Courses, Credits, Grades, Study Abroad, Off Campus Study, Claremont McKenna College

Study Abroad: Courses, Credits, Grades

Click on a topic to jump to it or scroll to view all. For more information on this, please see Academic Policies.

Do I get credit for courses I take abroad?
Can I count courses completed abroad towards my major?
Can I complete a General Education requirement abroad?
Which General Education requirements must I complete before going abroad?
I plan to take a history course while abroad. Will that satisfy the GE requirement?
Do my grades count in my CMC GPA?
Do study abroad programs have different academic requirements?
Can I do an internship abroad for credit?
What happens if I don't follow the academic policies?

Courses, Credits, Grades

Do I get credit for courses I take abroad?
Credit is awarded provided that students receive approval from the CMC Off-Campus Study Committee, enroll full time (not minimum full time), and obtain grades of C or above while abroad. Credit/No-Credit is NOT an option. Courses from abroad must be the equivalent of at least 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours to satisfy GE or major requirements. Courses of lesser value may be used only for elective credit, and only if approved by the CMC Registrar.

Can I count courses completed abroad towards my major?
Individual departments determine the number of elective credits that can be applied towards a major. In most instances, CMC students can receive up to two courses per major per semester abroad with prior approval from the chair of the department. Core courses should be completed on campus. Not every course students take needs to satisfy a major or GE degree requirement. Studying abroad is a chance to broaden one's education and to take courses unavailable on campus.

Can I complete a General Education requirement abroad?
Some academic departments will allow students to complete a GE requirement abroad. However, courses can be impossible to find because survey introductory courses are often taken at the foreign high-school level or are specific to CMC. It is highly preferable to plan to complete your GE requirements at CMC. Please remember that students may not complete more than four general education requirements off-campus, to include any combination of summer school, advanced placement, and study abroad. The Off-Campus Study Committee expects students to complete most GE requirements before studying abroad.

Which General Education requirements must I complete before going abroad?
It is best for students to complete all general education requirements, except for senior thesis, by the end of the second year at CMC. Literature 10, Introduction to Literary Analysis, and Civilization 10 - Questions of Civilization, must be completed by the end of the first year. If you are interested in study at Oxford or Cambridge, you will need to take several courses toward your major before applying. PLEASE NOTE: You apply a year in advance for these programs.

I plan to take a history course while abroad. Will that satisfy the GE requirement?
Students, who do not fulfill their GE requirement from the list of approved courses at CMC, may take any two history courses to satisfy the GE requirement at CMC or The Claremont Colleges. Courses offered at summer programs at other colleges/universities and at study-abroad programs may also qualify, but must be approved by the chairperson of the CMC History Department and will be handled on a case-by-case basis. It is strongly recommended that approval be sought in advance.

Do my grades count in my CMC GPA?
No. Students' grades from abroad will not be computed in the CMC GPA but they will be reflected on students' transcripts, including C-, D, D- and F. Many graduate programs require official transcripts from a school attended abroad.

Do study abroad programs have different academic requirements?
Yes. Program specific academic requirements are listed within each program description and region or country specific requirements are listed at the end of the region or country section on the Off-Campus Study Office web site. Approved Programs.

Can I do an internship abroad for credit?
Students may receive one-half CMC credit for an internship completed while attending an approved program abroad. To be eligible for credit, the internship must require an internship course that must be completed for a letter grade. Internships that fail to meet these criteria are not eligible for credit. Receiving compensation for the internship does not preclude the granting of credits.

What happens if I don't follow the academic policies?
CMC has specific rules that MUST be followed and are outlined in the Academic Policies for Study Abroad. If you do not follow them, you will not receive full credit for your semester abroad. You will lose one course credit for each CMC requirement you do not meet. Replacing a requirement with another course is not an option. For example, if you are enrolled full-time, you are required to take a language or a university course, and you choose not to, you will lose credit for the course you did not attend, plus you will lose an additional credit for violating CMC policy. If there is any question about the requirements for your program, please ask our office!