Study Abroad

Study Abroad Pre-departure Information for Parents and Guardians

GRADES, CREDITS AND REGISTRATION

The classes that students take overseas are posted to the TU transcript as Towson classes as “residence credit.” The credits are not posted as transfer credit – the credits appear as if the student had taken the classes on-campus at Towson. In addition, the grades earned overseas are also posted to the TU transcript and calculated into the Towson GPA. Students may study abroad during their final year at Towson University.

Students do not take a leave of absence in order to study abroad. They will be registered at TU by the Study Abroad Office. We enroll them in a placeholder code to keep them enrolled as a full-time student. During a semester-length program they are registered for 12 credit hours per semester; those who study abroad in the summer will be registered for 6 credits.

The actual number of credits earned overseas will be posted to the student’s record upon completion of their studies. The Study Abroad Office must receive an original copy of the overseas transcript in order to guarantee that the student will receive full credit from study abroad.

Students can take courses in their major, minor and/or choose to take GenEds and electives overseas and earn credit towards their degree. Students obtain approval and equivalencies or the overseas classes from TU academic department chairs before they leave campus on the TU Study Abroad Course Form.

TU Study Abroad Course Form

The TU Study Abroad Course Form must be completed and submitted to the Study Abroad Office prior to departure. Failure to do so may result in the delay or failure of posting courses and grades from the host institution to the Towson University record.

When the overseas transcript is received, the Study Abroad Office will use this form to post grades and credits to the student’s Towson transcript. All credits and grades earned overseas will be posted to the TU transcript --- no grades or credits on the overseas transcript are lost or ignored.

No classes can be posted on a Pass/Fail basis unless it appears on the overseas transcript as a Pass. The only exception to this rule is if a student studies abroad in English in a country where the native language is not English, and they take a language class to learn the local language, they may elect to take that class on a Pass/Fail basis. Students must inform their study abroad adviser before leaving for their study abroad program if they would like to choose this option. Pass/Fail grading option cannot be used for any classes to be applied to the student’s major.

Registering for classes at the overseas institution

Each university or program abroad has its own policy for registering for classes.

For some universities it is not possible to register in advance of arrival because it is not the custom of the university to do so. In these cases students will register after arrival at their host institution.

Students must still complete the TU Study Abroad Course Form prior to departure with classes that would make up their ideal schedule, in addition to some alternate classes.

Some programs or universities can facilitate registration in classes before departure from the US. In these cases, students will know their schedules before arriving overseas. In either case, flexibility is necessary, but advance planning will go far in easing anxiety about class schedules.

Registering for TU classes while abroad

While abroad, students will register online for classes at TU for the semester they return. The Study Abroad Office will email students a reminder when deadlines are approaching. They should plan ahead if they need to register for special permit classes for the semester they return to TU.

Students should register for classes for the semester they intend to return using Towson’s online registration system at Towson Online Services. Students should speak to their Academic Adviser before departure to arrange for the academic advising hold to be lifted so that they may register. The TU catalog and faculty telephone and email directory are fully accessible online.  

Although it is very uncommon, if a student does not have access to the Internet from abroad the Study Abroad Office can facilitate their registration. Students who travel during the registration period are still responsible for registering for classes. Only in cases when students do not have Internet access at the home campus will the Study Abroad Office register on the student’s behalf.

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