Course Approvals

COURSE APPROVAL INSTRUCTIONS

Study Abroad Transfer Credit-Course Approval Form.pdf

1. The completed form must be submitted to the Buckman Center in the semester prior to departure.
     The relevant deadlines* are as follows:
             April 15 for Fall study abroad/away
            November 15 for Spring study abroad/away
            April 15 for Summer study abroad/away.
2. Meet with your academic advisor about the courses you need to take to stay on track to complete your degree.
3. Create your First/Preferred course schedule, including electives, for your program abroad/away.
4. Create a Second/Alternate course schedule with backup courses; sometimes courses abroad/away may be cancelled with short notice.
5. Meet with the relevant Department/Program Chairs to request transfer credit approval for each course on your First and Second course schedule.
    The Chair(s) will need to see course titles, descriptions, and syllabi.
     All course approval signatures must appear on this form.
     Electronic signatures from the relevant Department/ Program Chairs are acceptable.
6. Email internationalprograms@rhodes.edu to schedule a course approval advising session to submit this form and discuss transfer credit policies.
 

CRITICAL INFORMATION:

Students:

1. Failure to secure approvals and submit this form by the deadline* (April 15 for Fall study abroad/away and November 15 for Spring study abroad/away) will result in a $200 late fee and a Registration Hold at Rhodes for the semester of your return.
2. The College is under no obligation to accept for transfer credit any completed course that was not preapproved. If you enroll in any course not approved on this form, you must update your Enrollment Verification Form and secure pre-approval from the relevant Rhodes Department/Program Chair before the end of the first week of your classes abroad/away.
3. An Enrollment Verification Form and/or course approval(s) received after the first week of your classes will result in a $200 late fee. Rhodes will post the appropriate academic credit to your Rhodes transcript after a careful review of your course approvals and official external transcript.
4. Please allow four (4) weeks from receipt of the official transcript for the work to be posted in Workday. Please read the Transfer Credit Policies (found in your Online Portal) carefully to avoid confusion when your work is posted.
5. Failure to enroll in a full-time course load can impact a student’s financial aid at Rhodes.

Exchange Students:

1.  If your courses are not available by the relevant deadline (April 15 for Fall study abroad/away and November 15 for Spring study abroad/away), you must speak with Dr. Ovrebo by that deadline to receive guidance about course approvals and the policy for your situation.
2. You must also meet with your Department/Program Chairs to discuss the types of courses you hope to take and let them know that you will be working on approvals through the winter or summer break.

Department and Program Chairs:

Global educational systems vary; what we think of as “contact hours” may either be stated in the syllabus or ascertained after a careful review of the syllabus and course schedule (often appearing as “lectures,” “seminars,” “tutorials,” required texts, assignments, and/or exams).  In most cases, the credit transferring to Rhodes will follow the Credit Conversion Chart below. When a program of study course transfers as three (3) credits, the Registrar and Department/Program Chair may adjust the program of study requirement by no more than one (1) credit, though the student must still complete 128 credits to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree.