Education Abroad Transfer Credit 

The University of Memphis offers many education abroad programs, and depending on which program you choose, you will receive either UofM credit or transfer credit. It is important that you meet with both their academic and Education Abroad advisors before selecting an education abroad program. Both you and your advisors need to know what credits you will receive and how they will be applied to your degree requirements. 

Education Abroad Programs and Credit Type

To view the credits associated with some of Education Abroad's most popular programs, CLICK HERE. 

Education Abroad Transfer Credit Request Process 

Academic Advisor Pre-Approval Meeting

After you have met with an Education Abroad advisor and have narrowed down your program options to 1 or 2 options, you should meet with your academic advisor to discuss the following:

1. The best time to go abroad. 
   • Your freshman and senior years are typically not the best times to go abroad. Check with the Education Abroad Office about participation requirements. 
2. What UofM classes you will need to take the semester you go abroad. 
   • This will provide you with a guide to what classes you should be looking for in your program. 
3. What classes are offered through your program. 
   • During this discussion, your advisor cannot tell you if the UofM will accept your education abroad credits (See Education Abroad Transfer Credit Evaluation section). They will only be able to tell you if the course looks like it might meet your degree requirements. Undergraduate Admissions will determine the transfer equivalency. 

Education Abroad Transfer Credit Evaluation

After you select your program and complete a Pre-Approval Meeting with your academic advisor, you need to complete an Education Abroad Transfer Credit Request Form (TCR). The TCR form initiates the transfer credit evaluation process for Education Abroad credits. Once Admissions receives a TCR form, our office will determine:

1. If the UofM can accept the transfer work 
2. If there is already an established transfer equivalency
   • If not, Admissions will have the credit evaluated by the academic department associated with the course
3. Course level e.g. Lower Level or Upper Level
4. Number of transfer credits/hours 

Admissions will update the TCR form with the approved transfer equivalency and will forward the form back to the student. Please note that it can take Admissions a few weeks to evaluate every transfer credit on the form. 

NOTE: If Admissions does not have a TCR form on file when the student's education abroad transcript is received, the transfer courses will not be evaluated and will be considered unassigned, lower-division general elective credits (GEN 1XXX).

How to Complete the Education Abroad TCR Form: 

1. Complete the Education Abroad TCR form found in your Education Abroad Application
2. Fill out the top portion of the form
3. List the courses you are taking abroad 
4. Add links to the course descriptions/syllabi to the form
   • Contact your Education Abroad Advisor if you cannot find course descriptions/syllabi for your program. 

International Credit Conversion 

All approved international transfer credits and grades will be converted to UofM credits/grades based on conversion scales provided by the host institution or provider. Credit conversions and grades from your education abroad program cannot be changed unless a new transcript from the host institution is provided. Go to your program brochure or website to find your host institution's credit conversion. If you cannot find your host institution's credit conversion, contact your Education Abroad advisor. 

Students going abroad should know that not all international credit values are a one-to-one equivalent to UofM's credit value. See the example below. You should make sure you register for enough classes abroad to ensure you meet registration, scholarship, or financial aid requirements. Failure to do so could result in you losing your scholarships, not meeting CPOS or not graduating on time. 

Example of European credit conversion:

• 1 ECTS = .5 US credits /  6 ECTS = 3 UofM Credits 
  • To be full-time using ECTS system, a student would need to take 24 ECTS to equal 12 UofM credit hours.

Foreign Language Credits 

Foreign language credits will be calculated and approved by the World Languages Department. The number of credits awarded for language courses may vary from non-language courses due to additional experiential learning opportunities in a foreign country. Students should speak to a World Languages advisor if they are taking a language course for their Education Abroad program. 

Transfer Evaluation System (TES) 

TES, the Transfer Evaluation System, is an all-in-one transfer credit evaluation system that allows students and staff to view previously approved transfer credit from domestic and international institutions. Students studying abroad are encouraged to come to this website to see which of their credits have been previously approved. Admissions will load all approved Education Abroad transfer credits into TES. 

Access the Transfer Evaluation System >

Transfer Equivalency Table Disclaimer

The equivalency tables contain a list of courses that transfer from a growing list of colleges and universities to the University of Memphis. The tables are displayed with the transfer school's course prefixes, numbers, and titles on the left with the UofM's course prefixes, numbers, titles and credit awarded on the right.   The equivalency table is not an official credit evaluation, but it serves as a valuable guide to understanding what credit evaluation will likely be granted to you when you transfer credits to the UofM. You still must meet with an academic advisor to know how any transfer credits will be applied to your degree requirements.