Transfer Credit

The following information applies to all study abroad except UT faculty-led mini-term and summer session programs.

UT accepts transfer credits from accredited universities abroad or in the U.S..  These credits will be recorded as Satisfactory Credit (no grade recorded), provided that the courses are not duplicative or remedial, and your grade is a “C-” or better.  Transfer grades from study abroad are not calculated in your UT GPA.  

You are strongly encouraged to return from abroad with course materials which document the content covered (i.e. course syllabi, list of reading materials, papers, exams, etc.); this will facilitate the awarding of appropriate transfer credit.

Before going abroad...

Once you are accepted to a program and before you go abroad, complete the Study Abroad Transfer Credit Planning Form (sometimes called the "pink form"). List the courses you plan to take and how you want them to transfer to UTK   All courses transfer as elective credit unless you request that they fulfill specific requirements. Then gather the necessary signatures. (Complete instructions are provided on the form.)

When you return...

Welcome back!  The checklist below will walk you through the steps you need to take if you wish to post credit earned during study abroad on your University of Tennessee transcript.  This information applies to all study abroad except UT faculty-led mini-term and summer session programs.  There are two different processes to complete:  (1) the process to post study abroad credits to your transcript, and (2) the process to apply the credits toward major, minor, or general education requirements.  It’s easy, but since the process can take several months, please begin as soon as you are notified by the Programs Abroad Office (PAO) that your foreign transcript has arrived.

Please read all the instructions, as they vary depending on the language used for your transcript (English, French, Spanish, German, etc.).  Once the Office of the University Registrar receives the transcript, allow one to three months for the credit to be posted to the transcript.

Transfer Credit Process Checklist

1. Come to the Programs Abroad Office as soon as you are notified, pick up a copy of your transcript and review for accuracy.  If there are any discrepancies, contact your study abroad coordinator immediately.

2. If you went on an ISEP program, sign the ISEP Transcript Verification Form and leave it with the PAO Principal Secretary.

3. If you are an Architecture Major, you will need to contact Laurie Roberson (lrobers4@utk.edu) in the Architecture department to petition for the UT Course equivalencies.

4. If your transcript is in English or Spanish (in most cases) the PAO will forward the original to the Transfer Credit Evaluator (for transcripts in other languages, see below after following this checklist).

5. If you would like your classes to transfer only as electives, you do not need to do anything else once your transcript has been forwarded to the University Registrar.

6. If you plan to petition a class or classes to satisfy Major, Minor and/or General Education requirements, you will need to complete an official petition with your academic advisor.  See your Major (or Minor) advisor for courses that you would like to petition to satisfy Major (or Minor) requirements and see you Academic College (e.g. Arts and Sciences) advisor for courses that you would like to petition to satisfy General Education requirements.  When you meet with your academic advisor, you should bring a syllabus for each course that you wish to petition.  Note: this can be done only after your credits have been posted to your Academic History Report.

7. To confirm that the study abroad credits have been posted on your UT transcript, go to Circle Park Online https://cpo.utk.edu/CPOWeb/ and request a copy of your transcript.

For transcripts in foreign languages please see the other side of this form for additional instructions. In addition to the Transfer Credit Process Checklist, if your transcript is in French:

1. The PAO will send a copy of your transcript to Dr. John Romeiser.

2. Contact Dr. John Romeiser by email (jromeise@utk.edu) to set up an appointment for an interview during which you will present study abroad materials (such as course syllabi, assignments, exams).

3. After the interview, a faculty member of the French section will forward a summary of the UT course equivalencies to the Registrar's Office.

In addition to the Transfer Credit Process Checklist, if your transcript is in a language other than English, Spanish or French (e.g. German, Portuguese, Italian, etc.):

1. Translate your transcript and have a faculty member in the appropriate language section in the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures confirm the translation with their signature.

2. Return the translation to the Programs Abroad Office.  With the confirmed translation we can forward the original to the Transfer Credit Evaluator.