Course Approvals
It is the responsibility of the student to get their courses approved by their college via the college course approval instructions below. View the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for more information.
Choosing Your Study Abroad Courses
1. Explore your host institution's website (find the link on the program's My Study Abroad brochure page) to identify courses you can take abroad.
2. Use the Course Approval Database to see which courses have been approved and what Illinois credit has been awarded. Keep in mind the courses in this database are not the only courses you can take at a particular institution. It includes courses that previous students have been approved for. While this is a good starting point, you should view the partner university course listings for additional courses you can take. For courses not found in the Course Approval Database, you must take the course description and get approval from the appropriate Study Abroad Course Approver. If you need a specific course for graduation, it is best to get it approved before you depart for your program.
Course Approval Database3. Discuss study abroad course selection with your academic advisor. Your academic advisor will need to sign your Course Approval Summary Form (CASF), which you can download below.
College Course Approval Instructions
Follow the instructions for the college in which you are enrolled during your term abroad. For example, if you are in the College of ACES, but participated in a LAS study abroad program, you need to follow the ACES course approval instructions. Depending on your college, you may need to complete the Course Approval Process and Summary Form prior to departure.
Instructions
- College of ACES
- College of Applied Health Sciences
- Gies College of Business
- Division of General Studies
- College of Education
- Grainger College of Engineering
- College of Fine and Applied Arts
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- College of Media
- School of Information Sciences
- School of Social Work
Important Notes
You do not need to enroll in any Illinois courses for your study abroad term. The Office of the Registrar will automatically enroll you in a 12-credit hour placeholder course. Students must take what the equivalent of a full-time course load is at Illinois at the partner institution abroad during their study abroad term.
Enrolling in Illinois online courses while abroad is not encouraged, and should only be done in cases where program progress would be delayed. If you are uncertain about this, talk to your academic advisor. Online courses at Illinois do not count towards the minimum of 12 Illinois-equivalent credit hours abroad (9 credits for graduate students), and is considered above a full course load at your host institution. If you choose to take an online course in addition to the courses on your study abroad program, you will be responsible for enrolling in the Illinois online course yourself.
