Course Approval Process
To ensure timely graduation, students should meet with their advisor to decide upon an academic plan. This plan will help students make the most informed decision on the timing of their study abroad program.
After students apply through the Program Search Engine and their eligibility to study abroad has been confirmed, students should begin working on getting course approvals. Overseas courses are approved by Case Western Reserve University Academic Representatives, only. See the list of Academic Representatives.
Academic Representatives approve courses by signing the student's Course Approval Form (a shared Google file). Google tracks who edits shared forms so signatures are very easily verifiable, if necessary.
Instructions:
- Copy the Course Approval Form to their Google Drive and fill out the top section about themselves and the first column with the courses they wish to take abroad. Then:
- Email their Course Approval Form to the appropriate academic representative (i.e., if requesting approval for a statistics course, email the Math academic representative)
- Include the syllabus for the listed overseas course(s) in their email to the representative (Study abroad advisors can assist with acquiring syllabi.)
- Provide the academic representative with a suggested Case Western Reserve course match. Matches can be generic transfer credit if no exact match exists, but must include a department name and number, ex: ANTH 300TR
- Request that the academic representative digitally sign next to the course
- Have their academic advisor sign the form
- Download the signed Google drive, then upload it to their study abroad application
- Note that students should get more courses approved than they intend to take abroad in case of time conflicts, etc.
- Complete this process as early as possible and by the deadline (in the semester immediately prior to study abroad, forms are due on the Friday before final exams)
CWRU study abroad advisors are here to help! Reach out to yours or email studyabroad@case.edu with any questions (ex: how to use the course approval form, how to more easily gather overseas course information, how to ask for and receive course approvals, etc).
If students take a course abroad without securing prior approval from the appropriate academic representative, there is no guarantee that the course will transfer as wished--or at all.