Frequently Asked Questions

• Who should the students go to for study abroad advising?
  Students should visit the Study Abroad & Away Advising page to learn the best ways to get proper advising about study abroad & away procedures. 
• Who is eligible to study abroad?
  Please find eligibility requirements for students under Getting Started: Academics. To be eligible for semester or year-long programs, students should have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 at the time of application and they cannot be on academic or disciplinary probation by the time the program begins. To be eligible for a short-term program, students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at the time of application and they cannot be on academic or disciplinary probation by the time the program begins. Both undergraduate and graduate students can study abroad, however, most programs are geared toward undergraduate students.
• What are the approved study abroad and away programs?
  The Study Abroad & Away office manages over 400 programs around the world and throughout the United States and territories which have been vetted and approved by the university. Please direct your students to the Spartans Abroad Portal where they can view approved program options by locations, program types, terms, and other filters. It is not recommended that students study abroad on non-SJSU approved programs, however if students have questions about this, they can email spartansabroad@sjsu.edu.
• Is there a database of abroad courses that have been pre-approved for SJSU equivalent requirements?

  Yes. Students and advisors can check out the Course Equivalency Database (CED). This is an ongoing database of study abroad courses that students have submitted for approval via the Academic Approval Form (AAF). Students can submit their own approvals. 

• What kind of credits do students receive when they study abroad?

  Participants in SJSU study abroad programs at partner universities (all semester and year-long programs and Summer School Abroad programs) are guaranteed to receive “resident credit” (SJSU credit) for all coursework taken at partner universities. This means that units taken on SJSU programs will count towards overall graduation unit requirements. Course equivalencies for major, minor, or General Education requirements are determined and approved by advisors in corresponding departments. All coursework taken abroad on these programs will be posted on the students’ official SJSU records/transcripts after we receive the official transcripts from the host university (usually 2-4 months after completion of the term) and complete Academic Approval Forms from students. Courses will appear on the SJSU transcript as either SJSU equivalent courses or with the appropriate departmental prefix and 92 or 192, with a notation of the university and country where the student studied abroad.

  Participants on Faculty-Led Programs will also receive “resident credit” (SJSU credit) that will count towards overall graduation unit requirements. Courses will appear on the SJSU transcript similar to other courses taken on campus, as they are SJSU courses taught by SJSU faculty.

• Do the courses students take abroad count for a grade?
  Yes. All courses taken for a grade abroad will be factored into students’ GPA. The SJSU Study Abroad and Away office does not perform grade conversions or grading curves for classes taken at partner universities; grade conversions are performed by SJSU’s international credit evaluator. Students studying abroad can take elective classes as credit/no credit (pass/no pass) only if their host university offers credit/no credit. This does not apply to any classes earning major, minor or GE area credit. In order to take a class as credit/no credit abroad, students will have to communicate directly with their host university for their academic policies regarding taking elective courses as credit/no credit. SJSU will only honor credit/no credit if it is reflected on the host university transcript and if the course(s) will not count towards major, minor, or GE requirements.
• Can students fulfill major or minor requirements abroad?
  Yes. Students are required to follow the instructions for the Academic Approval Form (AAF) to get pre-approvals from their faculty advisors in their majors or minors. 
• Can students fulfill GE requirements abroad?
  Yes. Students are required to get approvals from the Undergraduate Education office by following their instructions for their Academic Approval Form (AAF) specifically for GE requirements.
• Do study abroad students take a leave of absence when studying abroad?

  No. For semester and year-long programs, students will receive an email from the Study Abroad and Away office to enroll in a placeholder course, INTL 192 (12 units) via MySJSU. That placeholder course generates the appropriate tuition for the term abroad and enables students to maintain fulltime status while they are studying abroad. It also enables students to apply their financial aid to the program costs.

  They will also enroll in the courses they plan to take abroad at their host university.

• How do students register for classes abroad?

  Registration procedures vary depending on the host university.

   Some partner universities allow students to register early and courses are confirmed before arrival. Others have students register upon arrival or during the first few weeks of class. Students should have alternate choices for courses in case some classes are not offered. Students should not be registered in courses at SJSU while studying abroad unless they are taking an online SJSU course in addition to classes at their host university. Students are limited to taking a single online course at SJSU while abroad on their semester or year-long program.

  For Faculty-Led Programs (FLP) and Summer School Abroad programs  (SSA), students will receive an email from the Study Abroad and Away office notifying them when their course registration is open. Students will have a specific window of time, from the date of the notice to the stated deadline, to register for their program course online through their MySJSU account. Students who participate in an FLP or SSA enroll in a particular SJSU course (or multiple courses).

• Is there financial aid or scholarships for students to study abroad?
  Yes! Both financial aid and scholarships are available for students studying abroad. There are even scholarships specifically for study abroad students! See the Finances page for more information.
• Where can students find out more information about studying abroad?
  Students can email spartansabroad@sjsu.edu for any study abroad questions or book an appointment with any of the study abroad advisors under About Us: Meet the Team.
• Is there pre-departure orientation for study abroad students?
  Yes. Approved study abroad students are enrolled into the Pre-Departure Orientation canvas course which they need to complete and pass. The comprehensive course provides all type of advise and best practices. Students are also required to participate in the in-person pre-departure orientation which includes group meetings with study abroad alumni in our Global Ambassador program.  
• How are study abroad transcripts processed for students?

  Students who study abroad for the semester or year at a partner university are required to follow this 4-step checklist to make sure their transcripts will be processed properly by the Registrar's Office. It includes how to ensure their transcript is sent directly to etranscript@sjsu.edu, ensuring that all courses taken abroad have already been pre-approved via the AAF, the completion of the Transcript Processing Request Form, and the initiation of the MyProgress Request form with their academic advisor.      

  MyProgress Request: In the final step 4, students will be contacting their academic advisors to complete the MyProgress Request for the actual course subsitution.