College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Important information:
• Completion of the Course Approval Summary Form is not required before departure (*unless you are a Global Studies student, in which case, you must complete and submit the Course Approval Summary Form prior to departure*).
• Grading options do not need to be decided by mid-term.
• All courses taken abroad do not need to be approved.
• Submit the Course Approval Summary Form to: 2002 Lincoln Hall.
To submit your Course Approval Summary Form, scan and email your completed form to las-recordsofficer@illinois.edu. Students should also meet with their records officer, which you can do virtually during walk-in advising hours, Monday-Friday, 1PM-5PM.
This webpage is for students enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences that are studying abroad on a pre-approved program. To be considered a full-time Illinois student and qualify for financial aid, you must be enrolled in the minimum full-time academic load as defined by your host institution and complete 12 or more Illinois credit hours abroad. Students who receive the Monetary Award Program (MAP Grant) from the state of Illinois, are required to complete the equivalent of 15 Illinois credits.
Course Approval Instructions
Pre-Departure
Complete a Tentative Course Plan. For this form, you will research and plan for potential courses and determine the appropriate approval process.
- All courses taken while on a pre-approved study abroad program will transfer back and default to elective, graded credit at the LAS 1--level (this means a 100 level elective course which will factor into your GPA).
- If you want to use a course for any of the following you will need to go through the Course Approval Process, either before you go or after your return, as outlined below:
- To satisfy a requirement for a major or minor
- For a level other than 100 level
- To take a course for credit/no credit (C/NC)
- If you would like a rubric other than "LAS" to appear on your transcript
- You must complete the Course Approval Summary Form even if all the courses you plan to take are in the Course Approval Database.
- You may start the course approval process prior to your departure, with the understanding that for many programs, the courses that you are choosing may not be available to you. The more you do ahead of time, the easier your course selection process will be once you are on-site.
While Abroad
Collect as much information on your courses as you can. This includes bringing back syllabi, homework assignments, tests, textbooks, etc. These will be used in the Course Approval Process.
Upon return to campus
Consult with your advisor to determine which of your completed courses requires approval. For those courses, follow the instructions for the course approval process outlined below. Remember that you must complete the Course Approval Summary Form even if all the courses you plan to take are in the Course Approval Database. All other courses will default to LAS 1--.
Complete and submit the Course Approval Summary Form to LAS Student Academic Affairs (2002 Lincoln Hall) by the Friday of the first week of October (for Spring, Summer and Academic Year term(s) abroad) or March (for Fall term abroad). If you do not complete the course approval process upon your return, your courses will appear as "LAS 388" on your transcript.
Course Approval Process
Using the Course Approval Summary Form, complete one row for each course using the instructions below.
You should submit the completed Course Approval Summary Form to your LAS ARO in 2002 Lincoln Hall.
Notes for Study Abroad Course (299) Advisors
- Column #4: If you approve this course, please enter the Illinois Subject and Number/or Level. If this course has a direct Illinois equivalency, enter Illinois Subject and Number (e.g., SPAN 210). If this course is acceptable as college-level transfer work in your department, enter Illinois Subject and Level (e.g., SPAN 2--).
- Column #5: If you approve the course, please enter “ Y” in the box.
- Column #6: If you do not approve the course, please enter “ N” in the box.
- Column #7: Please print and sign your name. For a more detailed explanation use the “Comments” area either on the front or back of the Course Approval Summary Form.
- If you approve this course to be added to the Course Approval Database, please enter “Y” in the box. Enter “N” if you do not recommend the course to be added. You can approve courses for individual students but opt not to add the course to the Course Approval Database if you would prefer to review the course on a case-by-case basis.