Course Approval Process

It is the responsibility of the student to have their study abroad courses reviewed and approved using the Course Approval database. Each college will have different expectations for when and how your course approvals should be submitted. The information on this page provides a general overview of the course approval process and instructions for specific colleges.

The new database will be available for student use starting October 6, 2025. Once the new database is launched, all students will use the new system to complete course approvals. Students who studied abroad prior to Spring 2026, as well as students who plan to study abroad in Spring 2026, will continue to have access to the legacy database after October 6th for reference as needed.

Course Approval Database

The Course Approval Database is a campuswide system for managing international course equivalency. Through this system, students can search for pre-approved courses, manage a possible course list, and seek approval on courses for study abroad credit.

Database Tabs and Terms to Know

• Study Abroad Credit is credit you receive for courses taken while abroad. Through the course approval process, your college will determine how it counts towards any degree requirements.
• The “International Course Equivalencies” tab is where you find the complete list of “Pending” and “Active” courses.
• “My Pending Courses” are courses you entered for review and approval. 
• “My Reviewed Courses” is the complete list of courses you added from the International Course Equivalencies tab, or that you have entered and completed the approval process for.
  • Courses with the status “Pending” have not been reviewed or approved and cannot be added to My Reviewed Courses.
  • Courses marked “Active” have been approved.
• “My Registered Courses” are the courses you will actually register for once you start your study abroad program.
  • You will add courses from “My Reviewed Courses” to “My Registered Courses” by clicking on the Show/Hide button.
• “Transfers As” is how credit earned abroad will translate to Illinois credit, regardless of major.
• “Meets Requirements For” is how credit earned abroad will count towards Illinois credit for specific majors and minors.

How to Choose 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 already been approved and what Illinois equivalency has been awarded. Keep in mind:
   
   • The database is not a complete list of available courses and you can request a new course for approval within the database.
     
   • The database includes courses approved for previous students.
     
3. For courses not pre-approved in the database, you must follow the steps to request approval of a new course.
   • If you need a specific course for graduation, it is best to get it approved before departure.
     
4. Discuss your study abroad course selection with your academic advisor. Your advisor may need to approve your selection in the database.

Taking Illinois Courses While Abroad

You do not need to enroll in Illinois courses during your study abroad term. The Office of the Registrar will automatically enroll you in a 12-credit hour placeholder course. Students must take the equivalent of a full-time Illinois course load at their host institution.

Enrolling in Illinois online courses while abroad is not encouraged, and should only be done if necessary for timely degree completion. Online courses at Illinois do not count toward the minimum of 12 Illinois-equivalent credit hours abroad (9 credits for graduate students). If you do enroll in an online course, you are responsible for your own registration.

College-Specific Course Approval Instructions