Academic Policies for Direct Enroll and Exchange Programs

By enrolling in a course or courses at a foreign university, you are showing your agility and adaptability and are choosing to engage in new academic perspectives of teaching and learning. While the academic culture may be very different at a partner institution for both local and visiting students, you will be subject to that institution’s policies, teaching methods, and grading systems.

Please read the policies outlined below very carefully and refer to your program- specific informational materials, which may include additional policies that modify or supplement those listed below.

Full-time status

You are required to maintain full-time student status, equivalent to 12 or more BU units per term, while abroad. You may need to take more than 12 units at your host university to earn the equivalent of 12 BU units or to meet their requirements for full-time status.

BU degree progress

You are responsible for verifying in advance with your academic department how the classes you take abroad will apply toward your major or minor degree requirements. Use the “what if” and “degree progress” features in MyBU to plan accordingly in consultation with your academic advisor.

Auditing classes

You are not permitted to audit classes while studying abroad.

Registering for final exams

Some universities abroad require students to register in advance for their final exams. It is your responsibility to know whether you need to register for your final exam, and to do so by the appropriate deadline. At some universities abroad, failure to register for or take a final exam for a given course results in a failing grade.

Sitting for final exams

Some universities abroad allow their matriculated students more than one opportunity to sit for final exams. If you were to resit for a final exam or if unforeseen circumstances were to arise, contact your program’s director, the onsite academic team, or your BU program manager as soon as possible to avoid any potential issues. Please note that at some universities, resitting for an exam requires you to be physically present; thus, plan accordingly.

Grading Conversion and Unit Transfer

You are responsible for understanding the grading system and grade conversion scale for your host university courses. Some courses offered abroad may carry fewer than 4 units.

Grades and transcripts

Boston University cannot edit, modify or change in any way the final grades issued by your host institution and indicated on your host university transcript. Any questions regarding your grades should be directed to your host university faculty. All grades assigned to you by the host institution will be recorded on your BU transcript and all grades earned abroad will be factored into your GPA. You cannot opt to omit courses taken abroad and/or grades abroad from your BU transcript.

Pass/Fail

Per Boston University’s policy, elective Pass/Fail is not a grading option for Study Abroad courses for undergraduate students.

Withdrawals

If you withdraw from one of your classes abroad and a ‘W’ appears on your host university transcript, that ‘W’ will also appear on your BU transcript.

Incompletes and Failing Grades

No grades of ‘Incomplete’ will be given; all coursework must be completed with your host institution, including all final exams, before the end date of your program. You will also receive an ‘F’ on your BU transcript for any class that is ‘Incomplete’ on your host institution transcript. A failing grade earned in a class taken abroad will appear on your transcript as an ‘F’ and will count toward your GPA. In keeping with BU academic policy, you will not earn academic units for failed courses even though the grades appear on your transcript and impact your GPA.