despite the issuance of a transcript.
  7. Students denied transfer credit for overseas study may seek credit by examination, as outlined elsewhere in this bulletin.
To assure that credits can be accepted from a particular overseas program, students are urged to submit a Credit Transfer Agreement form to the Office of International Admissions prior to committing themselves to participating in the program. Forms may be obtained online from the Office of Overseas Study (www.indiana.edu/~overseas/programs/noniu.shtml).

Under certain circumstances students may be permitted to use Indiana University financial aid toward programs sponsored by organizations other than Indiana University. Information and application forms may be obtained from the Office of Overseas Study, Franklin Hall 303, (812) 855-9304. For such an application to be approved, the course work undertaken overseas must be integral to the student’s major program at Indiana University, and the application must be approved by the student’s academic department and the Office of Overseas Study.