Academics Abroad
Transferring credit from study abroad back to CBU can be a complex process for students if they aren’t sure where to start. It can also be extremely challenging for students that try to get approval for credit outside the study abroad application process. For any student pursuing study abroad, it’s the responsibility of the student to determine with the University Registrar and their Department or Major whether their study abroad classes at their host university will transfer back to CBU, and this is done through the study abroad application. Transferring courses successfully is not the responsibility of the study abroad office, the overseas program, or the University. Each student must be an advocate for their own academics and confirm their selected study abroad courses will transfer as the credit they need before departure.
While abroad, students will remain registered at California Baptist University under placeholder courses that designate students as participating in study abroad: GST198, GST398 and/or GST397 (exchange). Students should know that these courses are merely placeholders so that the university keeps students enrolled at CBU - and when a student completes their study abroad program, the transcripts from the host institution abroad are sent to the Office of the Registrar. The transcripts and grades are then converted/evaluated by the Office of the Registrar.
Please note, the Office of the Registrar cannot post your final study abroad credits and grades until CBU has received a final, official foreign transcript (hard copy) from your host university abroad. It can take up to 4 months for the transcripts to reach CBU. CBU will work as quickly as possible to get these evaluated, updated and posted on your transcript.
Select one of the below to be directed to the corresponding page:
Transcripts and grades from study abroad are sent by your host institution abroad to either the third-party program (e.g. ISA/Veritas) or directly to CBU. If sent to the third-party program, the grades will be evaluated and a recommendation drafted and sent with the forwarded transcripts to CBU. Regardless of whether the transcripts/grades ae sent directly from the host university abroad or the third-party provider, the Office of the Registrar will still need to evaluated and convert these grades before updating your official transcripts. Please see the Policies and Unit Transfers section for more information on what this might look like. Please note that this page provides an estimation of what grade conversions may look like. It is up to the Office of the Registrar to make the final determination.
Course variances have to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar after you have finalized your study abroad courses and completed Step 4A: University Registrar: Final Course Selection & Registration on your Terra Dotta application portal. Do not submit variances before you have Registered. Variances must be signed and turned in by your respective department chair or dean. Please see the Academic Variances section on InsideCBU for more information on the variance process and to find out who to contact. Please note, the form your dean/chair must complete to obtain a course variance is available on the previous link.
If you have any course changes while abroad for any reason (e.g. course cancellation due to low enrollment, being forced to take language course, etc.) please reach out to the Director of Academic Engagement as soon as possible to let him or her know of the change. The Director of Academic Engagement will coordinate with the Office of the Registrar to then evaluate the course change (if an evaluation needs to be made)and update your courses. Please note, letting the Director of Academic Engagement know of any course changes is the responsibility of the student. If you do not let the Director of Academic Engagement know of these changes, you will be responsible for any consequences, including your course not counting for credit back at CBU.
*Taken from Policies and Unit Transfer.* After CBU students return from study abroad, the host institution or organization they studied with sends students' transcripts to the University Registrar at CBU. The University Registrar will record the grades listed on the transcript sent by the institution abroad exactly as the host institution recorded the grades. If the grades are listed as letter grades, then CBU will input letter grades. If the grades are listed as Pass/Fail, then CBU will list them as Pass/Fail. There will not be an option for CBU to choose letter grades or Pass/Fail, so CBU will list whatever the institution abroad lists. Please note that if the insitutition abroad does choose Pass/Fail as the grade, the “Failing” grade will negatively impact your GPA, while the “Passing” grade will have no effect on your GPA.
Senior students cannot study abroad during their last semester before graduation for a number of reasons and factors that may delay their graduation. We strongly discourage students from studying abroad during their second to last semester at CBU. Courses can be cancelled overseas, students may find courses too challenging academically and have to drop or retake them at CBU, or there may be issues with transferring the credit that can impact students close to graduation. Students should study abroad no later than their junior year.
As part of the study abroad process, students have the Office of the Registrar evaluate and approve their study abroad foreign courses before they even depart CBU (see Step 3: Course List and Descriptions and Step 4: University Registrar: Study Abroad Course Approvals (Administration Fills Out Only). This means students will know what their foreign courses will count as at CBU in advance of study abroad. However, it is up to the student to make sure the study abroad courses will count for their academic plan. Students also must report to the Registrar's Office and Director of Academic Engagement any changes in courses once abroad.
Senior students cannot study abroad during their last semester before graduation for a number of reasons and factors that may delay their graduation. We strongly discourage students from studying abroad during their second to last semester at CBU. Courses can be cancelled overseas, students may find courses too challenging academically and have to drop or retake them at CBU, or there may be issues with transferring the credit that can impact students close to graduation. Students should study abroad no later than their junior year.
Most individual study abroad programs, i.e. CBU in Spain, are designed primarily for undergraduate students. The courses will not usually meet any graduate degree criteria back at CBU. Graduate students may find that short-term, faculty-led academic global programs, that last between 2 - 4 weeks, are a better fit. Virtual Global Internships or in-person International Internships may also be an option. That being said, graduate students can still choose to participate in an individual study abroad program, they just may not be able to get credit for their experience. Some graduate students have taken time off of their degree to pursue a study abroad semester overseas, even if that has meant delaying their graduation
Students do not need to take a leave of absence to pursue a non-CBU approved program. They should submit an Appeal instead, that way they can work with the University to get approval for study abroad courses. If a student decides to study abroad in a location that is not approved, even through an Appeal, they can fil out a petition for leave of absence, but this has to be approved by the University as well. There's no guarantee that course credit will transfer back successfully if a student chooses to go outside the study abroad process and withdraw for a semester.
Students that plan to study abroad will need to meet the overseas program GPA requirement, which is typically at least a 2.5 GPA, but can vary, depending on the location. Students will also need to be in good standing with Student Services and Student Accounts. Freshmen students must have at least a year at CBU before they can study abroad, while transfers have to spend at least a semester at CBU before studying abroad. Senior students cannot study abroad during their last semester before graduation. Please see the Conditions/Requirements of Participation section for more information. Students traveling abroad under the auspices of CBU regardless of program type are required to register, complete their application and other elements on Terra Dotta and be approved by the Study Abroad Office. Study Abroad Students traveling abroad without registering and completing all elements of their application prior to travel will not qualify to receive academic credit for their program nor will they qualify for emergency resources, or other support from CBU normally associated with a study abroad program.