Home » CSUF Students Go Abroad » Academic Planning

Academic Planning

Resources

Course Selection

Research course options available in the programs you are considering. You will probably look at program catalogs, brochures and websites, as well as university web pages.

Meet with your major or minor advisor and complete an Academic Planning for Study Abroad form. Bring information about the courses you would like to take. During your meeting, you will need to discuss these classes and identify which requirements they may fulfill.

After finalizing classes with your advisors, bring a copy of the Academic Planning for Study Abroad form to the Study Abroad Office.

Upon returning from study abroad, follow up with your advisors to apply coursework to your degree requirements. Keep copies of your work completed abroad including syllabi and course descriptions.

Credit Acceptance

CSU International Programs and CSUF Exchange Programs
Course credit will be recorded on your Cal State Fullerton transcript as residence credit. You will want to work closely with your academic advisor to identify IP & Exchange courses that will meet your degree objectives.

Outside Study Abroad Programs
Credit will be granted for study abroad courses that are sufficiently comparable in academic content to Cal State Fullerton courses. Course credit will be recorded on the student’s CSUF transcript as transfer credit. Students should work closely with their academic advisor to identify study abroad courses that will meet their degree objectives.

CSUF College & Department Sponsored Programs
Students receive either residence or transfer credit depending on which program they participate. Students should work closely with their academic advisor and the sponsoring department to make sure that the program meets their major, minor and/or GE needs.

Resident Credit vs. Transfer Credit

Residence credit includes:

Foreign study credit earned through CSU International Programs and CSUF Exchange Programs are recorded on the transcript as CSUF credit.

Transfer credit includes:

Foreign study credit earned through Non-CSUF programs are recorded the same as coursework transferred from a community college or other university. Course titles will not appear on the official transcript.

Independent Study Projects and Internship Abroad

Independent Study
You may arrange with a CSUF faculty member to complete independent work while studying abroad. Before you go abroad, you and the professor will agree on what work you will complete and how your performance will be evaluated. You must complete an Independent Study/Internship Form prior to departure and return it to our office for your file. In general, any Independent Study should be done in addition to the program courses, not instead of.

If, while overseas, you make arrangements to do an independent study, make sure that both you and your professor contact our office in writing regarding the arrangements you have made for the independent study. We will need to know the exact number of credits and the CSUF course equivalent you will receive after completing the independent study.

Once you have completed your independent study and your instructor has evaluated your work, the instructor will need to inform our office of your grade, number of credits, and course equivalent.

Internships
Cal State Fullerton has strict regulations about academic credit given for internships. Credit is awarded for the academic work you do in conjunction with an internship. Unless you demonstrate a clear academic context for the internship, credit may not be granted. The easiest way to ensure that you will receive credit for an internship is to have your work pre-approved before leaving Cal State Fullerton. To do this, please complete an Independent Study/Internship Form in conjunction with the faculty member who will evaluate your academic work and the Center for Internships and Service Learning and return a copy to the Study Abroad Office.

If you arrange credit for an internship or independent study while you are overseas, you must send the SAO a completed Independent Study/Internship Form. It is a good idea to double check with the faculty member that the SIGNED form has been returned to the Study Abroad Office. Credit for an internship abroad is not guaranteed until the proper forms have been completed.

IMPORTANT

DO NOT register for classes through TITAN Online if you will be studying abroad through the CSU International Programs, a CSUF Exchange Program, or a Non-CSUF Study Abroad Program. The Study Abroad Office will register you for a special study abroad course, which holds your registration place for each semester you are overseas.

« back to Go Abroad Homepage