Upon Return to KSU
Upon return from a study abroad program, one of the first questions asked of our office is "When will my credits from abroad show up on my transcript and DARS report?
On their KSU education abroad online application site, students are asked to read through and e-sign a "Credit transfer information" page which explains the process of transferring credit from an institution abroad to KSU.
At the end of the term the student is abroad, Education Abroad initially gives a grade of "I" (incomplete) on KSIS to students enrolled in the GEN 200 or GRAD 700 placeholder course. This is because their experience is not considered complete until KSU receives their transcript from abroad, and the courses are evaluated.
When the transcript is received by Education Abroad, students will receive an automated email referring them to their KSU Education Abroad online application, which informs them that their transcript has been received. Once we receive the transcript, it is marked as "Study Abroad" credit and we then determine the number of U.S. credits the student has earned based on international standards and the Academic Approval form completed prior to studying abroad.
If a student has taken a course abroad that is not listed on their Academic Approval Form, the course will appear in DARS as "unknown". To receive a KSU equivalency for a course taken abroad that is "unknown", students can submit an updated Academic Approval Form for the course.
From the time a transcript is received by our office, it can take a month or longer for a student's education abroad credit to appear in DARS.
As with all transfer credit, the grades that a student receives for courses taken abroad do not calculate into the student's GPA. However, a student must receive a passing grade in order to receive KSU credit for that course. It is important to also note that some departments may want to see the equivalent of a "C" or better in order to receive credit toward a student's major requirements.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Education Abroad Office.