Non-Stanford Study Abroad Opportunities

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use my Stanford financial aid to participate in a non-Stanford study abroad program?

No. If you choose to attend a program through another school you cannot receive any University aid during that time. For more information, please visit the Financial Aid Office's website.

Q: How will the overseas course work appear on my Stanford transcript?
Only the name of the institution, and the units will appear. For example: “American University in Cairo, 10.0 units”. Courses and grades from the host institution do not appear on the Stanford transcript. However, if you apply to graduate schools or for scholarships, those organizations will usually ask you to request a transcript from other institutions.

Q: Can I meet General Education Requirements through transfer work?
Yes, but the course must substantially match a specific Stanford course that fulfills the same requirement and must be a minimum of three quarter units. For GERs, the course must be taken for a letter grade.

Q: Can I meet major requirements through transfer work.
You must check with your major department for approval before going overseas. The transfer work for all non-Stanford study abroad programs must first be accepted into the University through the Bing Overseas Studies Program in order to be considered by your department.

Q. How do units from the semester system transfer?
There is a different conversion rate for each semester school. Semester units are usually multiplied by 1.4 or 1.5 to get quarter units.

Q. What is the maximum number of units that can be transferred in?
45 quarter units for freshmen who matriculated at Stanford in Autumn Quarter 2001-02 and thereafter. However, for a single quarter, the maximum number of units that can be transferred is 20 quarter units for a quarter-based program.

Q. What is the minimum grade required in order for work to transfer?
Students must receive at least a C- in transfer course work in order for it to transfer back to Stanford.

Q. Can I take transfer courses for a pass/fail grade?
Yes, but only if a pass at the host institution represents a C- or higher and you do not exceed the 36-unit maximum for classes taken pass/fail (27-unit maximum for transfer students). However, courses taken for a GER must be taken for a letter grade.

Q. Can I get a copy of my transcript issued by the host institution from the Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP)?
BOSP cannot release a copy of your transfer transcript to you or to any outside agency. You will need to request a copy directly from the host institution.

Q. Can my department have a copy of my transcript issued by the host institution?
Yes, please send email to the BOSP External Programs Coordinator. Provide your name, SUID number, name of the host institution(s), and the name of your department. If the work has not yet been transferred, you must wait until it appears on your record before notifying BOSP.

Q. Can I retake a class at another institution to improve the grade on my Stanford transcript?
No, the retake policy applies only to classes retaken at Stanford.

Q. Where do I have my official transcript sent by the host institution?
Bing Overseas Studies Program, Stanford University Sweet Hall, Ground Floor, 590 Escondido Mall, Stanford CA 94305-3089. Attn: External Credit Evaluation

Q. How will I know the result of my transfer credit evaluations request?
If you request for pre-approval, you will be notified by email whether the courses are transferrable.
If you request transfer credit for the work already completed, the transfer credit for the courses that have been approved will appear on both your Stanford unofficial and official transcripts generally within four weeks after the receipt of your transfer credit petition and host institution's official transcript.

Q. Are the grades from transfer work calculated into my GPA?
Grades from other colleges and universities are not included in the GPA and will not appear on Stanford transcripts. Only the grades for courses taken at Stanford are included in your GPA.

Q. What if the courses I plan to take overseas do not mach any specific Stanford courses at the undergraduate level? Will I still be eligible for transfer credit if I meet all of the other requirements?
Yes, you can take a maximum of 20 quarter units representing courses which do not parallel specific courses at Stanford, again subject to the approval of the BOSP and the Office of the University Registrar as to quality and suitability. However, if the transfer courses are equivalent to Stanford graduate-level courses, those courses are not transferrable.

Q. What if course descriptions and/or syllabi for classes are only available in the local language?
Please translate all of your supporting documents into English to the best of your ability and submit your translations along with the original documents to the Bing Overseas Studies Program.

Q. How well in advance can I request pre-approval for the course I plan to take overseas?
You can request pre-approval as soon as you know what courses you plan to take and you have all the required documents as outlined in the Procedures for Requesting Transfer Credit Pre-Approval section.